ACCting Up Week 3 Preview: TV, Schedule, Game Times, Dates

Unless you're hyped for the battle of the unbeatens between Duke and Georgia Tech or on edge waiting to watch Boston College take on the calamity that is Southern California's offense, the ACC's non-conference schedule this week is about as enthralling as a run to Giant Eagle. I guess we'll do this preview thing anyway, though...

(All games are Saturday this week)

In the Coastal

-Georgia Tech returns from its bye as the national scoring leader after hanging a 70-spot on Elon two weeks ago. The Yellowjackets will try to keep the option Wreck rolling against Duke (3:30 p.m., ESPNU), which has held NC Central and Memphis to a combined 14 points in two games. It's obviously hard to put too much stock in either number given the competition, but Duke has been particularly good at stopping the run, holding both its opponents to fewer than 90 yards per game on the ground. How the Blue Devils control the point of attack against the run-happy Jackets will probably go a long way in determining this one.

-Virginia Tech will take on East Carolina in what could be the week's sneaky good matchup (noon, FS1). The Pirates are 2-0, and though they've been stifled on the ground this season, quarterback Shane Carden has put up a sparkling 63-of-79 for 638 yards and seven touchdowns against zero picks state line thus far. Tech will have to slow him down or this one could be interesting for a while.

In the Atlantic

-Somehow 2-0 BC will be in LA to face USC (3 p.m., Pac-12 Network) in a game that actually looks winnable after the Trojans' seven-spot against Washington State last weekend. The Eagles have been pretty stout defensively in beating Villanova and Wake Forest, so there's reason to believe they can frustrate whomever Lane Kiffin sticks behind center after both Cody Kessler and Max Wittck scuffled against the Cougars. The question is whether Chase Rettig and the Boston College offense can muster enough points against a Trojan defense that's ranked 19th nationally in allowing 11.5 points per game.

-No. 10 Florida State returns to action against Nevada (3:30 p.m., ESPN). The Wolfpack was lit up for 302 yards through the air against UCLA in week one, so perhaps Pitt fans will get a chance to enjoy watching Jameis Winston fillet someone else.

-Randy Edsall jokes are fun, but the Terps could be 3-0 if their high-flying offense can handle a UConn team that got flattened by Towson in week one (7:30 p.m., ESPN3). But if they can't, the schadenfreude of Edsall losing to his old team, which got flattened by Towson in week one, should be pretty delicious.

-Syracuse will try to get that running game going against Wagner (4 p.m., ESPN3).

-Wake Forest plays Louisiana-Monroe (12:30 p.m., ESPN3).

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