Pretty light schedule in the ACC this week as 6 teams are off.
Thu 7:00 (ESPN) Miami [4-2/1-2] at Virginia Tech [4-2/2-1]
These 2 teams enter this short-week game off disappointing losses – especially the Hokies, who lost as 3 TD favorites by 2 TD’s at Syracuse. The Hokies are pretty good at home though and especially on Thursday nights. The Canes lead the all-time series, 20-13. Miami won the first 12 that started in 1953 thru 1994. This stretch included 2 MEG wins by Miami. The Hokies won 5 straight from ’95 to ’99. Since both programs joined the ACC, VPI&SU has a 7-5 lead, though the Canes have won the last 2 and 3 of the last 4. The last game at Blacksburg saw the Canes win, 30-6. The Hokies open as 4 pt favorites.
12:00 (ABC) NC State [4-2/1-1] at #7 Louisville [5-1/3-1]
Oh, NC State. Daaaaang. Feel for those guys. They had the Textile Bowl won and the chip shot field goal goes wide right. Lucky Kitty Cats. UofL looked asleep for much of their win over Duke last Friday night. The Cards lead the series, 5-1, and are 2-0 since joining the ACC. Cardinals are laying 18 pts.
12:30 (ACC Network) Syracuse [3-4/1-2] at Boston College [3-3/0-3]
The Orange enters this game off one of their best wins in years. BC had last week off. I doubt anybody noticed or cared. Having said that, if you are watching this game, please seek help. The Orange lead the all-time series, 30-19. BC is laying 6 at home.
3:00 (RSN) #22 Cheaters [5-2/3-1] at Virginia [2-4/1-1]
The Cheaters come off their 2nd impressive road trip to Florida this season – they’ve beaten both FSU and Miami on the road. That doesn’t happen very often. Virginia was leading Pitt, 28-21, with 1 minute left in the 1st half, but gave up 2 TD’s in that last minute to go into the locker room down 35-28 and going on to eventually losing, 45-31. These 2 have met 120 times. That’s a lot of wine and brie. The Cheaters have cheated 63 wins in the series to Virginia’s 53 wins. They’ve tied 4 times. The Cheaters have cheated their way to having more points on the scoreboard at the end in the last 6 meetings. This comes off a stretch where Virginia won 4 straight from ’06 to ’09 and won 7 of 8 from ’02 to ’09. In the 90’s and 00’s, Virginia went 15-5 over this cheating rival for those 2 decades. Bronco Mendenhall would win a lot of fans over in his first year if he were to notch a victory in this series at Scott Sisson Stadium. The Cheaters are laying 9.5. I expect a lot of points to be scored.
Ga Tech, FSU, Clemson, Pitt, Duke and Wake Forest are off this week.
And a few others…
3:30 (ABC) TCU [4-2/2-1] at #12 West Virginia [5-0/2-0]
The Mountaineers are undefeated and coming off an impressive road win at Texas Tech, 48-17. Just holding TTU to 17 pts is pretty good. In rolls TCU, who lost by 3 to Arkansas in Week 2 and by 6 to Oklahoma in Week 5. They had last week off after a lethargic effort and narrow win at horrible Kansas in Week 6, 24-23. The Froggies have won 3 of 4 since WVU joined the Big 12 and hold a 3-2 lead all-time. The other game was a WVU win in the 1984 Bluebonnet MEG. The Eers are 4.5 pt favorites at home.
3:30 (CBS) #6 Texas A&M [6-0/4-0] at #1 Alabama [7-0/4-0]
The Aggies had last week off. Both teams are coming in off wins over the Vols. The difference is that it took 2 OT’s to beat UT at home for A&M, but Bama destroyed the Vols in Knoxville. It is a bit surprising to note these 2 have only met 8 times in history. Bama leads the series 6-2, including winning the last 3. This game has huge SEC and national playoff implications. The Tide opens as 16.5 pt favorites.
9:00 (ESPN) #23 Ole Miss [3-3/1-2] at #25 LSU [4-2/2-1]
This is one of the Deep South’s best rivalries. Always remember listening to this one on the radio growing up on a Saturday night with my Dad. We both rooted for the Rebs because back then (70’s) they were normally terrible and always the underdog. These 2 have met 103 times with LSU leading 59-40-4. Ole Miss has won 2 of the last 3 including a season ago, 38-17, in Oxford. The Bengal Tigers are laying 4.5 at home.
Thu 7:00 (ESPN) Miami [4-2/1-2] at Virginia Tech [4-2/2-1]
These 2 teams enter this short-week game off disappointing losses – especially the Hokies, who lost as 3 TD favorites by 2 TD’s at Syracuse. The Hokies are pretty good at home though and especially on Thursday nights. The Canes lead the all-time series, 20-13. Miami won the first 12 that started in 1953 thru 1994. This stretch included 2 MEG wins by Miami. The Hokies won 5 straight from ’95 to ’99. Since both programs joined the ACC, VPI&SU has a 7-5 lead, though the Canes have won the last 2 and 3 of the last 4. The last game at Blacksburg saw the Canes win, 30-6. The Hokies open as 4 pt favorites.
12:00 (ABC) NC State [4-2/1-1] at #7 Louisville [5-1/3-1]
Oh, NC State. Daaaaang. Feel for those guys. They had the Textile Bowl won and the chip shot field goal goes wide right. Lucky Kitty Cats. UofL looked asleep for much of their win over Duke last Friday night. The Cards lead the series, 5-1, and are 2-0 since joining the ACC. Cardinals are laying 18 pts.
12:30 (ACC Network) Syracuse [3-4/1-2] at Boston College [3-3/0-3]
The Orange enters this game off one of their best wins in years. BC had last week off. I doubt anybody noticed or cared. Having said that, if you are watching this game, please seek help. The Orange lead the all-time series, 30-19. BC is laying 6 at home.
3:00 (RSN) #22 Cheaters [5-2/3-1] at Virginia [2-4/1-1]
The Cheaters come off their 2nd impressive road trip to Florida this season – they’ve beaten both FSU and Miami on the road. That doesn’t happen very often. Virginia was leading Pitt, 28-21, with 1 minute left in the 1st half, but gave up 2 TD’s in that last minute to go into the locker room down 35-28 and going on to eventually losing, 45-31. These 2 have met 120 times. That’s a lot of wine and brie. The Cheaters have cheated 63 wins in the series to Virginia’s 53 wins. They’ve tied 4 times. The Cheaters have cheated their way to having more points on the scoreboard at the end in the last 6 meetings. This comes off a stretch where Virginia won 4 straight from ’06 to ’09 and won 7 of 8 from ’02 to ’09. In the 90’s and 00’s, Virginia went 15-5 over this cheating rival for those 2 decades. Bronco Mendenhall would win a lot of fans over in his first year if he were to notch a victory in this series at Scott Sisson Stadium. The Cheaters are laying 9.5. I expect a lot of points to be scored.
Ga Tech, FSU, Clemson, Pitt, Duke and Wake Forest are off this week.
And a few others…
3:30 (ABC) TCU [4-2/2-1] at #12 West Virginia [5-0/2-0]
The Mountaineers are undefeated and coming off an impressive road win at Texas Tech, 48-17. Just holding TTU to 17 pts is pretty good. In rolls TCU, who lost by 3 to Arkansas in Week 2 and by 6 to Oklahoma in Week 5. They had last week off after a lethargic effort and narrow win at horrible Kansas in Week 6, 24-23. The Froggies have won 3 of 4 since WVU joined the Big 12 and hold a 3-2 lead all-time. The other game was a WVU win in the 1984 Bluebonnet MEG. The Eers are 4.5 pt favorites at home.
3:30 (CBS) #6 Texas A&M [6-0/4-0] at #1 Alabama [7-0/4-0]
The Aggies had last week off. Both teams are coming in off wins over the Vols. The difference is that it took 2 OT’s to beat UT at home for A&M, but Bama destroyed the Vols in Knoxville. It is a bit surprising to note these 2 have only met 8 times in history. Bama leads the series 6-2, including winning the last 3. This game has huge SEC and national playoff implications. The Tide opens as 16.5 pt favorites.
9:00 (ESPN) #23 Ole Miss [3-3/1-2] at #25 LSU [4-2/2-1]
This is one of the Deep South’s best rivalries. Always remember listening to this one on the radio growing up on a Saturday night with my Dad. We both rooted for the Rebs because back then (70’s) they were normally terrible and always the underdog. These 2 have met 103 times with LSU leading 59-40-4. Ole Miss has won 2 of the last 3 including a season ago, 38-17, in Oxford. The Bengal Tigers are laying 4.5 at home.
