As the college football regular season comes to a close a number of teams in the ACC still have a lot to play for. Florida State is marching towards a national championship while Clemson are not completely out of the running. Duke has a fight to be ranked in the final polls while a number of teams are within reach of eight wins. All this and more in the ACC Week 14 preview.
Conference Games
No. 24 Duke @ North Carolina
Duke must win on the road at North Carolina to be ranked in the final AP poll since 1962.
Five weeks ago North Carolina were 1-5, however, they have since gone on to win five straight with Old dominion on the receiving end of 80 points last week. Duke’s one serious road game was a three-point win over the No. 14 Virginia Tech who were there for the taking – North Carolina are not. The offense must lean on the running game from Jela Duncan and Josh snead while Anthony Boone must take care of the football at quarterback. A big moment will arise for star wide receiver Jamison Crowder who must take his chance.
The Tar Heels are finally clicking under sophomore quarterback Marquise Williams while freshman wide receiver Ryan Switzer has been explosive in the offense and on special teams. Eric Ebron could be playing his last home game after he announced he will be entering the 2014 NFL Draft as a junior.
The Blue Devils control their own destiny and must show all the character they possess to achieve what they deserve. This one is too close to call.
Miami @ Pittsburgh
The Miami Hurricanes ended a three game losing streak with last week’s win over Virginia and face Pittsburgh this week who are seeking a winning season.
Before the win over Syracuse, Pittsburgh had lost four of the last six with an impressive win over Notre Dame squeezed into the chaos. Isaac Bennett and James Conner are both talented running backs who will match up well against Miami. A heavy dose of smash-mouth football is their best option at controlling the clock and winning the battle of field position.
Miami, on the other hand, must find a running back to carry the load. Dallas Crawford has been called up on as of late but he lacks the burst to make defenses fret over him. Quarterback Stephen Morris had another rocky performance against Miami and this is his last chance to impress NFL scouts.
Boston College @ Syracuse
I will be the first to admit that during pre-season I didn’t think 2013 would be a hopeful one for Boston College, but here we are heading into the final week with win number eight looming.
Andre Williams is responsible for the Eagles’ strong season. The senior running back has put on a clinic in recent weeks, amassing a crazy 897 yards in the last three games to give him over 2,000 on the season. The senior’s performance is all the more impressive when you consider that in his first three college seasons combined he scraped together 1,562 yards.
Syracuse have endured an up and down season in which they have failed to gain any momentum. Wins have been followed by losses and losses by wins. A victory in their final home game will see them finish on .500, a respectable result when you factor in their tough schedule.
If the Eagles continue to feed the ball to Williams, which they should, I can’t see a way for the Orange’s 102nd ranked defense to slow him down.
Virginia Tech @ Virginia
Virginia Tech will travel to archrival Virginia with hope of still landing in the ACC championship game against Florida State.
The Hokies have not lost to the Cavaliers since 2003 and will fancy their chances of a win which, coupled with a Duke loss to North Carolina, would see them square off with the Seminoles. Virginia Tech opened the season brightly after a Week 1 loss to Alabama by dispatching six opponents in a row but have since lost three of their last four.
Virginia, on the other hand, have endured a miserable season with just two wins. But all that goes out the window in a rivalry game, especially one in your own back garden. If the home side can run the ball well with Kevin Parks and pressure Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas they could keep it close until the fourth quarter when anything can happen.
Maryland @ NC State
Maryland can claw back a portion of their season with a win against NC State.
The Terrapins started 4-0, got ranked, lost heavily to Florida State and are now in no man’s land at 6-5. Quarterback C.J. Brown is playing in his final game and will want to go out with a bang, especially after starting the season so well. And while Stefon Diggs is still absent, freshman receiver Amba Etta-Tawo has shown glimpses that he can be a productive player down the road.
NC State opened the season 3-1 before the serious conference play began and have since lost seven in a row with no signs of anybody stepping up to stop the rot. Promising running back Shadrach Thornton has either been starved of the football by coaches or has met stiff resistance thanks to eight men regularly stacking the box. Despite Maryland’s problems I believe they can claim win seven on the road.
Non-Conference Games
No. 2 Florida State @ Florida
Go back to early September and this game was earmarked as potentially one of the best of the season. Now it looks like another procession for Florida State.
If the Seminoles, or should I say when the Seminoles, beat Florida on Saturday they will be undefeated and one step closer to the national championship game. 80 points against Idaho last week leave their offense second in the FBS in points scored and their defense second in points against. The only real question is how long with Jameis Winston play.
Florida have been plagued with injuries throughout their roster but even that isn’t an excuse for last week’s loss to Georgia Southern who won the game with zero pass completions. The Gators have no passing game or running game and will be trying their very hardest to keep the scoreline respectable.
No. 6 Clemson @ No. 10 South Carolina
The Clemson Tigers must snap a four-game losing streak to nemesis South Carolina to remain with an outside chance of an appearance in the national championship game.
Slowing down Jadeveon Clowney will be the first priority for Clemson - the junior defensive end sacked Tajh Boyd four times last season. If Boyd has time to throw then he has time to hit explosive wide receiver Sammy Watkins who can turn a one-yard catch into a 98-yard run and score. Running back Roderick McDowell will also be crucial to slowing down the Gamecocks’ pass rush.
Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley – who has ten sacks on the year – will be key to slowing down South Carolina’s attack and in particular running back Mike Davis who has over 1,100 yards already in 2013.
Georgia @ Georgia Tech
With Georgia Tech winning just one of the last twelve contests in this rivalry it is time to buck the trend against a Georgialess Aaron Murray.
With Murray injured, Hutson Mason will start at quarterback. The junior has attempted just 82 passes through three seasons as Murray’s back up. Puttin pressure on Mason will allow the Yellow Jackets’ defense to slow down star running back Todd Gurley who has not been forced to carry the ball more than 20 times since September.
Robert Godhigh is the key to the game for Georgia Tech offensively. The senior is explosive and threatens to break a long run every time he touches the football – 961 yards on just 74 touches of the football will attest to that.
Wake Forest @ Vanderbilt
Wake Forest are handed a tough road game to end the season when they travel to SEC outfit Vanderbilt.
The Commodores have lost four games this season against Ole Miss, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas A&M – All four teams have been ranked at some point this season with Missouri and Texas A&M breaking the top ten. Couple with victories over Georgia and Tennessee and it looks like a tall order for a Wake Forest that lost at home to UL Monroe earlier in the year.
Tanner Price has been lost without star receiver Michael Campanaro. Since the seniors injury the Demon Deacons have scored a measly 24 points in three games. The Wake Forest rushing attack has not fared much better either – ranking 117th in the FBS with 92.5 yards per game.