1980 Pittsburgh
11–1, coached by Jackie Sherrill, finished No. 2 in the AP poll. Share
Schedule and results
- Best winBeat No. 5 Penn State 14–9Nov 28
Over the best-ranked team it beat, on the road.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13 | vs Boston College | W 14–6 | 81% |
| Sep 20 | at Kansas | W 18–3 | 77% |
| Sep 27 | vs Temple | W 36–2 | 79% |
| Oct 4 | vs Maryland | W 38–9 | 71% |
| Oct 11 | at 11Florida State | L 22–36 | 41% |
| Oct 18 | vs West Virginia | W 42–14 | 80% |
| Oct 25 | at Tennessee | W 30–6 | 59% |
| Nov 1 | at Syracuse | W 43–6 | 68% |
| Nov 8 | vs Louisville | W 41–23 | 89% |
| Nov 15 | at Army | W 45–7 | 87% |
| Nov 28 | at 5Penn State | W 14–9 | 46% |
| Dec 29Bowls & playoff | vs 18South CarolinaGator Bowl | W 37–9 | 74% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
How it ended: Beat South Carolina 37–9 in the Gator Bowl; No. 2 in the final AP poll.
In program history: The best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 128 on file).
AP poll, week by week
- Wk 1: 3
- Wk 2: 3
- Wk 3: 5
- Wk 4: 6
- Wk 5: 6
- Wk 6: 4
- Wk 7: 11
- Wk 8: 12
- Wk 9: 11
- Wk 10: 9
- Wk 11: 8
- Wk 12: 6
- Wk 13: 4
- Wk 14: 4
- Wk 15: 3
- Final: 2
Players on this team
Hugh GreenDefensive end
Dan MarinoQuarterback
Mark MayGuard
Jim CovertOffensive tackle- Randy McMillanRunning back
- Rickey JacksonLinebacker
- Jim SweeneyCenter
- Joe McCallRunning back
- Lynn ThomasDefensive back
Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1980.
Heisman voteHugh Green, second
Led the nationDwight Collins: yards per catch (27.6)
Maxwell AwardHugh Green, DE; also the Walter Camp and Lombardi
- Record
- 11–1
- Conference
- —
- AP final
- No. 2 peak No. 2
- Points
- 380–130
- Coach
- Jackie Sherrill
- Elo
- 1798 +138 this season
- SP+ rating
- 34.2 No. 3 of 133; offense No. 4, defense No. 4
- SRS
- 29.6 No. 2 of 138 in Division I-A
- Recruiting class
- —
- Offensive coordinator
- Wally English
- Defensive coordinator
- Foge Fazio
- Offense
- West Coast
- Defense
- Multiple front
Drafted in 1981
The 1981 draft| Rd 1 | Hugh Green LB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Rd 1 | Randy McMillan RB | Baltimore Colts |
| Rd 1 | Mark May OT | Washington Redskins |
| Rd 2 | Rickey Jackson LB | New Orleans Saints |
| Rd 3 | Greg Meisner DT | Los Angeles Rams |
| Rd 3 | Carlton Williamson DB | San Francisco 49ers |
| Rd 3 | Russ Grimm OG | Washington Redskins |
| Rd 5 | Bill Neill DT | New York Giants |
| Rd 5 | Benjie Pryor TE | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Rd 5 | Lynn Thomas DB | San Francisco 49ers |
| Rd 5 | Jerry Boyarsky DT | New Orleans Saints |