The Confidential

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Archive for the tag “Boston College”

06 Nov 2012

Preseason ACC Basketball Rankings!

While there is plenty of football left to be played, basketball is ready to get started.  With that, here are the Confidential’s preseason ACC basketball rankings:

  1. Syracuse.  With apologies to North Carolina State, Duke, and North Carolina, Jim Boeheim has another great team.  And his best coaching jobs are when he has a young team that will listen to his advice.
  2. North Carolina State.  The Confidential is buying the hype.  If Florida State can win the ACC, why not the Wolfpack?  Looking forward to that early season tilt against Michigan too.
  3. Duke.  With the football team headed to a bowl game, fans have a reason to not pay full attention to the hoop squad.  But Dick Vitale will be smiling… Duke is loaded again.
  4. North Carolina.  Not many teams in college hoops have more talent than the Tar Heels.  #4 could be #1 if it all goes well.
  5. Florida State.  The Seminoles are looking to build off last season’s great finish.  These are good times to be a Florida State fan.
  6. Notre Dame.  If we are including Syracuse and Pitt, no reason not to include the Fighting Irish.  Mr. Brey has himself a decent squad again this year too.
  7. Miami.  Like Florida State, Miami is starting to take advantage of its ACC membership on the hardcourt.  Recruiting to Miami cannot be that hard, can it?
  8. Pittsburgh.  Last year has to be an anomaly, right?  Jamie Dixon is too good a coach to have two straight seasons without the Big Dance.
  9. Virginia.  Virginia’s unusual defensive schemes give offenses fits.  As the talent ramps up, this team will give many teams fits.
  10. Maryland.  The Terps have some talent and they certainly have a talented coaching staff.  Time to start winning more games.
  11. Virginia Tech.  The Hokies have a new coach, which could mean that they take a step back or a step forward from this projection.
  12. Georgia Tech. Things have to be better for the Yellow Jackets this year.  A new home arena should help juice the program up a bit.
  13. Clemson.  The Tigers are young.  But they have the depth to make some games very interesting this year.
  14. Boston College.  This team had to deal with youth last year.  This year will be a stepping stone to good things in 2013-2014.
  15. Wake Forest.  The Demon Deacons are very very young.  Going to be a long season, most likely.

So there it is.  Soon enough we’ll all find out whether the Confidential was on target.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Predictions, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
05 Nov 2012

ACC Football Rankings: November 5, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  This is how the Confidential ranks the ACC football teams as of November 5, 2012:

1.  Florida State (8-1)–The Seminoles had a week off to prepare for Virginia Tech.  Although the Hokies lost again, they are usually tough at home.

2. Clemson (8-1)–Clemson obliterated Duke, raising serious questions about the Blue Devils.  It also answered a lot of questions about Clemson.

3. Duke (6-4)–The Blue Devils have been handled easily in their four losses.  Still, one cannot put any other ACC team ahead of them right now.  Sadly.

4. North Carolina (6-3)–The Tar Heels had a week off to prepare for the Yellow Jackets.  Georgia Tech finally got a win, making it a lot more likely to be competitive.

5. Miami (5-4)–The Hurricanes are impossible to figure out.  But after beating up on Virginia Tech, it is clear that Miami cannot be overlooked.

6. North Carolina State (5-4)–With four games left, the Wolfpack blew a win against what should have been an easy one–struggling Virginia.  And they lost big too.  Only so much room to drop though.

7. Wake Forest (5-4)–At 5-4, the Demon Deacons can show that they deserve the #6 spot on the field this week when they play NC State.  Wake took care of Boston College over the weekend.

8. Syracuse (4-5)–The Orange lost, but moved up in the standings somehow.  Syracuse has been doing a lot of good things, with wins coming when they can avoid doing bad things.

9. Pittsburgh (4-5)—The Panthers season turned around with a win over Virginia Tech.  The loss to Syracuse keeps them at #9 right now, despite playing Notre Dame very tough.

10. Virginia Tech (4-5)–The Hokies are struggling in a very odd way.  No chance at another 10 win season.  A bowl game is looking “iffy” right now.

11. Georgia Tech (4-5)—The Yellow Jackets finally got a win, albeit over Maryland and its 5th string QB.  Still, they’ll take what they can get.

12. Maryland (4-5)–Give the Terps credit, they have played tough this year.  And they played admirably with a QB that was never likely to see the field at his real position.

13. Virginia (3-6)–At 3-6, Virginia gets out of the basement and back up to #13.  The team can still win out and go bowling, but those wins will have to come against Miami, North Carolina, and rival Virginia Tech.

14. Boston College (2-7)–At 2-7, there will be no bowl for Boston College.  Again.  And a coaching change is likely.

Do you agree with these rankings?  If not, let us know.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
01 Nov 2012

ACC Football Predictions for Week 10

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential limped to a 4-3 record, making the overall record a respectable 62-23.  On to the week 10 predictions:

Thursday November 1, 2012

Virginia Tech (4-4) @ Miami (4-4), 7:30 p.m.  Well, who the heck knows?  Will it be the Virginia Tech team that took care of business against Duke or the one that lost to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati?  Will it be the Miami team that has won 3 conference games or the one that has been blown out by Notre Dame and Kansas State.  Actually, those two teams are pretty good, as are North Carolina and Florida State.  Miami has lost to the better slate of opponents.  Been a long long time since Frank Beamer was below .500 this late in the season.  In fact, it was 1992, the last time the Hokies did not win 7 or more games.  Again, this one could go either way.  Edge to home team.  Prediction: Miami 27, Virginia Tech 24.

Saturday November 3, 2012

Syracuse (4-4) @ Cincinnati (5-2), 12:00 p.m.  Want to know the last time Syracuse won 3 conference games in a row?  2001.  That was Syracuse’s last 10-win season.  In fact, Syracuse has only one 3 games in a row three times since that season.  In 2002, Syracuse beat Rutgers, Central Florida, and Virginia Tech.  In 2006, Syracuse beat Illinois, Miami (OH), and Wyoming.  In 2010, Syracuse beat Maine (FCS), Colgate (FCS), and South Florida.  Cincinnati’s schedule is the reason they are 5-2, but the Confidential cannot help but note that it is not 2014 yet.  There will not be a 3-game winning streak for the ‘Cuse.  Prediction: Cincinnati 24, Syracuse 17.

Georgia Tech (3-5) @ Maryland (4-4), 12:30 p.m.  Before the season, the Confidential would have predicted a 30-point win for the Yellow Jackets.  If Maryland had a QB, the Confidential would predict a win for Maryland.  Using a linebacker–even a struggling Georgia Tech team HAS to be able to win this game.  If not…. wow.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 24, Maryland 10.

Virginia (2-6) @ North Carolina State (5-3), 12:30 p.m.  Well, it is safe to say that Virginia has not lived up to expectations.  North Carolina State is right where it always seems to be–too good to look past, too bad to assume a win.  The Wolfpack have to be able to take care of a struggling Virginia team though.  That 6th win is sitting there hoping to be achieved.  Prediction: North Carolina State 28, Virginia 15.

Boston College (2-6) @ Wake Forest (4-4), 3:00 p.m.  Boston College got a win!  Boston College got a win!  Remember, this team closed strong last year.  But winning on the road, even against a vulnerable Wake Forest team, seems unlikely.  It’s games like these that may get the Demon Deacons a bowl.  And if they lose this one, they do not deserve a bowl.  Prediction: Wake Forest 20, Boston College 13.

Pittsburgh (4-4) @ #3 Notre Dame (8-0), 3:30 p.m.  On paper, Notre Dame has one big game left–its tilt against rival Southern Cal.  On paper, Pitt, Wake Forest, and Boston College do not pose a threat.  On paper, the favorite always wins.  In real life, the favorite occasionally gets upset.  But there is something about a Notre Dame coach named Kelly proving that the Fighting Irish are “back.”  They might not go undefeated, but this one seems to easy to predict an upset for Notre Dame to be looking past the Panthers.  Prediction:  Notre Dame 27, Pitt 17.

#13 Clemson (7-1) @ Duke (6-3), 7:00 p.m.  The ACC game of the week.  This is two weeks in a row for the Blue Devils.  Last week was terrible.  This week may be terrible again.  Clemson is not that much inferior to Florida State.  However, Duke is at home for this one–unlike its losses to Stanford, Va Tech, and FSU.  So Dick Vitale will not have to close his eyes during this game–it will be closer.   Not close.  Closer.  Prediction: Clemson 38, Duke 21.

Idle: North Carolina & Florida State

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Oct 2012
2 Comments

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 9

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 9 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Alabama (8-0): Alabama keeps on rolling, with a romp over Mississippi State.   The LSU game should be fun!
  2. Oregon (8-0): The Ducks obliterated Colorado.  But what else is new?
  3. Notre Dame (8-0): The Fighting Irish are for real after defeating Oklahoma on the road.  They cannot look ahead to USC though.
  4. Kansas State (8-0):  The polls are starting to love Kansas State.  As well they should after yet another impressive win.
  5. Ohio State (9-0).  The Buckeyes keep on rolling, with a win over Penn State.
  6. Florida State (8-1):  The Seminoles get a week off after blowing out Duke.
  7. LSU (7-1):  And here come the SEC schools.  LSU took care of Texas A&M to improve to 7-1.
  8. Georgia (7-1): Georgia got a big win over Florida in Jacksonville.
  9. Florida (7-1): The Gators struggled offensively against Georgia, but are still a good team.
  10. Louisville (8-0): The Cardinals struggled against Cincinnati before pulling out the win to remain unbeaten.
  11. Oklahoma (5-2).
  12. Clemson (7-1).
  13. South Carolina (7-2).
  14. Mississippi State (7-1).
  15. Nebraska (6-2).
  16. Boise State (7-1).
  17. Southern California (6-2).
  18. Oregon State (6-1).
  19. Michigan (5-3).
  20. Louisiana Tech (7-1).
  21. Texas Tech (6-2).
  22. Stanford (6-2).
  23. West Virginia (5-2).
  24. Toledo (8-1).
  25. UCLA (6-2).

* * *

121.  Illinois (2-6).  With a loss to Indiana, Illinois is at the bottom of the B1G now.  Do they miss Ron Zook now?

122. Virginia (2-6).  With Boston College’s win over Maryland, Virginia drops to the bottom of the ACC barrel.  Enjoy.

123. Colorado (1-7).  The Buffaloes are just plain bad.  70-6 against Oregon.  Has any program fallen farther than Colorado?

124. Kansas (1-7).  Kansas played very well against Texas.  This isn’t the Texas of old, but kudos to the Wildcats for making a game of it.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
29 Oct 2012

ACC Football Rankings: October 29, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  This is how the Confidential ranks the ACC football teams as of October 29, 2012:

1.  Florida State (8-1)–The Seminoles left no doubt that Duke still has a ways to go before joining the football elite.  Florida State gets some extra time off before traveling to the Hokies.

2. Clemson (7-1)–Clemson took care of the Demon Deacons on Thursday night, winning comfortably.  And now it is their turn to beat up on Duke.  In theory.

3. Duke (6-3)–The Blue Devils have been handled easily in their three losses.  Still, with a win over North Carolina, Duke holds on to the #3 slot.

4. North Carolina (6-3)–The Tar Heels move up into 4th place with a win over North Carolina State.  If only the Tar Heels were bowl eligible…

5. North Carolina State (5-3)–NC State missed a golden opportunity to get to bowl eligibility over rival North Carolina.  With Virginia, Wake Forest, and Boston College still on the schedule, they should get it done though.

6. Virginia Tech (4-4)–With six 4-4 teams to rank, it gets difficult to split hairs.  But Virginia Tech has the best win of the six teams–surprisingly it is Duke.

7. Miami (4-4)–The Hurricanes had the week off before entering the final third of the season.  Miami gets to prove it is worthy of leapfrogging the Hokies when they play this week.

8. Wake Forest (4-4)–The Demon Deacons win over North Carolina gets them the spot ahead of Syracuse.  North Carolina is a 6-3 team, while Syracuse has yet to beat a team above .500.

9. Syracuse (4-4)—The Orange rallied from 20 down to beat a desperate South Florida team that played well.  Syracuse’s head-to-head win over Pittsburgh justifies the move up to 9th place.

10. Pittsburgh (4-4)–Syracuse’s win over Pitt forces the Panthers down to #2.  However, given that they lost to Youngstown State, one must be impressed with how the season has turned around.

11. Maryland(4-4)—The loss to B.C. hurts the Terrapins.  A win to get to 5-3 would have the fan base thinking bowl game.  4-8 seems like a distinct possibility now.

12. Georgia Tech (3-5)–Georgia Tech just lost to Brigham Young, which is bad enough.  Getting blown out must have the Yellow Jackets a bit worried about the Paul Johnson era.

13. Boston College (2-6)–At 1-6, it did not look like Boston College would ever win again.  But they beat a surprising Maryland team to get that first win over a FBS program.  Nicely done.

14. Virginia (2-6)–Along with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, Virginia is a huge disappointment for the A.C.C.  They deserve the basement this week.

Do you agree with these rankings?  If not, let us know.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
25 Oct 2012
1 Comment

ACC Football Predictions for Week 9

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential surged to a 6-2 record, elevating the overall record to a respectable 58-20.  On to the week 9 predictions:

Thursday October 25, 2012

#14 Clemson (6-1) @ Wake Forest (4-3), 7:30 p.m.  Clemson needs to avoid a late season slump.  This is exactly the type of game that could easily lead to a loss and subsequent November swoon.  With the whole nation watching, Clemson needs to rise to the occasion.  Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons are still looking for a signature win this year.  It aint coming this week.  Prediction: Clemson 27, Wake Forest 17.

Saturday October 27, 2012

Temple (3-3) @ Pittsburgh (3-4), noon.  Temple has 2 Big East wins, while Pittsburgh has zero.  In the battle for Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh has the home field advantage though.  We’ll see how much pride the Panthers can display.  One has to figure that Pittsburgh will rise to the occasion.  Prediction: Pittsburgh 21, Temple 10.

North Carolina State (5-2) @ North Carolina (5-3), 12:30 p.m.  This is sort of the battle for North Carolina–at least with respect to the public Universities.  Both teams have been decent and the winner will get to 6 wins.  While there is no bowl eligibility for the Tar Heels, N.C. State has eyes on a bowl.  This is a tough one to call.  Prediction: North Carolina 28, North Carolina State 20.

Maryland (4-3) @ Boston College (1-6), 1:00 p.m.  At the beginning of the year, this would have seemed like a key game for Boston College to get a conference win.  Now, it is hard to envision Boston College defeating the surprising Terrapins.  With Maryland starting to smell a bowl game, and Boston College floundering, look for the visiting team to pull out a win.  Prediction: Maryland 21, Boston College 14.

Brigham Young (4-4) @ Georgia Tech (3-4), 3:00 p.m.  Brigham Young has had trouble scoring, which is usually not a problem for Georgia Tech.  But BYU looked great against Notre Dame.  Still, the Yellow Jackets have too much pride to let a team come into Atlanta and steal a win.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 28, Brigham Young 9.

Duke (6-2) @ #11 Florida State (7-1), 3:30 p.m.  The ACC game of the week.  Duke is bowl eligible, which may mean that they will have a let down.  And Florida State is at home.  This game will be the true test of just how far the Blue Devils have come.  After losing to Virginia Tech and Stanford on the road, the Confidential has to go with the Seminoles.   Prediction: Florida State 44, Duke 9.

Syracuse (3-4) @ South Florida (2-5), 7:00 p.m.  Florida State struggled to beat South Florida on the road.  Syracuse is a 3-4 team with no wins on the road.  If Syracuse wants to get to a bowl game, they will need to win this game.  If South Florida wants to go to a bowl, losing here would be catastrophic.  Syracuse wants to win, but the Bulls must win.  Prediction: South Florida 28, Syracuse 20.

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
23 Oct 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 8

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 8 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Alabama (7-0): Alabama keeps on rolling, with a romp over Tennessee.  Mississippi State this week is not the automatic win that most would have assumed in August.  Next up: Mississippi State.
  2. Oregon (7-0): The Ducks dismantled Arizona State to remain perfect on the season.  There is little chance of this team not making it to 8-0; see opponent.  Next up: Colorado.
  3. Notre Dame (7-0): The Fighting Irish struggled to beat a very unimpressive Brigham Young team.  This ranking would be in jeopardy, but for this week’s opponent giving Notre Dame a chance to rebound.  Next up: @ Oklahoma.
  4. Florida (7-0): The Gators obliterated suddenly-unimpressive South Carolina.  The edge over Kansas State is very narrow though.  Next up: @ Georgia.
  5. Kansas State (7-0): The win in Morgantown would have been even more impressive if Texas Tech had not demolished the Mountaineers the week before.  A great win nonetheless, as the Wildcats are knocking on the door of the top 3 or 4.  Next up: Texas Tech.
  6. Ohio State (8-0).  The Buckeyes keep on rolling, with a win over Purdue.  The first team to 8-0 also.  The sanctions bowl this week for the B1G.  Next up: @ Penn State.
  7. Florida State (7-1):  The Seminoles did what they needed to do in beating Miami in Miami.  This week’s game against Duke suddenly looks interesting.  Next up: Duke.
  8. Oklahoma (5-1): The Sooners’ destruction of Kansas was expected.  They get a real test this week with undefeated Notre Dame coming to town.  Next up: Notre Dame.
  9. LSU (7-1):  The Tigers went into Lubbock and defeated the Aggies, albeit by a narrow margin.  Still, a good win is a good win.  Next up: Alabama on November 3.
  10. Georgia (6-1): Georgia defeated hapless Kentucky.  But by less than a touchdown?  Nobody below the Bulldogs deserved to leapfrog them though.  Next up: Florida.
  11. Louisville (7-0):   Next up: Cincinnati.
  12. Southern California (6-1):  Next up: @ Arizona.
  13. Oregon State (6-0).  Next up: @ Washington.
  14. Clemson (6-1).  Next up: @ Wake Forest.
  15. Rutgers (7-0).  Next up: Kent State.
  16. Mississippi State (7-0).  Next up: @ Alabama.
  17. Michigan (5-2).  Next up: Nebraska.
  18. Nebraska (5-2).  Next up: @ Michigan.
  19. Ohio (7-0). Next up: @ Miami.
  20. Boise State (6-1).  Next up: @ Wyoming.
  21. Louisiana Tech (6-1). Next up: @ New Mexico State.
  22. South Carolina (6-2).  Next up: Tennessee.
  23. West Virginia (5-2).  Next up: TCU on November 3.
  24. Texas Tech (6-1).  Next up: @ Kansas State.
  25. Stanford (5-2).  Next up: Washington State.

* * *

121.  Indiana (2-5).  While Indiana has two wins, they are over FCS Indiana State and brand new FBS team UMass–the worst team in all of FBS (only winless team, in fact).  The worst resume of the 2 win teams.

122. Colorado (1-6).  Colorado lost by 44 points to USC.  And that seems like a moral victory for the Buffaloes–the only team on this list to beat a conference foe.

123. Boston College (1-6).  Boston College–was equally inept last year, but then rallied late.  Is it possible for history to repeat itself?

124. Kansas (1-6).  Kansas looks like a real risk to go 1-11.  The Charlie Weis era.  Enjoy.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
22 Oct 2012

ACC Football Rankings: October 22, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  This is how the Confidential ranks the ACC football teams as of October 22, 2012:

1.  Florida State (7-1)–With a win over Miami, the Seminoles stay comfortably ahead of Clemson for the best overall record in the ACC.  Florida State cannot look ahead to the Florida game and MUST continue to take care of business.

2. Clemson (6-1)–Clemson defeated Virginia Tech, maintaining its safe spot at #2 in the conference.  The Tigers did what they needed to do against a struggling Hokies team.

3. Duke (6-2)–The Blue Devils rebounded from a loss at Virginia Tech to defeat North Carolina at home.  The Blue Devils are bowl-eligible for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Congratulations!

4. North Carolina State (5-2)–The Wolfpack moved to 5-2 by defeating Maryland in College Park.  NC State is now one win away from bowl eligibility with 5 games left.

5. North Carolina (5-3)–The Tar Heels had a chance to get to bowl-eligibility, but lost to rival Duke.  One wonders if the sanctions take some of the juice out of the thrill of getting that 6th win.

6. Miami (4-4)–The Hurricanes have lost to some pretty good teams this year.  They have lost ugly though.

7. Virginia Tech (4-4)–This is just not the Hokies’ year.  Really, Virginia Tech could be a few slots lower too.

8. Maryland (4-3)–The Terps get the nod over Wake Forest here as they won the head-to-head matchup.  What great character this team has shown in being above .500 this late in the season.

9. Wake Forest (4-3)—The Demon Deacons took care of Virginia–a nice road win.  A bowl is still readily in sight.

10. Syracuse (3-4)–Syracuse salvaged its chances for a bowl game by defeating UConn handily over the weekend.  They’ll need to win 3 out of the 5 remaining, but all opponents look somewhat vulnerable.

11. Pittsburgh (3-4)—Pitt gets the edge over Georgia Tech by virtue of beating Virginia Tech.  Pitt’s wins over Buffalo and Gardner-Webb are not all that impressive otherwise.

12. Georgia Tech (3-4)–Georgia Tech is half-way to bowl eligibility with a convincing win over Boston College.  The Yellow Jackets are still searching for a good win though.

13. Virginia (2-6)–At 2-6, Virginia really needs a bye week.  Fortunately, they’ll get one this week. 

14. Boston College (1-6)–After losing yet again, the Eagles don’t need a bye week–they might STILL lose.  Gotta figure a coaching change is an inevitability.

Do you agree with these rankings?  If not, let us know.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
19 Oct 2012

ACC Football Predictions for Week 8

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential struggled to a 3-3 record–the worst week of the season.   Still, the Confidential is at a respectable 52-18 so far.  On to the week 8 predictions:

Friday October 19, 2012

Connecticut (3-3) @ Syracuse (2-4), 8:00 p.m.  The Orange simply cannot lose this game.  If the Doug Marrone era is not going to fall completely off the tracks, Syracuse needs to win this much of a winnable game.  UConn is struggling and coached by the guy Syracuse fired.  Just a must win.  Prediction: Syracuse 24, UConn 17.

Saturday October 20, 2012

Virginia Tech (4-3) @ #14 Clemson (5-1), noon.  This is a rematch of last year’s conference title game, but the teams are headed in different directions right now.  Virginia Tech had to rally to beat Duke, while Clemson has only lost to Florida State.  Given that Clemson is at home, as well as Virginia Tech’s defensive mortality, it is difficult to pick Virginia Tech to pull the upset.  Prediction: Clemson 35-Virginia Tech 24.

Wake Forest (3-3) @ Virginia (2-5), 12:30 p.m.  The Demon Deacons have been absolutely, positively mediocre.  Virginia is jealous of that right now.  Again, however, Virginia is the home team, which has to count for something.  The Confidential just does not see Wake Forest taking the win here.  Prediction: Virginia 21, Wake Forest 20.

Boston College (1-5) @ Georgia Tech (2-4), 3:00 p.m.  Boston College has been downright awful this year, with no wins over FBS teams.  Georgia Tech has been equally bad lately.  This two teams are at and/or near the basement in the ACC right now.  Like Syracuse, Georgia Tech simply MUST win this game.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 38-Boston College 13.

Pittsburgh (2-4) @ Buffalo (1-5), 3:30 p.m.  The Steelers and Bills face off in a clash of old industrial towns.  Wait, what?  Pittsburgh lost its momentum after the Virginia Tech win.  Buffalo has never really had any momentum yet.  One has to think the Bulls will be fired up for this rare visit from a BCS-level team.  Still, Pitt has to win this one, right?  Prediction: Pittsburgh 36, Buffalo 10.

North Carolina State (4-2) @ Maryland (4-2), 3:30 p.m.  While North Carolina State is not too much of a surprise, Maryland certainly is.  Good thing that Terrapins fans did not run Randy Edsall out of town.  Most likely.  Maryland does have to play a bunch of good teams down the stretch.  Reality sets in this week.  Prediction: North Carolina State 27, Maryland 14.

North Carolina (5-2) @ Duke (5-2), 7:00 p.m.  Obviously, a great basketball matchup, this is a pretty darn good football game this year.  For Duke, the season-ending slate is simply brutal.  This may be their last, best chance to get to bowl-eligibility.  Who better than the Tar Heels to stop them?  Prediction: North Carolina 24, Duke 20.

#12 Florida State (6-1) @ Miami (4-3), 8:00 p.m.  Miami has been tough to figure out.  There is really nothing in their performance to suggest that they can win this game.  Then again, there is everything out there to suggest that Florida State could simply lose it.  Typically, however, Florida State stumbles most egregiously in North Carolina.  Prediction: Florida State 45-Miami 20.

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
17 Oct 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 8

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 8 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Alabama (6-0): Alabama continued the trend of Missouri being dominated in the SEC.  Halfway to another SEC-CCG.  Next up: @ Tennessee.
  2. Oregon (6-0): The Ducks were idle this week.  Up next–surprising Arizona State.   Next up: @ Arizona State.
  3. Notre Dame (6-0): The Fighting Irish added to their impressive victories by toppling Stanford.  They seem “back” under Kelly.  Next up: Brigham Young.
  4. Florida (6-0): The Gators did what they needed to do in beating Vanderbilt.  Next up: South Carolina.
  5. Kansas State (6-0): Kansas State took care of a game Iowa State squad.  Bill Snyder has this team on a roll–but the toughest road trip of the year looms.  Next up: @ West Virginia.
  6. Ohio State (7-0).  While it has been a comparatively unimpressive schedule so far, Ohio State has handled everyone.  Night and day from last year.  Next up: Purdue.
  7. Florida State (6-1):  The Seminoles did what they were supposed to do this week–annihilating Boston College.  Despite Miami’s difficulties this year, the Seminoles have to focus.  Next up:  @ Miami.
  8. Oklahoma (4-1): The Sooners’ destruction of Texas was admirable, but it may say more about how far Texas has fallen.  A rivalry win is always great though.  Next up: Kansas.
  9. LSU (6-1):  The Tigers defeat of South Carolina puts them back into contention.  A suddenly hot Texas A&M team is up next though.  Next up: @ Texas A&M.
  10. Georgia (5-1): Georgia has had a week to lick its wounds.  This does not bode well for Kentucky.  Next up: @ Kentucky.
  11. Louisville (6-0):   Next up: South Florida.
  12. Southern California (5-1):  Next up: Colorado.
  13. Oregon State (5-0).  Next up: Utah.
  14. West Virginia (5-1):  Next up: Kansas State.
  15. South Carolina (6-1):  Next up: @ Florida.
  16. Clemson (5-1).  Next up: Virginia Tech.
  17. Rutgers (6-0).  Next up: @ Temple.
  18. Mississippi State (6-0).  Next up: Middle Tennessee.
  19. Cincinnati (5-0). Next up: @ Toledo.
  20. Ohio (7-0). Next up: @ Miami.
  21. Michigan (4-2).  Next up: Michigan State.
  22. Nebraska (4-2).  Next up: @ Northwestern.
  23. Boise State (5-1).  Next up: UNLV.
  24. Louisiana Tech (5-1). Next up: Idaho.
  25. North Carolina (5-2).  Next up: @ Duke.

* * *

121. Colorado (1-5).  Colorado still does have a win against a conference foe, which is nice.  Unfortunately, that foe is near this list too.

122. Washington State (2-5).  As the losses keep mounting, Colorado gets to leapfrog the team that it managed to beat.  Both teams are pretty bad though.

123. Boston College (1-5).  Boston College was not supposed to keep it close against Florida State.  So it didn’t.

124. Kansas (1-5).  Kansas at least played respectably against Oklahoma State.  The Charlie Weis experience–failing at a University near you.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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