Week 12 ACC Preview

Week 12

Nov. 13
Virginia Tech at Miami, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Nov. 15
Duke at Clemson, Noon on Raycom
North Carolina at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN
Wake Forest at NC State, 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU
Boston College at Florida State, 8 p.m. on ABC
Bye: Georgia Tech and Virginia

Week 13 holds the key to this conference. There will be six conference games next week, most of which with divisional title implications. The games this week will sort out who controls their own fates.

If you're a fan of chaos, you're rooting for NC State and Boston College.

Virginia Tech (3-2) at Miami (3-2)

If Miami loses, they're done because both the Hokies and Heels will have the tiebreaker over them. Virginia Tech can lose and still have an outside shot, but would need lots of help.

The Hokies played well Thursday, but get a much tougher test this week at Miami. The Canes are on a roll, having won four in a row. However, Tech's defense is better than the previous four the Canes have faced.

Duke (1-4) at Clemson (2-4)

Next.

North Carolina (3-2) at Maryland (3-2)

The loser is in big trouble. The Terps can afford to lose this one more because they already have a tiebreaker over Wake and still face FSU and BC. UNC would have almost no shot at the division title if it were to lose. The Heels would then need Virginia Tech to lose twice. But one of those losses would likely come at the hands of Miami, which would then be a game ahead of UNC.

The Heels' defense is playing outstanding and they have a ground game that should be able to do to Maryland what Tech's ground game did.

Wake Forest (4-2) at NC State (1-4)

The Pack will look to play spoiler against a Deac team that isn't very impressive on paper, but does what it needs to win.

If Wake plays solid defense and gets its typical game management out of Skinner, it will win convincingly. But the Pack is playing better each week and finally got their first conference win against Duke.

A win by the Deacs and they go into next week's game with BC with a chance to almost wrap up the division. They would just need a loss from Maryland in one of the Terps final three conference games to go to Tampa if they win out.

Boston College (2-3) at Florida State (4-2)

The situation is simple for BC: Win and you're in.

The Eagles are about to run the gauntlet against the other Atlantic contenders. They face FSU, Wake and Maryland in the last three weeks. Because of tiebreakers, they go to Tampa is they win out. That's plenty to be motivated about.

However, they're about to go on the road against an FSU team that is playing well and has a defense capable of creating and capitalizing on Chris Crane mistakes. Yes, BC has an excellent defense, but FSU's isn't bad and is the type of defense that can bring out the worst in Crane.