ACC Football: Three Impact Coastal Division Games in Week 9
Which ACC Football Coastal Division games are the biggest of the weekend?
Can you believe it’s Thursday already? The college football season enters Week 9 with some interesting matchups.
The first College Football Playoff poll will be released next week so it’s sort of a big deal for teams this week.
UNC is on a bye after winning their second-straight game, but that doesn’t mean they wont be affected by some of the ACC games. There’s a big one on Thursday night which could go a long way into determining the winner of the Coastal Division.
Let’s delve into the top ACC football games in the Coastal division this week.
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh (Thursday Oct 27th @ 7:00 pm)
For the second straight week, the Thursday night game takes the top spot. Also for the second straight week, Virginia Tech will be playing a massive Coastal foe for control of the division. Which team can get the win and keep themselves in line for a Coastal Crown?
Things going for the Hokies: The Pitt pass defense. The Pitt pass defense still ranks number 122 out of 128 in passing yards allowed per game. It is the fourth worst amongst Power five schools. Two of the schools that trail it are Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Those two schools just gave up 1279 combined yards in their last game. Virginia Tech has a good QB who can throw and a coach who likes to throw. Jerod Evans will look to exploit the Pitt pass defense with his tall receivers Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges.
Things going for the Panthers: Home Field. Pitt is 4-0 at home this season. Pitt is also coming off a bye. Having an extra week to prepare can be huge for a team. Just ask the Hokies about the Carolina game. There is also the aforementioned James Conner. He doesn’t like to fumble and drives the Pitt offense. He is a rock.
I feel like I was just here last week typing a similar paragraph. Oh wait I was. Last week it was Virginia Tech and Miami. This week it’s Pitt instead of the Canes. This again is what is known as Coastal Chaos. The winner puts themselves in great position to win the Coastal. The loser falls into a tough hole to escape from. Pitt is better at home. Both teams are stout against the run. If the Panthers can keep the Hokies off the scoreboard and control the ball, they have a great chance to pull the upset.
Duke at Georgia Tech (Saturday Oct 29th @ 12:00 pm)
Both teams are coming off bye weeks. Both teams need a win to stay alive in a chase for a bowl game. Which team musters up enough to get a divisional win?
Things going for the Blue Devils: Jela Duncan. The Blue Devil’s running back seems to be the key to their season. When he rushes good, the Devils win. When he doesn’t they tend to lose.
Things going for the Yellow Jackets: Cutcliffe’s rant. After losing to Miami last season, Duke lost three of their last four to end the season. Why do I bring this up? Cutcliffe complained about the officiating after the Miami game and his team never rebounded. The last game the Devils played in Cutcliffe complained about the rule book after a loss. Will his team recover this time?
Duke really needs this game more than the Jackets. A loss by the Blue Devils drops them to 3-5 on the season making reaching a bowl highly unlikely. A loss for Georgia Tech doesn’t doom their season, but a win makes turning their season around that much easier. The team that runs the ball best looks to have the best chance of winning this game.
Louisville at Virginia (Saturday Oct 29th @ 12:00 pm)
One team has won two straight and is marching toward a new year six bowl. The other team has lost two straight and is marching toward missing a bowl for the straight season. Can Virginia avoid losing a third straight at home or is Louisville just unstoppable right now?
Things going for the Cavaliers: Home field. The last time the Cardinals lost was on the road at Clemson. The best thing going for Virginia is that they are at home this weekend and not in Louisville.
Things going against the Cavaliers: Lamar Jackson. I am sure I have mentioned this before, but
there is a reason he is the front runner for the Heisman. The Sophomore QB leads the nation in rushing TDs, total TDs, and has the current longest streak of a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown in the same game. The Cavs rank 71st against the run and 113th against the pass. Lamar Jackson may be licking his chops as we speak.
Virginia has lost two straight games and is fading fast. Louisville is trying to prove that they are one of the four best teams in the country. Trap game could be in effect here, except Louisville is playing Boston College the following week and has Lamar Jackson. If this game is closer than three touchdowns it is a moral victory for the Cavaliers.
One to keep an eye on: Miami at Notre Dame (Saturday Oct 29th @ 3:30 pm)
In the 90’s this would’ve been the game of the week. Now it is a battle of two squads trying to right a sinking ship. After starting the season in the Top 10, Notre Dame has only won two games this season, against Syracuse and Nevada. After starting the season 4-0 and making it into the top 10, Miami has lost three straight. Both teams need a win. Both teams need to turn their season around.
The only other Coastal team is North Carolina who gets a bye this week. So that is seven teams and with that let’s get going with another amazing week of ACC football in the Coastal Division.