Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving draws near, so does the end of another season of ACC football.  Quite a few teams have plenty to be thankful for so far this season, reveling in the limelight and heaping praise and honor for their coach.  Other teams might not have as many blessings to count this year, but are at least content with what’s been accomplished.  And then there are those who just want their coach outta here and allow someone else to take over, hoping that the future will prove more bountiful.

Anyway, just wanted to give you all a heads up on the coming week.  I’ll be posting my Week 13 picks early on Friday morning, so I can avoid the madness taking place at the malls or Walmart.  Around Monday or Tuesday of next week, I’ll be offering my year-end “report card” for all the teams in the conference, much like what I did after Week 7.  And finally, I’ll decide whether Georgia Tech or Clemson has what it takes to win this year’s ACC Championship and a trip to the FedEx Orange Bowl or the BCS Championship (although I doubt the latter is very likely).

Whether you’re headed over to Grandma’s house on Thursday, hunting for that elusive parking spot on Black Friday, or attending one of the many ACC games on Saturday, I hope you and yours have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!  Oh yeah, be careful out there on the roads.  The life you save may be your own.  Or another ACC football fan, even if he or she is from a rival school.

Week 12 Results

If anyone’s been following this particular blog for a while, you might recall that I missed every single pick for Week 10 of last season.  Well, it appears this time I’ve been given a sense of redemption since I got all my picks correct for the week.  Whereas last season was marked by chaos and confusion, this season appears to be more orderly and somewhat predictable.

So, you’re now wondering how well I did.  Well, wonder no more, my friends!

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION

• MIAMI 34, Duke 16
• NORTH CAROLINA 31, Boston College 13
• FLORIDA STATE 29, Maryland 26
• VIRGINIA TECH 38, NC State 10
• CLEMSON 34, Virginia 21

RELATIONALLY IMPERFECT

• None whatsoever!

TOTALS

• This Week: 5 wins, 0 losses
• Overall: 60 wins, 28 losses (68.2% winning percentage)

 

EDITORS NOTE:  Okay, so I had to pick a term that might not be well known on any search engine to categorize my losses (or lack thereof).  So if you’ve Googled that term and ended up here, you’re welcome.

Week 12 Picks

Two more Saturdays left to go, and it appears the road to the ACC Championship is becoming less congested.  Georgia Tech now has the Coastal title, and will take on either Clemson or Boston College in Tampa Bay once the dust finally settles down.  Both teams have games of importance coming up ahead against UVa and UNC respectively.  Should Clemson and BC remain tied at the end of the season, the Tigers will have the inside track to the Atlantic title thanks to their victory over the Eagles in Week 3.

Still, there’s plenty of football left before the season’s over.  Duke and FSU have must-win games coming up in order to be bowl-eligible.  With that in mind, here are my picks this week:

• Duke @ MIAMI
• Maryland @ FLORIDA STATE
• Virginia @ CLEMSON
• NC State @ VIRGINIA TECH

GAME OF THE WEEK – NORTH CAROLINA @ Boston College

Georgia Tech and Wake Forest have the week off.

Worth Noting:

• Talk about friends in high places.  Governor Charlie Crist of Florida is throwing his support behind embattled FSU coach Bobby Bowden.  While I can understand the personal connection behind his support, one has to wonder if he’ll gain anything from a political perspective.  I don’t think we’d see anything like that in North Carolina.  That’s because our governor went to two schools in the  SEC.  Go figure.
• Even though the last two weeks have bee tough for the Blue Devils, they still have plenty to crow about.  Defensive Coordinator Mike MacIntyre was recently named National Assistant Coach of the Year by the AFCA.  He is the main reason their defense has improved as the season went along.  In addition, senior QB Thad Lewis is one of the finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, an honor that appears to have a great deal of respectability.
• Speaking of Thad Lewis,  should he have a good outing against Miami, he will break the school record for career passing yards held by Ben Bennett, who at one time held an NCAA record for most passes attemped and completed, along with total yardage.  Lewis has already met Bennett’s completion mark (820) and surpassed the attempts mark (1,425) and is looking to complete the trifecta on passing.
• Even if Maryland’s season bottoms out as expected, don’t expect Ralph Friedgen to go anywhere, at least not yet.  Turns out he has a rather expensive buyout clause in his contract to the tune of over $4 million.  Since UM is facing their own set of financial woes like the rest of the state, an early release for the Fridge would mean serious cutbacks to a number of non-revenue sports.  Not something the folks there would want to take responsibility for during a recession.  Guess the misery in College Park is likely to remain in place for a while.
• Georgia Tech stands at #7 in the latest BCS Poll.  While that may not seem as significant, the other six teams ahead of them are all unbeaten.  For now, that is.  So not only do the Yellowjackets have to worry about what’s going on in the ACC, but what the Gators, Crimson Tide, Longhorns, Horned Frogs, Bearcats, and Broncos are up to as well.  In any event, what happens with those schools could mean a huge difference between Miami and Pasadena for the Ramblin’ Wreck.  And that’s more mileage than the antique car has racked up during each home game over the years!

Week 11 Results

This past weekend was not as welcoming to the home team this past weekend.  Aside from UNC, the teams that struggled were the ones who reside at or near the bottom of the ACC standings.  Guess Thomas Wolfe was right about his assertion of home not being so sweet after all.

So, how well did I do?  Let’s just say I sort of paid attention to the soothsayers on this one.  As for a theme, I decided to go with Bon Jovi’s “Have A Nice Day“.

WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE

• GEORGIA TECH 49, Duke 10
• CLEMSON 43, NC State 23
• VIRGINIA TECH 36, Maryland 9
• NORTH CAROLINA 33, Miami 24
• BOSTON COLLEGE 14, Virginia 10

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME?

• Florida State 41, WAKE FOREST 28

TOTALS

• This Week – 5 wins, 1 loss
• Overall – 55 wins, 28 losses (66.3% winning percentage)

 

Week 11 Picks

A full slate of conference action marks this weekend in ACC football.  The Coastal race is pretty much Georgia Tech’s to lose at this point, while there is still no clear winner in the Atlantic.  With only three weeks left to go, there’s still time for those teams currently on the bubble (or close to it) to make a late season run and become bowl-eligible.  Or end up staying home for the holidays like Maryland.  Anyway, here are my picks for the week.

• GEORGIA TECH @ Duke
• CLEMSON @ NC State
• VIRGINIA TECH @ Maryland
• Miami @ NORTH CAROLINA
• BOSTON COLLEGE @ Virginia

GAME OF THE WEEK – Florida State @ WAKE FOREST

Everyone’s playing this week!

Worth Noting:

• The situation does not look too good over at UVa.  Just before the Miami game last week,  AD Craig Littlepage told the Associated Press that he will evaluate Al Groh’s future with the football program at the end of the season.   A difficult schedule along with a withering fan base could easily spell out his demise.  The Cavs will need to win out the rest of the way just to keep Al in charge, let alone be considered bowl-eligible.  Considering the fact that he has BC, Clemson, and rival Virginia Tech ahead, Coach Groh’s stay in Charlottesville could be short-lived.
• Wake Forest brings a four-game losing streak to its matchup against a Florida State squad that also finds itself needing to salvage its season.  The Deacs have a tougher road to hoe, since they also will need to win out in order to receive their fourth bowl bid in a row.  At least they’re still trying to remain upbeat even in the rain.
• Georgia Tech is looking to wrap up the Coastal Division title with a win against a Duke team that took quite a beating against UNC last week.  The walking wounded could leave a huge hole on defense against a very strong triple-option that has racked up impressive numbers for the Yellowjackets.
• Should UVa and Wake both fail to win another game and Duke, FSU, and NCSU fall short, there is a contingency plan to fill out any bowl bids that the ACC will miss out on.  Both the EagleBank and GMAC bowls have tie-ins with Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference, and the EagleBank can choose a team from the Big Ten as well.