College Football 2011: Previewing the ACC in Week 4

With all of the hoopla surrounding the possible admittance of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, it's easy to forget that there is still ACC football to be played this week.  Below is a preview of each team's matchup, with last week's results in italics.

No. 11 Florida State (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at No. 21 Clemson (3-0, 0-0 ACC)

LAST WEEK: Florida State lost to No. 1 Oklahoma 23-13, Clemson beat Auburn 38-24

This is the game of the week in the ACC.  It's also a potential trap game for Florida State (if playing a ranked team can be considered a trap), because Clemson has played very well this season.  The Tigers upset a feisty Auburn team pretty convincingly and have one of the nation's best all-around offenses.  Sophomore QB Tajh Boyd has been nothing short of spectacular, throwing for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception.  Clemson's spotty defense will have to step up against FSU though, as the Seminoles have deceptively good offense.

The Seminoles lost a heart breaker to Oklahoma and also lost QB E.J. Manuel, who is listed as day-to-day for this week's matchup.  Backup QB Clint Trickett is serviceable but with a subpar running game, it is essential for Manuel to be under center on Saturday.  Florida State's defense will continue to be spectacular, but the Seminoles need to prove that they can bounce back against a good opponent.

Prediction: Florida State 34, Clemson 29

No. 13 Virginia Tech (3-0, 0-0 ACC) at Marshall (1-2, 1-0 C-USA)

LAST WEEK: Virginia Tech beat Arkansas State 26-7, Marshall lost to Ohio 44-7

This game really doesn't need much of a preview.  While Virginia Tech hasn't looked particularly good in the last couple of weeks, there's no reason to believe the Hokies won't dominate a clearly inferior Marshall team.  Marshall got blown out by Ohio and the Thundering Herd needs an absolute prayer if they want to stop Hokies RB David Wilson and penetrate one of the nation's toughest defenses.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 48, Marshall 7

No. 25 Georgia Tech (3-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. North Carolina (3-0, 1-0 ACC)

LAST WEEK: Georgia Tech beat Kansas 66-24, North Carolina beat Virginia 28-17

Georgia Tech broke into the national rankings with a ridiculous performance on the ground against the Jayhawks last week—the Yellow Jackets ran the ball 50 times for 604 yards and set an NCAA record with a 12.1 yards per rush clip.  Georgia Tech also scores the most points in the nation, 59.3 per game.

North Carolina, for all they do well on defense, simply don't have enough speed and depth to match up with Georgia Tech.  Expect the Yellow Jackets to run roughshod over the Tar Heels and run away with this one.  Some people may call this one close, I don't see any reason to.

Prediction: Georgia Tech 52, North Carolina 27 

North Carolina State (2-1, 0-1 ACC) at Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0 Big East)

LAST WEEK: N.C. State beat South Alabama 35-13, Cincinnati beat Akron 59-14

Watch out Wolfpack.  This Cincinnati team may be flying under the radar but they can score with anyone in the nation.  The Bearcats are fourth in the nation with 51.3 points per game and last week held a 59-0 lead on Akron before giving up two late touchdowns.  N.C. State hasn't shown anything special so far this season, losing to Wake Forest (yes, Wake Forest) in Week 2, and the Wolfpack is middle of the pack in nearly every statistical category.  I smell a mismatch.

Prediction: Cincinnati 45, N.C. State 17

 Maryland (1-1, 1-0 ACC) vs. Temple (2-1, 1-0 MAC)

LAST WEEK: Maryland lost to West Virginia 37-31, Temple lost to Penn State 14-10

This game has the potential to be very interesting.  Temple is coming off a very solid performance in a 14-10 loss to Penn State and will be looking for an upset in College Park against the Terps.  Maryland was losing 37-10 at one point last week before making a furious charge against West Virginia.  While they didn't win, they showed that they can hang with tough competition.  If Terps QB Danny O'Brien limits his turnovers, Maryland should win this game easily.

Prediction: Maryland 31, Temple 16

Boston College (0-3, 0-1 ACC) vs. Massachusetts (2-0, 1-0 CAA)

LAST WEEK: Boston College lost to Duke 20-19, Massachusetts beat Rhode Island 36-27

Boston College has started out horribly and still hasn't moved on well since Matt Ryan left.  But this week will finally provide a reprieve.  This is not necessarily because the Eagles are good, it's more because Massachusetts simply don't have the ability to play a team of BC's size and speed.  The Minutemen will have to bring their A-plus game is they want to have a shot against a Boston College team that's tired of losing.

Prediction: Boston College 24, Massachusetts 6

Duke (1-2, 1-0 ACC) vs. Tulane (2-1, 1-1 C-USA)

LAST WEEK: Duke beat Boston College 20-19, Tulane beat UAB 49-10

Duke just can't seem to get over the hump.  They played well and beat Boston College last week but we're still waiting for the Blue Devils to become a true threat in the ACC.  They'll have a tough time getting on track against a potent Tulane offense that averages 33.0 points per game.  The Green Wave has a very potent running attack and will find the end zone often against the Blue Devils.

Prediction: Tulane 31, Duke 24

Virginia (2-1, 0-1 ACC) vs. Southern Mississippi (2-1, 0-1 C-USA)

LAST WEEK: Virginia lost to North Carolina 28-17, Southern Mississippi beat Southeastern Louisiana 52-6

Virginia did not look good at all last week against the Tar Heels and need to get back on track at home against the Golden Eagles in order to keep pace in the ACC.  Many people might pick Southern Miss in this game but I think the Wahoos will handle this game with ease and gain momentum for the rest of the season.

Prediction: Virginia 26, Southern Mississippi 20 

Miami (1-1, 0-1 ACC) vs. Kansas State (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)

LAST WEEK: Miami beat Ohio State 24-6, Kansas State beat Kent State 37-0

Miami played superbly against the Buckeyes but will need to be at their best to avoid a letdown against a tough Kansas State team.  The Wildcats run the ball as well as anyone in the nation and will step up on defense to contest any team.  If Miami wants to win, QB Jacory Harris will have to play better and the defense will have to continue to dominate.  The Hurricanes will need to sweep away all the distractions and focus on the task at hand.

Prediction: Miami 28, Kansas State 21