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06 Oct 2015
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The Confidential’s Correspondents’ Football Poll: October 6, 2015

Here is this week’s Confidential Correspondents Football Poll!  Still hard to differentiate a lot of these teams… even at the bottom.

13-15. Wake Forest (2-3); Virginia (1-3), and Virginia Tech (2-3)(0 points).  Welp, these three teams did not receive ANY votes.  Nothing to say, other than the obvious–only wins will change that.

12  Boston College (2-2)(5 points).  So far, BC has lost to undefeated Florida State and once-defeated Duke.  And somehow folks have Louisville, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State ranked above them.

11. Georgia Tech (2-3) (7 points).  With losses to Notre Dame, Duke, and North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets difficult season is going even worse than expected.  No rest for the weary as they must travel to Clemson next.  With Florida State and Georgia on the schedule, bowl eligibility is not a certainty.

10. Miami (3-1, 9 points).  From 4 to 10, as the correspondents recognize that, once again, Miami is just not ready to return to prominence.  A loss at Cincinnati is not the end of the world.  But, needless to say, you are not a playoff team if you cannot beat ANY of the AAC teams on the road.  The idea of Miami as a football powerhouse is simply as obsolete as referring to DePaul as a basketball powerhouse.  An entire generation simply does not remember “the U” that way.

9. North Carolina State (4-1, 10 points).  We mocked NC State’s schedule.  Deep down, however, we wondered if they could be a very good football team.  The loss to 1-3 Louisville is more reasonable in real life than the records suggest.  With trips to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest (see above), this team could reach bowl eligibility by mid-October.

8. Pittsburgh (3-1, 13 points).  After Iowa’s upset of Wisconsin, the Pitt loss to the Hawkeyes is not looking nearly as bad.  And the Panthers welcome Virginia to town this week, a realistic chance at getting to 4-1.

7.  Louisville (2-3, 17 points).  Yes, two correspondents from Louisville lead to such things as the Cardinals being the only team below .500 in the top 10–and they are ranked #7 overall.  In fairness, the Louisville schedule was very frontloaded–with a back six of BC, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Virginia, Pitt, and Kentucky.  Much more daunting in hoops than the gridiron.  With Florida State up next in two weeks, Louisville may be 2-4 heading into that back half.

6.  Syracuse (3-1, 22 points).  Winston Wolf had a particularly relevant quote in Pulp Fiction about getting excited prematurely.  In other words, at 3-1, Syracuse has done exactly what was expected–even if Syracuse fans feared it might not happen.  Now it comes down to whether Syracuse can exceed expectations the rest of the way.  A trip to South Florida is the last OOC game and the first road game.  The Orange cannot afford to lose this game.

5. UNC (4-1, 23 points).  All of the sudden, North Carolina is making some serious noise in the Coastal.  There is a potential Duke-UNC showdown for the division title looming.  You know, just like ACC leadership expected when it added Miami, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh to that division.  Kudos to the Tar Heels for taking care of business so far.

4. Duke (4-1, 34 points).  The loss to Northwestern suddenly does not look so bad.  It was not an indication that Duke was retreating into irrelevance again.  Even better, Duke has a trip to Army coming up.  This will be a tough matchup…tougher than one might expect.  Duke’s defense will have to continue to carry the day.  So far, this has not been a problem.

3.  Notre Dame (4-1, 41 points).  The Fighting Irish played valiantly in Death Valley, but this team is not ready for the playoff.  Moreover, injuries are really starting to take a toll.  Still, this is a team that could very well get back to and stay in the top 10 all season long.  USC and Stanford are the only remaining ranked foes.

2. Florida State (4-0, 44 points).  Florida State has not really looked great in a few seasons now, right?  Seriously, has this team overwhelmed any competent opponent since the national title?  At the same time, the Seminoles’ record speaks for itself over that same span.  It will be interesting to see what FSU does with hapless Miami this week.  Will the Hurricanes out-effort FSU and stay in the game?  Or will FSU be up for the game and put its rival out if its misery early?

1. Clemson (4-0, 50 points, 5 first place vote).  Clemson beat Notre Dame.  In doing so, it made this poll very easy—as the Tigers were a unanimous #!.  No other position had unanimity.  But there are still 9 games standing between Clemson and the playoffs.  Some will be obviously difficult (FSU, South Carolina).  But it is games against desperate opponents–as in Georgia Tech this week–that has burst the Clemson bubble in years’ past.  Has Dabo Swinney eliminated this from the program?  We will see soon enough.

What do you think?  How do you rank these teams?

Posted by acaffrey in Correspondent Poll, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , ,
29 Sep 2015

The Confidential’s Correspondents’ Football Poll: September 29, 2015

Here is this week’s Confidential Correspondents Football Poll!  Still hard to differentiate a lot of these teams… even at the bottom.

13-15. Wake Forest (2-2); Virginia (1-3), and Pitt (2-1)(0 points).  It may not be fair for these teams to be at the bottom, but it is what it is.  Wake Forest has two wins, but two losses against Syracuse (3-1) and Indiana (4-0).  Pitt beat Akron (who may go bowling this year) and an FCS foe, with a loss to Iowa.  Virginia, meanwhile, has an FCS win and losses to three very good programs in UCLA, Boise State, and Notre Dame.  What would Duke’s record be with that schedule?  Or North Carolina State.  But it is what it is.

11-12.  Louisville (1-3) and Virginia Tech (2-2) (3 points).  These schools got some love from the correspondents, but perhaps this is more based on history than present performance.  Virginia Tech lost to Ohio State, but also lost to East Carolina–and the win over hapless Purdue is not too impressive.  Meanwhile, Louisville has played 3 FBS teams and lost to them all.  The history says do not count these teams out, but for now they are outside the top 10.

9.  Boston College (3-1) and North Carolina (3-1) (7 points).  These two teams tied in the poll.  They each looked good against seemingly top foes (Florida State and South Carolina, respectfully).  They each have looked good against lesser foes.  They both have wins over good Illinois teams–Northern Illinois and Illinois, respectfully.  In fact, Northern Illinois may even be the better team.  In any event, these two teams are half-way to a bowl game with 2/3 the season remaining.

8.  Syracuse (3-1, 10 points).  Syracuse lost–but moved UP in this poll.  The win over Wake Forest and the overtime win over Central Michigan did not impress anyone, but going toe-to-toe with LSU with a 5th string, walk-on QB apparently did.  Syracuse now has a week to rest to prepare for South Florida.  However, how will Syracuse play on the road in Tampa and then the next week at Virginia.  If they can sweep–that would be great.  Get swept?  Well, it will be bottom 3 for Syracuse.  Nobody expects the Orange to beat Clemson or FSU, but they need to win the winnable games.

7.  Georgia Tech (2-2, 14 points).  The Yellow Jackets are reeling, with consecutive losses.  The triple option has not been effective lately, and without a running game there is no offense.  With North Carolina coming to town, they will need to put up points.

6.  North Carolina State (4-0, 17 points).  The cupcakes are eaten, now it is on to reality for NC State.  First up is a Louisville team that cannot afford any more losses in the division.  In fact, with Florida State looming, there are only so many losses that Louisville can suffer at all if they want to go bowling.  Which will prevail–desperation for a win (Louisville) or desperation for respect after a win (NC State)?

5. Duke (3-1, 23 points).  The loss to Northwestern was a disappointment, he Yellow Jackets had a great opportunity against Notre Dame, but fell short.  However, they can still take home the Coastal title.  It all begins this week with a trip to Duke.  With Miami, UNC, and Virginia Tech looking good also, they will have to earn that particular title.  Next up?  @ Duke.

4. Miami (3-0, 28 points).  Miami has the nice win over Nebraska, but that is a bit questionable given Nebraska’s performance this year.  Up next is a midweek game against Cincinnati.  The Bearcats are a tough team to beat at home on a Thursday.  If Al Golden wants Miami to take the next step, they need to start winning these games.

3.  Florida State (3-0, 34 points).  Florida State looked pedestrian in beating Boston College.  Wake Forest is likely a step down from BC, but that has not stopped the Demon Deacons in the past.  Of course, in the two most recent contests, the Seminoles have destroyed them.  Can this Florida State team dominate for 60 minutes?

2. Notre Dame (4-0, 36 points, 2 first place votes).  Notre Dame won, but UMass was in the game for a bit longer than expected.  Now the Fighting Irish get to travel to Clemson and see what Death Valley is all about.  Notre Dame is getting a taste of what life might be like in the ACC permanently–with games at Florida State last year and Clemson this year.  Hopefully, we will see Notre Dame join full-time someday.

1. Clemson (3-0, 38 points, 2 first place vote).  Despite being idle, the Tigers have slightly more love from the Confidential correspondents.  With Notre Dame coming to town, this is a huge game for the Tigers and the ACC.  The winner will be talked about as a playoff team.

What do you think?  How do you rank these teams?

Posted by acaffrey in Correspondent Poll, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , ,
23 Sep 2015
4 Comments

The Confidential’s Correspondents’ Football Poll: September 23, 2015

Here is this week’s Confidential Correspondents Football Poll!  Still hard to differentiate a lot of these teams… even at the bottom.

15.  Wake Forest (2-1, 0 points).  The Demon Deacons lose their QB, but find a way to win over Army.  Nobody thinks that Wake Forest is a top 10 ACC team though.  Maybe a win over Indiana will help a little?  Next up for Wake Forest?  Indiana.

14.  Pittsburgh (2-1, 2 points).  The Panthers almost beat Iowa on the road and drop in the standings?  Well that will happen at this point in the year.  Next up?  A bye.

12.  Boston College (2-1, 3 points) and Virginia (1-2, 3 points).  Boston College and Virginia have looked good in their defeats this year.  The wins, however, are exclusively against FCS teams–with BC’s being far more impressive.  Maybe it is the QB injury, but BC seems too low here.  Next up?  BC hosts Northern Illinois, while Virginia hosts Boise State.  Yikes.

11.  Duke (2-1, 5 points).  The Blue Devils were a great story the past few years, but the schedules have been favorable.  The loss to Northwestern shows that Duke may not be a fixture at the top of the Coastal.  These are games that division contenders must win–for themselves and for ACC statute.  Next up?  Georgia Tech.

10.  Louisville (0-3, 8 points).  Louisville has played a tough schedule so far.  But 0-3 is 0-3.  Kudos to the Correspondents for avoiding a knee-jerk reaction and placing the Cards at #15.  But is Louisville a top 10 team right now?  Not so sure.  Auburn looks pretty iffy.  Nor will a win this week alter that analysis much.  Next up: Samford.

9.  Syracuse (3-0, 9 points).  The Orange have used 4 Quarterbacks en route to 3 wins.  Granted, the schedule has not been daunting–but how many teams can say that?  The win streak certainly seems like to end this week with Louisiana State coming to town–but a healthy Eric Dungey for Syracuse might along be enough to send the Cuse bowling.  Next up?  LSU.

8.  Virginia Tech (2-1, 13 points).  The Hokies sole loss is to Ohio State–still #1 in the country.  Frank Beamer may not have a top 25 team, but Virginia Tech should not be counted out in the wide-open Coastal.  Next up? @ East Carolina.

7.  UNC (2-1, 14 points).  The Tar Heels took care of previously unbeaten Illinois, as expected.  Is this the year that UNC works its way into the Coastal title picture?  Marquise Williams could go a long way towards making that happen.  Next up?  Delaware.

6.  North Carolina State (3-0, 21 points).  North Carolina State seems entrenched in the #6 spot, #3 in the Atlantic.  The final cupcake on the OOC schedule is South Alabama–a road game.  A win here means that NC State can lose 6 of its last 8 games and go bowling.  That is an A.D. playing the game right.  Next up?  @ South Alabama.

5. Georgia Tech (2-1, 33 points).  The Yellow Jackets had a great opportunity against Notre Dame, but fell short.  However, they can still take home the Coastal title.  It all begins this week with a trip to Duke.  With Miami, UNC, and Virginia Tech looking good also, they will have to earn that particular title.  Next up?  @ Duke.

4. Miami (3-0, 34 points).  Miami got the needed win over Nebraska to get halfway to a bowl.  Miami has had decent OOC wins in recent years.  The key for Al Golden is to have a good conference schedule–say 5 wins.  Anything less than 8 wins and one has to wonder if Al Golden can take the team to the next step.  One also has to wonder if Miami would look at Steve Addazio in that circumstance.  Next up?  Bye.

3.  Notre Dame (3-0, 39 points, 2 first place votes).  The Fighting Irish have withstood injuries to get to 3-0.  They have the depth and the talent to keep winning.  But they also need to avoid a collapse like last year.  Until then, the Correspondents are very split on whether to believe in Notre Dame.  Next up?  UMass.

2. Florida State (3-0, 44 points).  The Seminoles, again, merely looked OK against Boston College.  It is hard to get a read on FSU this year.  A win is a win though, and that is what Jimbo Fisher’s team has been doing lately.  The tests will keep on coming though.  Next up?  Bye.

1. Clemson (3-0, 47 points, 3 first place vote).  A win over a desperate Louisville team that always plays its best football on Thursdays was impressive.  Clemson should be gaining confidence that the team can beat Notre Dame and, in turn, really move up in the national rankings.  Next up?  Bye.

What do you think?  How do you rank these teams?

Posted by acaffrey in Correspondent Poll, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , ,
17 Sep 2015
4 Comments

The Confidential’s Correspondents’ Football Poll: September 17, 2015

With ACC football on the slate today and tomorrow, now is a good time to release the Confidential’s Correspondents’ Poll for this week.  Note that few ACC teams have tested themselves yet, and the one that have have failed (UNC, Louisville, Virginia).  This makes the poll quite varied, with all 15 teams getting votes.  In any event, here is the poll results–working from last to first:

15.  Wake Forest (1-1, 1 point).  With a tough loss at Syracuse, it is hard to argue that Wake has a worst loss than Louisville’s home loss to Houston.  And Auburn is hardly looking like world-beaters.  Still, the correspondents have little to go on to put Wake Forest higher.  Next up for Wake Forest?  A trip back to NY to play Army.

14.  Louisville (0-2, 3 points).  Yeesh, 0-2 with Clemson coming to town?  Cardinals fans certainly were braced for 1-2 and hoping for better.  If they are 0-3, does the coaching seat get hot?

13.  Pittsburgh (2-0, 5 points).  Despite not having any losses, Pitt has lost its all-world running back and now has to face a difficult Iowa team.  Pat Narduzzi should know what he is up against after all those years in the Big 10 though.

12.  Virginia (0-2, 7 points).  Virginia is exactly where we thought they would be–0 and 2.  However, Virginia came “this close” to beating Notre Dame.  Unlike Louisville, Virginia plays William & Mary (and presumably several dozen other folks) this week.  A must-win obviously.

11.  North Carolina (1-1, 8 points).  An expected win and an expected loss.  With Illinois up next–the same Illinois team that fired its coach a week before the season, this is a game that the ACC (and UNC) needs to show that it can play with the Big 10.

10.  Virginia Tech (1-1, 15 points).  As we get to the top 10, we see a Hokies team that lost its QB, which eliminated any chance of beating Ohio State.  The win over Furman was nice, but it is just Furman.  A trip to Purdue–another lower level Big 10 team–will tell a lot more.

9.  Boston College (2-0, 17 points).  The Eagles have dominated its two FCS opponents, outscoring them 100-3.  That is obviously better than barely defeating them, much less losing.  Still, has this prepared BC for its next opponent in FSU?  Well, FSU has struggled to dispense with BC with better teams.  This will be a very interesting game to watch.

8.  Syracuse (2-0, 17 points, 1 first place vote).  The Orange get the #8 spot based on getting a first-place vote.  After all, Syracuse is the only team with a conference win.  The Orange have a must-win game this weekend against Central Michigan.  There is no room for upsets if Syracuse is to go bowling.

7.  Duke (2-0, 20 points).  The Blue Devils have not truly been tested yet.  That changes when a decent Northwestern team comes to town.  This is another very important game for the ACC to show it can play with the Big 10.  And for Duke to show that it is a program on the rise for the long-term.

6.  North Carolina State (2-0, 21 points).  North Carolina State has been repeatedly criticized for playing only cupcakes and that continues this week.  At least they travel to the next few cupcakes, with Old Dominion on the schedule this week.  3-0 is halfway to a bowl game.

5. Miami (2-0, 24 points).  The Hurricanes have been a perpetual disappointment in the ACC.  Miami has too much talent relative to its results.  If Al Golden can get the home win against Nebraska, then maybe some momentum can build for Miami to challenge for the Coastal spot in the playoffs.

4. Notre Dame (2-0, 33 points).  The Fighting Irish have beaten Texas and Virginia.  And now a very good Georgia Tech team comes to town.  Will ND get the QB play necessary to make a playoff run this year?  First things first–can ND’s defense stop Georgia Tech?

3.  Georgia Tech (2-0, 51 points, 1 first place vote).  The Yellow Jackets have not been tested yet, but will be in South Bend.  In fact, Georgia Tech has a challenging schedule moving forward.  This is where we learn if Georgia Tech will be nationally relevant or merely Coastally interesting.

2. Florida State (2-0, 53 points, 3 first place votes).  The Seminoles have looked OK.  Is that good enough?  The next two opponents–Boston College and Wake Forest–have been tricky opponents in recent years.  A win this week should not be discounted.

1. Clemson (2-0, 54 points, 1 first place vote).  The Tigers have a great QB.  The Tigers always have a good defense.  The schedule is tough though.  Louisville may be 0-2, but they are battle tested and a difficult opponent on Thursday nights at home.  Despite the Cardinals struggles, Clemson cannot be looking past the Cardinals to Notre Dame or Georgia Tech.  In fact, Louisville should be all the more desperate with their season on the line.  Should be a great game!

What do you think?  How do you rank these teams?

Posted by acaffrey in Correspondent Poll, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , ,
28 Aug 2015
1 Comment

The 2015 Confidential Preseason ACC Football Poll

FOOTBALL IS BACK!   ACC FOOTBALL IS BACK!   It looks to be a promising year for the ACC, as many experienced quarterbacks return and there is significant coaching stability.  While Wake Forest and Virginia may be the long shots to get to bowl eligibility in each division, there is a significant regression to the mean with FSU losing Winston (among others) and everyone else improving.   In any event, with football here, it is time for the Confidential’s preseason football poll–with 5 Confidential correspondents participating.  Remember to join our individual player fantasy league and our survivor leagues… they are FREE, easy to play, and have CA$H prizes to the winners.  In any event, here is the first poll results, with links to the Confidential’s over/under for each school:

  1. Florida State (48 points, 3 first place votes).  The Seminoles have lost of a lot, but most people figure that they will stay on top.  Jimbo Fisher has reloaded, making it fairly likely.
  2. Clemson (45 points, 2 first place votes).  Quarterback is an essential position in football and Clemson has a dynamic one.  With studs at WR and a solid defense (despite some losses), Clemson has a legitimate claim to the division and conference title.
  3. Notre Dame (38 points).  The Fighting Irish are not sufficiently ACC to be eligible to win it, but they will be good.  Whether they are the 3rd best team of the 15 remains to be seen.  That is the preseason position though.
  4. Georgia Tech (36 points).  The Yellow Jackets may be ready to reclaim the Coastal.  Pitt is loaded at skill positions, Virginia Tech is always a threat, Miami is desperate for a return to greatness, and Duke/UNC want to be more than hoops schools.  We will see.
  5. Louisville (29 points).  The Cardinals are flying under the radar, which is probably how Bobby Petrino likes it.  Certainly not going to resign themselves to the perpetual #3 spot in the Atlantic.
  6. Virginia Tech (27 points).  Is this about name recognition or potential?  The Hokies have not been their typically football selves lately.
  7. NC State (14 points).  With such an easy schedule, it will be hard for NC State not to get to bowl eligibility.  Does that make them better than the schools below them in win totals?  Debatable.
  8. Miami (13 points).  If Miami had NC State’s schedule, perhaps the schools would flip-flop.  Then again, Miami finds new ways to disappoint ever year.  Still waiting for that first Coastal division championship…
  9. North Carolina (12 points).  With solid skill players, the real question is whether that defense can improve.  With new coaching blood on that side of the ball, time will tell.
  10. Boston College (5 points).  For the past two years, Boston College has gone toe-to-toe with Florida State, Clemson, and USC (winning too!).  Regardless of talent, good to see them in this final position in the poll.

Others: Pitt (3 points), Duke (3 points).  Syracuse, Virginia, and Wake Forest did not receive votes.

See the team pages for more analysis.  Welcome any criticism too…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Opinion, Poll, Predictions, Top 10 and tagged , , , , ,
05 Aug 2015
3 Comments

The Football Over-Unders for 2015: Clemson

This article is another in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The final team up: Clemson.  We are going with an over/under of 10.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 5 vs Wofford
  2. September 12 vs Appalachian St
  3. September 17 @ Louisville
  4. October 3 vs Notre Dame
  5. October 10 vs Georgia Tech
  6. October 17 vs Boston College
  7. October 24 @ Miami
  8. October 31 @ NC State
  9. November 7 vs Florida State
  10. November 14 @ Syracuse
  11. November 21 vs Wake Forest
  12. November 28 @ South Carolina

Likely losses: Two of South Carolina, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Louisville

Likely wins: Wofford, Appalachian State, BC, NC State, Wake Forest

Summary:  This is a tough, but decent, schedule for Clemson.   A couple cupcakes to open the season before a trip to Louisville.  Then, a long rest before hosting Notre dame and Georgia Tech.  Trips to Miami and NC State are challenges before the visit from Florida State.  Then games against Syracuse and Wake Forest before heading to South Carolina.  Clemson could run the table, they could lose all four of the “Likely losses,” or somewhere in between.  Ultimately, the Confidential goes with an over-under of 10.5 wins.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

Prior discussions: Florida State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Pitt Virginia Virginia Tech Louisville Miami Notre Dame NC State Duke Boston College UNC

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , ,
04 Aug 2015
4 Comments

The Football Over-Unders for 2015: Syracuse

This article is another in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The next team up: Syracuse (see recent discussion of Syracuse).  We are going with an over/under of 5.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 4 vs Rhode Island
  2. September 12 vs Wake Forest
  3. September 19 vs Central Michigan
  4. September 26 vs Louisiana State
  5. October 10 @ South Florida
  6. October 17 @ Virginia
  7. October 24 vs Pittsburgh
  8. October 31 @ Florida State
  9. November 7 @ Louisville
  10. November 14 vs Clemson
  11. November 21 @ NC State
  12. November 28 vs Boston College

Likely losses: LSU, Florida State, Louisville, Clemson

Likely wins: Rhode Island, Wake Forest, Central Michigan

Summary:  Syracuse finally scheduled somewhat appropriately–with only one P5 school, LSU.  Still, LSU is a tough opponent for a school like Syracuse, which rarely fares well against 10-win teams.  But there is a legitimate chance for Syracuse to start 3-0, and perhaps even get to 6-1 before the Florida State game.  They might have to if they want to be bowl-eligible because you have to think that the three game stretch of FSU, Louisville, and Clemson is going to be a three-loss stretch.  We think Syracuse improves a notch over last–but bowl eligibility may require Syracuse to go 3-1 OOC and then beat 3 of Virginia, Pitt, NC State, Wake Forest, and BC?  It is easy to say yes in August.  Let’s see if the ‘Cuse can actually do it.  Ultimately, the Confidential deems it a toss up and goes with an over-under of 5.5 wins.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

Prior discussions: Florida State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Pitt Virginia Virginia Tech Louisville Miami Notre Dame NC State Duke Boston College UNC

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , ,
04 Aug 2015
4 Comments

The Football Over-Unders for 2015: North Carolina

This article is another in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The next team up: North Carolina.  We are going with an over/under of 7.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 3 vs South Carolina (Charlotte, NC)
  2. September 12 vs North Carolina A&T
  3. September 19 vs Illinois
  4. September 26 vs Delaware
  5. October 3 @ Georgia Tech
  6. October 17 vs Wake Forest
  7. October 24 vs Virginia
  8. October 29 @ Pittsburgh
  9. November 7 vs Duke
  10. November 14 vs Miami
  11. November 21 @ Virginia Tech
  12. November 28 @ NC State

Likely losses: South Carolina, @Georgia Tech

Likely wins: NC A&T, Delaware, Wake Forest, Illinois or NC State

Summary:  Like Boston College, North Carolina has two games against FCS opponents–North Carolina A&T and Delaware.  In addition, UNC also plays all but one of its first seven games in the state of North Carolina and 9 overall in the state.  Make no mistake, South Carolina will be tough, and Illinois is no pushover despite its recent futility.  Still, with a Coastal slate and Atlantic games against Wake Forest and NC State, North Carolina has a path to the ACC Championship Game.  That being said, the Confidential does not expect same.  Ultimately, the Confidential goes with an over-under of 7.5 wins.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

Prior discussions: Florida State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Pitt Virginia Virginia Tech Louisville Miami Notre Dame NC State Duke Boston College

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , ,
03 Aug 2015
6 Comments

The Football Over-Unders for 2015: Boston College

This article is another in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The next team up: Boston College.  We are going with an over/under of 7.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 5 vs Maine
  2. September 12 vs Howard
  3. September 18 vs Florida State
  4. September 26 vs Northern Illinois
  5. October 3 @ Duke
  6. October 10 vs Wake Forest
  7. October 17 @ Clemson
  8. October 24 @ Louisville
  9. October 31 vs Virginia Tech
  10. November 7 vs NC State
  11. November 21 @ Notre Dame (Fenway Park)
  12. November 28 @ Syracuse

Likely losses: Florida State, Clemson and Louisville

Likely wins: Maine, Howard, Wake Forest and NC State

Summary:  With 8 games in Massachusetts, including that “road game” against Notre Dame at Fenway Park, Boston College has one good thing going for it.  The scheduling of Maine and Howard should equal two more wins.  Hosting Florida State, as well as trips to Clemson and Louisville, should be three losses.  However, Boston College has played everyone close the past two years–nothing should be taken for granted.  One wonders about health and attrition, as the only bye week comes on November 14–late in the season.  But we see good things for the Eagles overall.   Ultimately, the Confidential goes with an over-under of 7.5 wins.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

Prior discussions: Florida State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Pitt Virginia Virginia Tech Louisville Miami Notre Dame NC State Duke Boston College

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , ,
22 Jul 2015
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The Football Over-Unders for 2015: Duke

This article is another in a series of articles in which the Confidential opines regarding the over/under for football wins in 2015.  We’ll take a cursory look at the schedule and determine what we think is the point where folks will struggle to select “over” or “under.”  We hope people will share their comments as to “why” they are going over/under.  If you disagree with our over/under choice, of course, feel free to let us know too.  The next team up: Duke.  We are going with an over/under of 7.5 regular season wins.

  1. September 3 @ Tulane
  2. September 12 vs North Carolina Central
  3. September 19 vs Northwestern
  4. September 26 vs Georgia Tech
  5. October 3 vs Boston College
  6. October 10 @ Army
  7. October 24 @ Virginia Tech
  8. October 31  vs Miami
  9. November 7 @ North Carolina
  10. November 14 vs Pittsburgh
  11. November 21 @ Virginia
  12. November 28 @ Wake Forest

Likely losses: Who knows?  Have to be some in here, right?

Likely wins: Tulane, NC Central, Army

Summary:  Duke rivals North Carolina State for schedule ease, but similarly goes on the road for two of its foes–Tulane and Army.  This, of course, is sandwiched around four home games.  The Confidential has no idea how Duke will do this year.  None.  Home losses to Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Pitt could happen… or not.  Road losses to Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Virginia could happen.  Or not.  Heck, even Wake Forest could beat Duke–especially with Wake hosting the game.  Or not.  Kind of absurd that Duke avoids all of Florida State, Clemson, and Louisville in crossover games.  Seriously, anything could happen here.  0-12.  12-0.  Ultimately, however, the Confidential goes with a a default over-under of 7.5 wins.

What do you think?  Over or under?  Let us know.

Prior discussions: Florida State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Pitt Virginia Virginia Tech Louisville Miami Notre Dame NC State

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Over/Under, Poll, Predictions and tagged , , , , , ,

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