ACC Football 2013 Previews & Predictions: Week 9

Miami Breathed a Sigh of Relief on Tuesday — Will it Help Them Avoid Trap v. Wake?

A week after Florida State asserted itself as the ACC‘s top dog, we get a bunch of games that won’t really help us determine the pecking order beyond the ‘Noles. Despite being nearly halfway through conference play, this weekend feels like a bit of a lull — though still, plenty of chances for surprising (but hopefully not to surprising) results. Just like normal, we’re running down the list of every ACC (plus Louisville) game and predicting outcomes that will almost undoubtedly be wrong. Have some picks of your own? Predict away in the comments!

Game of the Week

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-3) (2-2) at Miami Hurricanes (6-0) (2-0): A matchup with a 23-point spread being the featured game of the week? #goacc… But honestly, that line’s a bit overblown and it’s not as if the ‘Canes have much of a home-field advantage anyway. Miami also struggled to get by a hapless North Carolina team last Thursday, while Wake Forest is suddenly coming on strong offensively, scoring 62 points over the past two weeks (strong for them, obviously). If Tanner Price can move the ball well on the ground, it should help set up the Deacs’ passing game for more success, though Miami’s offense might be too much for them. Whether it’s Duke Johnson or Dallas Crawford carrying the load, expect the Hurricanes to try and test Wake’s strong running defense all afternoon. Miami is likely to win this one — just not by as much as Vegas might think. Prediction: Miami 31, Wake 24

The Rest of the Slate (in order of start time):

Louisville Cardinals (6-1) at USF Bulls (2-4): Louisville’s coming off a tough loss last Friday that killed off any national title hopes. USF’s riding a surprising two-game winning streak and actually holds a share of first in the American Athletic Conference right now. While the Bulls have played better of late, it’s unlikely that’ll be enough against a team out for a bit of redemption this week. USF is still a struggling offense that only puts up 16 points per game, and to be honest, UConn‘s the first offense they’ve really stopped all year. Teddy Bridgewater should make short work of the secondary and get the Cards back on track. Prediction: Louisville 41, USF 13

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-3) (2-2) at Virginia Cavaliers (2-5) (0-3): It’s unlikely Georgia Tech will be able to replicate last week’s 56-point output, though if there was an opponent that could happen against, I guess it would be UVa. The Hoos have been a mess all season, with an offense that can’t score (less than 18 points per game vs. FBS competition) and a defense that simply gets abused in second halves. Maybe Mike London coming under fire serves as motivation for Virginia? There’s a chance of it, though this really is a lopsided matchup of two teams going in opposite directions. Prediction: Georgia Tech 38, Virginia 20

ACC Football 2013 Bowl Projections: Week 9

Florida State, Now No. 2 in the BCS Rankings, May Be Headed to Pasadena at Year’s End

ACC teams are moving closer toward bowl eligibility — and a few of them have even punched their ticket to the postseason already. For most, however, still a lot left to figure out. As you’ll notice below, some shifting compared to last week, with the Florida State win obviously throwing a wrench into what we previously thought would happen. Disagree with any of these? Share your own picks below.

ACC Bowl Projections 2013: Week 9

BCS National Championship Game: Florida State Seminoles (6-0) vs. BCS #1

Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers (6-1) vs. BCS at-large

Chick-fil-a Bowl: Miami Hurricanes (6-0) vs. SEC

Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1) vs. AAC

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-3) vs. Pac-12

Belk Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers (4-2) vs. AAC

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Duke Blue Devils (5-2) vs. SEC

Advocare V100 Independence Bowl: Boston College Eagles (3-3) vs. SEC

Military Bowl: Maryland Terrapins (5-2) vs. C-USA/MAC

As per usual, we include Louisville (6-1) in these things. While they dropped out of BCS contention (at least for now) this past weekend, we’ve got them slotted in opposite Virginia Tech in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

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ACC Football 2013 Television Schedule & Spreads: Week 9

Miami Hosts Wake Forest in One of the Top ACC Football Matchups of the Weekend

Every week, we’ll be providing a quick rundown of which ACC football games are on television, and also list the latest spread on each game (should you choose to engage in gambling-related activities). Please plan your days accordingly.

ACC Football Week 9 TV Schedule & Spreads

Saturday, October 26

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Miami Hurricanes (-23.5), Noon ET, ESPNU

Louisville Cardinals at USF Bulls (+20), Noon ET, ESPN 2

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers (+10), 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 3/College Gameplan

Pittsburgh Panthers at Navy Midshipmen (+8), 1 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Boston College Eagles at North Carolina Tar Heels (-7), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 3/College Gameplan

Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Tech Hokies (-13), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Clemson Tigers at Maryland Terrapins (+14), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

NC State Wolfpack at Florida State Seminoles (-31.5), 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN 2

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ACC Football 2013 Power Rankings: Week 9

After Saturday’s Stunning Win Over Clemson, There’s No Question FSU’s On Top in the ACC

Plenty left to digest in the ACC after a weekend of national poll carnage. FSU’s obviously the king of the hill after massacring Clemson, but every other spot appears up for grabs. With the season more than halfway over, the conference appears to be angling for two BCS bids (hopefully), adding some extra intrigue to the top four or so spots as well. As always, the poll includes all 14 current ACC members, plus future member Louisville. Feel like I’m totally right or completely off-base? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

ACC Football Power Rankings 2013 (Week 9)

1. Florida State Seminoles (6-0) (4-0) (Last: 2): So much terror. The Seminoles undressed Clemson in a way I’m unsure any of us ACC fans saw coming, and as a result, they sit atop this subjective pile of teams for the foreseeable future. Jameis Winston has asserted himself as the ACC’s best quarterback, leader and player, and is now the nationally-relevant personality the conference has needed for some time. So is FSU “back” for all intents and purposes? We’ve been here before, but it feels very different this time. I’d take this FSU squad over just about any other team in the country right now.

2. Clemson Tigers (6-1) (4-1) (Last: 1): Bear with me here. Yes, the Tigers were demolished. Yes, they proved their doubters correct, derailed their national title hopes and murdered Tajh Boyd‘s chances at winning a Heisman, too. But one surprising blowout can’t just eliminate all the good that’s come from this season, can it? Clemson’s defense is much-improved (especially in the pass-rush) and the offense is still top-notch. When comparing them to Miami, I’d take the Tigers despite last week, and that on its own elevates them over the ‘Canes for the time being.

3. Miami (FL) Hurricanes (6-0) (2-0) (Last: 3): That Thursday night game was horrendous, and yet Miami still managed to pull it out. Stephen Morris was about as flawed as you’ll find him (threw four INTs) and Duke Johnson was injured early. And yet, this team was able to pull out a very late win on the shoulders of their defense and backup running back Dallas Crawford. Again, not pretty, but the fact that the ‘Canes showed some resiliency against a UNC team looking to save their season is a big step in the right direction.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1) (3-0) (Last: 5): The bye week gave the Hokies some much-needed rest and the additional reward of moving up further in the national polls. Inside the top 15, Tech is now a legitimate threat to be in the BCS picture, and with just one challenging game remaining (Miami), The key, of course, will be the offense’s consistency. If they can limit turnovers and score around 24 points per game, that should be enough to win with this D.

ACC Football Goat of the Week, Week 8: Terrel Hunt, Syracuse

Syracuse Orange Quarterback Terrel Hunt is the ACC Goat of the Week for Week 8

No one enjoys piling on when things go wrong. But nonetheless, we’ve got to call out the ACC (plus Louisville) players who were counter-productive in helping their teams grab a victory this weekend. On the bright side for them, they can always get off this list next week. And for their sake, let’s hope they do.

ACC Goat of the Week, Week 8: Terrel Hunt, QB/Syracuse

After a hot start to the Terrel Hunt era, things have taken a turn for the worst for Syracuse as their quarterback of choice is struggling mightily. Since ACC play started, the redshirt sophomore has completed just 25 of 58 passes for 194 yards and six interceptions. Prior to Saturday’s massacre against Georgia Tech he’d been running the ball very well, but that’s now ground to a halt as well. His struggles, minimized when the team’s defense is playing well, has now hit a breaking point and SU is now searching for answers. He’s the obvious answer this season based on the rest of the roster, but is he a long-term solution? Under Hunt and offensive coordinator George McDonald, the passing game’s absolutely collapsed. It doesn’t help that the defense was ill-prepared for Tech’s triple-option either, but scoring zero points in a contest is simply unacceptable. After a mildly promising 3-3 start, the Orange and Hunt have a lot to work out during this coming bye week.

Honorable Mention:

Stephen Morris, QB/Miami (19/35 passing, 322 passing yards, 0 TD, 4 INT)

Tajh Boyd, QB/Clemson (17/37 passing, 164 total yards, 1 TD, 2 INT)

Syracuse Orange rushing defense (allowed 394 rushing yards, 7 rushing TD)

Clemson Tigers passing defense (allowed 444 passing yards, 4 TD)

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ACC Football Player of the Week, Week 8: Jameis Winston, Florida State

Florida State Quarterback Jameis Winston is the ACC’s Player of the Week for Week 8

Each week, we’ll be identifying the best ACC (plus Louisville) player from that weekend’s games. As always, it’s a completely arbitrary award with no specific criteria beyond the vague concept of “excellence.” No, we don’t take write-ins.

ACC Player of the Week, Week 8: Jameis Winston, QB/Florida State

There’s no denying that Florida State’s victory over Clemson was an astounding series of events, orchestrated by the entire Seminoles team. On both sides of the ball, FSU simply smothered the Tigers, disrupting their gameplan in the early seconds and then just continuing to roll thereafter. Plenty of credit goes out to the defense (and they’ll get their due below), but it’s impossible to discuss this team’s success without Winston. The redshirt freshman quarterback’s risen to every single challenge presented to him this season, with the national attention of the Clemson game being no different. Despite being held in check on the ground (or rather, just didn’t need to bother running), he led an all-out assault on the Tigers through the air: 22-for-34, 444 passing yards, three touchdowns. That’s 20 yards per completion, and over 13 per attempt. Clemson’s secondary never had a chance, especially when they started blitzing a bit too much — teams should probably stop doing that. There’s plenty of season left, but Winston’s impressive win sets them up for what should be an extremely exciting second half of the season and a real shot at playing for a National Championship.

Honorable Mention:

Lamarcus Joyner, FS/Florida State (8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 2 FF)

Isaac Bennett, RB/Pittsburgh (30 carries, 240 yards, 3 TD)

Dallas Crawford, RB/Miami (33 carries, 137 yards, 2 TD)

Zach Laskey, RB/Georgia Tech (13 carries, 75 yards, 3 TD)

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ACC Football 2013 Previews & Predictions: Week 8

Tajh Boyd Understands the Pressure He and His Clemson Tigers Will Be Up Against This Saturday

We’re here! It’s the biggest week in ACC football history! The most important game, possibly, this conference has ever seen and it could end up being the college football regular season’s most important game as well. All eyes are on Clemson and Florida State, and as regular spectators, we’re happy to even be a small part of the festivities and attention sent the ACC’s way. Just like normal, we’re running down the list of every ACC (plus Louisville) game and predicting outcomes that will almost undoubtedly be wrong. Have some picks of your own? Predict away in the comments!

Game of the Week

Florida State Seminoles (5-0) (3-0) at Clemson Tigers (6-0) (4-0): The winner of this game gets a clear shot at a conference title, Heisman trophy, National Championship and so much more. So know that both teams will be fully prepared for what comes on Saturday night. Tajh Boyd‘s been here many times before, while Jameis Winston takes his first trip into the spotlight against a major opponent. The two quarterbacks may cancel each other out, which brings this game down to the defenses. Clemson’s pass-rush is one of the best in the country, and FSU’s has been iffy at times this year. Neither side’s a push-over, though something tells me the Tigers’ experience plays a major part in delivering the win. This veteran Clemson team remembers last year’s close loss to the ‘Noles and will be prepared for the rematch. It’s not to take away from Florida State. I just see the Tigers as the (slightly) better team — especially at home. Prediction: Clemson 41, Florida State 38

The Rest of the Slate (in order of start time):

Miami Hurricanes (5-0) (1-0) at North Carolina Tar Heels (1-4) (0-2): Miami’s rocketed into the top 10, while the Tar Heels could not be in worse shape. This of course is the recipe for a major upset in most cases, though I just don’t buy it here. The Hurricanes’ offense has scored 42 points or more for three straight games, and despite a lingering ankle injury to Stephen Morris, they’ve still maintained one of the top 30-40 passing attacks in the country. The defense is also improved and given the recent state of things for the Heels, a lot would have to go their way in order to beat Miami on Thursday. Prediction: Miami 33, UNC 21

UCF Knights (4-1) at Louisville Cardinals (6-0): UCF’s without its top pass-rusher on Friday, which certainly poses an issue to their strategy of getting to Teddy Bridgewater. Still, the Knights should be well equipped to giving the Cardinals all they can handle in Louisville’s last game against real competition. If the Cards defense plays as they have lately, they’ll do just fine. But make no mistake, UCF will be able to test this team as likely no team has all year — nor will, until the postseason, that is. Prediction: Louisville 27, UCF 20