Previews and Predictions for the Week 4 ACC Games.
ACC
Atlantic
Boston Coll
|
Clemson
| Florida St
|
Maryland
|
NC State |
Wake Forest
Coastal
Duke
|
Georgia
Tech |
Miami
|
North
Carolina |
Virginia
|
Virginia Tech
ACC Fearless Predictions
Aug. 30
|
Sept.
6
|
Sept.
13
How are the picks so far? SU:
22-6 ... ATS: 7-10
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ACC Week
Four Predictions, Part 2
ACC Game of
the Week
Wake Forest (2-0) at Florida State (2-0),
7:00 EST, ESPN2
Why to watch: Easily the game of
the week in the ACC, the winner at Doak
Campbell will join Clemson as the
co-favorite in the Atlantic Division.
Wake Forest has beaten Florida State the
last two years, and the mocking
“Tomahawk Chop” from the Groves Stadium
crowd is something Seminole players,
coaches, and fans haven’t forgotten.
Florida State is one of the nation’s big
mysteries, which will happen when you
open with Western Carolina and
Chattanooga, and have a handful of
players serving suspensions. It’s a sign
of the times that a ‘Nole victory over
Wake Forest would qualify as major
progress in Tallahassee. The Demon
Deacons are also 2-0, but have been
tested by Baylor and Ole Miss, and are
coming out of a bye week. They’ve been
surprisingly sporadic in two staple
areas, defense and the running game,
needing to tighten things up in time in
both areas for this weekend’s pivotal
third game.
Why Wake Forest might win: This
is one of those games that the patchwork
Seminole offensive line gets exposed.
The program’s lack of depth and
experience up front can be hidden
against the ranks of the FCS, but not
the Demon Deacons. If NG Boo Robinson
and the ends can’t generate pressure the
old fashioned way, Wake will turn loose
the likes of LB Aaron Curry and S Chip
Vaughn, knowing that corners Alphonso
Smith and Brandon Ghee will survive in
man coverage. On offense, Riley Skinner
gives the Deacons a big edge at
quarterback, and Josh Adams and Brandon
Pendergrass are a dynamite one-two punch
out of the backfield.
Why Florida State might win: This
is one of those games that the patchwork
Deacon offensive line gets exposed. Hey,
Wake Forest has issues of its own in the
trenches, breaking in a bunch of new
starters with mixed results. The running
game has been a disappointment, and
things certainly won’t get any easier
versus Florida State. Even with the
suspensions, the Seminoles remain a fast
and ferocious unit that’s played with
passion in the first two games. DE
Everette Brown will give fits to the
Wake tackles, and the return of DT Budd
Thacker from suspension gives the ‘Noles
a veteran presence in the middle of the
line.
Who to watch: Just how good is
the Florida State offense? This is what
it comes down to for the Seminoles,
right? They’ve scored 115 points in two
games, but none of it will matter if
they can’t deliver when it counts
Saturday night. QB Christian Ponder has
been on the money with his passes and
D’Vontrey Richardson has excelled as a
dual-threat. Both are expected to
participate under center in the biggest
game of their lives.
What will happen: There’s
something different about this Florida
State team. Maybe it’s the confidence
and reps that come with opening against
a couple of punching bags. Maybe it’s
the offense, which has begun birthing
new playmakers. Or maybe it’s the sense
of urgency that follows unacceptable
mediocrity. Whatever the reason, the
Seminoles will exact revenge on Wake
Forest, getting a late touchdown from WR
Preston Parker to hold off the Deacons
in one of the most exciting games of the
weekend.
CFN Prediction: Florida State 28
… Wake Forest 20 ... Line: Florida State
-4.5
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210
- 1 Biggest Loser: Families)
… 3.5
-
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FREE selections
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Saturday, September 20 |
|
Mississippi State (1-2) at
Georgia Tech (2-1),
12 EST GamePlan
Why to watch: If you rue
the day that the forward pass
was invented, this week’s game
in Atlanta was scheduled just
you. For everyone else, the
first meeting between
Mississippi State and Georgia
Tech since 1929 won’t exactly be
a must-see event. Although the
Yellow Jackets suffered their
first defeat of the season, a
20-17 nail-biter to Virginia
Tech, being 2-1 at this point is
a full game better than
expectations. With Duke and
Gardner-Webb to follow, a win
here to start the three-game
homestand should have Tech at
5-1 before traveling to Clemson
on Oct. 18. The Bulldogs have
the distinction in taking part
in one of the ugliest SEC games
ever, a 3-2 loss to Auburn last
Saturday. Having already lost to
Louisiana Tech, they can
ill-afford to drop to 1-3 and
still have a serious shot at
another bowl invitation.
Why Mississippi State might win:
The reason the Bulldogs have
been in every game is because
the defense can play. They’ve
allowed just one meaningful
touchdown all season and have
been unbeatable through the air.
With DT Jessie Bowman and LB
Dominic Douglas bolstering the
front seven, Mississippi State
has owned the line of scrimmage,
racking up 17 tackles for loss.
As long as this unit keeps
playing lights out, the Bulldogs
will be in every game no matter
what the offense produces.
Why Georgia Tech might win:
The Yellow Jackets defense has
been every bit as good as the
Bulldogs through three games,
shutting down passing lanes and
generating constant pocket
pressure. Wesley Carroll’s
problems at quarterback will be
exacerbated by Darryl Richard,
Derrick Morgan, and Vance
Walker, who’ll be in his grill
all afternoon. Bad offenses,
like the one from Starkville,
have little chance of moving the
ball on this seasoned front
seven.
Who to watch: Sophomore
QB Josh Nesbitt is evolving into
a nice fit for the Tech offense.
He leads the Yellow Jackets in
rushing and is coming off his
best game, a 260-yard,
two-touchdown effort in
Blacksburg. When he and B-back
Jonathan Dwyer are clicking on
the option, the ground attack
can wear out even quality
defenses.
What will happen: Even
after losing to Virginia Tech,
Georgia Tech is a confident
group that’s getting better with
more time in the new system.
It’ll be another tight defensive
struggle for the Yellow Jackets,
who’ll survive on the strength
of a defense that’ll shut the
door on Mississippi State.
CFN Prediction: Georgia
Tech 20 … Mississippi State 12
... Line: Georgia Tech -7.5
Must See Rating: (5
Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest
Loser: Families) … 3
-
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Consultants FREE selections
Virginia Tech (2-1) at North
Carolina (2-0),
3:30 EST
Why to watch: All of a
sudden, Carolina is a hot topic
in ACC circles. That’ll happen
when you go on the road as an
underdog and embarrass the home
team in front of a national
audience. The Tar Heels toyed
with Rutgers on Thursday night,
44-12, sending a message to the
country that this young program
might be ready to explode. With
a win over Virginia Tech, North
Carolina will move into the Top
25 and instantly become the
favorite in the Coastal
Division. With consecutive wins
over Furman and Georgia Tech,
the Hokies have rebounded from
their opening day loss to East
Carolina, but still have plenty
of work to do on offense. No
longer a candidate to redshirt,
QB Tyrod Taylor has provided a
much-needed jolt of electricity
in both of the victories. If
Tech can go on the road and beat
one of the league’s rising
stars, it’ll leave no doubt that
another league title is within
reach.
Why Virginia Tech might win:
For all of the hurdles the
Hokies are facing this fall, the
defense remains a steady unit
that swarms to the ball and will
create turnovers. DE Orion
Martin is disruptive coming off
the edge and CB Victor Harris
will shut down whichever
Carolina receiver he draws. The
Tar Heels aren’t exactly a
juggernaut on offense, getting
poor production from the running
backs. Taylor is the type of
difference-maker that the
Carolina defense hasn’t had to
stop in the first two games.
Why North Carolina might win:
Thursday night was proof that
Butch Davis is recruiting the
kind of speed and talent to
Chapel Hill that can finally
challenge the best that the ACC
has to offer. The defense, in
particular, gets to the ball in
a hurry and shouldn’t have many
problems with the punchless
Virginia Tech offense. If the
Heels can prevent Taylor from
getting into space, no one else
is going to hurt them. The Hokie
line remains a question mark and
the skill position players scare
no one. The team leader in
rushing and receiving yards,
Brandon Tate will also help
level the playing field on
special teams, which is usually
the domain of the Hokies.
Who to watch: Big, young,
and fast, Quan Sturdivant and
Bruce Carter are microcosms of
what North Carolina is trying to
do on the defensive side of the
ball. The sophomore linebackers
are off to great starts in their
second season, and will be
responsible for containing
Taylor and Tech running game
that’ll remain the staple of the
offense.
What will happen:
Virginia Tech is about to walk
into a baby blue buzzsaw. Forget
the histories of the two
schools. North Carolina is the
better team, and it’ll be
playing in front of a home crowd
that understands the
significance of this game. The
Tar Heel defense will dominate a
Hokie offense that had problems
moving the ball on Furman two
weeks ago. A secret no more,
Carolina will be the Coastal
Division favorite by Sunday
morning.
CFN Prediction: North
Carolina 24 … Virginia Tech 16
... Line: North Carolina -2
Must See Rating: (5
Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest
Loser: Families) … 3.5
-
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Consultants FREE selections
East Carolina (3-0) at North
Carolina State (1-2),
12:00 EST
Why to watch: East
Carolina played with fire last
weekend and darn near got
burned. The Pirates, darlings
among the non-BCS schools,
needed to rally late in the
fourth quarter against Tulane to
avoid being on the other end of
an upset. They better get used
to seeing the other team’s best
effort, which is what they’ll
experience as an unbeaten and
ranked program. North Carolina
State has sputtered to a 1-2
start, beating William & Mary in
a game that was sandwiched
between losses at South Carolina
and Clemson, respectively. These
two schools have a long history
and are separated by just 90
miles, so more than just a
victory will be at stake. For
the Wolfpack, it has a chance to
build some momentum with a rare
win over a Top 25 team.
Why East Carolina might win:
The way the Pirates are playing
defense, they shouldn’t have
many problems with the Wolfpack.
Take out the game with William &
Mary, and the Pack offense has
produced one field goal in eight
quarters. The passing game has
miserable and the offensive line
will struggle to control a big
East Carolina front that’s led
by end C.J. Wilson and tackle
Jay Ross. Despite opening with
ranked teams, the Pirates lead
Conference USA in pass defense
and are No. 2 in total defense.
Why NC State might win: With
no help whatsoever from the
offense, the Wolfpack D has
single-handedly kept the program
from getting humiliated in the
first three games. LB Nate
Irving is having an All-ACC
start and Willie Young can be a
nuisance rushing around the
edge. The East Carolina offense
has been mortal during the
three-game winning streak,
averaging 26 points and failing
to get the running game started
against Tulane. While QB Patrick
Pinkney is performing like an
MVP, the rest of the Pirates can
be controlled by the State
defense.
Who to watch: It didn’t
catch up with East Carolina last
week, but at some point, the
lack of a running game could be
their downfall. While it’s a
shared problem with the
offensive line, it’s incumbent
upon Brandon Simmons and Jon
Williams to start making
something out of nothing. The
Pack has been inconsistent in
run defense, so this week would
be a good time to get on course.
What will happen: For the
second straight week, East
Carolina will have to scratch
and claw in order to preserve
its perfect record. It’s a good
thing N.C. State is a mess on
offense or else this game would
be doubly dangerous for the
Pirates. They’ll survive behind
the play of Pinkney, who’ll be a
rock when the game is tight in
the second half.
CFN Prediction: East
Carolina 17 … NC State 14 ...
Line: East Carolina -7.5
Must See Rating: (5
Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest
Loser: Families) … 2.5
-
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Consultants FREE selections
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ACC Week
Four Predictions, Part 2 |
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