Pitt Game Preview

The Johnny Majors Classic

Tennessee took care of business against Ball State. There really aren't any takeaways to be had from this game other than maybe Tennessee's lack of a pass rush. In fairness, Ball State's quarterback was getting the ball out fast. Tennessee's offense started fast and put the game away early. The backups had mop up duty in the second half and added a few scores of their own. Milton looks like he's taken another step in year 2 under Heupel.

Meanwhile, Pitt went to war with West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. A very intense and underrated rivalry. I just need to say this before I move on. It's a disgrace that this game isn't played every year. Same with Nebraska/Colorado, Nebraska/Oklahoma, Pitt/Penn State, Missouri/Kansas and I'll even add Tennessee/Auburn. Thankfully that game will be played at least every other year soon and Texas/Texas A&M will return as well. There will be some positive changes in college football in the next few years. I'm glad Texas and Oklahoma are coming to the SEC. The SEC is likely headed for a 9 game schedule. A 12 team playoff is just a few years away now, although 16 will end up being the perfect number but that's probably a decade or two off. And there will also be more good games. However, I'm not sure all of that is worth the price we're going to end up paying with the lost rivalries, loss of regionalism and probably a good amount of current Power 5 teams that will be relegated to Group of 5 status. A Group of 5 playoff would be a nice consolation, but imagine how teams like Washington State, Kansas State, Boston College, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Baylor would feel going from the Power 5 to that.

Back to what actually happened in the Backyard Brawl. Pitt won a close game in the closing minutes. West Virginia was winning until late in the 4th quarter when they tied the game at 31. West Virginia had time to try to get a field goal but it was not to be as JT Daniel threw a pick six to seal WVU's fate. The atmosphere for this game was insane. It was almost SEC level. Both teams left it all on the field emotionally and Pitt couldn't afford to hold anything back. The emotional toll it took out of Pitt will probably be significant, although having two extra days helps. Pitt didn't come out of the game unscathed though. Their talented DE Deslin Alexandre left the game with an injury and is questionable for the game against Tennessee. Running back Rodney Hammond Jr. was also banged up but it looks like he will play.

So what happens in Round Two of the Johnny Majors Classic?

A top 25 matchup for one. The Vols are 24th while Pitt is 17th.

Pitt gave up 190 yards rushing last week and 214 yards passing. West Virginia averaged 5.8 yards per rush. This is a clear vulnerability for Pitt. I think Jabari Small and Jalin Wright will makes some plays on the ground along with Hendon Hooker. Pitt has a ferocious pass rush but a strong running game will make them pay for it. Heupel can pick his spots to take some shots down field and I'm sure he will be ready for the pass rush by having a safety valve if things break down. Hitting Small or Wright with some quick passes should slow the pass rush down enough to eventually hit on some deep passes. I think Bru McCoy could have a big day as the Panthers will likely double cover Cedric Tillman. Hyatt could have a lot of success as well. I just think that Tennessee has too many weapons and too much offense for Pitt to keep up.

How close this game will end up being will come down to how well Tennessee's defense performs. Against Ball State, Tennessee gave up just 343 yards and only 74 rushing. Of course you have to consider the competition, but Ball State did have a lot of experience with their skill players. Pitt only ran for 76 yards against WVU while Slovis threw for 308 on just 24 attempts. Pitt wanted badly to play ball control with 38 rushing attempts but they could only muster 2 yards a carry. Tennessee's rushing defense should be solid in this game, even if Mitchell doesn't play again. For Pitt to have any chance, they will have to open it up and throw the ball. The question is, at what point in the game will they do this? I think Narduzzi will be stubborn and stick to his game plan for a while and by that time I think the Vols will have a sizable lead. This is when Tennessee's DB's are going to get their first true test. Slovis is a solid QB and he can make plays. How quickly will he get rid of the ball though? If they are doing 7 step drops, Byron Young could have a nice day.

I think Tennessee builds a big lead and Pitt starts making plays when Narduzzi realizes the game is getting away from him. I think the defense makes some plays when this happens with a nice pass rush that we didn't see last week. Tennessee plays a sharp game with laser focus on a good opponent with a little revenge on their minds from last year.

Tennessee (-5.5) 45

Pitt 27

In other games...

Alabama (-20.5) 51

Texas 24

Florida 27

Kentucky (+5.5) 23

BYU (-3.5) 41

Baylor 34

Arkansas (-8.5) 35

South Carolina 20

Iowa (-3.5) 10

Iowa State 6

USC (-7.5) 47

Stanford 31

Last week 7-1 overall (5-3 ATS)

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Follow me on Twitter @Joshes_Journal

Have a great weekend of football everyone and stay safe. Cherish football while we have it. Go Vols and God Bless!