I don't even know how it's possible for the Steelers to somehow hinder Pitt's success lol. Pitt's competition in recruiting is just too tough, Ohio State & Penn State are just giants on their own and West Virginia has been somewhat on a rise, their 2000s success didn't seem to help Pitt at all.
Then again Pitt is just a mediocre program, haven't won a big bowl game in now about 40 years and are 15-31-3 against their two biggest rivals in the past 40 years as well, and both of them are dead rivalries anyway.
Pitt might've won their Conference Championship but until Narduzzi makes it a consistency it just feels like a dead program still.