Week 9 in the ACC

Around the ACC:

The ACC is ranked seventh in the latest ESPN Conference power rankings behind the SEC, Pac-10, Big 10, Big 12, MWC and WAC…..Something will have to give in the Florida State vs NC State matchup. The FSU defense surrenders an average of only 16.1points per game but will be tested by QB Russell Wilson and a Wolfpack offense that averages 36 points per game. Wilson has accounted for 76 career touchdowns….Florida State QB Christian Ponder busted the bursa sac in his right elbow in the win over Boston College on Oct. 16 and missed three practices a week ago during FSU’s bye week…..Florida States first year head coach Jimbo Fisher has put himself in some very select company by winning his first four ACC games. Only four other coaches have done this previously. Former Maryland and Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Ross won his first five league games as head coach at Maryland in 1982 and Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen (2001), Duke’s Fred Goldsmith (1994) and Boston College’s Jeff Jagodzinski (2007) each won the first four ACC games of their head coaching careers. No coach has ever won his first six ACC games. When Florida State senior G Rodney Hudson was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week last week he earned the eighth Offensive Lineman of the Week honor of his career…..Georgia Tech led the nation in third-down conversions last season. This year they are sixth in the ACC. Tech QB Joshua Nesbitt is only 44 yards from the ACC career rushing record for quarterbacks but was held to only two rushing yards vs. Clemson…..There is a chance that Miami’s impressive freshman OT Seantrel Henderson will move from right tackle to left tackle in place of the injured Orlando Franklin…..Virginia brings a nine game conference losing streak into this week’s home game vs. Miami….Following last week’s 24-21 loss to Maryland, Boston College sits at 2-5 overall and is staring directly at the possibility of its first losing season since 1998…..Maryland redshirt freshman Pete DeSouza was hospitalized in intensive care after a breaking two bones in both legs last Thursday in a scooter accident near Cole Fieldhouse. DeSouza underwent a 12-hour surgery on Friday….Dukes current six game losing streak matches their longest under Head Coach David Cutcliffe.

Blind Squirrels ACC picks:

Clemson (4-3) at Boston College (2-5): Is Andre Ellington the NFL back from Clemson?

My pick: Clemson 27  Boston College 21

Miami (5-2) at Virginia (3-4): The conference losing streak grows to ten games for Virginia.

My pick: Miami 31  Virginia 17

Duke (1-6) at Navy(5-2): Navy runs their option offense as well as any team in the country. Just ask Notre Dame.

My pick: Navy 38  Duke 10

Wake Forest (2-5) at Maryland (5-2): Jim Grobe may start as many as five freshman for Wake Forest this week. Terps need this win to become bowl eligible.

My pick: Maryland 35  Wake Forest 14

William and Mary (6-1) at North Carolina (4-3): UNC had a four game winning streak snapped last week vs Miami. They’ll get back on track this week.

My pick: UNC 38 William and Mary 17

 

 

ACC Power rankings:

 1.     Florida State (6-1, 4-0) Christina Ponder used the bye week to get healthy.

 2.     Virginia Tech (6-2, 4-0) Is playing Duke the week before and official bye week actually two consecutive bye weeks?

 3.     Miami (5-2, 3-1) No major tests on the horizon until Nov. 20 vs Virginia Tech

 4.     NC State (5-2, 2-1) Huge contest this Thursday vs FSU

 5.     Clemson (4-3,2-2) They appear to have righted the ship with two straight wins but NC St and FSU loom on the horizon.

 6.     Maryland (5-2, 2-1) First road win for the Terps since 2008 last week.

 7.     Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2) Things aren’t good when the Tech running game is struggling.

 8.     North Carolina (4-3,2-2) Not good last week offensively or defensively.

 9.     Wake Forest (2-5, 1-3) Currently on a five game losing streak. Only BCS win was vs Duke in week two.

10.  Virginia (3-4, 0-3) Got their first BCS win last week vs Eastern Michigan.

11.  Boston College (2-4, 0-4) Also on a five game losing streak with no BCS wins this season.

 12.  Duke (1-6, 0-4) Only win was in the opener vs Elon. There are a couple of possible wins on the horizon vs UVA or BC.

Written by John Huber. Follow him on Twitter @Fort80.

Around the ACC:

The Miami vs Florida State rivalry carries some national relevance again.  Miami comes in ranked #13 and FSU at #23 in the AP Poll. It might be a rough night in Miami for Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris as both teams come into this seasons matchup playing ferocious defense.  Miami ranks No. 1 in the country in tackles for loss, No. 2 in sacks and No. 2 in pass efficiency defense. Florida State is No. 1 in the country in sacks, No. 2 in tackles for loss, and No. 4 in rushing defense. Both teams have veteran QB’s and the outcome could depend on which offensive line and QB handles the pressure more effectively.

The career ratio of touchdown passes to interceptions for NC State junior QB Russell Wilson is 3.88 to 1. It is the best in ACC history for a player with 40 or more career touchdown passes and it is the best among all current NCAA FBS quarterbacks with 40 or more career TD passes with the exception of Boise State’s Kellen Moore.

Clemson RB Andre Ellington leads the ACC in rushing yardage averaging 95 yards a game. More impressively, though, the Tiger sophomore is averaging 7.0 yards per carry on his 54 carries for 7 TDs.

Georgia Tech QB Joshua Nesbitt needs 259 yards to break the ACC career record of rushing yards by a quarterback. Nesbitt currently has 2,503 yards. The current record holder is former Clemson standout Woodrow Dantzler with 2,761 yards.

Clemson QB Kyle Parker threw 20 td passes in guiding the Tigers to a 9-5 season and the 2009 Music City Bowl, then in the spring he hit 20 home runs for the College World Series bound Clemson baseball team. He is the first Division I athlete to accomplish the 20/20 feat in the same academic year..

Rising Stock: Florida State – They’ll face their toughest test since Oklahoma this week vs Miami but the Seminole defense has been impressive during their three game winning streak.

Falling Stock: Clemson – No shame in losing to two ranked teams in Auburn and Miami but have only wins over North Texas and Presbyterian on their resume so far this season. The schedule over the next few weeks provides an opportunity to reverse the fall.

ACC Power Poll

1. 1. Miami
2. 2. Florida State
3. 3. Virginia Tech
4. 4. North Carolina State
5. 5. Clemson
6. 6. Maryland
7. 7. Georgia Tech
8. 8. North Carolina
9. 9. Wake Forest
10. 10. Boston College
11. 11. Virginia
12. 12. Duke     

 

Blind Squirrels weekly picks:

Boston College at NC State: Playing at home the Wolfpack should rebound from their first loss of the season. My pick: NC State 35  – Boston College 21

Central Michigan at Virginia Tech:  The Hokies should easily make it four in a row since opening the season with two straight losses. My pick: Virginia Tech 38 – CMU 14

Clemson at North Carolina:  Both teams still looking for their first win against a BCS team. UNC did have a nice win last week vs East Carolina…impressive considering all the turmoil around the program.                                   My pick:  North Carolina 24 – Clemson  21

Virginia at Georgia Tech:  Will the fact that former Cavalier head coach Al Groh is now the defensive coordinator at Tech play a role? Virginia gives up 4.1 yards per rush to opponents. Can they handle Josh Nesbitt and the Tech rushing attack? On the other side the Tech defense gives up 25 points per game. My pick: Georgia Tech 31 –  Virginia 28

Navy at Wake Forest: At 2-3 this is a must win game for the Deamon Deacsons bowl hopes. For the second straight week they’ll face an option offense after playing Georgia Tech last week. The Deacons are 93^rd in the nation against the run. Not a good matchup against the finely tuned Navy running game.    My pick: Navy 24 – Wake Forest 23

Florida State at Miami: This game will come down to which QB and offensive line can better handle the pass rush and avoid game changing mistakes.  Give Miami a slight edge from the start for playing at home. My pick: Miami 30 – Florida State 27

Written by John Huber.  Follow him on Twitter @Fort80.