Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh scheduled for 12:30 p.m. RSN kickoff on October 7

For the second half of last year’s contest, the nation was sort of captivated by the Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers for once. The long-time foes, who aren’t rivals at all, were setting the scoreboard ablaze en route to a record-setting 76-61 final score.

Now, we find out that the rematch will take place at 12:30 p.m. ET on RSN.

It’s the second-earliest kickoff for Syracuse so far this year, following the 12:20 p.m. ET kickoff this weekend against NC State. While the almost-nooner is not ideal from a tailgating perspective, it’s nice to still have your day available (especially for someone on the West Coast, where a mid-day kick wraps just after lunch).

When Pitt and Syracuse line up at the Carrier Dome, the teams will be in very different spots than they were last November. Syracuse is much healthier right now, and QB Eric Dungey is available this time, while he wasn’t last year. Pitt’s currently 1-3 and appears to be fading without last year’s quarterback (Nathan Peterman) and running back (James Conner). The Panthers’ defense is also terrible. Maybe even more so than last year.

In the all-time series, Syracuse is 31-38-3 against Pitt, though that record is largely shaped by extended periods of dominance by one team or the other. The Panthers have won 11 of 12 in the series. At one point, the Orange won 11 straight from 1991 to 2001.

Excited for the video game score rematch? Or still don’t care about our forever non-rival? Share your own thoughts and prep for the impending noon-30er below.