Hello, @HereGoJayAgain with this week’s installment of predictions. In Week 10, we saw the resiliency that has carried Florida State all season long as they faced a tough road opponent in Louisville. The Wahoos and Hokies continue to drop further to the bottom of the ACC Coastal, but NC State got their first ACC win, snapping their 12 game conference losing streak, so there’s always that silver lining! Overall, the prediction record is 11-7 on the year so not too shabby.
And now, here are some Week 11 predictions.
#21 Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) @ Wake Forest (2-6, 0-4 ACC)
A Thursday night ACC matchup pits a good Clemson team against a not so-good Wake Forest team. It’s a home game for the Deacons but if the usually aggressive Tigers defense has anything to say about the result, it may get ugly fast. If the defense holds up as expected, the Tigers may start the blowout early with lots of pressure up front to force turnovers. Deshaun Watson isn’t ready to play just yet but Cole Stoudt should have a manageable if not good offensive performance. The Tigers should make quick work of the Demon Deacons after a bye week.
Prediction: Clemson 31 – Wake Forest 10
#24 Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2 ACC) @ NC State (5-4, 1-4 ACC)
With the Wolfpack coming off their first ACC win in roughly a season & a half, one would have to imagine this will be a closer game than expected. This is the same Wolfpack team that led Florida State at halftime before falling in the second half in Week 5 after all. The key to this game will be whose defense shows up to stop the big plays. The Wolfpack had 8 sacks against Syracuse last week on the road and hope to keep the same pressure on this week against Paul Johnson’s Triple Option. The Yellow Jackets have the rushing advantage in this one though so the 300+ rushing yards per game may be too much for the Wolfpack to handle this week.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 35 – NC State 30
#22 Duke (7-1, 3-1 ACC) @ Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 ACC)
The Blue Devils are in the drivers seat of the Coastal division…a rare moment in college football when Duke runs the Coastal division and they’ve been particularly good on the road as of late. Seeing as Syracuse is a young team with a patchwork offensive line, we have to expect Duke may control this game to the very end. The Blue Devils get it done in crunch time and after last week’s double overtime victory, their defense should be poised for another victory as well.
Prediction: Duke 28 – Syracuse 20
Virginia (4-5, 2-3 ACC) @ #2 Florida State (8-0, 5-0 ACC)
The Wahoos came out the gates to a fast start winning their first 2 ACC games but have dropped their last three conference games. On the road at Florida State, don’t expect them to turn things around. We’ve seen numerous distractions off the field attempt to derail Florida State as well as numerous deficits to overcome on the field to keep their undefeated season going. If Jameis Winston’s ankle holds up as it did while he hobbled up and down the field last week, expect the Seminoles to make quick work of the Wahoos.
Prediction: Florida State 45 – Virginia 24
Louisville (6-3, 4-3 ACC) @ Boston College (6-3, 3-2 ACC)
Louisville’s defense came up short last week as they gave the Seminoles all they could handle. The Eagles are soaring high off 258 yard rushing display against the Hokies on the road. Two competitive teams square off in what looks to be an interesting prime time match up. The Cardinals seem to fit the conference nicely despite their record and their defense has been hard to score on despite last week’s outcome. The Eagles, on the other hand, seem to have found balance with quarterback Tyler Murphy leading their offense. This game will come down to stopping the run. If the Cardinals can stop the Eagles from establishing their “ground & pound” running attack, they’ll come out on top.
Prediction: Louisville 27 – Boston College 21
Byes This Week: Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Miami
What are your thoughts? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments or on Twitter @AllSportsDACC !
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