College Football Predictions 2010: Week 9 ACC Preview

Harlon Jordan ACC BlitzOct 29, 2010

Things just really got interesting in this year's ACC race.

If you've been paying attention to the Coastal, it's no surprise there is actually a race for the top going on. Virginia Tech is undefeated in conference play, but Miami is nipping on their heels with only one loss and North Carolina and Georgia Tech are right behind them with two apiece.

It was the Atlantic that was looking rather, well, boring this year. Florida State jumped out to a 4-0 start and was poised to pretty much clinch the division with a win over the only team within earshot of them. But NC State had different plans.

With the Wolfpack's 28-24 win over the Noles Thursday night, the Atlantic race blew wide open. Florida State and NC State both have one conference loss each, and naturally State holds the tie-breaker. But it also left the door open for Maryland and Clemson.

The Terps are considered the long-shot. True, they are sitting at 2-1 and will likely move to 3-1 with a win over Wake Forest this weekend. But the toughest part of their conference schedule hasn't been played yet. They still have games against Florida State, Miami and NC State.

Clemson, on the other hand, has already played North Carolina, Miami, Georgia Tech and Maryland, coming out with a 2-2 mark. A key win was a 31-7 thumping of the aforementioned Terps. With a win against a depleted Boston College squad likely, the games against NC State and Florida State basically turn into a "winner take all" scenario.

But I digress. We need to get through Week 9 first.

Things To Watch for in Week 9 ACC Football Action

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The Atlantic Division. With FSU losing, Maryland and Clemson must now keep pace and win, win, win to have a chance in the division.

The Boston College-Clemson game gives us a rare treat with two national leaders on each team. Boston College LB Luke Kuechly leads the nation in tackles with 13.86 per game, and Clemson DE DaQuan Bowers leads the nation in sacks with 1.43 per game, 10 overall and also leads the country in tackles for loss with 2.50 per game and 17.5 overall.

Montel Harris versus Andre Ellington. Easily two of the best RBs in the ACC face off when Clemson visits Boston College. Both Harris and Ellington have been on a tear lately. Could very well see 300 yards between the two Saturday.

If the Eagles don't pull out a win, they'll be sitting at zero wins and five losses in conference play.

Miami at Virginia. The Canes are coming off back-to-back ACC wins and have reemerged in the top 25. The Cavs might seem like an easy 'W' at first glance, but Coach London has them playing better than their record indicates.

Miami running back Damien Berry. He'll be up against the worst rushing defense in the conference. Could we see a 200-yard performance?

Quick Hitters: Week 9 ACC Football Previews and Predictions

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NC State 28, Florida State 24

Well, the Noles were making my prediction look pretty good until they fumbled on the 4-yard line of the Pack. Either way, that was a hell of a game. With that win, NC State blew the Atlantic open and ultimately made it a four-team race at this point.

Prediction: Florida State 27, NC State 24

Clemson at Boston College

Coming off back-to-back wins against Maryland and Georgia Tech, the Tigers are on a roll. They've finally started establishing their passing game, which in turn opened the door for RB Andre Ellington to run wild, as evidenced by his career-high 166 yards against Georgia Tech. Defensively, they shut down a normally high-powered Jackets offense, holding them to a season low 13 points and keeping QB Joshua Nesbitt to only two yards rushing.

Boston College has been the exact opposite. They've lost four in a row and find themselves at the bottom of the conference. Things aren't looking up this weekend. The sloppy QB play might get even worse with Clemson DE DaQuan Bowers applying pressure. He leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. Stopping the Clemson attack will be an even bigger issue now that they're without two starting defensive linemen and their starting CB and FS are questionable.

RB Montel Harris will likely top 100 yards but that'll be it for the Eagles offensively.

Prediction: Clemson 31, Boston College 17

Miami at Virginia

The Hurricanes have bounced back well after getting blown out by Florida State, winning back-to-back games and keeping themselves in the Coastal race.

QB Jacory Harris has been surprisingly turnover free. After the FSU debacle, he had a 10-to-9 TD-to-INT ratio. In his last two games, he's not only completed almost 60 percent of his passes, he's only had 1 INT to go with 4 TDs. He played a major part in their 33-10 dismantling of North Carolina. The Canes defense has taken it to another level as well, forcing 10 turnovers in the last two games.

The Cavs have played stellar in OOC games this season, posting a 3-1 mark and narrowly losing by a FG at USC. It's conference play that has been their downfall. They've lost all three by double digits. In their defense, they have faced three of the better offenses in the ACC. They'll need a big game from QB Marc Verica to stand a chance.

Prediction: Miami 38, Virginia 14

Wake Forest at Maryland

Maryland has now found themselves in the middle of a clustered Atlantic Division race. They haven't played the hard part of their schedule yet, but for the time being we still have to respect a 2-1 conference mark. It'll likely move to 3-1 this weekend.

After showing signs of life against Navy and Georgia Tech (last second losses), the Deacs reverted to their early season "get blown out" form, losing by 31 to Virginia Tech. They do feature a stable of good RBs, but it'll be difficult to get things going when they lack a serious passing threat.

Prediction: Maryland 24, Wake Forest 14

W&M at North Carolina

Not much needs to be said here. The Heels are in need of an easy blowout win after the stomping Miami put on them. It'll be a great tune-up before hitting the road to take on Florida State.

Prediction: North Carolina 41, W&M 10

Duke at Navy

It's a shame the Blue Devils can't find a defense to complement an offense that really isn't all that bad. They feature a high-caliber QB in Sean Renfree and two of the best receivers in Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner. I'd love to say they'll pick up a quality OOC win against Navy, but the Midshipmen have been on a roll, going 5-1 in their last six games with the only loss coming to Air Force.

Duke allows over 200 yards on the ground per contest and Navy averages almost 275. Can you say no bueno?

Prediction: Navy 38, Duke 21