Week 11 Predictions

Not to take away too much from my future "Weekly Thoughts" article, but damn what a fine game our Hokies played Thursday night. It was a moment for them to step up and defend their reputation in the conference and they did just that. It's a beautiful thing to watch these Hokies in November.

And now that we get another free Saturday to sit back and watch the rest of the country battle it out, let's take a look at what the ACC has in store for us this week. While there are technically only four teams left who can contended for a spot in Charlotte, and possibly only three after today, these are the weeks we'll see who has the pride to compete for a better bowl game.

Once again, the games will be broken up into probable blow outs, potential upset alerts, and games too close to call.

Gimme Games
Notre Dame over Maryland

Upset Watch
Clemson over Wake Forest
NC State over Boston College

50/50 Games
FSU over Miami
UVA over Duke
VT over GT

While I try to watch every ACC game I can, I can probably skip the Terps this week. Notre Dame isn't to the elite level most of their fan base and Lou Holtz always believe they are, but Maryland couldn't beat themselves in a scrimmage right now. Since there isn't much I can say interesting about the actual game, I'll take this time to say congrats to Frank Beamer on his tying and eventual passing of Lou Holtz on the all-time wins list. I doubt The Frankinator will go into broadcasting when he retires, but at least we would understand what he was saying if he did.

The only game this week that has any bearing on who goes to the ACCCG will be the Atlantic Division matchup between the Deacs and Tigers. If Clemson wins they secure their spot in Charlotte, while the Deacs could put themselves in a great position if they can pull of the epic upset. Wake Forest has shown they can take down a team with superior talent when they beat FSU earlier this year, but Clemson will be looking to avenge their only loss of the season. Say what you will about Dabo, and I agree I don't think he is one of the elite coaches in D-1 ball, but he'll at least make sure his players head are on straight.

And the award for the conference game with least appeal outside their fanbases goes to the Pack and Eagles. First off I don't think Boston College actually has enough fans to make up a whole base of them, and NCSU still hasn't figured out that they're the little brother of the Triangle that nobody notices unless they're playing one of their big bros. State gets bowl eligible with the win, and should barring a turnover and penalty plagued game.

I'll be honest about something. We've been used to seeing the college football season start with the Sunshine State rivalry (is there an actual name for this game? I mean besides Wide Right?), and since that wasn't the case this year, and since once again neither team can win their division, I completely forgot this game was being played. Both teams annually get two of the top recruiting classes nationally, so this game could be an amazing watch if they both show up for bragging rights. FSU gets the slight edge from me in talent, and a much bigger edge in terms of team mentality. I'm not sure what it will take for Miami diehards and players to realize that swagger left town once Ohio State walked away with the crystal ball, but losing to UVA two seasons in a row should have been the final slap in the face to knock them back to reality.

I realized as I started to talk about this last game that earlier I said there was only one game determining who goes to Charlotte. Then I remembered UVA is still technically in it. I could have gone back and edited my previous paragraph, but UVA is only in it based on a world of math and not reality. Duke has been the biggest thorn in the Cavs' side the past few seasons, and another loss to them would all but put the finishing move on their divisonal championship dreams. Of course I have picked UVA to win this game if you paid attention earlier, but that was just playing the odds. The truth is I see UVA winning this game, their fans getting hyped about FINALLY beating the Devils, and then FSU just kicking the sh*t out of them next weekend. It is impressive what UVA has done this year, but only based on what the expectations were.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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Game 10 Preview: De Facto Divisional Decider

In a divisional alignment that was intended to showcase many FSU vs Miami conference championship games, the Coastal Division has been dominated by the Techs. Not only that, but the division representative has always been the winner of the matchup between these two schools. Here is how it has broken down since the conference expanded in 2004:

  2004: #22 VT: 34  GT: 20; Virginia Tech wins ACC (no divisions/championship game)

  2005: #4 VT: 51  GT: 7; Virginia Tech loses to FSU in ACC Championship

  2006: #11 VT: 27  GT: 38; Georgia Tech loses to Wake Forest in ACC Championship

  2007: #11 VT: 27  GT: 3; Virginia Tech beats Boston College in ACC Championship

*2008: VT: 20  GT: 17; Virginia Tech beats Boston College in ACC Championship

*2009: #4 VT: 23  #19 GT: 28; Georgia Tech beats Clemson in ACC Championship

*2010: #20 VT: 28  GT: 21; Virginia Tech beats FSU in ACC Championship

*indicates Paul Johnson/Triple Option era

While this streak is rather impressive, it has also led to the conference champion the past four seasons; GT technically didn't win it in 2009 due to NCAA infractions, but that doesn't matter for the point being made here.

If Georgia Tech wins on Thursday, all they need to do to get to Charlotte is beat Duke, and have UVA lose one of their last three games against either Duke, FSU, or VT; very likely.

If Virginia Tech wins on Thursday, all they need to do is beat UVA, or beat UNC with UVA losing to either Duke or FSU; also likely.

But the one common denominator for both teams is to win Thursday night in ATL. Here are the keys for both teams in reaching that goal.

Georgia Tech Wins If

1) Control the clock with long, sustained drives.

Both the Gobblers and Bumblebees are towards the top of the national rankings when it comes to Time of Possession. Something will have to give for this game. GT's bread and butter is to cause their opponents' "death by a thousand cuts". They will gladly, especially with a lead in the second half, keep running their option plays that will get at least 4-5 yards a play, never having to throw, and always picking up a first down. More often than not it will get them points, tire out the defense, and eat up a bunch of clock.

2) Keep the Hokie O from getting in a rhythm

Al Groh has been the butt of jokes from the VT faithful for his inability to beat and compete with the Hokies in almost all facets of the game during his last years at rival UVA. Last season he became the DC at GT and brought his patented 3-4 defense with him. Last year a defense that was struggling up to that point did a good job at holding the Hokie offense to just 21 points (not counting DW's kickoff return). This year the defense isn't stellar by any means, but Groh's knowledge of VT tendencies and our own inconsistency could lead to another long (or short if we're going by drive length) night for the Gobblers.

3) Keep the ball away from/contain David Wilson

The GT defense isn't great, and their run defense is a big part of that. In the games the Hokies have struggled on offense, it has been due to getting away from the run too much. If GT comes up with a gameplan to contain DW when he gets the ball in the backfield, and makes sure to kick away from him on kickoffs, it will take a lot of pressure off of them. While this team is capable of spreading the ball to a number of receivers and putting up a lot of passing yards, I'm sure the Yellow Jackets would rather take their chances with that than the guy who beat them in the 4th quarter last year.

Virginia Tech Wins If

1) Comes out aggressive from the opening kick

The last time these two teams met in ATL, Virginia Tech looked like they should easily win by putting up huge numbers against a poor statistical defense, but only had 3 points at halftime. Then in the second half the GT offense kept a tired defense on the field, and didn't allow enough possessions for a Hokie comeback. The same might have been said about the game last year had Nesbitt not been injured resulting in a stagnant second half offense. The key to beating this offensive style is to force them to pass the ball by forcing them to play from behind.

2) A young and undersized defense stepping up

As Chris Coleman of TechSideline pointed out in his preview article, the starting front 7 for the Hokie D are all r-sophomores or younger. They are also much smaller than you would like for those 7 to be in order to get between the gaps. Hopefully what they lack in size is made up for in speed. Some size was lost due to injury to Hopkins, and some speed was lost also to injury to Tweedy. These are the kind of games where young players can make a name for themselves by stepping up and filling in roles some may think they can't. We're not asking for a shutout, just enough stops to give the offense a chance to score more.

3) Get the ball to their many playmakers

While David Wilson might be the best player to knife through the GT defense, he isn't the only one who can hurt them. The 3-4 defense has in the past given the Hokies problems, but this team has played enough 3-4 defenses this year to know what they can and can't do against it. Hopefully the gameplan starts with a lot of David Wilson, but whether or not that is effective, there needs to be a healthy dose of read option, and getting the ball to our plethora of receivers. It is unlikely that this will be a game where both teams will score less than 2-3 touchdowns, and the mindset for the coaches and players should be to give themselves the best chance to score as often as possible.

While the allure of Virginia Tech on a Thursday night game has gone down over the past few seasons, this game is one that will be great to have in primetime in front of a national audience. It is essentially a play-in game to the conference championship, and should be a great game to watch for everyone (not counting the fans of the team who ends up losing).

There are a couple other intangibles in the Hokies favor. Virginia Tech is 24-2 in the month of November since joining the ACC. Both of those losses came to Miami. The Gobblers also have an 11 game win streak on the road. Only five other teams, for a total of six times, have had a streak of 12 or more since 1995. This is a good program both on the road, and late in the year when wins matter. On paper it looks like our depleted defense may be the difference in who wins this game, but as always, In Beamer We Trust.

Score Prediction: Gobblers 31  Bumblebees 28

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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Week 10 Predictions

First "Bye Week" for the Hokies, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Not only are we about to play the most important game of the season thus far, but until the post season rolls around, be it ACC Championship and/or bowl game, it will be the most important game of the season. The winner of the "Battle of the Techs" has gone on to represent the Coastal Division every year, and it's about 99% certain that the same will be the case this year.

But that game isn't for another week, so I don't want to peak my excitement too soon. I never wrote down any thoughts after the Duke game, but I guess I'll just chalk it up to the same lethargic energy that the Hokies showcased on Saturday. Maybe there has been something in the water on the east coast. I could yell about how closely they were playing with fire, or I could try to spin it into an overly optimistic cover-up. My honest opinion though is it was a trap game that also came at the end of eight straight weeks of play. Then the team played to that script perfectly. That's my grand analysis. Moving on.

Gimme Games
None

Upset Watch
FSU over Boston College
Maryland over UVA
UNC over NC State
Miami over Duke
Notre Dame over Wake Forest

50/50 Games
None

If Florida State plays like they did a week ago, this could be one of those Thursday night games ESPN wish they hadn't scheduled so far in advance. Of course it isn't ESPN's fault that Boston College has been cursed with more injuries, and therefore losses, than most teams in the country. Just because it isn't ESPN's fault though, that won't help pick up the ratings. After last week however, and the fact that this is still the ACC, anything can happen.

Maryland might be my vote for biggest disappointment in the conference this year. I've said it before, and perhaps had they not upset Miami in Week 1 I wouldn't feel the same, but I don't understand what has happened to the Terps since then. And while we're on the topic of disappointments, let's talk about UVA after big wins. Last year it was the downfall after the Miami win, then this year it was the loss following a GT upset. Until they prove they can win consistently, I'm picking against the Hoos after a big win.

UNC and NC State might be the game of the week in the conference, which is part me being a homer for my home state (even though I don't care about either team) and partly because there are no great games in the ACC this week. Ever since UNC thought they would be as relevant in football as they are in basketball with the hiring of Butch Davis, the Pack has won every year. We'll see if that trend can continue or not this Saturday.

Both Duke and Miami are coming off disappointing losses, but for different reasons. Duke wanted to get that big win to define where the program wants to go. Miami didn't want to lose to a team like UVA for the second straight year, on their home field, in front of a national audience. And they thought the Shapiro mess was embarrassing. Miami should win this one easily with talent, but Duke has the desire that a team with too much talent sometimes lacks. It wouldn't be as big as taking down the Hokies would have been, but a win against "Da U" would be a good win for this team.

How many people are going to watch the thriller that will be Wake Forest against Notre Dame this Saturday at 8? Anyone who said yes to that is a liar. In fact the only reason I would believe an Irish fan who said yes is because of how far their heads are up their own asses still thinking they're a relevant program. After all the hype that is being created over the LSU/Bama matchup, that game can only come up short of expectations, but it will still be more enthralling than any scenario that can play out between the Deacs and Irish. Not to mention the fact that even if the "Game of the Century" is lacking, there will be another top-15 matchup, and a top-10 game being played as well. Even though no one will see or care, it would make me ecstatic if the Deacs can pull of the upset.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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Game 9 Preview: Basement Dwellers vs. Kings of the Mountain

While I don't think Duke is far and away the worst team in the ACC like there were when the league expanded in 2004, their reputation is what would make losing to Duke the hardest for many fans of top tier programs. I'll come out and say this out of full disclosure: I am in fact a Duke fan, second of course to the Hokies. I root for Duke in any game that they aren't playing the Hokies, or in any game where them winning doesn't hurt the Hokies in any way.

Growing up in North Carolina, it was almost an unwritten rule to have an in-state ACC team to root for, mostly in basketball, and Duke is who I picked as a kid. I see why many people dislike them, because it is mainly for the same reasons I dislike UNC: their fans. The big difference I find between the two is that UNC fans are Duke fans on steroids, for lack of a better metaphor. And for anyone who asks why I had to pick between Duke or UNC, and not NC State or Wake Forest, my answer would be I enjoyed watching my favorite teams win. Bandwagon, yes, but when you're a kid, and it's really just for second favorite, you might as well pick someone good (and also at the time I never expected the Hokies to be in the ACC).

I don't sugarcoat the fact that Duke isn't "Duke" in football. They aren't the cocky, self-righteous group that you may see in other sports. They do have the right guy in charge to try and get them to that next level. The fact that a bowl game was/is a possibility for this team says a lot about how far they've come over the past handful of years. All that being said, they are not where they need to be to beat a program like Virginia Tech, without a lot of help, some of which they are getting before the first kickoff.

Duke Offense

This is the one area that the Blue Devils can put in the "pros" column. At least their passing offense is a strength. Their run game isn't quite effective enough to make them a true threat against any team with a strong secondary.

Sean Renfree is one of those quality quarterbacks who would probably be a household name if he played for a top-50 team BCS team. He is a smart and accurate QB (almost 70% completion this season), and has lots of help around him. The dangerous "V's" in Vernon and Varner have been two of the top receivers since they were freshman, and defenses having to keep an eye out on two quality wideouts opens up even more options.

While the Duke running game hasn't been terribly effective this year, mostly due to injuries and a poor offensive line, their backs are good check down options for Renfree. I'm sure if they wanted to, the Blue Devils could send "The V's" down the field, and dump it off short a high percentage of the time and get as many if not more yards that they would get from a traditional run play. 

The biggest question mark when this unit is on the field will be how the depleted defense of the Hokies can hold up against the offense with potential to drive every time. The formations that Bud will draw up won't be exactly the ones he would use with a completely healthy defense. To make way for some of the inexperienced  players that will be out on the field, we may see more of a nickel package like we used last year. We'll see how often players like Nick Dew are in the game like he would if we used our traditional 4-3 D. And while nobody wants to lose a Bruce Taylor, I am looking forward to seeing if Barquell can bring back some of the magic he had a couple years ago before his injury.

Duke Defense

While Cutliffe has done a tremendous job recruiting some underrated offensive talent, he hasn't quite got the guys he'd like on the other side of the ball to complete against the big boys. This year showcases a lot of young faces, and while that may be a positive in a couple years, we don't play games in the future, but in the present.

Up front, Duke lost one of it's best players with DE Anunike hurting his knee and being lost for the remainder of the season. Hokie fans are sick of losing players every single week, but teams like Duke, and Boston College last week, are losing just as many players, and they don't have the depth to replace them in an effective manner like we do. We worry about a player without experience missing an assignment, or not hearing the communicated play correctly. Duke has to replace their injured guys with players who, no matter how smart they may be, aren't big or skilled enough to stop most teams.

One wrinkle you don't see often but will see on Saturday, is the fact that instead of a traditional 4-3-4, or 3-4-4, (or 3-3-5 if you're ass backwards cousin lovers) the Devils play a 4-2-5 scheme. I'm not an X's or O's kind of guy, but if I was building a defense, I would build around a solid linebacking corps, and would definitely want more than just two out on the field at a time. Even with just a couple out there at a time, Duke does have one of the best linebackers in the league in Kelby Brown. There should still be plenty of room over the middle for quick passes or runs.

Logan Thomas has been throwing his deep ball rather effectively this year, but we'll see how often that play is called with Duke playing two corners and three safeties on most plays. Most of these guys play a hybrid of two different positions depending on what the offense is doing, but there is a lot of inexperience at play. Cornerback Johnny Williams for example used to be a wide receiver. Due to the effectiveness of "The V's", as well as his speed and hands, he was moved to CB before last season. I would expect Duke to play a lot of zone, not expecting to be able to matchup man-to-man with the Hokies. That shouldn't be a big problem for the Hokies or The Lieutenant though, as he was very effective against the zone last week versus the Eagles.

I think Duke will be able to put up a couple touchdowns on the depleted Hokie D, but I also expected the Hokies to do the same in return, only in greater numbers. If the Hokie O decides to start slow again, this game could be closer into the second half than many would expect. I think it will be a good game for our young defensive players to get valuable playing time against a decent offense. 

In the end, an upset will be unlikely, but crazier things have happened in this league. Kind of like how the Canes always have one of the best recruiting classes, put the most players in the NFL, yet in between can't even beat UVA year in and out.

Score Prediction: Gobblers 35   Devils 17

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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Week 9 Predictions

Thursday Night Edition!

For the second week in a row, all 12 ACC teams are in action this week, and every game is within the conference. Not every game will bear any factor over divisional races, at least not at the top of those races, but some of these games could be key this time next month. We're starting to get a feel for what to expect when most of these teams hit the field, but every week produces a surprise of some sort, so let's try to find out where there could be an upset or two.

Gimme Games
None

Upset Watch
VT over Duke
Miami over UVA
Clemson over Georgia Tech

50/50 Games
FSU over NC State
Boston College over Maryland
UNC over Wake Forest

The closest thing to a gimme game this week would have been VT/Duke had the Hokies been even close to completely healthy on defense, but alas we all know how that is going. Look for the preview article tomorrow for a more in-depth look as to how this game could play out.

Not counting State's embarrassing showing against Cincy this year, or Wake's unfortunate OT loss on opening night, this week will be the first true ACC showcase on ESPN's Thursday Night Football. I don't see this one being exciting enough to keep the viewers all game however. Hell, if I didn't have two TVs in my living room, and a sense of obligation to watch since it is ACC, I would probably watch something else too. UVA couldn't back up their signature win over an undefeated, ranked opponent with anything worthwhile, and Miami has surprising played better since being all but eliminated from the divisional race. Add in the fact that while Sun Life Stadium isn't a huge home field advantage, the Canes themselves will be looking for payback from last year.

Georgia Tech hasn't been playing well in the past two weeks, and Clemson hasn't Clemson'd out on us yet this year, so no reason to think the upset will occur here. It's always possible, and these two usually provide one of the better cross-divisional rivalry games each year, but it would take an almost perfect game by Georgia Tech to win in my opinion. The 8 o'clock national coverage could be a good chance for the Jacket faithful to get rowdy and loud by game time, and could be a good indication of what it may be like for the Hokies in a couple weeks. Of course if the Bumblebees lose a third straight and then have basically a week off before the matchup of the Techs, we'll see how supportive the fan base really is.

Easily the least important matchup this week will be Maryland and Boston College. Neither team can do anything at this point except maybe somehow win a game they're not supposed to and shake up the standings a bit, but this game on its own won't matter. Maryland has looked like crap (or some would say "like Maryland") since Week 1, and Boston College, while better than their record, is still 1-6. I do expect the Eagles to get their first conference win this week though.

NC State usually plays pretty well against the Noles, including last year's upset win that almost helped them win the division. This game will either be a dominant win by the Noles if they play to their potential, or at least play for pay back, or a close game if both teams come out lethargic like they know that the win won't help anything but possible bowl placement. If Jimbo wants to receive even half the credit he was getting between January and September before next season, he needs to get his team ready to play and win every remaining game, no matter how important it may be.

UNC and Wake Forest probably won't get mentioned much this week, but to me it will be a pretty interesting game. Wake Forest bounced back from their first ACC loss and beat in-state rival Duke, but now they want to take down the king of the state. Throw in the fact that UNC will have just returned from stating their case to the NCAA, and while no decisions regarding that will have been made, we'll see where the heads of the coaches and players for the Tar Heels are after that ordeal. Talent-wise UNC should win this game easily, but Wake Forest knows that unlike their opponent, they still control their own destiny in their division, but a second conference loss would require them to not only beat Clemson, but they would need someone else to beat the Tigers in conference as well.

H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler

Week 8 Thoughts

Well it was the worst of times, then it was the best of times. Once again the Hokie offense took a while to get going this past week, but once it started it couldn't be stopped. During the on-field post-game interview with The Lieutenant they asked him about what they changed at halftime, and besides getting the ball to Wilson more, he said they didn't really change anything.

Assuming that is true, I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand it means that our offense can either be on or off, and it's not really in our control. On the other hand, he could just be talking in coachspeak and didn't want to give away any real strategy we used. I believe that The Jet only had four carries in the first half, which even if the passing game is running smoothly, is way too low.

I know that the coaches and the new playcaller are probably excited with the production out of the passing game compared to almost any year in the Beamer-era, but when you have a dynamic player like David Wilson, you give him the ball no matter what. And if the second half is any indication, staying truly balanced between run and pass will give this team a lot of success in scoring points.

Defensively we had a lot of success as well, sans the first short-field drive, especially considering how many backups we have to play now. And of course the injuries keep piling up for the Lunch Pail Crew, as Gayle re-injured himself on the first drive, and now we've lost Bruce Taylor for the year. Perhaps the reason Bud Foster has had so much success as a defensive coordinator is due to the fact he long ago sold his soul to the devil, and is possibly behind in his monthly payments, resulting in losing one or two players a week. It's the VIG that kills you.

Going up against Duke next week shouldn't be a problem, but you'd rather be short a handful of offensive guys, as their offense has the capability to make big plays and drive the field consistently. I still think that players who are on the edge of being healthy should sit out this one. Unless it gets to a point late in the game where it is actually close, and we've experienced trouble stopping them, this should just be one of those games we tell the young, inexperienced guys that this is their game.

Across the ACC


This is the first week all year I've gone perfect in my predictions. Ironically it came the week I said I was unsure about most of my picks. In the end I just went with my heart/head instead of over-thinking each matchup, and it apparently paid off.

Clemson once again looked scary good, as they put up more points than I can count to on one of the supposed best defenses in the conference. It's hard to tell if UNC is just hitting that mid-season lull do to all the offseason and off the field issues, or if they're just playing that many teams that are better than them. Either way, it's frustrating to watch how good Clemson is, and know that we did a good job against them defensively, and couldn't get just one or two touchdowns that would have made the game interesting.

Wake and Duke didn't have quite the shootout that I expected, and it was actually a pretty boring game. For most of the game I expected to see drive after drive, only to watch two teams seem to get in their own way. Wake Forest is the only real threat to Clemson ending up in Charlotte mathematically, but nothing short of a natural disaster hitting only South Carolina is going to derail them now. Just hopefully we're there to take care of them in Charlotte so we don't have to hear about how an undefeated ACC team was left out of the National Championship.

FSU whipped up on Maryland like they should have, so...yay? I'm not really sure what to say anymore about the Noles, because it doesn't really matter what they do the rest of the year, they'll be viewed as underachieving. Almost more embarrassing than FSU however is what Maryland has done after Week 1. I expected them to contend for the division for at least a little while this year, and after beating Miami it looked like they would pick up where they finished off last year. Now they've played six more games and have only won one.

While I did pick Miami to beat the Yellow Jackets, the fact that they gave up only 7 points is pretty impressive. The best way to prepare for the GT offense is to either have an extra week to prepare, or in Miami's case, have a very fast defense. The Hokies could have both in their favor, but we'll still probably need more than that depending on how many guys are still hurt in two weeks. Even though it has always been in their own hands, it is nice to see VT atop the Coastal Standings all by their lonesome.

Week 8 Predictions: 6-0
October Predictions: 20-5
September Predictions: 30-8
Overall Year-Long Predictions: 50-13


H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler

Week 8 Predictions

No game preview article this week for a number of reasons: A change in my work schedule, release of Batman: Arkham City, couldn't think of a witty title for this week's opponent; all the usual reasons. There should be a lot of good games in the ACC, as well as all throughout the NCAA, but the Gobblers and Eagles won't be one of them. There will be a very brief analysis at the end.

Gimme Games
VT over Boston College

Upset Watch
Clemson over UNC
Florida State over Maryland

50/50 Games
Miami over Georgia Tech
NC State over UVA
Wake Forest over Duke

This might be the first week all season that I actually feel unsure about the majority of my picks. Part of that have to do with the individual matchups, and part of that is this is the ACC; anything can, and usually does, happen.

Mathematically speaking, the Coastal Division is a two team race right now with Techs in the lead, but UNC and Miami have an outside chance if they win out. Miami has a chance to help themselves today if they beat the Jackets, but that loss to the Hokies could come back to haunt them at the end of November. The truth is however that Miami is not consistent enough to really be a threat with the two early losses.

For UNC to keep their divisional hopes alive, they'd need to knock off the best team in the conference, in one of the hardest places to win in Death Valley. Then they would have to win the rest of their games, which includes a win in another tough place to win on a Thursday night in Lane Stadium. They've done it before, when they didn't even have anything to gain from it, so we'll see where they stand in a month.

FSU shouldn't have any problems against Maryland, but the Terps showed last week that they can at least try to outscore a tough opponent in a shootout. The Noles would need a lot of help besides just winning their own games to return to Charlotte, and that is looking less and less likely each week that Clemson continues to roll.

The only real threat to the Tigers right now is Wake Forest (still can't believe I'm saying that). After losing their first conference game last week, the Deacs still control their own destiny if they win out. They need to make sure they put last week behind them and take care of Duke if they want to continue to be in the race. That game might have the highest point total of any game in the conference this. Very similar to last week's Clemson/Maryland matchup.

This week the Hokies need to continue to be consistent on offense, as well as try to stay/get healthy on defense. Last year with a much less effective defense, the Gobblers got a shutout up in Chestnut Hill. I'm not sure they'll be able to get the goose egg again, but that's mainly due to the injuries and projected amount of time the backups will be in the game today. Without Montel Harris however, the Eagles won't be able to score enough to keep up with the Hokies.

David Wilson needs just under 100 yards to reach 1000 on the season, so look for that to happen today. If there is anybody who can try to turn the tide for the Eagles it is superstar linebacker Luke Kuechly. He is the anchor of that defense, but we'll see how much he can do against a very hot and balanced offense. The Lieutenant should be able to continue his rise to being a name brand QB, and Jarrett Boykin will look to build off of last week after having one of his best games as a Hokie.

Score Prediction: Gobblers 45   Eagles 6


H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!

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