It’s time for yet another Saturday of College Football, and as we enter into the middle of the conference schedule it’s becoming clearer as to who the real contenders are in the ACC this season. There are only five conference games this week, so without further ado, let’s get in to who you should be rooting for in Week Seven.
Saturday, October 13th
Duke (4-1, 0-1 ACC) at Georgia Tech (3-3, 1-2 ACC), 12:20 P.M Eastern, ACCNE
Duke comes into this game after a bye week that followed a crushing home defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils had started the season at 4-0, with many believing that this could be a year where they could truly contend in the Coastal Division, but that loss was a major setback in that goal. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has struggled mightily this season. The Yellow Jackets were blown out by Clemson a few weeks ago, and their only ACC win came last Friday against a terrible Louisville Cardinals team. The disappointing first half of the season has left many in Atlanta wondering if Paul Johnson is truly the man for the job, and has raised some serious questions on whether or not the program is underperforming.
You should root for Duke in this game. Georgia Tech has looked terrible all season, and Duke is one of the few remaining teams on Miami’s schedule that can remain respectable. If the Blue Devils begin a string of losses, the Hurricanes’ schedule will look even weaker in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee.
Louisville (2-4, 0-3 ACC) at Boston College (4-2, 1-1 ACC), 12:30 P.M Eastern, ACCNE
Louisville may just be the worst team in the ACC this season, and one of the worst Power 5 teams in the nation. After a bizarre loss to Florida State, where Bobby Petrino chose to pass instead of running out the clock on the ground, things have fallen apart for UL. They were shredded by the ground attack of Georgia Tech last week, which is not a good sign for them this week, as they face one of America’s best running backs in A.J Dillon. Boston College roared out to a fantastic start to their season, eventually making an appearance in the polls, but with losses in two of the last three weeks the Eagles are simply looking to get it back on track this week at home in Chestnut Hill.
Root for Boston College in this game, they appear on Miami’s schedule and Louisville does not, so a win for Boston College is a win for Miami’s strength of schedule.
Pitt (3-3, 2-1 ACC) at No. 5 Notre Dame (6-0), 2:30 P.M Eastern, NBC
Pitt enters into this game during what has been an up and down season so far. The Panthers have played pretty well in conference this season, besides a bizarre loss to UNC, but were blown out by both No.8 Penn State and No.10 UCF in non-conference play. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has gotten through the most difficult stretch of their schedule unscathed, and looks poised to make a run at the College Football Playoff after switching to Ian Book at quarterback. Pittsburgh has built up a reputation as a giant-slayer over the last few years, and that mettle will be tested again this weekend.
Root for Pittsburgh in this game, it would help Miami’s strength of schedule by improving the nation’s opinion of Pitt, and it’s always fun to see a massive upset in College Football.
Virginia Tech (3-2, 2-0 ACC) at UNC (1-3, 1-1 ACC), 7:00 P.M Eastern, ESPNU
Both Virginia Tech and UNC have had bizarre seasons this year. The Hokies suffered one of the most memorable upsets in the history of College Football when they lost to the Old Dominion Monarchs, and North Carolina has been one of America’s worst teams besides an impressive, gritty performance against Pitt that is their only win of the season. Additionally, both teams have quarterback questions heading into this game, and this is always a game that seems to be close. It should also be noted that Larry Fedora is fighting for his job in Chapel Hill, so expect the Tar Heels to give it everything they’ve got on Saturday night.
Root for Virginia Tech in this game, Miami already handled UNC on Thursday Night Football, so the Hokies represent quite possibly the final team that would be an impressive win for the Hurricanes record.
No.16 Miami (5-1, 2-0 ACC) at Virginia (3-2, 1-1 ACC), 7:00 P.M Eastern, ESPN2
Virginia has been one of the more surprising teams in the ACC this season, and they have a dynamic talent at quarterback in Bryce Perkins. As a result, the Hurricanes will need to come to play on Saturday night, and absolutely must avoid having a letdown or coming out flat after an emotionally draining victory over FSU last weekend. The Cavaliers will give everything they have against Miami again this season, and will look to finish what they started last season, when they were up by 14 points two separate times in the game in search of an upset. Scott Stadium should be loud and rowdy when the Hurricanes come to town, and N’Kosi Perry must be prepared in his first road start. The key to this game might be the line of scrimmage, if the Hurricanes can lean on their run game to help a young quarterback out in his first game on the road this should be a blowout, but if not, it could be close in Charlottesville.
Obviously root for Miami in this game, the most important piece of the game might be starting off quick, and the Hurricanes’ talented defense will need to travel.
That’s all the ACC games for this week. Enjoy all the games this weekend, especially as we start to get into the vitally important weeks and months of the season.