Big Tests This Saturday
There are a number of interesting games this Saturday.
College football is about having elite teams. Having a 9-3 conference champion may show that your league has parity, but the nation only cares about the undefeated teams. Clemson has a chance of reaching that elite status this year, which would be huge for the ACC. This week, Clemson will be tested by Georgia Tech. While the Yellow Jackets are reeling right now, they are a formidable foe. The league would benefit from having Clemson win this game. And win out until the conference championship game.
In the 1990’s, Florida State could be counted on for 10 and 11 win seasons. Now? Not so much. A game against North Carolina State is the type of game that the old Florida State would handle. The ACC needs Florida State to return to elite status. Losing a game like this is another step in the wrong direction.
Wake Forest has been a surprise team this year. After narrowly losing to Syracuse in the opener, Wake Forest has acquitted itself well this year. North Carolina did well out-of-conference, but has struggled within the conference. This should be a great matchup.
Boston College v Maryland is not a good game because of the prowess of the two schools. But it may represent Boston College’s best chance of winning a conference game this year. Recall that Maryland lost to Temple. And it was not even close.
Virginia Tech gets Duke. Duke is improved this year, so Virginia Tech has to be careful. The Hokies’ can occasionally be vulnerable in games that the rest of the country considers “easy wins.”
After losing to Maryland in the opener, Miami has done reasonably well this year. The ACC needs Miami to step up and win the winnable games. While Virginia is on the upswing, the ACC needs its elite programs to return to prominence.
For the new members, Syracuse heads to Louisville this week. For ACC fans, the rooting interest is easy. A return to national respectability for Syracuse will help the conference.
And congrats to Pitt for beating UConn in a rare Wednesday night game. I am sure Pitt will not miss having to play midweek games.
The Confidential 