2026 Boston College vs 2026 Pittsburgh

Boston College
2–3 · −4.9 (92nd of 138)
vs
Pittsburgh
5–1 · SP+ 10.5 (34th of 138)

Published

Pittsburgh by 9.0

74% to win

Published forecast · SBR sbr-2r

View scouting report

Why this number

Boston CollegeIn-season results −0.5Preseason baseline −0.1
PittsburghPreseason baseline +9.4In-season results +1.5
Boston College home field +2.5

How they're built

0–100 percentile · higher is stronger

Compare the whole profile, then explore each dimension.

2026 Boston College Offense · SP+ 2026: 19.5, 19th percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Boston College Defense · SP+ 2026: 24.4, 59th percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Boston College Special teams · SP+ 2026: 0.1, 50th percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Boston College Recruiting · 2026 signing class: 204.1 pts, 62nd percentile (2026 signing class)2026 Boston College Experience · returning production 2026: 16% returning, 23rd percentile (2026 roster)2026 Pittsburgh Offense · SP+ 2026: 29.7, 66th percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Pittsburgh Defense · SP+ 2026: 19.4, 82nd percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Pittsburgh Special teams · SP+ 2026: 0.2, 69th percentile (2026 season to date)2026 Pittsburgh Recruiting · 2026 signing class: 214.1 pts, 69th percentile (2026 signing class)2026 Pittsburgh Experience · returning production 2026: 40% returning, 51st percentile (2026 roster)0100Offense · SP+ 2026Defense · SP+ 2026Special teams · SP+ 2026Recruiting · 2026 signing classExperience · returning production 2026
  • 2026 Boston College Offense · SP+ 2026: 19.5, 19th percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Pittsburgh Offense · SP+ 2026: 29.7, 66th percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Boston College Defense · SP+ 2026: 24.4, 59th percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Pittsburgh Defense · SP+ 2026: 19.4, 82nd percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Boston College Special teams · SP+ 2026: 0.1, 50th percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Pittsburgh Special teams · SP+ 2026: 0.2, 69th percentile (2026 season to date)
  • 2026 Boston College Recruiting · 2026 signing class: 204.1 pts, 62nd percentile (2026 signing class)
  • 2026 Pittsburgh Recruiting · 2026 signing class: 214.1 pts, 69th percentile (2026 signing class)
  • 2026 Boston College Experience · returning production 2026: 16% returning, 23rd percentile (2026 roster)
  • 2026 Pittsburgh Experience · returning production 2026: 40% returning, 51st percentile (2026 roster)
Emphasize a team

Offensive production relative to that season’s field. Compare an offense with the opposing defense in the scouting report.

Recruiting and experience add context; the five axes aren't equal weights in the forecast.

The numbers behind the profiles

Measure2026 Boston College2026 Pittsburgh
Offensive / play0.0011th percentile0.1857th percentile
PPA allowed / play0.0262nd percentile−0.0685th percentile
Points per game19.013th percentile5 games34.872nd percentile6 games
per game23.450th percentile5 games14.790th percentile6 games

Programs don't stand still

SP+ percentile among FBS teams, by season. The marked point is each compared season.

2026 Boston College2026 Pittsburgh
Boston College 2026: 34th percentilePittsburgh 2026: 74th percentile2000200520102015202020250255075100

Momentum

Boston College↘ falling (−15 pctl over 3 seasons)
Pittsburgh↗ rising (+13 pctl over 3 seasons)

Talent in, results out

Recruiting-class percentile feeding each roster, compared with its SP+ result.

2026 Boston College
Average signing-class percentile, classes 2023–2026
51st percentile
SP+ percentile, 2026
34th percentile
Underperforming its talent (−17)
2026 Pittsburgh
Average signing-class percentile, classes 2023–2026
66th percentile
SP+ percentile, 2026
74th percentile
Matching its talent (+9)

Campus distance

475 miles apart

There's more to the matchup.

Supporting context, ready when you want it.

In the trenches · both directions
MatchupO-lineD-line
2026 Boston College OL vs 2026 Pittsburgh DL308.7 lbs267.1 lbs
2026 Pittsburgh OL vs 2026 Boston College DL310.3 lbs265.9 lbs

2026 Boston College line yards 2.74 · 2026 Pittsburgh stuff rate 30.5%

2026 Pittsburgh line yards 3.16 · 2026 Boston College stuff rate 22.7%

Fans swear big lines win games. They're half right — big-line teams do win more, but only because good programs recruit big linemen. Once we account for talent and last season, line size adds nothing to the prediction. Across 11 seasons, no measurable effect on margin.

Roster size is context. It isn't a forecast advantage.

Backtested effect: 0.42 pts at 1σ.

Head-to-head · Pittsburgh leads 7–4 since 2000

Pittsburgh has won 1 straight

SeasonScoreVenue
2025Boston College 7–48 PittsburghAcrisure Stadium · Pittsburgh home
2024Boston College 34–23 PittsburghAlumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, MA) · Boston College home
2023Boston College 16–24 PittsburghAcrisure Stadium · Pittsburgh home
2020Boston College 31–30 PittsburghAlumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, MA) · Boston College home
2019Boston College 26–19 PittsburghAcrisure Stadium · Pittsburgh home
2014Boston College 20–30 PittsburghAlumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, MA) · Boston College home
2004Boston College 17–20 PittsburghAcrisure Stadium · Pittsburgh home
2003Boston College 13–24 PittsburghAlumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, MA) · Boston College home
2002Boston College 16–19 PittsburghAcrisure Stadium · Pittsburgh home
2001Boston College 45–7 PittsburghBoston College home
2000Boston College 26–42 PittsburghPittsburgh home
Coaching & program context
2026 Boston College

HC

  • Bill O'Brien

OC: no staff data on file

Scheme: Spread (listed on Wikipedia)

Style: Balanced, average pace (threw on 44% of its run–pass plays, 36th percentile of 2026 FBS; 65.4 plays a game, 37th percentile)

DC

  • Ted Roof

career average +26.3 SP+ defense

Scheme: 4–3 (listed on Wikipedia)

2026 Pittsburgh

HC

  • Pat Narduzzi

OC

  • Kade Bell

career average +30.5 SP+ offense

Scheme: Hurry-up, no-huddle spread (listed on Wikipedia)

Style: Pass-heavy, up-tempo (threw on 51% of its run–pass plays, 82nd percentile of 2026 FBS; 73.3 plays a game, 89th percentile)

DC

  • Cory Sanders

no career track record on file

Scheme: 4–3 (listed on Wikipedia)

A new coordinator feels like it should swing a game. Across 11 seasons, the change doesn't move the final margin beyond what the roster already tells us. Shown as context, not a factor in our number.

Run-heavy team meets a defense that can't stop the run — feels like extra points waiting. Across 7 seasons the matchup adds nothing beyond what the two ratings already say; if anything the point estimate leans the other way.

Watching the next one?

Pittsburgh at Boston College · October 17, 2026

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