14 Final 28 9 Final 20 7 Final 42 14 Final 51 7 Final 38 31 Final 35 45 Final 19 9 Final 56 24 Final 34 0 Final 34 20 Final 27 13 Final 16 14 Final 62 48 Final 45 0 Final 66 17 Final 45 3 Final 77 22 Final 44 10 Final 42 7 Final 55 22 Final 32 31 Final 42 0 Final 70 36 Final 27 12 Final 59 43 Final 36 13 Final 20 6 Final 45 24 Final 38 16 Final 27 30 Final 23 7 Final 31 20 Final 34 17 Final 72 27 Final 26 6 Final 28 33 Final 30 3 Final 69 17 Final 45 7 Final 31 10 Final 17 10 Final 42 18 Final 16 20 Final 38 17 Final 20 14 Final 56 21 Final 20 6 Final 54 3 Final 56 14 Final 56 9 Final 63 3 Final 35 33 Final 31 24 Final 21 21 Final 45 17 Final 21 38 Final 16 20 Final 3 7 Final 68 10 Final 38 3 Final 45 35 Final 9 28 Final 23 40 Final 42 20 Final 59 13 Final 24 0 Final 68 44 Final 20 0 Final 13 17 Final 34 7 Final 23 20 Final 24 3 Final 42 0 Final 73 23 Final 30 10 Final 34 14 Final 21 17 Final 42 3 Final 48 13 Final 36 3 Final 27 10 Final 70 20 Final 37
Week 2 • September 06, 2025, 04:00 PM UTC
Central Michigan
17
1-0
MAC
Power Rank: -10.5
@
FINAL
45
Pittsburgh
1-0
ACC
Power Rank: 9.1

Pittsburgh defeated Central Michigan 45–17 in a dominant performance. Pittsburgh covered by 6.5; Game went Over by 10.5.

By · Last updated

General Information

Week: Week 2
Kick Off (at stadium): 12:00 PM EDT
Stadium: Acrisure Stadium
Capacity: 68,400
Elevation: 719 ft
HFA Rating: 2.6
Playing Surface: Grass

Betting Information

Spread Pittsburgh -21.5
Total (O/U) 51.5
Odds Implied Score CMU 15.0 - 36.5 PITT
Power Rank Implied Line Pittsburgh -19.6
Prediction Markets Pittsburgh 95% Win Chance (Kalshi)

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Central Michigan
Pittsburgh
Home field — Acrisure Stadium
Weather: Overcast
Travel impact

Positive adjustment = favours home team

Central Michigan @ Pittsburgh Preview

Weather Conditions

Forecast for: February 02, 2026
Overcast

Overcast

26.8°F

Wind Chill: 17.1°F
Wind: 10.5 mph SW
Gusts: 13.8 mph
Precipitation: 0.0"
Humidity: 81%
Rain Chance: 0%
Snow Chance: 0%

Travel & Rest

Central Michigan (Away)

This Week: 326.4 miles
Last Week: 3970.4 miles
Season Total: 4296.8 miles
Body Clock Time: 12:00
Rest Days: 7

Pittsburgh (Home)

This Week: 0.0 miles
Last Week: Home Game
Season Total: 0.0 miles
Body Clock Time: 12:00
Rest Days: 7

What are the key factors for Central Michigan vs Pittsburgh?

Central Michigan: Key Factors

Offensive Struggles Continue

Central Michigan managed only 3 points, with a field goal in the second quarter, and failed to score an offensive touchdown. The passing game was limited, and the running game was held to 81 yards, indicating significant offensive inefficiency.

Defensive Resilience in First Half

The defense held Toledo scoreless in the first half, forcing a 3-0 lead at halftime. However, they allowed 21 unanswered points in the second half, including two long touchdowns, showing an inability to maintain pressure and contain big plays.

Turnover and Sack Issues

Quarterback Joe Labas threw an interception, and the offensive line allowed four sacks, contributing to the team's inability to sustain drives and score. These mistakes were critical in the loss.

Special Teams Bright Spot

Dakota Cochran blocked his third career kick, providing a rare positive moment. However, this was not enough to overcome the offensive and defensive shortcomings.

Playoff Implications Diminished

With the loss, Central Michigan falls to 7-5 overall and 5-3 in MAC play, likely missing the MAC championship game. The team will need to regroup for a bowl game, focusing on improving offensive consistency and defensive discipline.

Pittsburgh: Key Factors

Offensive struggles against elite defense

Pitt's offense was stifled by Miami's defense, managing only 7 points and 199 passing yards. Freshman QB Mason Heintschel was sacked on the first play and faced constant pressure, highlighting a significant talent gap in the trenches against top-tier opponents.

Heintschel's resilience but limitations

Heintschel returned from a leg injury to complete 22 of 32 passes for 199 yards with a TD and an interception. While his overall play since taking over has been positive, the game exposed his struggles against elite defenses, which could be a concern in bowl preparation.

Defensive fatigue and second-half collapse

Pitt's defense held early but wore down in the second half, allowing Miami to score the final 35 points. This pattern of fading against strong offenses may need addressing to compete in a bowl game against a similarly talented opponent.

Positive season overall despite loss

At 8-4, Pitt secured a bowl game for the eighth time in 11 seasons under coach Narduzzi. The team showed resilience after early-season losses, but the loss to Miami underscores the gap between Pitt and CFP-caliber teams, providing a benchmark for offseason improvement.

What happened in the game?

Central Michigan travels 326 miles to this game, a short road trip.

Pittsburgh won by 28 in a dominant performance.

Pittsburgh covered the spread.

The total went Over by 10.5 points.

Does weather affect this game at Acrisure Stadium?

At 26.8°F, this is a cold-weather game. Cold conditions below 35°F historically compress scoring and reduce passing efficiency, favouring unders and run-heavy offences.

Full conditions are shown in the data panel above. Forecast data sourced from WeatherAPI.com. Use the Line Value Calculator to apply a manual weather adjustment to your projected line.

How do Central Michigan and Pittsburgh compare on power ratings?

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings favour Pittsburgh (9.1) over Central Michigan (-10.5) by 19.6 points on a neutral field. After adding home field advantage, the rating-implied line may differ meaningfully from the market spread. Pittsburgh brings a meaningful home field advantage to this matchup (Blue Chip HFA: 2.6). Add this to the neutral-site differential to arrive at a venue-adjusted line.

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings represent expected point margin against an average FBS opponent on a neutral field, calculated from game data sourced via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD). They are one input — cross-reference with the travel, rest, and weather data above before drawing conclusions.

Where can I find more data on Central Michigan and Pittsburgh?

Sources

Game & Team Data

Weather

Travel & Rest

Model & Methodology

Pittsburgh won and Pittsburgh covered the spread.