Is Florida State back? No, it might not be the juggernaut of the past, but on a four-game winning streak, it's one of the ACC's hot teams. Can Wake Forest get in the ACC title chase, or will Antone Smith and and Noles make a nationally televised statement? Check out the preview, pick, and more on this battle, and the rest of the ACC games in the Fearless Predictions.
Florida State (4-1) at Wake
Forest (3-2)
7:30 p.m. ESPN Why to Watch: The two
teams come in hot, with Wake
Forest winning three straight,
with a 2-1 ACC record, and
Florida State starting to look
like one of the ACC’s true
contenders, on a four-game
winning streak. Last year, Wake
throttled the Noles 30-0 in
Tallahassee, so FSU has plenty
of revenge to deliver and knock
off the defending ACC champions
in (don’t laugh) a statement
game before dealing with Miami.
Both teams are trying to keep
pace with Boston College in the
Atlantic Division, and neither
can afford a loss. The
quarterback matchup will take
center stage, with
newly-installed Seminole starter
Xavier Lee looking to progress,
while Wake Forest’s Riley
Skinner is back in the fold,
coming off a great game against
Duke, after missing time hurt. Why Florida State Might Win:
Last year, injuries turned the
usually-bloodthirsty FSU defense
into a hit-or-miss outfit. This
year’s crew is a healthy,
marauding bunch that’s hell
against the run and allowing
just 15.6 points per game. LB
Geno Hayes is the leader of the
crew, but there’s enough
experience and speed on all
three levels to keep the Demon
Deacon running game under wraps.
Although FSU had trouble with
the Wake spread attack last
year, it should be able to
stymie an offense that’s had its
moments, but hasn’t been
consistent. On the other side of
the ball, WR Greg Carr has
flourished with the quarterback
change, catching nine passes for
247 yards in the last two games. Why Wake Forest Might Win:
The Deacons aren’t piling up the
yards, but they’re being
extremely efficient with the
ball. Last week against Duke,
they had only 336 total yards,
but they scored four offensive
touchdowns and got three field
goals from Sam Swank. Skinner is
extremely adroit at performing
the various misdirections
necessary in the attack, and is
an ever-improving passer who had
a nice day last week in his
return. As always, Wake will
look to get all-purpose star
Kenneth Moore as many touches as
possible, after cranking out 225
total yards of offense. The Wake
defense is solid, and it will
look to shut down FSU’s shaky
ground game, mostly by making
sure Lee doesn’t get loose on
draws and option plays. Who to Watch: Lee’s first
start was a big success,
completing 16-of-28 passes for
257 yards and a touchdown
without a pick. His biggest play
was a 40-yard scoring strike to
Carr, as he’s starting to push
the ball down the field a bit
more, while finally showing
stunning poise. With his
mobility, he also adds a
much-needed shot in the arm for
the running attack, and now he
has to use all his skills and
keep improving as the schedule
gets tougher. What Will Happen: The
Deacons won’t flummox FSU’s
defense this time. The Seminoles
shut down Wake’s spread attack
and ride Lee’s strong arm to a
key win and a five-game winning
streak for the first time since
the beginning of 2005. CFN Prediction:
Florida
State
27 ... Wake Forest 17...
Line: Florida State -6 Must See Rating: (5 Hideki
Matsui's "collection" - 1 The
Heartbreak Kid) ...
3.5
ACC Saturday, Oct. 13
Boston College (6-0) at Notre
Dame (1-5)
3:30 EST, NBC Why to watch: After a
three-year hiatus, Boston
College and Notre Dame resume an
intense rivalry that was being
dominated by the Eagles before
the contract between the schools
ended in 2004. At 6-0, BC is
off to its best start since
1942, rising to No. 4 in the
polls behind the passing of
Heisman contender Matt Ryan and
a strong, ball-hawking defense.
Is the program overrated and a
product of a soft first-half
schedule? A rare nationally
televised game versus a name
brand opponent gives BC a chance
to do some hard selling in front
of a somewhat skeptical public.
The Irish won’t be winless in
2007 after all. Getting stellar
play from LB Maurice Crum and
the rest of the defense, Notre
Dame surprised UCLA in Westwood
last weekend, 20-6. While
managing just 140 yards will
keep the game film out of the
South Bend time capsule, the
entire program can finally
exhale and get back to
developing for next season.
Beating the Bruins was nice, but
tagging BC with a loss, and
ruining its dream season, would
turn this ugly year completely
around. Why Boston College might win:
The Eagles should have no
trouble outscoring a Notre Dame
team that’s still mired at or
near the bottom of the national
rankings in just about every
offensive statistical category.
It could get worse this week for
Jimmy Clausen and the Irish
against a rugged BC defense
that’s No. 3 in the country
against the run, and has picked
off 16 passes. From Gosder
Cherilus and the offensive line
to Jamie Silva and the
secondary, the Eagles will
physically dominate a Notre Dame
team that’s been moved off the
ball all season. Why Notre Dame might win:
If the Irish has any hope of
starting a winning streak, it’ll
begin with a defense that’s
played well for the last six
quarters, and has been better
than given credit for
considering the offense hasn’t
done anything to help. No, Ryan
isn’t UCLA’s McLeod
Bethel-Thompson, but Notre Dame
has begun flexing its muscles on
defense, picking off six passes
and getting seven sacks over the
last two games. And Ryan isn’t
above making mistakes, as his
five interceptions this season
would indicate. Notre Dame has
to create takeaways on Saturday
in order to give the feeble
offense a shorter work space. Who to watch: A pair of
sophomores, DE Alex Albright and
LB Mark Herzlich, have risen up
this fall for a Boston College
defense that lost veterans B.J.
Raji and Brian Toal before the
season began. Albright leads
the team with five sacks and
Herzlich has five tackles for
loss, giving the Eagles an
upfield push that looked like a
weak spot back in August. What will happen: There
isn’t a whole lot of love
between these two Catholic
institutions, so BC won’t pass
on an opportunity to kick the
Irish when it’s down. The
Eagles will clear their final
hurdle before traveling to
Virginia Tech, getting two
touchdown passes from Ryan, over
100 yards from RB Andre
Callender, and a couple of key
interceptions. CFN Prediction:
Boston
College 37 … Notre Dame
13 ...
Line: Boston College -14 Must See Rating: (5
Hideki Matsui's "collection" - 1
The Heartbreak Kid)
... 2
Virginia Tech (5-1) at Duke
(1-5)
12:00 pm GamePlan Why to Watch: The Hokies
aren’t much to watch on offense,
but they‘re finding just about
every other way under the sun to
produce points. Take last week’s
win over Clemson, when Tech
scored on a punt return, kick
return and an interception
return, while the defense showed
its teeth in shutting down the
vaunted tandem of C.J. Spiller
and James Davis. Who cares if
your offense is ranked 113th
in the country if you can do
that? Duke, meanwhile, is all
about offense, specifically QB
Thaddeus Lewis, who continues to
stockpile great numbers
triggering the surprising Blue
Devil attack. Tech has won six
in a row in the series, with the
last loss coming in 1981 when it
was an independent. Why Virginia Tech Might Win:
They call it “Beamerball,” and
it’s all about the things that
don’t get too much publicity.
With nothing quite working right
offensively, the heat’s been
turned up on defense, holding
opponents to just 16 points and
320 yards per game. Lewis is
mobile, and that’ll come in
handy considering he’ll have to
scramble for his life behind a
porous line that allowed 23
sacks in the first six games.
The Hokie pass rush has been
unstoppable. Why Duke Might Win: The
Hokie defense lost its main man.
LB Vince Hall (broken left
wrist, out 4-6 weeks) was the
team’s leading tackler, and
while the rest of the D is good
enough to pick up the slack, you
don’t get better by losing an
All-American. Lewis threw for
291 yards and four scores last
week against Wake Forest, and
while he’ll be under pressure,
he’s experienced enough to not
force turnovers … maybe. The
Duke defense hasn’t been
dominant, but it isn’t facing a
juggernaut, meaning the game
won’t get out of hand if the
Blue Devil offense doesn’t screw
up. Who to Watch: The Hokies
have to pay attention to Lewis,
but they’d also better keep a
keen eye on wideout Eron Riley.
The junior was at it again last
week, catching eight passes
against the Demon Deacons for
143 yards and two touchdowns,
coming off an impressive
six-catch, 235-yard, four-score
performance against Navy. A true
deep threat, he’s the one player
who could explode if the Hokie D
is sleepwalking. What Will Happen: Lewis
may get some yards, but VT will
win the turnover battle and
should convert the short-field
opportunities. Hokie QB Tyrod
Taylor had one of his best games
yet last week, and now he should
build on the Clemson win the
outrush Lewis.
CFN Prediction:
Virginia
Tech
38 ... Duke 14 ...
Line: Virginia Tech -13.5 Must See Rating: (5 Hideki
Matsui's "collection" - 1 The
Heartbreak Kid) ... 2 ACC Week
7 Predictions, Part 2
