2010 College Football Predictions: Week 6 ACC Preview

Harlon Jordan ACC BlitzOct 7, 2010

After Week 5 action, the ACC picture is still a bit cloudy.

Preseason favorites Florida State and Virginia Tech are sitting at No. 1 in their respective divisions. Rewind a few weeks when the Seminoles were blasted by Oklahoma and the Hokies were upset by James Madison, and this is actually a bit of a surprise. But both squads responded well, rattling off three straight victories each.

In the Coastal Division, Miami is nipping on the Hokies heels after a tough win at Clemson moved them to 1-0 in ACC play. Their showdown against in-state rival Florida State this weekend has massive implications within the conference. A win here puts the Hurricanes at 2-0, with both wins coming against two of their toughest conference opponents this season, creating a bit of a cake walk through the rest of their ACC schedule.

Virginia Tech pulled off a come from behind win in a much tougher than expected game against suddenly respectable NC State. The rest of the division is falling into place as predicted, with North Carolina and Virginia at 0-1, and Duke at 0-2. The Tar Heels likely have the best chance of the three to make some noise. A win this weekend against Clemson could go a long way in the end.

Over in the Atlantic, the Noles are looking good after wins against Wake Forest and Virginia but haven't really been tested in conference play yet. This weekends game against the Canes will show exactly how much they've improved since the embarrassment against the Sooners.

Clemson and Boston College, both of which were expected to challenge for the division title, are sitting at 0-1. The Eagles were absolutely shutdown by Virginia Tech in their only conference game, losing 19-0. And while the Tigers did lose to Miami this past week, it's amazing they hung in there enough to only lose by nine points. They had six turnovers on the day and multiple drops and blown coverages.

The Wolfpack are easily the surprise of the 2010 season. After starting 4-0, they blew a 17-point lead to the Hokies and were handed their first conference loss. But with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech behind them, they stand a great chance at making a run for the ACC title game this year.

Things To Watch For in Week 6 ACC Football Action

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 25: Montel Harris #2 of the Boston College Eagles carries the ball and tries to manuever around Davon Morgan #2 of the Virginia Tech Hokies on September 25, 2010 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by

- The Florida State-Miami game should be one of the best in recent memory. Both are coming in with respective ACC Divisional Titles in mind, and both have shown they are capable. With a Miami win, both divisions become WIDE OPEN.

- Clemson and North Carolina, sitting at 0-1 in conference play, are both desperate to avoid 0-2 starts. The Tigers are the reigning Atlantic champs, and are looking to get back to the title game, while the Tar Heels are playing far better than most expected with as many suspensions as they've had.

- The Boston College-NC State game is a tad more intrigued than predicted in the preseason. With a loss, the Eagles likely find themselves out of contention for an Atlantic title, while the Wolfpack would be sitting pretty at 2-1.

- Boston College RB Montel Harris versus the NC State run defense. If the Eagles are to pull off this "upset", it's crucial they give Harris plenty of room to do his thing.

- Miami QB Jacory Harris versus the Seminole passing defense. The Noles are in the top 25 in total defense, rushing defense, and scoring defense, but are allowing a ton of yards through the air. Stopping Harris is critical for a win.

Quick Hitters: Week 6 ACC Football Previews and Predictions

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Clemson RB Andre Ellington needs a big game against North Carolina.

Boston College (2-2, 0-1) at NC State (4-1, 1-1)

This game carries a lot more weight than many expected in the preseason. NC State QB Russell Wilson has led his Wolfpack to a 4-1 mark, and 1-1 in the ACC with a clutch win against reigning ACC Champ Georgia Tech. They blew a 17-point lead in a 41-30 loss to Virginia Tech last week, but don't think that means their early season success is a fluke. A win against a Boston College squad that is struggling to find an offense puts them in prime position to make a run at the ACC title game. Their only ultra-challenging games left are against Florida State and Clemson.

The Eagles were expected to push for an Atlantic crown this year, but the problems at quarterback are proving to be more worrisome that originally thought. They didn't put up huge numbers in early season wins against cupcake teams, and followed that up being shutout by Virginia Tech and held to 13 points by a mediocre Notre Dame defense. This is a must win if they want to keep their title game hopes alive.

PREDICTION: NC State 31, Boston College 10

Central Michigan (2-3) at Virginia Tech (3-2)

The Hokies look like they've finally got that swag back they had in the preseason. After a close loss to Boise State and demoralizing loss at home to James Madison, they bounced back against East Carolina and followed that up with another come from behind win against a legit ACC title contender in NC State.

Central Michigan provides a nice non-ACC match-up. Other than a potent passing game, the Chippewas don't offer much of a threat IF the Hokies continue to play up the level they have been in their last few games.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 38, C.Michigan 17

Virginia (2-2, 0-1) at Georgia Tech (3-2, 2-1)

The Yellow Jackets aren't exactly where they'd like to be, I'm sure. The impact of the offseason losses of a few key players is painfully evident. If the loss to a below average Kansas team wasn't bad enough, Tech barely squeaked by an awful Wake Forest squad, needing a TD with 15 seconds left to seal the win. They have time to right the ship but they had better do it fast with showdowns against Miami, Virginia Tech, and Clemson staring them down.

And unfortunately for them, a win against Virginia doesn't look like a gimme anymore. The Cavs had played well above expectations all season until a blowout loss to Florida State last weekend. But if Coach London can find a way to stop the Tech rushing attack, Virginia might find themselves what would be deemed an upset win on the road.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 24, Virginia 14

Clemson (2-2, 0-1) at North Carolina (2-2, 0-1)

I don't know if I've ever witnessed a team come out more flat than the Tigers did against Miami this past weekend. After a hard fought loss at Auburn (which they should have won), they came out mis-firing in just about every facet of the game. If not for multiple penalties by the Canes, and a good rushing game from Andre Ellington, a nine point loss could have turned into a blow out.

This weeks match-up isn't any easier. The Tar Heels are fresh off a dominating win against East Carolina where they had two running backs go for over 100 yards each. All season we've seen the Tar Heel offense look like it had a spark and it was ignited against the Pirates.

Don't look for an offensive shootout though. Both squads have strong running games and decent defenses.

PREDICTION: Clemson 24, North Carolina 21

Navy (2-2) at Wake Forest (2-3)

The Demon Deacons are as bi-polar as they come. They put up a ton of points in a shootout win against Duke, get their ass handed to them by Stanford and Florida State, then turn around and nearly beat Georgia Tech in a defensive game, losing on a late TD.

They're facing off against a Navy squad that has already lost to one ACC team (Maryland) but is fresh off a close eight point loss to a top 25 Air Force team. On paper, this should be a blowout win for Navy. They have a potent rushing attack and Wake is flat horrible against the rush. But the Midshipmen have had trouble finding the end zone this year.

PREDICTION: Navy 17, Wake Forest 14

Florida State (4-1, 2-0) at Miami (3-1, 1-0)

Every year this game is circled on my calendar. It's almost guaranteed we'll see an instant classic. But the 2010 version has a little more weight than last years barn-burner.

Both squads face off ranked in the top 25 for the first time in four years, and both find themselves in the drivers seat for a shot at an ACC Title Game appearance.

Miami is coming off a very physical, but very penalty heavy win at Clemson. In a game where the Tigers turned the ball over six times, the Hurricanes should have won by 20-plus but consistently kept shooting themselves in the foot. The Seminoles have rebounded from an embarrassing blowout at the hands of Oklahoma to win three straight games in dominating fashion.

The winner of this one will likely be the team we see in the ACC Championship Game in December.

PREDICTION: Florida State 34, Miami 31