Boston College (2-0) at Georgia Tech
(2-0) 8:00 PM
ESPN2
Why to Watch:
A pair of 2-0 teams lock up in the first
big ACC battle of the year, and in what
could be a preview of the ACC title
game. Boston College is already 2-0 in
the league, having knocked off Wake
Forest and NC State, while the Ramblin’
Wreck has feasted on Notre Dame and
Samford. Considering how bad the Irish
appear to be to start the season, the
college football world is still waiting
to see just how good this Tech team
really is. Both teams have high-powered
offenses and plenty of strength on the
other side of the ball with ball-hawking
defenses. Should the Eagles win, they’ll
be positioned for a huge run with since
Army, Massachusetts, Bowling Green and
the sad-sack Irish are their next four
opponents. Hello, Top 10. As for the
Yellow Jackets, the win over Samford was
fun, but it’s time to see what that
ferocious defense and amazing running
game (nine rushing TDs last Saturday)
against a balanced attack like the
Eagles’.
Why Boston College Might Win:
In the win over Wake, Matt Ryan was on
fire throwing for five touchdowns.
Against State, the ground attack took
over, with Andre Callender piling up 159
rushing yards, pushing Ryan into the
background. As good as the Tech defense
might be, now it has to deal with a
balance it hasn’t come close to seeing
yet. Defensively, the Eagles forced
seven turnovers against the Wolfpack,
and turned them into 23 points. The D
basically turned the game around as the
Eagles cranked out 30 straight points.
Two Saturdays ago, DeJuan Tribble’s
three picks led the way against the
Demon Deacons. Against NC State, Jamie
Silva had a pair of interceptions.
Although Taylor Bennett has been sharp
to date and only misfired on one of his
nine attempts against Samford, he hasn’t
seen anything like BC’s D, which has
good talent at all three levels. Why Georgia Tech Might Win: All
right, so the win over Samford was
nothing more than a glorified scrimmage,
and the regulars were done by halftime,
but this is turning into an impressive
offense, particularly on the ground.
Tashard Choice has run for 306 yards in
just two games and his backup, true
freshman Jonathan Dwyer, had 138 and
three scores on just nine carries last
Saturday. Not that the Eagles will be
pushovers against the run, considering
they held NC State to just 56 yards
rushing, but the Wolfpack was without
top rusher Toney Baker. This will be an
entirely different level for the Eagles
to face. This is an aggressive,
lightning quick defensive front seven
that should be able to swarm all over
Callender and L.V. Whitworth. Ryan needs
to have his head on a swivel, too,
because GT sacked Irish QBs nine times
in the romp. Who to Watch: The X factor for
the Yellow Jackets is Bennett. Sure, he
looked great against Samford, but BC’s
secondary is a whole other level for the
junior. Against Notre Dame, he completed
11-of-23 for 121 yards and a score. It
wasn’t awful, but he missed several open
receivers and appeared to be just a bit
off. Job one will be to avoid the
pick-happy BC secondary. Job two will be
to open things up for Choice. He doesn’t
have to outplay Ryan, but he has to keep
pace. What Will Happen: This might not
be the highest profile matchup of the
day, but it’s every bit as big, and
every bit as important, as a top level
SEC game. Expect it to be a defensive
battle until the Tech line takes over in
the second half. CFN Prediction: Georgia Tech
23 … Boston College 14
... Line: GT -7 Must See Rating: (5 Britney at
the VMAs - 1 Big Shots) ...
4.5
ACC Thursday, Sept. 13
West Virginia
(2-0) at Maryland (2-0)
7:45 pm ESPN Why to watch:
For the 28th
consecutive season, West
Virginia and Maryland hook up
with regional bragging rights
and a 3-0 start at stake. The
Mountaineers have won the last
three meetings, and enter the
game as the No. 4 team in the
country. Neither school has
faced anything resembling a
ranked opponent this season,
making this Thursday’s game in
College Park a good measuring
stick for both. West Virginia
got tested for a while by
in-state rival Marshall last
Saturday before its dynamic duo
of QB Patrick White and RB Steve
Slaton wore the Herd out in the
second half. The Terps have
basically gone through the
motions in wins over Villanova
and Florida International,
winning both games sans any
style points or rave reviews.
If Maryland has any hope of
authoring an upset, it’s got to
play markedly crisper,
particularly on offense. Why West Virginia might win:
The question for everyone on
West Virginia’s schedule is
whether or not it has enough
firepower to keep pace with an
offense that scores in bunches
and is already averaging 50
points a game this season.
Against lesser competition,
Maryland has really struggled to
move the ball in the early
going, and pass protected poorly
versus Florida International.
Although the running game is in
goods hands with Keon Lattimore
and Lance Ball, new QB Jordan
Steffy is a giant unknown that’s
yet to throw a touchdown pass.
If, as so many Mountaineer games
do, this becomes a track meet,
the Terps don’t have the arsenal
to go step-for-step. Why Maryland might win:
Athletically, the Terps are one
of those rare teams that match
up well with West Virginia. For
the past few years, Ralph
Friedgen has been recruiting
lots of size-speed types which
will be especially helpful in
this week’s game. Led by LB
Erin Henderson and DT Dre Moore,
Maryland is loaded with veterans
on defense, and has held its
last three opponents under 100
yards rushing. And while it
won’t keep the Mountaineers
under the century mark, it will
prevent them from erupting with
a wave of long runs that takes
the Byrd Stadium crowd out of
the game. Who to watch: With the
spotlight always shining on
White and Slaton, it’s easy to
lose sight of Darius Reynaud, an
equally dynamite athlete from
the wide receiver position. A
blur in the open field, his
numbers have been climbing have
been climbing alongside White’s
development as a more complete
passer. In the win over
Marshall, Reynaud had a career
day, catching eight passes for
126 yards and two touchdowns.
What will happen: Short
week. Road game. Tough
defense. This will not be a
cakewalk for West Virginia,
which will be facing a Maryland
team looking for a red-letter
win on national television. The
Mountaineers will pull away late
with back-breaking sprints from
White and Slaton against a
gassed Terp defense. CFN Prediction: West
Virginia 37 …
Maryland
24 ...
Line: West Virginia -16 Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 4
ACC Saturday, Sept. 15
Virginia (1-1) at North Carolina
(1-1)
12:00 PM GamePlan
Why to Watch:
This presents the interesting
juxtaposition of a coach setting
about the rebuilding process of
a program, and a sideline boss
doing the best he can to ward
off calls for his scalp. The
former, UNC’s Butch Davis, knows
he has a lot of work to do in
Chapel Hill, but he has his Tar
Heels playing relatively well on
offense, and he hasn’t been
afraid to use young players in
the process. Virginia’s Al Groh,
on the other hand, needs to make
sure his Cavaliers reach a bowl,
or there will likely be a new
sheriff in town next year. UVA
helped Groh last Saturday by
knocking off Duke, while UNC
fell on a last-second field goal
to East Carolina. Both teams
need to cut down the mistakes in
order to move forward, and
neither team can afford a loss
if there are any dreams of a
bowl. Why Virginia Might Win:
After an anemic offensive output
against Wyoming in the
season-opening loss, the
Cavaliers rebounded nicely last
week against Duke. Granted, the
324 yards of total offense
weren’t the output of a
juggernaut, but Virginia
received good performances from
running back Cedric Pearman (137
yards), QB Peter Lalich
(13-of-18, 131 yards), who
relieved starter Jameel Sewell
(60 yards) and tight end Tom
Santi (six catches, two TDs).
What the Cavs didn’t get was
good special teams play. In
fact, that area was disastrous.
Two snaps sailed over the
punter’s head. A punt was
blocked. So was a field goal. A
repeat won’t result in a win
Saturday. The Cavs need to
tighten up their pass defense,
too. Things were okay against
Duke, but Wyoming’s Karsten
Sween threw for 253 yards in the
opener. Why North Carolina Might Win:
The Tar Heels can score some
points. They followed up a
37-point output in the opener
against James Madison with 31 in
the loss to East Carolina. Much
of it comes through the arm of
redshirt freshman T.J. Yates,
who had 344 yards and three TDs
against ECU. Wideout Brandon
Tate has been on fire so far,
scoring on three of his five
receptions and averaging 35.2
yards per catch. But the Tar
Heels need to cut back on the
mistakes. They’ve committed four
turnovers and had a field goal
blocked in the final minute
against the Pirates. Tighten
that up, and they should be able
to make considerable progress in
a big hurry. Who to Watch: By the time
spring practice ended, Yates was
in the running for the starting
QB job. By August, last year’s
starter, Cam Sexton was out,
former QB Joe Dailey was a
receiver, and touted freshman
Mike Paulus was wearing a red
shirt. By surviving that derby,
Yates showed he has some poise
and talent. Since taking over
the job, he has completed 66.0%
of hit throws for 562 yards, six
scores and two picks. That’s not
bad for someone expected to
struggle. Granted, the meat of
the schedule remains, but Yates
has made a compelling opening
argument. What Will Happen: It
won’t be easy, but the Cavaliers
will continue their turnaround
by playing some good defense and
moving their offense forward.
CFN Prediction:Virginia
24 … North Carolina 20
... Line: North Carolina
-3 Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 2.5
Ohio (2-0) at Virginia Tech
(1-1) 1:30
PM
Why to Watch:
It can’t be that bad, can it?
The Hokies, once a dark-horse
national title hopeful and the
darlings of the nation after
last April’s horrific shootings,
staggered home from Baton Rouge
last week after dropping a
41-point decision to LSU that
erased even the loftiest dreams
of playing for a championship,
even in defeat. The loss caused
Tech coach Frank Beamer to name
true freshman Tyrod Taylor as
his starting QB this week in the
hopes that the spread-offense
specialist can kick-start a
Hokie attack that has yet to get
started. The Bobcats, meanwhile,
are 2-0 after a win at
Louisiana-Lafayette, and have a
potent attack that can hit
rivals on the ground or through
the air. No, this isn’t LSU,
but the Ragin’ Cajuns could be
dangerous if Tech’s head is
still in Death Valley. Why Ohio Might Win:
Granted, the Bobcats dumped ULL
and Gardner-Webb, but this is a
program on the come with a sound
offensive system under head
coach Frank Solich. QB Brad
Bower was 17-of-28 for 264 yards
and a score last week, while
senior RB Kalvin McRae had four
touchdowns. Ohio averaged 33.5
ppg and 424.0 yards/game, so
Tech’s stout defense, which was
overrun last week, had better be
ready for a quick rebound. Why Virginia Tech Might Win:
The Hokies are at a crossroads
and need to find the leadership
on defense to find the right
path. Last week’s loss was a
true crusher; although the
verdict was not totally
unexpected, the pointspread was
a shock. Taylor is a dangerous
weapon, capable of running or
passing well. He is, however, a
freshman, and he’s working
behind a shaky O-line that
hasn’t helped Branden Ore get
loose on the run this year. If
VT is to win this, it’s up to
the defense to create
opportunities for short drives
and the trademark excellent Tech
special teams need to get some
points – or at least set the
offense up for easy scores. Whom to Watch: Taylor was
rated the number one dual-threat
QB in the country by one service
after accounting for 100
touchdowns during three years as
a starter at Hampton HS. He’s a
two-time first-team all-state
performer who had more than
2,300 total yards last year and
36 touchdowns. The 6-2,
185-pounder led Tech with 44
rushing and 62 passing yards in
last week’s loss and let VT to
its only touchdown. What Will Happen: The
Hokies may be in disarray, but
the Bobcats aren’t quite good
enough to take advantage. VT,
keys on McRae, and when Bower
can’t come through with any sort
of a passing game, the Hokies
will get healthy at home. CFN Prediction:Virginia
Tech 31 … Ohio 6
... Line: VT -19.5 Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 2
Furman (1-1) at Clemson
(2-0) 1:00
PM GamePlan
Why to Watch:
The last time Clemson started a
season 3-0 was 2000, when the
Tigers went on an eight-game
season-opening binge. That’s
enough reason to catch this one,
since after dumping Florida
State in the Labor Day Bowden
Bowl, the Tigers are poised for
another big start. They
shouldn’t get much of a fight
from the Paladins, who despite
being ranked 15th in
I-AA and being quite an historic
rival of Clemson’s – dating back
to CU’s first-ever game – are
being brought in as lambs for
the slaugher. Last week’s early
lack of focus against UL Monroe
resulted in a 7-0 deficit, and
though there might be a little
trouble getting rolling this
week, Clemson should be just
fine. Why Furman Might Win: The
Paladins are capable of putting
up some yards, particularly
through the air, thanks to QB
Renaldo Gray, who threw for 261
yards and four scores in the
season-opening win over
Presbyterian. He has a pair of
good targets, Patrick Sprague
(14 catches) and R.J. Webb (11).
Running back Cedrick Gipson has
the potential to grind out some
tough yards, and the Paladins
don’t turn it over very often –
only once this season. Why Clemson Might Win: If
Cullen Harper plays only half as
well as he did last week, the
Tigers should have no trouble.
The nation’s eighth-best passer
threw for 270 yards and a
school-record five TDs while
completing 20-of-26 passes. So
what if the fans cheered when
freshman Willie Korn entered the
game? The job is Harper’s for
now, but it’ll be Korn who
quickly comes in when this gets
out of hand. The Tiger defense
showed in the first half against
Florida State that it can
terrorize an attack, although
they need to tighten up their D
against the run, since they’ve
allowed 192.5 yards rushing per
game. Who to Watch: It might
have been tempting to look at
the recruiting reports and let
Phillip Merling play tight end
when he came to Clemson from
Fork Union Military School, but
the Tigers made him a defensive
end, and he has thrived. Last
year, he had 10 tackles for loss
and 20 QB pressures, and he
looks even better this year.
Through two games, Merling has
18 tackles, four behind the
line, and two pressures. He’s a
key to a defense that will make
Clemson an ACC title contender
if it matches the offense’s
production. What Will Happen: The
Tigers’ balanced attack proves
too much for Furman … in the
first quarter. The defense will
tighten up to make the light
scrimmage a laugher. CFN Prediction: Clemson
44 … Furman 6
... Line: No Line Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 1
