Three Impact Games in the ACC Coastal: Week 10

Rivalries are an important facet of life. They can be found everywhere, from the business world to the music world to even the world of literature. A good rival is often perceived as a villain by the other. One of the best examples of this can be found in comics. I like the way this one author put it:

"“The quality of a villain can make or break a comic book, and in that matter make or break a superhero. Bad villains are easily defeated and are boring at best. Good villains push the superhero; they make the reader wonder how the hero is going to succeed. Batman would never have been as successful without the Joker. Superman would have flopped immediately without the genius of Lex Luthor. Villains are necessary, because superheroes have too much power to just beat up gangsters. They need to be matched completely for the reader to finally connect with the hero, and in some cases the hero needs to be beaten to show that the villain truly is a worthy match.”The Book of Hezekiah: What isn’t in the Bible By Brandon K Griffin"

Yes I am the author of said book. I know shameless plug. However, the point remains. Rivals are needed to succeed. There are also no greater rivalries than the ones formed within the confines of a field of play.

I have mentioned before that I am a 49ers fan. I grew up hating the Cowboys, then the Packers, and now the only team I want to see lose is that bunch of jerks from Seattle. In all sports there are fans, and to a lesser degree teams, that can’t stand each other. Celtics fans hate Laker fans, Yankees fans despise Red Sox fans, and Packers fans ridicule Bears fans.

Oct 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams (12) reacts as he leaves the field after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field. The Tar Heels won 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The rivalries get more heated when they reach the college level. Whether it is between people who went to those schools or just grew up loving them, the rivalries there run deep and often do influence the players as well. Michigan/Ohio State can get a good coach fired. Alabama/Auburn can get someone killed. Then there is Duke/Carolina that is by far one of the greatest of all time. It is also a rivalry that takes place this weekend, not only for the Victory Bell but most likely for the Coastal Division Crown.

However, before I get into that, I mentioned in my power rankings how the polls didn’t matter — all that mattered was Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff Ranks. Well I was right as the Heels moved from 21 in the AP Polls to being unranked for the 9^th straight week. The lack of respect continues, so with that in mind it is time for the three impact games in the ACC Coastal, starting with the one that has the most riding on it:

Duke at North Carolina (Saturday Nov 7^th @ 12pm)

Last season one team was riding high with a second Coastal Crown in sight. The other was trying to claw their way into bowl eligibility. The latter came away with their most dominating game of the season. That was of course UNC who found a way to beat the Blue Devils despite being the lesser team for most of the season. For the first time, this game pretty much has the Coastal on the line. What has been a staple for the Hardwood finally has come to the Gridiron. Will this be a game or a blow out?

North Carolina Tar Heels /

North Carolina Tar Heels

Things going for the Blue Devils: Last week’s game is definitely a start. Duke thought they had that game won and still feel as though the refs stole it from them. That is motivation that the team didn’t need. Why? Last year’s game is another thing going for them. Not only did UNC win in Durham, convincingly, they followed that up by wrecking the Blue Devil’s visiting locker room. Plus Thomas Sirk is coming into his own as a running bulldozer of a QB. Carolina has struggled against those kind of QBs all season. Last week they gave up 41 rushing yds to the Pitt QB who had 70 rushing yds combined in the 6 games prior.

Things going for the Tar Heels: In the first half against Pitt, UNC looked unstoppable. They held the Panthers to 3 points while putting up 20 points on 4 consecutive scoring drives. Elijah Hood should’ve had his third consecutive 100 yard game (a late TFL knocked him under) and Marquise Williams threw for over 270 yards and no picks. Also while Duke’s vaunted D has faltered a little of late (they have given up 73 points in the last two weeks), UNC’s defense has held 7 of their 8 opponents to under 20 points for the season. They also gathered 5 sacks against a decent Pitt line this past Thursday night.

Oct 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) reacts after scoring on a thirty-two yard touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

This game scares me. Not only did last year happen, but so did last week. Duke has extra motivation in a game there is already plenty of motivation for either side. Fedora is 1-2 against Duke and, with the exception of last year, two of those games came down to the last drive with Duke winning both by a combined total of 5 points. A close game favors the team with the better defense and special teams and that unfortunately is not the Tar Heels. However, as long as bad Williams keeps to himself and the coaching staff doesn’t play not to lose (like they did in the 2^ndhalf against Pitt), Carolina has a real chance to finally play in Charlotte the first week of December.

Virginia at Miami (Saturday Nov 7^th @ 3pm)

Both are coming off their second ACC wins of the season. Virginia is coming off a close win against Georgia Tech. Miami is coming off a miracle win against Duke. Which team can keep the magic going to not only get their 3^rd ACC win but keep their bowl hopes alive?

Things going for the Cavaliers: Virginia, after winning once in their first 5 games, has won 2 out of their last 3. RB Taquan Mizzell is almost unstoppable and if you lose track of him, he will burn you not just on the ground but in the receiving game as well. Miami gave up 128 yards to the Duke running committee last week. Plus there is no word yet on who will start at QB for the Canes and Miami just isn’t the same through the air with Kaaya on the bench.

Things going for the Hurricanes: Despite the miracle, Miami completely outplayed the Blue Devils in Durham with a backup QB and an interim coach. They held the ball longer and led the game from the 12 minute mark of the second quarter taking an early 7-0 lead and held that lead until Thomas Sirk “scored” with 6 seconds remaining. They did this despite giving up a turnover on the opening kickoff, being called for an ACC record 23 penalties, and being out gained and out downed by the Blue Devils.

Everything I said last week about Virginia’s chances against Georgia Tech applies here except that the game is at Miami. Miami absolutely dominated Duke for all but 6 seconds and still needed a miracle to pull off the victory. Virginia has played good football these past four weeks including giving UNC and Pitt a scare both on the road. A Miami let down would not shock me with the culture the way it is there so it is possible Mike London keeps his season and his future alive for another week.

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Saturday Oct 7^th @ 12pm)

Pittsburgh is coming off a tale of two halves. In the first half they got completely outplayed, despite owning the clock, and trailed 20-3 at home to Carolina. In the second half they did the outplaying and almost made a miracle comeback outscoring the potent Heels 16-6. Notre Dame is coming off a tough win against Temple where they needed a late score followed by a late interception to keep the previously undefeated Owls at bay. A win for the Irish keeps their playoff hopes alive, whereas a win by Pitt might increase Notre Dame’s desire to join the ACC in football as well.

Oct 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams (12) and Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Tyler Boyd (23) pose for a photo after their game at Heinz Field. The Tar Heels won 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Things going for the Panthers: WR Tyler Boyd is a beast. I know I say that every week, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Against the Heels he was almost unstoppable. He caught 10 passes for 83 yards, including one amazing catch where he grabbed the ball and kept his foot inbounds all within the matter of a split second. I honestly believe that the reason Pitt’s drives kept stalling was because they went away from getting number 23 the ball. In their 3 road games Notre Dame has given up 561 receiving yards and 5 TDs. The Irish have also struggled on the road this year going 2-1 with their two wins coming by a combined 11 points.

Things going against the Panthers: In the 6 games QB DeShone Kizer has started since taking over for an injured Malik Zaire, he has thrown for an average of 263 yards a game with 9 TDs. He has also rushed for 306 yards in those games and another 5 TDs. Last week Pitt gave up 332 all-purpose yards and 2 TDs to Carolina QB Marquise Williams. Also even though Pitt brags that their two losses have come by a combined 10 points to two teams that are 15-1, Notre Dame’s only loss came on the road by 2 to an undefeated Clemson team ranked number one in the CFP.

There are two teams Carolina wants to win out the rest of the season. One is the Tar Heels themselves. If Carolina loses another game this season any slim playoff hopes are officially extinguished. The other is a Pitt team they just beat last week. A 10-2 Pitt would have wins against Notre Dame, Duke and Louisville. That would only raise the Heels win in the eyes of the committee and give the Heels a chance. If they could win the ACC particularly beating an undefeated and number 1 ranked Clemson team, a win against a Pitt team like that would give Carolina a real chance at a Cinderella playoff berth. Pittsburgh has the defense to get the job done, the question is do they have the offense? If they do, Pitt might not only kill the Irish’s playoff dreams but further improve the Heels.

One to keep an eye on: Florida State at Clemson (Saturday Oct 7^th @ 3:30pm)