The highlight of his coaching tenure was the 1910 season in which Pitt, led by star fullback Tex Richards, went undefeated for the second time in school history.

[17] Winning continued under coach Joseph Duff, including an 8–1 record in 1914 in which opponents were collectively outscored 207–38, and the university was well on the way to establishing itself as a regional, if not yet national, power.

[19] His second season duplicated that success, repeating an 8–0 record while collectively outscoring opponents 255–25, and garnering what is widely regarded as a consensus national championship.

Pitt swept through its first two games and then dismantled Georgia Tech 32–0 in front of many of the nation's top sports writers including Walter Camp.

Sutherland's second season kicked off the Panthers' first in the newly constructed Pitt Stadium and saw the team achieve an 8–1 record and win the 1925 Eastern Championship.

In 1934 Pitt won at Nebraska 25–6, shut out Notre Dame 19–0, its third victory in a row over the Irish, and defeated USC 20–6, which resulted in an Eastern Champion as well as being awarded a share of the national championship by Parke Davis.

[5][26][27] One of the greatest back-to-back stretches in Pitt football history occurred during the 1936 and 1937 seasons which featured Heisman Trophy candidate and Hall of Fame running back Marshall Goldberg.

[29] Pitt followed up the Rose Bowl winning 1936 season with a 9–0–1 record in 1937 that included five shutouts, a repeat Eastern Champions, and a number one ranking in the AP's final poll.

Due to the developing rift with the university administration, and the time and expense of the travel, Pitt became the first team to publicly decline a Rose Bowl invitation following a vote of the players.

[34][35] The implementation of these policies was the beginning of the end for that era of Pitt football prominence, but the Panthers still impressed during the 1938 season behind an assembly of talent at running back labeled the "Dream Backfield".

[36][37] Sutherland, who was described as "a national hero" in a Saturday Evening Post article,[38] was perhaps the most highly admired and influential coach in the history of the university.

During this era Pitt's first African-American player, Jimmy Joe Robinson, led the team in receiving and rushing, and also excelled at returning punts and kickoffs.

Walter "Mike" Milligan brought Pitt back to winning records in 1948 and 1949, achieving consecutive 6–3 seasons that included appearances in the national rankings and back-to-back shutouts of Penn State.

Michelosen immediately brought Pitt football back to respectability in his first season with the 1955 Eastern Championship that was capped by an appearance in the 1956 Sugar Bowl.

Pitt accepted an invitation to the 1977 Sugar Bowl to face fourth ranked Georgia and defeated the Bulldogs 27–3 and was voted number one in both the final Associated Press and Coaches polls, claiming their ninth national championship.

Following this historic season, Majors returned to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee, to take the head coaching job.

Sherrill stockpiled future NFL talent including Pittsburgh's own quarterback Dan Marino, Hall of Fame inductee Russ Grimm, and Outland Trophy winner Mark May.

[46] In five seasons, Sherrill's Panthers won 50 games, lost nine, and tied one (50–9–1), which places his 0.842 winning percentage at the top of the list for all Pitt coaches, just ahead of Jock Sutherland.

Behind an increasing number of talented players, led by Biletnikoff Award winner Antonio Bryant, Pitt including a 12-0 defeat of rival Penn State.

Eight of these claims (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1937, and 1976)[5] are taken from the total of 11 seasons in which the Panthers have been selected as a national champion by a "major selector" as determined by the Official NCAA Records Book.

CFBDW lists the Joe Thompson coached 1910 undefeated and unscored upon team as a recognized national champion, whereas the university does not claim this championship.

The Pitt Band also participates in the "Panthers Prowl" which begins two hours before kickoff and allows fans to meet the team as they make their way into Acrisure Stadium outside Gate A.

[71][72] One hour prior to kick off, the Pitt Band also engages in the "March to Victory" from Tony Dorsett Drive down General Robinson Street and ending at the stage on Art Rooney Avenue.

Other football traditions include: During the late 1990s, athletic director Steve Pederson instituted a rebranding of the Pitt Stadium student section in an attempt to bolster enthusiasm and unity by emphasizing the 12th man concept.

[83][84] During some seasons, these shirts were commonly worn by students attending football games with the back of "Code-Blue" T-shirts typically include the line "Alle-genee-genac-genac" from the Official University Yell.

On November 10, 1979, the Backyard Brawl was the last college football game played at old Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia, with the Panthers prevailing 24–17.

[48] The 100th game of the series will take place in 2019 and is the last match up for the foreseeable future as Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour claims that an extension will not be considered until at least 2030.

Pitt and Syracuse also shared membership in the Big East Conference from 1991 to 2012 before both schools simultaneously moved to the ACC where they are designated as cross-divisional rivals and are scheduled to meet annually.

[90] Of historic interest, it was during the Pitt-Navy game at Annapolis on October 23, 1976, that Pitt running back Tony Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record.

[92] The process of picking an Eastern Champion eventually came to be symbolized by the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy awarded by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority beginning in 1936.