ACC Football News & Notes: Regular Season is Winding Down

Read Time:3 Minute, 38 Second

With just two weeks left in the regular season, here are how things look in the ACC. In the Atlantic Division, it has become a three-team race to see who wins the title. In the Coastal division, a four-team race is shaping up for the top spot. No matter who your favorite team happens to be, the race for the division championships will be interesting to be sure. Let’s take a look at what is happening.

In the Atlantic, #10 Wake Forest (9-1, 6-0) still holds their fate in their hands although their final two games will not be easy. This week they head to Death Valley to take on Clemson (7-3, 5-2) who believe it or not still has a path to the championship game in December. From there the Demon Deacons will travel to Boston College (6-4, 2-4) who now look like a different team since the return of their QB Phil Jurkovec. Let’s focus on the first task which is Clemson. Wake Forest has not won in Clemson since 1998 and will be looking for their first win in the series since 2008 when they defeated the Tigers 12-7 in October of that year. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has never lost to the Demon Deacons (12-0). Scoring has been a problem for Wake over the last three meetings between the two as Clemson has outscored Wake Forest by a 152-19 count. In those meetings, Wake has been able to cross the goalline only once. Winning on the road is never easy in the ACC and Wake Forest will need to do it once to claim the division title.

For Clemson, they will need Wake to lose twice and have NC State lose to either Syracuse or North Carolina. The #21 Wolfpack (7-3, 4-2) will need to win out and force a three-way tie at 6-2 with Clemson and Wake. North Carolina State would become title winners based on its divisional record and victory over the Tigers earlier this season. Remember when Syracuse (5-5, 2-4) defeated the Eagles to get within one win of a bowl game? Well, they are still looking for that win and this week they are at NC State hoping to reverse a trend in this series. The Wolfpack will be seeking their seventh win in the last nine games between the two. They have won 12 of the last 14 against Syracuse and are 6-1 all-time at home. This has not been a good matchup, to say the least, for the Orange. If it comes down to the final weekend for Syracuse, that would mean having to beat Pittsburgh and their fine QB Kenny Pickett.

In the Coastal, four teams still have a shot. # 18 Pittsburgh (8-2, 5-1) can end everything with a win on Saturday vs Virginia (6-4, 4-2). If that does not happen, then they would have to beat Syracuse and have the Cavaliers lose to Virginia Tech who will be playing their final game for head coach Justin Fuente who will not be asked back by the school. The Panthers have won five of seven meetings since joining the league. The game features two of the better QBs in the ACC and nation. Virginia Brennan Armstrong, who missed last week’s game vs Notre Dame, and Kenny Pickett are first and second in both total offense and passing yards.

The best and maybe only path for Virginia Tech is a three-way tie with themselves, Pittsburgh, and Virginia. In that case, the Hokies would get the title due to their divisional record. The path for Miami is even slimmer since a three-way tiebreaker with Pittsburgh and Virginia would do them no good. At this point, the best thing the Hurricanes can do for themselves is make a bowl game. Which they can do with a win over the Hokies this Saturday. They have won three of the last four, and 13 of the previous 20 games at home vs the Hokies. This will mark the 30th consecutive year these two programs have met. The Hokies do lead 9-8 since both teams have entered the Coastal Division.

Hope you got all that!! Next week we will be back with more from the ACC.