College Football Pick Pittsburgh at Syracuse 10-16-10

Pittsburgh Panthers (2-3) vs. Syracuse Orange (4-1)

Saturday, October 16th, 2010 12:00PM ET

Line: Syracuse -1

Syracuse has had their best start in the last couple of years this season, the team skipped to 4-1 after a tough-it-out win against South Florida. They had back home to take on a dangerous Pittsburgh team that has notably struggled throughout the season. The Panthers couldn’t stop the air attack by Notre Dame in their last game, giving them their third loss of the season. Expect Syracuse to continue to ride off the success of their running back Delone Carter, who ran for 105 yards in his last game.

Keys to the Game:

-          Carter has rushed for a total of 524 yards and five touchdowns this season. His game against Colgate two weeks ago was his coming out party; rushing for 172 yards and four touchdowns. The team has also benefitted from the solid play of their quarterback, Ryan Nassib as of late.

-          Pittsburgh’s tough loss against Notre Dame explains how their season has been. The Panthers have been inconsistent this season. Their passing game wasn’t bad last week, but their running game was absent. Dion Lewis only rushes for 63 yards off 13 touches; that’s not a good look. The team continues to find success between the passing and catching between Sunseri and Baldwin.

-          This game will be Syracuse’s proving ground. The team hasn’t faced a legit opponent all season, not to say that Pitt is a legit team, but the Panthers have weapons that could hurt the Syracuse defense.

This important meeting will bring out the best out of both squads. The Syracuse Orangemen have been impressive this season, but they will encounter some matchup problems with the Panthers. Pittsburgh has been roughed up a few times this season, their record shows it. But the Panthers still possess a dangerous offensive attack and a potential defense. One of the best Big East games of the weekend.

Free Pick: Pittsburgh -1