PITTSBURGH — For the first time in two years, Pittsburgh heads into a game with its preseason goal of winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division title out of reach.

The Panthers’ chances of earning a second straight berth in the ACC title game vanished in the cold November rain in a shutout loss to Virginia Tech last week.

Still, coach Pat Narduzzi is confident his team will have plenty of motivation for the regular-season finale Saturday against Boston College.

“I don’t think our goals, our kids are going, `Oh, my gosh, we don’t have that, let’s shut it down,”’ Narduzzi said. “I don’t think that’s in our mentality. I know it’s not in our coaches’ or my mentality. It’s not even there.”

A victory would give Pitt (7-4, 4-3 ACC) its first eight-win season since 2016 and third in Narduzzi’s five years with the team. The Panthers have won at least eight games three times in a five-year span just twice since 1983.

“Yes, it matters,” Narduzzi said. “Seven is not as good as eight.”

Maybe, but seven is considerably better than five, which is where the Eagles (5-6, 3-4) find themselves following consecutive losses to Florida State and Notre Dame, the latter a 40-7 rout at the hands of the Fighting Irish last weekend that did little to bolster Boston College head coach Steve Addazio’s standing. Addazio is 43-44 in seven seasons with the Eagles.