As we head into the penultimate week of the common season, Saturday’s evening slate will function an ACC tilt with main implications on who will get to play for the convention title and a spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
In fact, it’s all a moot level. The ACC title was, after all, determined two weeks in the past when Clemson knocked off Florida State 24-10, settling the rating between two of the one three groups that matter within the ACC. As everyone knows, the ACC is barely good when Clemson, FSU, and Miami are good (why does Miami nonetheless get included on this sentiment? yeah wonderful they’ve been much less [Steely Dan]ty than the opposite two in 2025, however why do we have to faux to care a couple of group that has fewer ACC title sport appearances than each GT and Pitt and has scored as many touchdowns in ACC title sport because the Rhode Island Faculty of Design?), so there actually isn’t a lot level in taking part in out the remainder of the slate. We already know who the 2 finest groups within the ACC are: Clemson and Miami, the one two groups that have been in a position to beat FSU*.
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* phrases and situations apply; the opposite eight ACC groups to beat FSU over the previous two years solely did so as a result of FSU wasn’t motivated for the video games… most likely
Don’t pay shut consideration to the 5-5 subsequent to both Clemson or FSU within the present standings. Certainly that simply means they’re tied for the #5 rating in each polls. And each of them are taking part in for a postseason berth this weekend. That’s the signal of an ideal group, proper? Making the postseason? (Don’t thoughts me over right here—simply attempting to manifest a Birmingham Bowl between Clemson and LSU.)
Whereas the titans of the ACC have their little, umm, journey within the nook, the remainder of us have discovered some enjoyment on this classic ACC season. There’s one thing comforting about returning to the outdated custom of getting into late November with roughly 69 doable completely different title sport eventualities nonetheless on the desk, as we enter Week 13 with 4 one-loss groups and a pair others technically nonetheless within the combine with two losses.
After Saturday, there’ll be at the very least one fewer one-loss group. It’s doable that’s the Jackets, who at this stage appear intent on seeing how far a group can go by pairing one of the crucial enjoyable offenses within the nation with the actually modern defensive technique of merely ready for the opposing QB to finish a move with out attempting to cease him. In principle it’s not too completely different from how the 2009 Tech group tried to play protection down the stretch, though that group at the very least had Morgan Burnett roaming the secondary and Derrick Morgan registering the occasional sack.
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But it surely’s additionally doable that it’s Pitt. The Panthers turned a nook after making a QB change and putting in freshman Mason Heintschel, who led them to 5 straight wins with 30+ factors earlier than they ran right into a Notre Dame-shaped brick wall final week. However they’re nonetheless coached by Pat Narduzzi, who has change into the third-most tenured coach within the ACC—a outstanding feat on condition that just about no one likes the man. We’re not that far faraway from the 2021 offseason, when Narduzzi pushed out the offensive coordinator who led them to the country’s third-best scoring offense, saying he was aggravated at Mark Whipple’s refusal to run the ball.
Narduzzi made waves per week in the past when he stated that he’d be wonderful giving up 100 factors to Notre Dame so long as they gained their two remaining ACC video games. A doable interpretation is that they have been waiting for their video games towards Tech and Miami, selecting to disregard the top-10 opponent straight of their path, and that’s why they bought bludgeoned in a 22-point loss. One other interpretation is that Narduzzi can’t learn the room and didn’t appear to understand that his fanbase (and group?) wouldn’t be inquisitive about phoning it in towards a serious opponent, and doubly so with Faculty Gameday on campus.
So in the end it comes right down to a sport that (very similar to the query of who may really win this convention) appears like a coin flip. If Tech falls, it’d be a disappointing stumble within the late levels of the group’s most profitable season in at the very least 9 years, however that truth will nonetheless stay true. Nonetheless, the far funnier end result is Pitt falling, as a result of regardless of them being ranked in the course of November this season, it might go away open the opportunity of them matching their 2024 season by ending 7-6.
Both manner, there’s one certainty this week: it’s time to take a cue from our West Virginia brethren on find out how to prolong good ol’ southern hospitality to Pitt this weekend.
