The ACC picture is starting to become a little more clear. Clemson and Georgia Tech continued to prove that they belong among the ACC elite. Meanwhile, Maryland and N.C. State proved that are not very good, and that they will both likely not be going bowling this holiday season. There is now a clear separation between the top 6 and bottom 6, and I look for it to remain that way for the rest of the season. As always comments are always welcome. We should have an interactive game thread going this week because it is an away game. Feel free to stop by!
1. Virginia Tech (4-0) Last Week 1
Result: W (30-10) at Marshall
This Week: vs. Clemson
Virginia Tech will face their first difficult opponent this week as they take on the Clemson Tigers who are coming off a big victory against Florida State. Logan Thomas need to improve his accuracy against this Clemson defense. He is completing only 57% of passes and has four interceptions in as many games. Should be a great matchup this weekend in Blacksburg.
2. Clemson (4-0) Last Week 3
Result: W (38-24) vs. Florida State
This Week: at Virginia Tech
After sneaking out early victories against Troy and Wofford, Clemson has since managed to find a way to beat Auburn and Florida State in consecutive weeks. Freshman WR Sammy Watkins is a star. This kid has NFL written all over him. He already has six touchdowns this season. He is an absolute matchup problem due to his blazing speed and play making ability. With their victory over Florida State, Clemson controls their destiny to the ACC Championship Game. 3. Georgia Tech (4-0) Last Week 4
Result: W (35-28) vs. North Carolina This Week: at N.C. State This rushing offense continues to be incredible. The Yellow Jackets still managed to rush for over 300 yards against North Carolina's very impressive rush defense. In that game, Georgia Tech averaged slightly over 5 yards per rush. Georgia Tech will run all over State this weekend and move to 5-0. Look for them to be 8-0 headed into their game against Clemson. 4. Florida State (2-2) Last Week 2
Result: L (35-30) at Clemson This Week: BYE This seems like it's going to be another season of pre-season Florida State hype, and then a disappointing Florida State season. Their schedule gets very easy until their final game of the season against Florida. If Clemson trips up, then Florida State could still make the ACC Championship game. In the meantime, they're going to need to improve their offense. They rely too much on the big play. 5. North Carolina (3-1) Last Week 6
Result: L (35-28) at Georgia Tech This Week: at East Carolina Giovani Bernard is a stud. I was so impressed with his performance against Georgia Tech. He's averaging 7.44 yards per carry, which is impressive for anyone, but then you realize that he's only a freshman. It will be very difficult for this team to make the ACC Championship Game, but it's very possible that this team will win 8 or more games this season. 6. Wake Forest (2-1) Last Week 7
Result: BYE This Week: at Boston College I think I speak for all Wake Forest fans when I say that this game is a must-win if we want to make a bowl game this season. I've been so impressed with the Deacs so far this season, and only see us getting better. There is just so much talent surround Tanner Price. Chris Givens, Danny Dembry, and Josh Harris are all very talented players. If we win this game, then I expect this team to make a bowl. 7. Miami (1-2) Last Week 5
Result: L (28-24) vs. Kansas State This Week: vs. Bethune-Cook I'm not too sure in what order to rank these next four teams. All I know is that there is a clear gap between the top 6 and the bottom 6. The loss to Maryland now looks awful, and their win over Ohio State no longer looks very impressive. Miami should win this week, but they have a very difficult schedule moving forward, and it will not be easy for Al Golden to lead this team to a bowl. This year's senior class was highly touted in high school, but they definitely did not live up to the hype.
8. Maryland (1-2) Last Week 8
Result: L (38-7) vs. Temple This Week: vs. Towson This loss against Temple was just embarrassing. I know that Temple is a pretty solid team this season, but it's unacceptable to lose 38-7. Danny O'Brien has simply been awful this season. He has only thrown two touchdown passes to his five interceptions. They will beat Towson this week, but then their schedule gets brutal as they take on Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Florida State in consecutive weeks. This team will be very lucky to make a bowl. 9. Virginia (2-2) Last Week 10
Result: L (30-24) vs. Southern Miss This Week: vs. Idaho
10. N.C. State (2-2) Last Week 9
Result: L (44-14) at Cincinnati This Week: vs. Georgia Tech Their performance against Cincinnati on national television was atrocious. They have yet to beat a Division 1-A team this season. This goes to show how talented Russell Wilson was. I see no reason why he can't lead Wisconsin to the Big 10 Championship. Georgia Tech should run wild on their defense this week. It could be a long year in Raleigh. 11. Duke (2-2) Last Week 11
Result: W (48-27) vs. Tulane This Week: at F.I.U. This is going to be another difficult road game for the Blue Devils. It's certainly a winnable game for them, but I wouldn't consider them the favorite. Duke will be the underdog for the remainder of their games. At least they can say they beat Boston College and were able to win a conference game. 12. Boston College (1-3) Last Week 12
Result: W (45-17) vs. UMass This Week: vs. Wake Forest Boston College thrived off turnovers in their victory over UMass this past weekend. While they only out gained UMass by 76 yards, they scored two defensive touchdowns and that along with a dominant time of possession propelled the Eagles to victory over the Minutemen. Boston College will have their hands full with the Deacs this weekend. The Deacs are well rested and ready to attack. Tanner Price should be able to exploit this secondary.