On October 5, Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi took a shot at Penn State, claiming the school uses its “brand” to get a spot in the AP poll.

Instead of talking about his team’s improvement, he made negative comments about the Nittany Lions. The not-so-subtle shots at Penn State in October aren’t the only time Narduzzi has sent shade Penn State’s way, either.

During ACC Media Days, Narduzzi claimed the ACC is better than the Big Ten, despite the latter producing the past three national champions.

Narduzzi has a whopping 1-6 record against Big Ten opponents. It’s time to silence him. I want Penn State to schedule Pitt to prove the Nittany Lions are a better program.

I know Penn State isn’t living up to expectations this season, but I still believe the team is better than Pitt, and Penn State should take the opportunity to play the Panthers.

Narduzzi himself said he was open to scheduling more games and reviving the rivalry with the Nittany Lions during James Franklin’s tenure, but those requests were often declined.

With Matt Campbell as the new head coach, I want to highlight a potential change.

This cockiness can’t go unnoticed. I think Pitt has consistently been a strong football program, but the ACC has had five fewer playoff appearances and two fewer championships since the College Football Playoff era.

By the way, Pitt has never made the playoff. The entire ACC is carried by the seven times Clemson competed for the national title, but even Dabo Swinney is washed now.

The ACC was a one-bid conference last season. If it really was the conference with stronger competition, I think more than one team would make it.

In the first year of the 12-team playoff, two ACC teams made it, and you wouldn’t believe what happened to one of them … they lost to Penn State.

I think there’s a difference in strength of schedule, and again, while Penn State doesn’t look great so far this year, the Nittany Lions can take on Pitt. Penn State’s losing to Big Ten teams, a stronger conference that has produced more national champions recently.

If Narduzzi wants to call the Nittany Lions out for his poor record against Big Ten opponents, let’s give him what he’s asking for.

I’m confident in Penn State, and honestly, Pitt as a rivalry-week game is so much better than Maryland and Rutgers — who are not Penn State’s rivals in any way, in my opinion.

I know Penn State is technically “Unrivaled”, at least in Franklin’s era, and built a brand off of the idea, but I know there was once a rivalry between Pitt and Penn State, so why not bring it back?

There appears to be some tension from the coaching staff on one side, so let’s show them why the Nittany Lions are a better program.