The Confidential

Week 2 ACC Preview

Welcome to Week #2.  Check out our latest standings, and remember to get your week’s entry in for our fantasy football contest.  It is free… with prizes.   And you can join anytime.  Here are this week’s games:

Friday

Pittsburgh (1-0) @ Boston College (1-0), 7:00 pm.  Both teams looked very good in Week #1, relative to recent history and expectations.  One will leave Friday night with a sour taste in its mouth.  Will it be Pitt and its talent or Boston College and its Addazio’ moxie that gets the win?

Saturday

South Carolina State (1-0) @ #23 Clemson, 12:30 pm.  Obviously, Clemson’s loss was more impressive than South Carolina State’s win.  If Clemson wants to have a chance at a great season, it must start gaining momentum this week.

Richmond (1-0) @ Virginia (0-1), 3:30 pm.  Another game featuring a 1-0 underdog and an 0-1 favorite.  Virginia cannot afford a loss, which is not quite the same as needing a win.  The London era will be doomed if they drop this one.

Georgia Tech (1-0) @ Tulane (0-1), 4:00 pm.  Georgia Tech is a team that seems a lock for 7 wins, but not at all likely to get 9 wins.  It just is what it is.  Tulane is a tougher opponent than Wofford, but still a game that Georgia Tech must win.

Michigan (1-0) @ #16 Notre Dame (1-0), 7:30 pm.  Both teams are 1-0, but neither was tested too much in Week 1.  Welcome to real football, O’ Kings of the sport.

Old Dominion (1-0) @ NC State (1-0), 6:00 pm.  NC State was unimpressive in winning Week #1.  They need to get some better momentum started against ODU and get some confidence heading into the tougher part of the schedule.

Gardner-Webb (0-1) @ Wake Forest (0-1), 6:30 pm.  Wake Forest cannot lose this game or 0-12 is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Murray State (1-0) @ #25 Louisville (1-0), 7:00 pm.  The Cards look great against Miami in the opener.  This is a game that should be a romp if Louisville is ready to take the next step.

Florida A&M (0-1) @ Miami (0-1), 7:00 pm.  The Hurricanes disappointed on Monday and get a regional opponent on short rest.  The Al Golden era is treading water right now.

Duke (1-0) @ Troy (0-1), 7:00 pm.  Duke is cupcake city schedule-wise.  Duke won the winnable games next year and should continue the pattern easily this week.

Citadel (0-1) @ #1 Florida State (1-0), 7:30 pm.  This one should be over after 20 minutes.

San Diego State (1-0) @ #21 North Carolina (1-0), 8:00 pm.  Perhaps the most interesting game of the week after Pitt-BC, North Carolina was OK against Liberty.  This week’s opponent is a squad that expects to go bowling.  UNC would like to make a statement.

ACC GAME OF THE WEEK: Virginia Tech (1-0) @ #8 Ohio State, 8:00 pm.   The big game of the week is huge for both teams.  This is Ohio State’s only test for months.  Meanwhile, if Virginia Tech is going to get back to national relevance, it needs to pull the upset over a Braxton Miller-less Ohio State team.  Will it happen?  Who knows.  But there is no bigger opportunity for the ACC to show its relevance this week.  For more on the Big 10 & ACC, see here.

What do you think?