If you blinked, you might’ve missed it. November just dropped its biggest spoiler. After the ACC’s top-ranked teams, No. 14 Virginia and No. 15 Louisville, lost on Saturday night to Wake Forest and CalNow, the conference race turned into chaos. And all of a sudden, it’s not just Notre Dame who chasing playoff dreams. The Fighting Irish entered the season with the intention of playing kingmaker, but they might potentially be overthrown by a team nobody saw coming.

On November 9th’s episode of The Matt Barrie Show, Barry and Paul Finebaum pointed out that the Pitt Panthers are now the club that controls the whole playoff discussion. Matt Barry stated, “There is one team that could control the entire domino effect of the College Football Playoff that not one person has uttered this team. The Pitt Panthers,” he wasn’t lying. Pitt has quietly developed strongly enough to shake up the rankings and possibly Notre Dame’s postseason hopes as the rest of the ACC struggles for a foothold.

Barry added, “Pitt is a team that I’m telling you, they have the keys to the rest of the season,” highlighting how the Panthers’ late comeback turned them from a spoiler to a legit contender. It all begins at Notre Dame. Barry highlighted the impending match that might decide the Irish’s destiny by saying, “Well, number one, they’ve got Notre Dame coming to their yard this weekend.”

Pitt’s attack has been explosive since moving to true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Their momentum has turned heads across the nation.”If they get Notre Dame this weekend, Notre Dame in all likelihood at nine and three, they’re not going to get in,” Barry explained.

But it doesn’t end there. “Then they have Georgia Tech at Georgia Tech. They could screw that up for the Rambling Wreck. And then they have Miami,” Barry went on, referring to that stretch as “the biggest and most important in the country.”

Pitt’s three-game schedule has the potential to completely change the postseason landscape. Finebaum even admitted what many are secretly thinking: “Yeah, it would be nice to get Notre Dame out of the conversation.  I’m a little bit weary of the Notre Dame conversation this week.” And now, just as the Irish are heating up, Pitt stands ready to test how real that momentum is.

Notre Dame faces its biggest test

Notre Dame’s 49-10 demolition of the Navy was a statement win. For the first time in 28 years, the Irish failed to commit a turnover. They made all their extra points. There was no turnover on their part. With snow whirling around the stadium as Boubacar Traore and Christian Gray tumbled into the student section like kids on Christmas morning, it was Notre Dame at its most brutal.

Also, the Irish are heading directly into a possible trap as they settle into their rhythm. The Panthers are lurking. They have the timing and the home-field advantage to make an impact even though they lack Notre Dame’s brand power. Freshman Mason Heintschel has a five-game winning streak, placing Pitt firmly in the running for the ACC championship.

But Notre Dame isn’t backing down. The Fighting Irish arrive in town after a week off with the intention of ending Pittsburgh’s incredible run. After experiencing a near-perfect Saturday for the first time, Marcus Freeman’s group is hungry for more. The discipline and the no-penalty play all served as a reminder of what Notre Dame football ought to be like when everything works just fine. They know Pitt’s coming in with swagger, a five-game heater, and nothing to lose. But the Irish are regaining belief for the upcoming clash.