Wk 5 · 2026
Pittsburgh Panthers at Virginia Tech Hokies — Fri, Oct 2
Fri, Oct 2 ·
Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
· ESPN FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
at
7:00pET
VT -1.5 · total 54.5 DraftKings opened -5.5 · 4 toward PITT
Ratings differential PITT by 4.6
What is at stake
A ACC game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Pitt is ranked #25 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
2.4 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have
changed.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense (pts/100)
Defense (pts/100)
Pace (plays/g)
Yards / play
Yards / play allowed
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College
King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so
the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a
longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the
good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so
neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats · 2026 per game
Points / game
Points allowed
Yards / game
Yards allowed
Pass yds allowed
Rush yds allowed
Turnovers / game
From completed 2026 box scores;
defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.
Pitt form
L 17-21vs UNCW 35-33at VTW 59-0vs BUCKW 27-13vs SYRW 12-7vs UCF
2026 season
Virginia Tech form
L 20-25at CALL 33-35vs PITTW 21-14at BCW 35-26at MDW 44-21vs ODU
2026 season
Pitt this season
Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Virginia Tech this season
Straight up4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 4
| Opponent | Pitt | Virginia Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College ACC | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at W 21-14 preview |
| Miami ACC | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview | at Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
| Georgia Tech ACC | vs Wk 9 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| California ACC | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview | at L 20-25 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Pitt leads 8–5 · Pitt won the last one
13 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
5.0 points toward Pitt
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-10-02 | Pitt 35 — 33 Virginia Tech | at VT | Pitt |
| 2023 | 2023-09-30 | Pitt 21 — 38 Virginia Tech | at VT | Virginia Tech |
| 2022 | 2022-10-08 | Virginia Tech 29 — 45 Pitt | at PITT | Pitt |
| 2021 | 2021-10-16 | Pitt 28 — 7 Virginia Tech | at VT | Pitt |
| 2020 | 2020-11-21 | Virginia Tech 14 — 47 Pitt | at PITT | Pitt |
| 2019 | 2019-11-23 | Pitt 0 — 28 Virginia Tech | at VT | Virginia Tech |
| 2018 | 2018-11-10 | Virginia Tech 22 — 52 Pitt | at PITT | Pitt |
| 2017 | 2017-11-18 | Pitt 14 — 20 Virginia Tech | at VT | Virginia Tech |
| 2016 | 2016-10-27 | Virginia Tech 39 — 36 Pitt | at PITT | Virginia Tech |
| 2015 | 2015-10-03 | Pitt 17 — 13 Virginia Tech | at VT | Pitt |
| 2014 | 2014-10-16 | Virginia Tech 16 — 21 Pitt | at PITT | Pitt |
| 2013 | 2013-10-12 | Pitt 9 — 19 Virginia Tech | at VT | Virginia Tech |
| 2012 | 2012-09-15 | Virginia Tech 17 — 35 Pitt | at PITT | Pitt |
Pitt leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Mason Heintschel QB #6 | 98/148, 1304 YDS, 14 TD, 1 INT |
| Holden Geriner QB #15 | 19/26, 219 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Rushing | Damon Ferguson Jr. RB #26 | 51 CAR, 270 YDS, 3 TD |
| La'Vell Wright RB #29 | 35 CAR, 145 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Mason Heintschel QB #6 | 30 CAR, 112 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Cataurus Hicks WR #3 | 15 REC, 315 YDS, 3 TD |
| Bryce Yates WR #4 | 15 REC, 240 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Censere Lee WR #10 | 18 REC, 195 YDS, 4 TD | |
| Carson Kent TE #86 | 12 REC, 157 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Cruce Brookins DB #12 | 26 |
| Josh Guerrier DB #14 | 24 | |
| Jeremiah Marcelin LB #32 | 22 | |
| Sacks | Nick James DL #11 | 2 |
| Isaiah Neal DL #2 | 1.5 | |
| Jaeden Moore DL #8 | 1.5 | |
| Interceptions | Raion Strader DB #6 | 1 |
| Braylan Lovelace LB #0 | 1 | |
| Cameron Lindsey LB #24 | 1 |
Virginia Tech leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Ethan Grunkemeyer QB #17 | 131/177, 1446 YDS, 11 TD, 2 INT |
| Bryce Baker QB #22 | 11/14, 127 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Rushing | Jeffrey Overton Jr. RB #16 | 77 CAR, 455 YDS, 4 TD |
| Marcellous Hawkins RB #27 | 58 CAR, 238 YDS, 4 TD | |
| Messiah Mickens RB #26 | 8 CAR, 34 YDS | |
| Receiving | Luke Reynolds TE #85 | 37 REC, 373 YDS, 4 TD |
| Que'Sean Brown WR #3 | 33 REC, 371 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Ayden Greene WR #0 | 12 REC, 213 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Jeffrey Overton Jr. RB #16 | 15 REC, 150 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Kaleb Spencer LB #3 | 24 |
| Noah Chambers LB #16 | 22 | |
| Keon Wylie LB #33 | 19 | |
| Sacks | Aycen Stevens DL #42 | 5.5 |
| Cortez Harris DL #34 | 5 | |
| Kaleb Spencer LB #3 | 3 | |
| Interceptions | Thomas Williams CB #23 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster
pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.