ACC Football Round-Up: Week 6

At the half-way point of the 2010 college football season, the picture is getting clearer in the ACC Atlantic Division as Florida State and North Carolina State have moved to the head of the class. Clemson ain’t out of the picture yet, but they have a much higher hill to climb now than the one they run down into Death Valley when they play at home. Over in the ACC Coastal Division, things are still anybody’s guess with Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina still in the hunt. Week 6 presented a shocker or two, and is now history, so teams will have to put last week behind them and move on to the next ACC battle . . . But, before we do, let’s take a look back at Week 6 in the ACC –

ACC Atlantic Divison

Florida State 45, Miami 17

The pre-season favorites to win the ACC Atlantic Division took a giant step in that direction blasting arch-rival and former No. 13 Miami. Most college football analysts picked Miami to hand the Seminoles their first conference loss of the season, but FSU didn’t get the reports. From most accounts of the game, Miami was never really in the contest. Florida State scored the only points of the first period, but that’s as close as Miami came to making a game of it. By halftime, the Hurricanes were downgraded to a tropical storm, down 24-7, and by the end of the game couldn’t produce even a cloud in the sky, much less a strong breeze. The blowout over Miami gives The Seminoles a 3-0 conference record, and we expect that to increase to 4-0 after they finish with Boston College this Saturday. Right now, there are few bumps in the road for FSU en route to Charlotte, but who knows what can happen on any given Saturday in the ACC.

North Carolina 21, Clemson 16

The smoke is starting to settle and Clemson finds themselves ambushed and in a deep hole. If the Tigers expect a repeat of 2009 and to defend their ACC Atlantic Division crown, they best begin to play some serious football; because with a 0-2 mark, they can’t afford to lose any more conference games for the rest of their regular season schedule. It just doesn’t look like a three-loss team will be representing the Atlantic Division in Charlotte. What’s wrong with The Tigers? That’s the question everyone is asking right now. Sure, North Carolina was a pre-season Top 25 team, but multiple NCAA infractions put most of their top players off the team and out of competition, so what happened Saturday at Chapel Hill? Clemson led in total yards, but also led in penalty yardage and giving up on fourth down plays – the Tar Heels were 4 of 4 on fourth down conversions. Clemson's once powerful offense could get no closer than the North Carolina 30-yard line in the first two quarters, settling for a field goal and a 14-3 deficit at intermission. It took a punt return and a Tar Heels' penalty to put The Tigers in scoring position in the third quarter, making it close at 14-10, but the defense couldn’t hold and the offense couldn’t get the job done in the fourth quarter. It was a shocker and a devastating loss to put the Tigers at 0-2 in ACC play. Clemson hosts an unpredictable Maryland team this Saturday at Death Valley. Another loss for The Tigers and it will be Title Death.

Navy 28, Wake Forest 27

The Demon Deacons came up one point short in a battle with The Midshipmen. It was a non-conference game, but it was still a loss and any loss hurts when you reach the mid-way point of the season. The Wake Forest offense moves the ball and can score some points, even with the injuries; but the defense can’t stop the opponents from scoring. The Deacons' defense gave up a touchdown in each quarter to Navy and lost by a point – it is a game of inches and points. If Wake Forest has any hopes of being more than spectators at the ACC title game in Charlotte, their chances ride on a trip to Blacksburg, VA in Week 7. Playing an improving Virginia Tech team will not be a walk in the park, but stranger things have happened and the Deacons have been known to hold prayer meetings in opposing stadiums just when they are least expected. This one would be least expected and a real shocker to Virginia Tech’s hopes, but still not one to bet the farm on – in spite of the High Connections Wake Forest possesses. At 1-2 in the conference, The Demon Deacons can’t afford another ACC loss.

North Carolina State 44, Boston College 17

Boston College is getting hit from all sides and all angles – the offense can’t put points on the scoreboard and the defense can’t keep points off the scoreboard – and that combination doesn't work real well in the “W” column. The Eagles are suffering some growing pains with a young quarterback, but the defense has got to do a better job of getting the other team off the field and the offense has got to find a way to help the defense. If you give a good offense the ball over and over and over again that team is bound to put some points on you, and North Carolina State is a good offensive team. The game was still close when BC picked up 10 points in the second quarter, but by halftime it was all but over at 27-10. Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack offense were just too much to contain and they added 17 more points in the second half to make it a cake walk. BC falls to 0-2 in conference play and now must find a way to take care of business in Tallahassee against No. 16 Florida State, which is undefeated in ACC play. Are they up for the ambush? Only Eagles know the answer to that one.

Maryland

The Maryland Terrapins had a week to rest and prepare, and they’re gonna need all of that time when they roll into Death Valley on Saturday. The Terps are catching Clemson at a “bad” time. It may be bad for Clemson, and then again it may be bad for Clemson’s next opponent – at this point it’s hard to tell. The Terps have a hard shell and are capable of getting out of Death Valley alive and with a win, but it ain’t gonna be easy. Coach Ralph Friedgen is one of the best offensive coaches in college football and he’ll need his offense to be hitting on all 11 cylinders to make Clemson 0-3 in the ACC. When the Tigers find themselves with their backs against The Death Valley walls, the opponent best be looking out for the knock-out punch. This could be the upset Maryland needs to put them in the thick of the Atlantic Division race.

In Week 6, Clemson took a huge hit and now has to play flawlessly to stay in it. Florida State stated their case by taming the Hurricanes and staying undefeated in ACC play. N. C. State will present a serious challenge, so now the odds favor the winner of the N. C. State-FSU game. We’ll have to wait and see what Week 7 brings with Maryland tackling Clemson, Boston College paying a visit to Tallahassee and FSU, and N. C. State playing a non-conference game – those games should cut at least one team out of the picture.

ACC Coastal Division

Virginia Tech 45, Central Michigan 21

The once Top 10 ranked Hokies have some problems with non-conference teams but find a way to keep their ACC record unblemished at 2-0. Virginia Tech allowed Central Michigan to stay in the game through halftime, but found a way to put it away in the third quarter. The Hokies can’t shake the loss to James Madison and make it back up to the Top 10, but they can win out in ACC play and take their chances on another ACC title and a trip to a BCS Bowl. Not-So-Fast-My-Friend – the Hokies are lacking something on defense and special teams they are used to controlling, and that may bite them in the big games they have ahead of them. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come calling this Saturday afternoon, but VT can’t take the Deacs for granted. Every ACC game is important for the Hokies, with Miami, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina only one game back and still on the radar screen in the coming weeks. The Deacons may not be the stumbling block for Virginia Tech, but the Hokies keep proving that they are not invincible.

Duke

Coach David Cutcliffe and the Dukies had last week off to mend some injuries and take care of some problem areas. Duke has the offensive potential to give any defense a fit, but the problems are on the other side of the ball when trying to keep the opponents from scoring points. The Blue Devils will have to fix those defensive problems fast to slow down the Hurricanes and steal a win. Not that it can’t be done, but it would be a Week 7 major upset, and Coach Cutcliffe has been known to pull those off when the other teams take his team for granted. Most teams expect a win over Duke, but the Blue Devils are not push-overs any more. Duke may be in the right place at the right time to knock off Miami. The Hurricanes are coming off a sound thumping by Florida State and it all depends on how they take it. Miami coach Randy Shannon is a good coach, too, but coaches don’t play the games, players do. So we’ll have to see how well Cutcliffe and Shannon have prepared their players to play the game.

Georgia Tech 33, Virginia 21

Georgia Tech seems to still be searching for the right combination on offense and defense. Last week’s win over Virginia marked the first back-to-back wins the Yellow Jackets have put together this season; but it was an ACC win and gives them a 3-1 record with two wins over Coastal Division teams. Tech’s potentially powerful option offense finally found a winning combination in the victory over Virginia, racking up over 500 yards of total offense with 470-plus on the ground. Georgia Tech now has the ACC’s top two leading rushers in B-Back Anthony Allen – who had 195 yards against the Cavs – and quarterback Joshua Nesbitt – who picked up another 109 yards on the ground. Tech’s new 3-4 defense is improving, but they will have to get a lot better before taking on Virginia Tech and Miami. Sitting at 3-1 in ACC play is good, but another conference loss and the Yellow Jackets may miss the bus to Charlotte for a repeat of their 2009 ACC title season. This week, Tech plays host to non-conference opponent Middle Tennessee State – not a gimme there either for the Techies, but a loss in this one will only hurt their pride and their potential to make it to the Top 10 by the end of the season. Can’t see Coach Paul Johnson allowing a loss to Middle Tennessee State.

Half-way through the season and it’s still anybody’s division to win on the Coastal side. Virginia Tech has the advantage right now with a perfect conference record, but can they hold onto it with some tough teams yet to play. Miami, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina are only one game away from being in front – soooo, in this ACC division, it will come down to the big intra-divisional games: Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech; Miami vs. Virginia Tech; North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech; North Carolina vs. Miami; and Georgia Tech vs. Miami. And, don’t count Virginia and Duke out of the spoiler category!