Last week: 6-3 Season: 46-22
N.C. State at Wake Forest, Noon ESPN3.com
The Wolfpack won four straight and then fell to Louisville and Virginia Tech. It has had a bye week in between to get ready for a Wake team that has not looked daunting and just got shellacked by North Carolina, 50-14. I like State to get back on track. Could be close, though.
N.C. State 20, Wake Forest 13
No. 25 Pittsburgh at Syracuse, Noon ESPNU
Pittsburgh's only loss, to Iowa, is looking better and better as the Hawkeyes have remained undefeated. I'm still not sold on the Panthers as a great team, though. They've skated by the past three weeks (four points vs. Virginia Tech, seven vs. UVa, and three vs. Georgia Tech). I think they are good enough to beat the Orange, though, which has suffered back-to-back losses to below-.500 squads South Florida and UVa.
Pittsburgh 34, Syracuse 24
No. 6 Clemson at Miami, Noon ABC
Miami is 4-2 in a crucial season for coach Al Golden, who is on the hot seat. The Hurricanes have played well except for a loss to Cincinnati. Their only other setback was a tough, 29-24 setback vs. Florida State, which is undefeated. One of their problems, though, is they have to play the Tigers as well, who are really good and undefeated, too. Golden needs to pull off an upset or just about run the table after this for the fanbase to be satisfied.
Clemson 30, Miami 27
No. 23 Duke at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
Though Virginia Tech ended up with just eight wins the last time these teams met in Blacksburg (2013), I thought Duke's 13-10 win there really announced, to me, the Blue Devils' arrival as a legitimate contender in the Coastal Division. That team went on to post a 10-2 regular-season record and got a shot at undefeated Florida State in the ACC championship. Two years later, Duke is looking like the frontrunner once again in the division. Duke is still battling the stigma of years past of being an underdog, and didn't do itself any favors this season by having a soft schedule so far (it lost its only game against a ranked foe to Northwestern at home), but it wouldn't be wise to underestimate the Blue Devils. The game is at Lane Stadium, but that hasn't been an intimidating place to opponents for awhile, evidenced by Duke's victory there in 2013 and a group of victories by other teams. Tech is 3-4 and desperate, but Duke's David Cutliffe is a great coach and has had two weeks to prepare for the game. Tech's only win going back to Sept. 26 came against an N.C. State team that might not be very good, despite a 4-1 record at the time. Michael Brewer is back under center for the Hokies, and that should help their offense, but Duke's defense has been very solid so far. At a different time of the schedule and under different circumstances, I would pick Tech, but I think the Blue Devils have some things going in their favor for this one.
Duke 23, Virginia Tech 20
FCS game of the week
No. 12 Richmond at No. 3 James Madison, 3:30 p.m. TCN
I don't know the last time I delved into the FCS realm but this game deserves it. Harrisonburg is getting College GameDay for this contest, a big deal for that city and the school. Both teams are very good and the game is considered a rivalry. As far as I can tell, JMU at 7-0 is the only undefeated team left in FCS that also has a win over an FBS school. The Dukes toppled SMU, 48-45, on Sept. 26. They boast a prolific offense led by QB Vad Lee, who is in his second year starting for JMU after transferring from Georgia Tech. He ran Paul Johnson's option attack as a Yellow Jacket, but wasn't in love with it and only found moderate success. He has been able to showcase both his passing and running abilities as a Duke. JMU has posted back-to-back 51-point games. Its closest game against an FCS foe was a 42-28 home victory over Albany, a game in which the Dukes were sloppy, turning it over six times. Richmond is 5-1, winning five straight after an opening loss, 50-21, to Maryland. Richmond has averaged 37 ppg since the setback vs. the Terrapins, but doesn't have an offense as explosive as JMU's. The teams only have one opponent in common so far, Elon, which UR defeated, 27-14. JMU won, 51-0. Richmond is a good team but has mostly feasted on weaker teams with its five wins: Hampton, VMI, Maine, Elon, and Rhode Island have a combined 10-24 record. JMU's opponents aren't a lot better, but it does have that road win over an FBS team. Richmond will probably keep up for a while, but I like JMU.
JMU 38, Richmond 27
No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ESPN
The only FBS game today between ranked teams features squads coming off stinging losses. The Aggies were undefeated and at home but got manhandled by Alabama. The Rebels are 2-2 since a landmark road victory at Alabama, including a double-digit loss to surprising Memphis last week. Ole Miss is undefeated at home, though, and did fare better against the Tide, so I like the Rebels.
Ole Miss 35, Texas A&M 28
No. 9 Florida State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Every week I think will be Georgia Tech's next win. Not this time. So maybe the 2-5 Yellow Jackets will surprise me vs. the 'Noles. They've held leads against North Carolina and Pittsburgh two of the past three weeks but lost. Now their streak of going to a bowl game for 17 straight seasons is in serious jeopardy. FSU hasn't been trampling teams, but it's hard to think there will be an upset in Atlanta.
Florida State 31, Georgia Tech 24
South's Oldest Rivalry
Virginia at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. CSN
Oh boy. This could get ugly and the bettors know it. The game opened at around a 10-point favorite for UNC but has moved up to the 17-18-point area. North Carolina coach Larry Fedora is 4-0 against Mike London, having beaten him three times while at UNC and once with Southern Miss. Fedora also beat UVa as Southern Miss coach in 2009 when Al Groh was the coach. Only one Fedora-coached UNC team has beaten UVa by single digits -- last year's frustrating 28-27 game in Charlottesville. The other victories were blowouts (2012: 37-13; 2013: 45-14). Though this is a rivalry, it has been one-sided recently. UNC has won five in a row. Before that, UVa won 10 of 12 from 1998-2009.
Fedora's fast-paced offensive attack has often run UVa ragged. Last year, the Cavs' defense held strong, but the offense couldn't put up points against one of the worst defenses in the country. Even so, Virginia led, 27-21, in the fourth quarter but gave the game away in the final minutes. Fedora has often taken advantage of London's ill-prepared special teams. Last year, UNC faked a punt from its own end zone (and converted) and then also did an onside kick after taking the lead and recovered, never giving UVa's offense an opportunity for the win, a brilliant strategy by Fedora since his defense was horrid, and he knew it.
Marquise Williams is once again the Tar Heels' QB and he is going down in the record books as the best offensive threat in UNC's history. Unfortunately for UVa and the rest of the teams in the Coastal Division, this UNC team also has a defense to go along with a great offense. Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik is UNC's new defensive coordinator and he has jumped its points allowed per game average from 39 in 2014 to 17.3. UVa is going to struggle to keep up. It will need multiple turnovers and maybe a defensive TD like it has gotten the past two weeks to stick around.
North Carolina 45, Virginia 24
N.C. State at Wake Forest, Noon ESPN3.com
The Wolfpack won four straight and then fell to Louisville and Virginia Tech. It has had a bye week in between to get ready for a Wake team that has not looked daunting and just got shellacked by North Carolina, 50-14. I like State to get back on track. Could be close, though.
N.C. State 20, Wake Forest 13
No. 25 Pittsburgh at Syracuse, Noon ESPNU
Pittsburgh's only loss, to Iowa, is looking better and better as the Hawkeyes have remained undefeated. I'm still not sold on the Panthers as a great team, though. They've skated by the past three weeks (four points vs. Virginia Tech, seven vs. UVa, and three vs. Georgia Tech). I think they are good enough to beat the Orange, though, which has suffered back-to-back losses to below-.500 squads South Florida and UVa.
Pittsburgh 34, Syracuse 24
No. 6 Clemson at Miami, Noon ABC
Miami is 4-2 in a crucial season for coach Al Golden, who is on the hot seat. The Hurricanes have played well except for a loss to Cincinnati. Their only other setback was a tough, 29-24 setback vs. Florida State, which is undefeated. One of their problems, though, is they have to play the Tigers as well, who are really good and undefeated, too. Golden needs to pull off an upset or just about run the table after this for the fanbase to be satisfied.
Clemson 30, Miami 27
No. 23 Duke at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
Though Virginia Tech ended up with just eight wins the last time these teams met in Blacksburg (2013), I thought Duke's 13-10 win there really announced, to me, the Blue Devils' arrival as a legitimate contender in the Coastal Division. That team went on to post a 10-2 regular-season record and got a shot at undefeated Florida State in the ACC championship. Two years later, Duke is looking like the frontrunner once again in the division. Duke is still battling the stigma of years past of being an underdog, and didn't do itself any favors this season by having a soft schedule so far (it lost its only game against a ranked foe to Northwestern at home), but it wouldn't be wise to underestimate the Blue Devils. The game is at Lane Stadium, but that hasn't been an intimidating place to opponents for awhile, evidenced by Duke's victory there in 2013 and a group of victories by other teams. Tech is 3-4 and desperate, but Duke's David Cutliffe is a great coach and has had two weeks to prepare for the game. Tech's only win going back to Sept. 26 came against an N.C. State team that might not be very good, despite a 4-1 record at the time. Michael Brewer is back under center for the Hokies, and that should help their offense, but Duke's defense has been very solid so far. At a different time of the schedule and under different circumstances, I would pick Tech, but I think the Blue Devils have some things going in their favor for this one.
Duke 23, Virginia Tech 20
FCS game of the week
No. 12 Richmond at No. 3 James Madison, 3:30 p.m. TCN
I don't know the last time I delved into the FCS realm but this game deserves it. Harrisonburg is getting College GameDay for this contest, a big deal for that city and the school. Both teams are very good and the game is considered a rivalry. As far as I can tell, JMU at 7-0 is the only undefeated team left in FCS that also has a win over an FBS school. The Dukes toppled SMU, 48-45, on Sept. 26. They boast a prolific offense led by QB Vad Lee, who is in his second year starting for JMU after transferring from Georgia Tech. He ran Paul Johnson's option attack as a Yellow Jacket, but wasn't in love with it and only found moderate success. He has been able to showcase both his passing and running abilities as a Duke. JMU has posted back-to-back 51-point games. Its closest game against an FCS foe was a 42-28 home victory over Albany, a game in which the Dukes were sloppy, turning it over six times. Richmond is 5-1, winning five straight after an opening loss, 50-21, to Maryland. Richmond has averaged 37 ppg since the setback vs. the Terrapins, but doesn't have an offense as explosive as JMU's. The teams only have one opponent in common so far, Elon, which UR defeated, 27-14. JMU won, 51-0. Richmond is a good team but has mostly feasted on weaker teams with its five wins: Hampton, VMI, Maine, Elon, and Rhode Island have a combined 10-24 record. JMU's opponents aren't a lot better, but it does have that road win over an FBS team. Richmond will probably keep up for a while, but I like JMU.
JMU 38, Richmond 27
No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ESPN
The only FBS game today between ranked teams features squads coming off stinging losses. The Aggies were undefeated and at home but got manhandled by Alabama. The Rebels are 2-2 since a landmark road victory at Alabama, including a double-digit loss to surprising Memphis last week. Ole Miss is undefeated at home, though, and did fare better against the Tide, so I like the Rebels.
Ole Miss 35, Texas A&M 28
No. 9 Florida State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Every week I think will be Georgia Tech's next win. Not this time. So maybe the 2-5 Yellow Jackets will surprise me vs. the 'Noles. They've held leads against North Carolina and Pittsburgh two of the past three weeks but lost. Now their streak of going to a bowl game for 17 straight seasons is in serious jeopardy. FSU hasn't been trampling teams, but it's hard to think there will be an upset in Atlanta.
Florida State 31, Georgia Tech 24
South's Oldest Rivalry
Virginia at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. CSN
Oh boy. This could get ugly and the bettors know it. The game opened at around a 10-point favorite for UNC but has moved up to the 17-18-point area. North Carolina coach Larry Fedora is 4-0 against Mike London, having beaten him three times while at UNC and once with Southern Miss. Fedora also beat UVa as Southern Miss coach in 2009 when Al Groh was the coach. Only one Fedora-coached UNC team has beaten UVa by single digits -- last year's frustrating 28-27 game in Charlottesville. The other victories were blowouts (2012: 37-13; 2013: 45-14). Though this is a rivalry, it has been one-sided recently. UNC has won five in a row. Before that, UVa won 10 of 12 from 1998-2009.
Fedora's fast-paced offensive attack has often run UVa ragged. Last year, the Cavs' defense held strong, but the offense couldn't put up points against one of the worst defenses in the country. Even so, Virginia led, 27-21, in the fourth quarter but gave the game away in the final minutes. Fedora has often taken advantage of London's ill-prepared special teams. Last year, UNC faked a punt from its own end zone (and converted) and then also did an onside kick after taking the lead and recovered, never giving UVa's offense an opportunity for the win, a brilliant strategy by Fedora since his defense was horrid, and he knew it.
Marquise Williams is once again the Tar Heels' QB and he is going down in the record books as the best offensive threat in UNC's history. Unfortunately for UVa and the rest of the teams in the Coastal Division, this UNC team also has a defense to go along with a great offense. Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik is UNC's new defensive coordinator and he has jumped its points allowed per game average from 39 in 2014 to 17.3. UVa is going to struggle to keep up. It will need multiple turnovers and maybe a defensive TD like it has gotten the past two weeks to stick around.
North Carolina 45, Virginia 24
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