ACC Update

Whether the ACC is truly Florida State and a bunch of other teams--as the media seems to spin it--will be played out this fall. In the interim the games have to be played so let's go. North Carolina State, with Florida State transfer QB Jacoby Brissett having already cracked the 1,000 yard mark with 1,005 yards plus a 10-1 TD-INT ratio, is surprisingly 4-0 but that comes with a caveat. Well two. They deserved to lose at least one game earlier this year and they host FSU this weekend. The Wolfpack used to be the occasional thorn in the side of the Seminoles back in the Chuck Amato days but that won't help them now. The Noles are entering a three-game stretch (State, Wake, Syracuse) that will test their focus and while Brissett will be inspired to play well against his former team, the visitors will seek to prove that they are as good as last year. And yes I just wrote about FSU without mentioning their QB. Another undefeated team with an intriguing match-up is Duke, which begins a gauntlet of four conferences road games over their next five contests with a trip to Miami. While the Canes have been underachieving they can get their season straightened out with a win over a team they once owned. The Blue Devils need to begin to claim the Coastal Division as their own and to do so they need to continue to showcase a balanced offense, led by senior QB Anthony Boone, and improve on a weak run defense. The Canes may be hard-pressed to exploit that weakness as poor line play has prevented them from running the ball consistently. But back Duke Johnson, who missed last year's game with an injury, will be looking to break out and the Blue Devils will be hard-pressed to fully contain him. I am looking at the over. A game that was supposed to be intriguing in August, UNC at Clemson is now a survivor game as the loser will be tagged as a disappointment. Another team looking to bounce back after a tough weekend is Syracuse, who draws Notre Dame in New Jersey. An Orange win would be nice for the ACC but the Irish are coming off a bye. Both programs need to make a statement in talent-rich New Jersey.