Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable react to the Panthers' 61-9 season-opening win over crosstown rival Duquesne. What can we learn about Pat Narduzzi's team after a blowout win over an inferior opponent? Is Eli Holstein back to his best after starting last season hot and petering off at the end because of injuries? Is Desmond Reid already staking his claim to another All-American season? Will the special teams give the Panthers a boost this season after Reid's punt return TD and Kenny Johnson's long kick return? And what can the defense led by Kyle Louis take from this contest into games against more challenging opponents in the ACC? Our duo answers those questions and more.

Host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey to preview the season for coach James Franklin's Penn State Nittany Lions football team.

Will we learn anything about Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton and others during an easy early-season schedule? Or will we need to wait until White Out night against the Oregon Ducks in late September? How much can the new Jim Knowles defense dominate Big Ten opponents? Can Penn State finally beat its nemesis Ohio State in Columbus? And what are Jason's picks in terms of record, the conference title race and College Football Playoff potential? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

In this clip from the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey to ponder the Steelers' worst-case scenarios in 2025 and what could lead to them.

Is the quarterback room good enough as a whole? From Aaron Rodgers with question marks as a 41-year-old to Mason Rudolph as a backup in the event Rodgers is injured? Or could those two doom the team if they're not playing at their best?

What happens if DK Metcalf is injured? Do coach Mike Tomlin, GM Omar Khan and OC Arthur Smith have enough depth there in the form of Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller? Or do they still need to make a move at some point?

And have the communication issues in the defensive backfield been rectified? Or will Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay Jr. and Juan Thornhill fall into similar traps that Minkah Fitzpatrick did in leading the group last season? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

In this clip from the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey to ponder best-case scenarios for the Steelers in 2025 and what needs to go right to attain them.

Do T.J. Watt, Alex Smith, Nick Herbig and the pass rush need to be better than they were in 2024? And how much will a reloaded offensive line with Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black next to Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton help in that pursuit?

Can the entire quarterback room be good enough for OC Arthur Smith? From Aaron Rodgers, who's facing questions about how quickly he can find his stride, to Mason Rudolph in a backup role.

And can coach Mike Tomlin get where he wants to go if Broderick Jones, and potentially also Troy Fautanu, aren't playing at close to a Pro Bowl level in protecting a largely immobile Rodgers behind center? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

Host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian Nittany Lions insider Isaiah Maldonado to preview Penn State's season opener against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.

Will coach James Franklin and OC Andy Kotelnicki get dominance out of their veteran offensive line? How many big plays will we see from Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton at running back? Will QB Drew Allar find early chemistry with receivers including Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross, Kyron Hudson, Liam Clifford, Tyseer Denmark and Koby Howard? And how many depth players will make contributions in what's expected to be a blowout?

Our duo tackles those questions, plus some season preview over/unders. Will Allen and/or Singleton surpass Evan Royster's all-time rushing record? How much of Tyler Warren's success can Khalil Dinkins, Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea replicated? Will Dani Dennis-Sutton follow Abdul Carter in surpassing 10 sacks for the season? And how far will Penn State go, both in the Big Ten against foes like Oregon and Ohio State. And in the College Football Playoff?

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to give season predictions for the Pitt Panthers football team at the start of the 2025 season.

How cool is it to see coach Pat Narduzzi's team facing crosstown rival Duquesne in the season opener? Is Eli Holstein capable of a season like Kenny Pickett had in 2021 en route to an ACC conference championship? Is Desmond Reid's health the most important factor for OC Kade Bell's offense? And is Pitt a top three or four team if it can follow through on linebacker Kyle Louis' vision of finishing games? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner analyze the Pirates' decision to wait until late August to promote top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler to MLB.

Should GM Ben Cherington have had him here months ago, when he could have helped salvage the season for stalwarts like Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller in the rotation? Or was this team always doomed to fail because of its deficient offense? Were Chandler's struggles in the minor leagues legitimate concerns? Or a reflection of his frustration with his slow promotional route? And who are the prospects Jason would like to see next? From Nick Yorke to Hunter Barco?

Our duo tackles those questions and more. Is Henry Davis starting to put things together at catcher, given the team has a winning record when he plays? Does the 2026 rotation need another veteran like Andrew Heaney? Or should the Pirates lean into homegrown options like Braxton Ashcraft? And should Skenes be a lock to win the Cy Young award at season's end?

In the debut episode of Serving Up Pitt, Post-Gazette Pitt insider Abby Schnable and co-host and former Panther Cat Flood dive into Pitt volleyball's 2025 season. They take a deep dive into the roster. How will coach Dan Fisher replace the team's key departures, like Rachel Fairbanks, Emmy Klika and Valeria Vazquez Gomez? How will the team fill in around reigning AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock?

Abby and Cat preview the rest of the 2025 season after a rough start for the Panthers. How can they bounce back after starting the season ranked No. 3 but falling in their first two matches to Nebraska and Florida? Will the team's tough early schedule harden them for the months to come? And what is their ceiling — another Final Four appearance?

Abby and Cat discuss their key takeaways from those matches and what they mean for Pitt moving forward. What do the Panthers need to fix before the upcoming State Farm Showcase at PPG Paints Arena, when they welcome No. 25 TCU and No. 13 Arizona State to Pittsburgh this weekend?

They close the show with some rapid-fire questions on breakout players, team strengths, players to watch and more.

In this clip from the Thursday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette insider Christopher Carter to analyze the Steelers' depth at safety after roster cut down day.

Do GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin have enough depth at the position, with only DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark manning it moving forward? Is the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade for Jalen Ramsey a signal they they believe they can find useful players at safety even in the event of injury? How does Ramsey figure into the safety situation, if at all? And how should we feel about the overall secondary that also includes names like Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay Jr.? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

In his weekly Pirates mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insider Noah Hiles answers reader questions. Among them: What are the chances Konnor Griffin makes the team out of spring training in 2026? Does general manager Ben Cherington have a legitimate chance to keep his job? After his hot stretch at the plate lately, could Jared Triolo solidify his spot as the starting shortstop or third baseman for next season? What Pirate has impressed Noah the most this season, and who do the Pirates need to cut ties with? And who could the Pirates acquire via free agency or trade to shore up the corner-outfield spots? Noah answers those questions and more.