It’s been a wild season in the ACC. With one more regular season Saturday there is still a lot to be decided. Let’s look at each of the ACC games for Saturday and what a win or loss will do for each team.
(2) Florida State at Florida
Florida State Wins – The Noles continue their march to the national championship game.
Florida Wins – FSU will never hear the end of it, if the worst Florida team in more than 30 years derails the Seminoles national title dreams.
What will happen - Florida is a an absolute mess from top to bottom. They lost to a middling FCS school in Georgia Southern last week. The rivalry emotion will carry them for a quarter or so before the Seminoles cruise.
FSU 45 Florida 14
(24) Duke at North Carolina
Duke Wins – Duke is headed to the ACC Title game as the Coastal Division champions and probably a Chick Fil A Bowl invite. No they won’t be beating FSU.
North Carolina wins – The Tar Heels can probably make reservations to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, while killing their arch rivals division title hopes. Duke probably falls to Sun.
What will happen – I love Duke and what they’ve done, but they’ve recent started games slowly and I don’t like that. UNC is playing really well right now, and they have a lot of momentum. I don’t think Duke will be quite ready for the moment.
UNC 31 Duke 24
Wake Forest at Vanderbilt
Wake Forest Wins – They can salvage something out of a season that’s gone south.
Vanderbilt Wins – James Franklin’s agent can start filtering all those schools looking for a new head coach. Are we nearing the end of the Jim Grobe era?
What will happen – Wake Forest is not equipped to beat a team like Vanderbilt on the road. The Deacs haven’t won in over a month.
Vanderbilt 41 Wake Forest 17
Maryland at NC State
Maryland Wins – A 7-5 season would prove Randy Edsall has the Terps moving in the right direction before they head to the Big 10.
NC State Wins – The Wolfpack need something positive going into the offseason. Their first ACC win of the year would be a start.
What will happen – NC State has struggled defensively all year. They will have trouble containing Maryland QB C.J. Brown.
Maryland 27 NC State 24
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Georgia Wins – A 5th straight loss for Georgia Tech to your in-state rival? Paul Johnson may feel some heat going into the the 2014 season.
Georgia Tech wins – Boy what a win like this could do for a program stuck in neutral. An 8-4 season could move Georgia Tech into one of the ACC’s top 4 Bowl slots.
What will happen – Even this injured Georgia team has way more talent than Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets offense is too turnover prone to make this much of a game. The Georgia Tech fan in me sure hopes I’m wrong.
Georgia 34 Georgia Tech 20
Boston College at Syracuse
Boston College Wins – Andre Williams may get an invite to NYC with a big game and a win for the Eagles to finish a remarkable 8-4 season.
Syracuse Wins – The Orange need this win to bowling.
What will happen – BC is red hot, and Andre Williams is running over everything in his path. That running game will be too much for Syracuse.
Boston College 24 Syracuse 17
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Virginia Tech Wins – Depending on what happens with Duke earlier in the day, a win here could earn the Hokies the Coastal Division Title. At the very least a win probably gets Virginia Tech to the Sun Bow.
Virginia Wins – It’s been a disaster at Virginia this year, but beat Virginia Tech and despite a 3-9 season Mike will buy some goodwill from a Cavalier fanbase that’s losing patience.
What will happen – The Hokies are too inconsistent to just show up and expect to win against anyone including Virginia. That said it will take the Hokies worst performance of the year to lose to this Virginia team.
Virginia Tech 21 Virginia 10
Clemson at South Carolina
Clemson Wins – For everything Clemson has done the last few years, they haven’t beat South Carolina since 2008. A win ensures a BCS game for Clemson.
South Carolina Wins – A loss here would undo a lot of Clemson’s good work from the last 3 seasons, especially with a rebuilding 2014 on the horizon.
What will happen – I don’t like this matchup for Clemson. I haven’t liked it all year. The Tigers shaky offensive line has played one defensive front (FSU) that’s anything like South Carolina has, and Clemson got whooped up front.
South Carolina 34 Clemson 27
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