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Furman (1-0) at Virginia Tech
(0-1),
1:30 EST
Why to watch: Yeah,
Virginia Tech got upset by East
Carolina in the opener, but the
goal of the ACC title is still
in play; it’s not like Frank
Beamer’s boys were expected to
play for the national title. The
Hokies still have holes to fill
on both sides of the ball and
now they’ll get a chance to tune
up and tighten up before kicking
off their defense of their ACC
crown against Georgia Tech next
week. The first order of
business will be to correct the
problems of Sean Glennon, who
was miserable in the loss to the
Pirates, and get Tyrod Taylor
back in the quarterback
rotation. Furman is coming off a
6-5 season and is typically one
of the tougher teams coming out
of the Southern Conference. In
the opener, the Paladins had no
problems with Mars Hill, using a
balanced attack en route to a
62-14 win.
Why Furman might win: In
QB Justin Sorrells and RB Mike
Brown, the Paladins have an
offensive attack with the
potential to move the ball both
in the air and on the ground
against a Tech defense in
transition. The Hokies, on the
other hand, are facing a crisis
of confidence and a dearth of
playmakers with their own
offense. They managed only 243
yards against East Carolina, and
Glennon’s receivers are young,
unproven, and inconsistent.
Why Virginia Tech might win:
Run, run, run. The Hokies won’t
need to get cute on offense,
leveraging a huge size advantage
at the point of attack with the
likes of Ed Wang, Sergio Render,
and Nick Marshman. They’ll pound
it right at the Paladins with
RBs Kenny Lewis and Darren
Lewis. And when Furman cheats up
to stop the run, Glennon will
play-action his way back on
track, finding Andre Smith or
Ike Whitaker behind the
secondary.
Who to watch: The Hokies
need to get Greg Boone, the
tight end in a guard’s body,
more involved with the offense.
He’s an ideal safety valve for
Glennon, especially with the
receivers suffering through
growing pains, and has to catch
more than the one pass he had in
Charlotte.
What will happen:
Virginia Tech isn’t as bad as it
looked against East Carolina or
as good as it was a year ago.
The Hokies will begin to find
themselves this week, using the
Paladins to work on some of the
problems with the offense. The
defense will dominate and
Glennon will remind Beamer why
he chose him over Taylor in
August.
CFN Prediction: Virginia Tech 52
... Furman 7 ... Line: No Line
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Citadel (1-0) at Clemson (0-1),
3:30 EST
Why to watch: Where do
you go from here, Clemson? After
being thoroughly embarrassed by
Alabama in front of a national
audience, the Tigers need to
circle the wagons and figure out
if they’re still the favorite to
win the ACC. It’s a long season,
and although the goals have
clearly changed, the program
still has enough talent on both
sides of the ball to rebound and
deliver a positive campaign. The
Citadel has a high-flying
offense that can put up points
in bunches. A mid-level program
from the Southern Conference,
the Bulldogs began the season
with a 54-7 pummeling of
overmatched Webber College.
Why Citadel might win:
The Bulldogs have the offensive
punch needed to move the ball on
a team from the ACC. They can
push it between the tackles with
RB Asheton Jordan or get
vertical with accurate QB Bart
Blanchard. Blanchard’s favorite
target, Andre Roberts, is a long
ball threat, who had two
touchdown receptions and a punt
return for a score in the
opener.
Why Clemson might win:
Now that the Alabama game is out
of the way, the Tigers can get
back to reminding everyone why
they were ranked No. 9 in the
preseason polls. Of course last
weekend was a debacle, but the
team is still flush with top-end
talent on both sides of the
ball. Everyone just needs to
take a big breath and get a big,
cathartic blowout win. Citadel
doesn’t have the speed or
athleticism to deal with the
running tandem of James Davis
and C.J. Spiller.
Who to watch: With
starting right guard Barry
Humphries sidelined with a knee
injury, the already questionable
Clemson offensive line will have
to dig deeper into the depth
chart. Taking his place will be
redshirt freshman Mason Cloy,
who’ll need to use this week’s
game as a learning tool in case
Humphries is out for an extended
period of time. After this
week’s layup, it’s back to the
conference schedule, so Cloy
needs to make the most of his
time in the lineup.
What will happen: Pity
Citadel. Clemson will come out
angry after getting abused in
the opener, taking its
frustration out on an
overmatched opponent. The Tigers
will be able to name the final
score, getting the starters to
the bench by halftime.
CFN Prediction: Clemson 63 ...
Citadel 0 ... Line: No Line
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Ole
Miss (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0)
3:30 EST, ABC
Why to watch:
After opening with solid, one-sided
wins, Ole Miss and Wake Forest will
fight to stay perfect while improving
their national profile. The Demon
Deacons were dominant in their 41-13
victory over Baylor, getting three
touchdown passes from Riley Skinner
along with a typically sound effort from
the defense. After Clemson lost badly to
Alabama, Wake has a chance to carry an
ACC banner that’s tattered and looking
for a school that can exceed forecasts.
In Houston Nutt’s debut in Oxford, the
Rebels had no problems with Memphis,
winning 41-24 in a series that has
typically been much closer. The game
also marked the debuts of QB Jevan Snead
and the new Wild Rebel formation, both
of which helped spur Ole Miss to their
biggest offensive output against an FBS
opponent in five years.
Why Ole Miss might win: All of a
sudden, the offense, a liability in the
offseason, is showing the potential of
being a team strength. Snead isn’t all
the way there, but he does give the
Rebels their best passer since Eli
Manning graduated. The new formation,
which lines up skill position players to
receive a direct snap, has brought out
the talents of shifty Dexter McCluster
and freshmen back Brandon Bolden. With
so much beef on the offensive line, Ole
Miss has considerable upside on offense.
Why Wake Forest might win: Ole
Miss survived Memphis without defensive
linemen Peria Jerry and Greg Hardy, but
it won’t be as fortunate in
Winston-Salem. The Rebs allowed 453
yards and 28 first downs to a Tiger team
breaking in a new backfield. The Deacons
aren’t exactly explosive, but they can
methodically pick a team apart with the
low-risk passing of Skinner and the
running of Josh Adams and Brandon
Pendergrass.
Who to watch: Wake Forest TE Ben
Wooster has kept his offseason momentum
going strong, catching six passes for 90
yards and a touchdown in the opener.
He’s the type of player who can stretch
a defense, while giving Skinner a big,
sure-handed target down the middle of
the field.
What will happen: All of a
sudden, Wake Forest is inching closer to
being the favorite in the ACC. The
Deacons are balanced on offense,
opportunistic on defense, and
perennially well-coached. As good as Ole
Miss looked in Week 1, it’s not quite
ready to knock off a program of Wake’s
caliber on the road.
CFN Prediction: Wake Forest 34
... Ole Miss 20 ... Line: Wake Forest
-8.5
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
2.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Richmond (1-0) at Virginia (0-1),
3:45 EST, ESPNU
Why to watch: While
Virginia’s 45-point loss to USC
on opening day might make it
seem like the team is light
years away from the one that won
nine games and played in the
Gator Bowl in 2007, there’s a
reason the Trojans are No. 1 in
the nation. Although absolutely
nothing went right in the game,
the Cavaliers believe they still
have enough young talent to
regroup and make a run at a
second straight postseason game.
The long climb back begins with
this week’s visit from
neighboring Richmond, who
returns 16 starters from last
year’s 11-3 team and opened with
a 28-10 win over Elon. The
Spiders have to shore up the
defense and still have to find a
replacement for RB Tim
Hightower, but they remain one
of the favorites in the Colonial
Athletic Association.
Why Richmond might win:
While Virginia is young and in
need of work just about
everywhere, Richmond is a
veteran squad that won’t be
frightened by a trip to
Charlottesville. If the Cavs
continue having problems getting
pressure and defending the pass,
Spider QB Eric Ward will take
advantage by hooking up with his
top target Kevin Grayson.
Richmond is hungry for the
upset, while Virginia could
still be in a funk after last
week.
Why Virginia might win:
The Cavs will attack Richmond’s
biggest weakness, its inability
to stop the run. With NFL
prospect Eugene Monroe leading
the way, Cedric Peerman and
Mikell Simpson should be able to
gash the Spider defense for big
chunks of yards on the ground.
Peter Lalich has a long way to
go under center, but his
efficiency should soar when
there’s a running game to keep
defenses honest.
Who to watch: No matter
what happened in the first game,
Virginia’s Kevin Ogletree is
still on target for a huge
season as the Cavs’ top
receiver. Although he only had
four catches for 21 yards
against the tough USC secondary,
he’ll get behind the Richmond
defense more than once for a
long gainer and show why he’s
one of the ACC’s most dangerous
targets. He’s a complete
receiver with the blazing speed
to put up huge numbers this
week.
What will happen:
Virginia is not as good as last
year, yet not nearly as bad as
it looked a week ago. After
getting demoralized by USC, this
week’s trip from Richmond
couldn’t come at a better time.
The Cavs will play much tighter
on defense, and get 200 combined
rushing yards from Simpson and
Peerman.
CFN Prediction: Virginia 31 ...
Richmond 13 ... Line: No Line
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Western Carolina (1-0) at
Florida State (0-0), 6:00 EST
Why to watch: After
enjoying a bye week as most of
the country popped the lid off
the 2008 season, Florida State
gets started this week with a
visit from Western Carolina. The
‘Noles are rife with
uncertainty, ranging from a host
of suspensions related to last
year’s academic scandal to a
quarterback race shrouded in
mystery. They’ll be forced to
dig deep into the roster and
play plenty of underclassmen,
which is exactly why this is the
softest start to a season in the
Bobby Bowden era. Coming off a
dreadful season, the Catamounts
are trying to build under
first-year head coach Dennis
Wagner. They began the season
with a 35-0 shutout of Shorter
College out of the NAIA.
Why Western Carolina might
win: This is not your
typical Florida State team,
especially with the holes on the
depth chart. The ‘Noles need to
show more spark and consistency
on offense, which won’t be easy
considering that the offensive
line figures to be a liability.
The Catamounts are led by senior
QB Andy Horn, who’ll be trying
to navigate a Seminole defensive
backfield that was beatable a
year ago.
Why Florida State might win:
Besides the obvious edge in
size, speed, and talent, Florida
State is still home to a nasty
defense that can shut down North
and South Carolina, let alone
Western Carolina. In DE Everette
Brown, LB Derek Nicholson, and S
Myron Rolle, the ‘Noles boast an
All-America candidate at each
level. If the Catamounts reach
double-digits on this fast and
physical group, it’ll be an
upset.
Who to watch: The
quarterbacks. Bowden and Jimbo
Fisher have worked to keep the
name of the starter under lock
and key … until now. Drew
Weatherford is the erratic
senior with something to prove,
but it’ll be Christian Ponder
who’ll take over the reins with
the best combination of skills
and steadiness. D'Vontrey
Richardson is the wild card in
the mix. With the outcome
unlikely to be in doubt past the
second quarter, all three should
play as if it’s an NFL
exhibition game.
What will happen: This
will be one of those roster
games for the Seminoles, a
chance to get reps for as many
players as possible without
jeopardizing the victory. While
the defense is fine, Florida
State needs to use these first
two games against FCS opponents
to develop a rhythm on offense.
CFN Prediction: Florida State 54
... Western Carolina 3 ... Line:
No Line
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
-
ACC Week One Predictions, Part
2 |