Syracuse has a giant mountain to climb to be considered for the CFP, but a win against Pitt would at least bring the Orange back in shouting distance of the ACC and regain the respect it tried to lose by dropping a game against Stanford.

The Panthers and Orange are arguably two of the biggest surprises in the ACC. Syracuse was picked to finish 12th in the preseason media poll, with Pitt 13th. The winner enters November with a legitimate shot at reaching the conference title gam e and perhaps the College Football Playoff.

No. 19 Pitt is off to its best start in more than 40 years, but Syracuse should present a formidable challenge when the teams match up Thursday night on the