By Curran Campbell
Six weeks have passed in the ACC football season, and I still don’t know who’s good and who’s bad. In a week of only 4 conference games, two of which were some of the most #goacc games I’ve ever seen, I’ll attempt to analyze what went down for the winners and losers this past Saturday.
Louisville
Scott Satterfield can coach a football team, that we know so far. He has turned the team that Bobby Petrino attempted to run into a ditch and made them competitive in every game. The Cards look like they have finally figured out their quarterback situation, albeit in an unfortunate way. Week 1 starter Jawon Pass has missed three straight for the ‘Ville and Malik Cunningham has seized the opportunity. In a thrilling 41-39 victory over a struggling Boston College, Cunningham went 13/18 for 288 yards and a touchdown. If the Cards keep rocking with Cunningham, they very well may be bowling in December.
North Carolina
Not much to say about the Tar Heels this week. They beat a bad Georgia Tech team in relatively easy fashion, 38-22. Sam Howell continues to sling the ball and the tailback tandem of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams provide a jolt in the run game. Carolina has some injuries in the secondary, most notably to safety Myles Wolfolk that has forced younger guys like Don Chapman and Storm Duck to get more action than Jay Bateman had likely hoped to see. However, they’re playing well enough to win, and headed into a bye week, that’s all the Heels needed.
Virginia Tech
I know Va Tech won 42-35 at Miami, but I still have no faith in this team. A 28-0 first half lead disintegrated and Justin Fuente’s seat is still as hot as ever. Like Louisville, Tech has a quarterback it seems now in Hendon Hooker. If Bud Foster can somehow get the Hokie defense to just be mediocre, they can win a few more games, but giving up 45 to Duke and 35 to Miami in back to back weeks doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence in the Virginia Tech defense.
Pitt
The Pitt defense forced 6 turnovers against Duke, which is good. They also gave up 27 second half points, which is not nearly as good. Pitt seems to have a problem closing out games at this point in the season, and they can’t expect Kenny Pickett, Maurice Ffrench, and Taysir Mack to bail them out every time. A 33-30 win on the road at Duke is objectively hard to come by, but it seems like the Panthers made it a lot more difficult than they needed to.
Miami
The defense is terrible, the passing game is weak. At least Deejay Dallas is good out of the backfield? Miami lost 42-35 to Va Tech as mentioned earlier, and it shouldn’t have been close. This is more an indicator as to how bad Va Tech is this was a close game. Miami is definitely regretting the “retirement” of Mark Richt about now.
Duke
I said last week that Duke will go as far as Quentin Harris can take them, and good lord was he bad in the 33-30 loss to Pittsburgh. 18/43 for 165 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 picks, and 3 fumbles lost. It was a performance on the level of Jake Delhomme in the NFC Divisional playoffs against the Cardinals in 2009. Not a single team in the country will win with quarterback play like that, and Harris would be the first guy to tell you that.
Boston College
Same story for Boston College as it was last week. No defense whatsoever, the 41-39 loss to Louisville the latest misstep for the Eagles. Starting QB Anthony Brown also went down with an injury in the matchup at Cardinal Stadium. Things looking pretty grim in New England right now.
Georgia Tech
What is there to say about Georgia Tech really. They lost 38-22 at home to North Carolina. Not a good result, but hey, it’s an improvement from the 24-2 loss to Temple. This is a bad team, and I wish there was more I could say. Alas, there is not.
Power Rankings
1. Clemson
2. Wake Forest
3. Virginia
4. Florida State
5. North Carolina
6. Syracuse
7. Pitt
8. Duke
9. Louisville
10. NC State
11. Boston College
12. Virginia Tech
13. Miami
14. Georgia Tech
Predictions
Syracuse at NC State: 20-13, Syracuse
Virginia at Miami: 35-24, Virginia
Georgia Tech at Duke: 38-21, Duke
Florida State at Clemson: 42-17, Clemson
Rhode Island at Virginia Tech: 55-10, Virginia Tech
Louisville at Wake Forest: 33-30, Wake Forest
Last week’s predictions: 2-2
Season total: 2-2