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.

Bowl Game Picks

Well, the bowl season is upon us.  Even with the additional bowl-tie in this season, the ACC will bring in a record ten teams overall to bowl games spanning across the nation.    The excitement begins with the EagleBank Bowl in DC, featuring a rematch of the Deacons and Midshipmen from earlier this season, and ends with the Orange Bowl in Miami in a conference champions clash for ACC Champ Virginia Tech and Big East Champ Cincinnati.

Will this finally be the year the BCS curse is broken?  Who knows?  All I can say is that it is now time for my postseason picks:

• EagleBank Bowl – Wake Forest vs. NAVY
• Meineke Car Care Bowl – NORTH CAROLINA vs. West Virginia
• Champs Sports Bowl – FLORIDA STATE vs. Wisconsin
• Emerald Bowl – Miami @ CALIFORNIA
• PapaJohns.com Bowl – N.C. State vs. RUTGERS
• Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – NEVADA vs. Maryland
• Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl sponsored by Bridgestone – Vanderbilt vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
• Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Louisiana State vs. GEORGIA TECH
• KonicaMinolta Gator Bowl – Clemson vs. NEBRASKA
• FedEx Orange Bowl – CINCINNATI vs. Virginia Tech