ACC Football Match-Ups: Week Eight

Clemson @ No. 10 Miami

Nearly everybody has this game as a double-digit win for Miami.  And why shouldn't they?  The Miami offense has been on fire, and Clemson has only been an average team until last weekend.  I'm going to buck the trend, though, because I think that Clemson is going to pull off a HUGE upset win in Miami.

Why Clemson will win:

• Tough defensive line will pressure Jacory Harris into many of the same mistakes he made against Virginia Tech.
• CJ Spiller will have another record day, and shouldn't have too much trouble cutting back and forth through Miami's special teams.  Miami is ranked 91st in net punt yardage with an average of only 33.5 yards per punt, and Spiller is built to exploit those weaknesses.
• Clemson needs a conference win to stay in contention for the division with Boston College's performance last week.

Why Miami will win:

• Jacory Harris is a Heisman hopeful in his second season at Miami and has lead this offense to some great production this year.
• Miami's offensive line will hold strong against Clemson's defense, keeping Harris safe in the pocket.
• Miami's secondary will shut down Spiller's big-play capability, while the defensive line will keep him in check for the short-yardage plays.
• Miami can't afford a conference loss with the traffic jam at the top of the Coastal Division.

Prediction: Clemson in the upset over Miami.

Maryland @ Duke

This isn't exactly a marquee game.  Maryland's weak showings in every game this season, save their 32 points against Wake Forest, and a much improved Duke offense should make this one an easy win for Duke.  Duke is also playing to stay on the pile in the Coastal Division.

Why Maryland will win:

• Maryland is desperate for another win.  They tried to give away the Clemson game, but Clemson just wouldn't take it.
• Maryland will control the turnover battle and force errors out of Duke's offense.

Why Duke will win:

• They nearly beat Virginia Tech a couple of weeks back, and will continue to show that their offense can be productive.
• The defense will be better about containing Maryland, because they've given up lots of points, even in their wins.

Prediction: Duke by three scores.

Florida State @ North Carolina

The first Thursday night game in North Carolina's Kenan Stadium has lost a lot of its preseason luster.  Both teams were expected to contend for their division titles, but instead they are both coming into the game looking for their first conference win.

North Carolina started strong, but fell apart when conference play started and is looking to reassert themselves against the schizophrenic Seminoles.  The Seminoles are coming off a bye week, which hopefully settled them down from all the rumors about their coach.  They are off to their worst start since Bowden took the head coaching job there in 1976 and a loss here would be devastating.

Why Florida State will win:

• The emotions will still be on high alert for their coach.
• Christian Ponder has been incredibly productive, even though FSU's record doesn't show it.  He will continue to show off his Heisman worthy throwing.
• Florida State can easily handle North Carolina's turnover-prone offense.

Why North Carolina will win:

• Florida State's defense can't stop even their sloppy offense.
• North Carolina's defense can and will step up and stop Florida State's offense with the home crowd cheering them on.

Prediction: North Carolina adds another nail into Bowden's coaching career with a win in this close game.

No. 12 Georgia Tech @ Virginia

Georgia Tech hasn't won in Charlottesville since 1990.  Georgia Tech has had four new coaches since that team went on to win the National Championship.  Georgia Tech is wary of this game, because they were shocked at home last year by Virginia in a game they were predicted to win by double-digits.  Virginia is looking to keep its positive trend going with a fourth straight win.

Why Georgia Tech will win:

• Paul Johnson's Triple Option will be faster and stronger than Virginia's defense.
• Josh Nesbitt will keep the defense guessing with a few deep passes to Demarius Thomas.
• Georgia Tech's defense will improve on the success they had last week against Virginia Tech to show that they are a quality squad.

Why Virginia will win:

• Virginia will be able to dismantle Georgia Tech's defense and keep the game tight.
• Playing at home will help the Cavs, because Georgia Tech fans don't travel well.

Prediction: Georgia Tech by double-digits to keep their ACC Championship hopes alive.