Week 11 sees Clemson take a week off while Florida State pushes on against Wake Forest. Duke could find themselves with seven wins by Sunday morning and Pittsburgh host the Fighting Irish.
Here is a preview of Week 11 in the ACC.
No. 3 Florida State @ Wake Forest
Florida State brushed Miami aside last week much as expected and will continue on their quest for a national championship against Wake Forest.
‘Noles’ quarterback Jameis Winston threw more picks (2) than touchdowns (1) for the first time in his career against the Hurricanes. However, it will not happen two weeks in a row. The Demon Deacons will be powerless to stop the machine that is Florida State’s offense who rank third in the FBS for points scored per game (51.1)
Wake Forest has a respectable defense and some playmakers on offense. Unfortunately, 67-catch man Michael Campanaro broke his collarbone in last week’s loss to Syracuse and quarterback Tanner Price looked a shadow of his normal self without his star receiver.
Virginia Tech @ No. 14 Miami
A game that once looked like two ranked, division rivals facing off has turned into Miami surviving with one loss until the end of the season.
Miami suffered their first loss of the season to Florida State last week but a BCS Bowl possibility is still in sight for the young team. Duke Johnson was lost for the season with a broken ankle last week but backup running back Dallas Crawford has shown he also has a knack for the end zone. Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris versus the Virginia Tech defense is a scary thought, however, so is Logan Thomas against any defense.
Hokies quarterback Thomas has looked awful all season and it was only a matter of time before the losses began to stack up. 22.1 points per game will not cut the mustard against ranked teams. Morris will struggle but Miami should return to winning ways.
NC State @ Duke
Duke comes off their bye week with a home tie against a three-win NC State as they search for their seventh win of the season.
David Cutcliffe has done a tremendous job in charge of the Blue Devils and it should come as no surprise to see his men doing well. After beating Virginia Tech two weeks ago, Duke will be confident of a home win against an NC State who hasn’t won since September 28th against Central Michigan.
Anthony Boone has been solid since his return from injury with Virginia Tech being the only side to slow him down. Brandon Connette, who played in Boone’s absence, did a stellar job and deserves to split some snaps with Boone this week.
NC State are scoring just 23 points per game while Duke are putting up 32.9. With Miami waiting for the Blue Devils next week this game should serve as a perfect tune-up.
Syracuse @ Maryland
Maryland’s season has derailed in the last couple of weeks but a home tie against Syracuse is the perfect opportunity to rectify some issues.
After starting the season 4-0 the Terrapins have lost three of their last four, albeit against some tough opponents. However, the schedule eases up somewhat in the home stretch although losing wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the remainder of the year will negate some of that advantage. Maryland need C.J. Brown back under centre to rekindle the early season form.
Syracuse are winning the games they are expected to win and losing the games they are expected to lose. Playing like Syracuse are will mean guaranteed home wins against lowly opponents, but it won’t have you in the conference race come late November. Quarterback play for the Orange has been horrendous this season and they rank 101st in the FBS with 188.1 passing yards per game.
Although I believe Maryland are the better football team, they are there for the taking if the ‘Cuse can put together a turnover-free performance together.
Virginia @ North Carolina
North Carolina will expect to extend their winning streak to three when they host Virginia this coming Saturday.
Wins against NC State and Boston College have finally gave quarterback Bryn Renner and the Tar Heels’ offense some momentum as we head towards the business end of the season. North Carolina rank 19th in the FBS in passing yards per game and with running back Alfred Blue struggling we can expect to see Bryn Renner dropping back just as regularly this week.
Virginia on the other hand are on a six-game losing streak and don’t look like they will change their fortunes any time soon. Quarterback David Watford has shown no improvement as the season has progressed meaning teams have begun to key in on the Cavaliers run game and stop the offense altogether.
Non-Conference Games
No. 24 Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh
After a touch loss to Georgia Tech last week, Pittsburgh are a team looking to bounce back by causing an upset to 2012 national championship runner-ups Notre Dame.
If Pitt can find the right balance the upset is certainly possible since they boast offensive weapons in all departments. Quarterback Tom Savage is having a stellar year while wide receiver Devin Street recently became the college’s all-time leading receiver. Running back’s Isaac Bennett and James Conner represent a brilliant one-two punch at tail back when the play-calling is right.
The Fighting Irish rank poorly in all passing, rushing and defense categories with a number of victories coming by small margins. The Panthers must believe a famous win is on the cards.
Boston College @ New Mexico State
Boston College will look to break .500 when they travel across the country to face New Mexico State.
The Eagles come into the game on the back of a win over Virginia Tech in which they put up an impressive 34 points. Andre Williams had a monster game against the Hokies and will certainly keep the chains moving this week. Wide receiver Alex Amidon had a quieter Week 10 than Williams but will certainly add to his 49 receptions against the Aggies.
New Mexico State is conceding an enormous 46.2 points per game. I don’t think Chase Rettig and the Eagles’ offense will have any problems here.