Weekend Viewing Guide

This is separation Saturday in many ways for the conference. BC, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Florida State and Georgia Tech have big games that will determine their status in the conference. Nothing will be settled, but a few teams will be much further away from the goal after tomorrow, while a few others will take a big step toward their goal.

The sexy games this week bookend the day. We start out with a big game in Blacksburg that will tell us a lot about both teams. Is Boston College for real or are they what we thought they were to start the season? Are the Hokies a legitimate top-10 team and maybe a dark horse to sneak into the BCS title game? We’ll get the answer to both by mid-afternoon tomorrow.

The night cap is the other sexy game. This is mostly due to the drama around Bobby Bowden. The old man is nearing the end and everyone knows it. The big money guys would like to see it come sooner rather than later. How will the team respond and how will the fans respond? Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is playing for a shot at the title and they are a tough team to defend for a young defense. Throw in an excess of emotion and they are real trouble.

Boston College @ Virginia Tech: This one is a game of answers. We will find out if BC is as good as their record would indicate. We will also find out if the Hokies are as good as their ranking would indicate. There are enough questions about both teams to make this one interesting. Throw in the history and the location and it makes for potentially great TV.

TV: Raycom & Game Plan

Pick: This one feels like the Miami – VT game two weeks ago. The Hokies win big.

Georgia Southern @ North Carolina: A couple of weeks ago and this one would have no interest. After two horrible performances, UNC has to look at this as a must win game. That’s what makes this game interesting. UNC needs to win this one and win big. The question is whether they have it within them to regroup and refocus against a non-descript opponent.

TV: ESPN360

Pick: Butch is Butch and that means putting up half a hundred against a bad team.

Indiana @ Virginia: Has Virginia turned a corner or did they just catch a break last week? It is tough to say, but Indiana is not a push over and they have plenty of motivation. Both teams need a win and both teams are struggling with confidence. From a fan’s point of view, both teams can score a lot of points and that makes this a potentially fun game to watch.

TV: ESPN360

Pick: Virginia continues to improve and Indiana has yet to beat a decent team. The Hoos win at home.

Duke @ NC State: On paper, this one should be a blow out. Duke is not good and NC State is supposed to be really good. History says an O’Brien coached team coughs up a hair ball at least once during the season. Maybe last week was the hair ball, but Wake is not a bad team. This one has the feel of an upset special. On the other hand, O’Brien coached teams tend to avoid losing when it is suspected

TV: ESPNU

Pick: Duke will put up a fight, but NC State wins this one close.

Maryland @ Wake Forest: The Terps beat a team wearing the uniforms of a good team last week. The fact is that team wearing the uniforms beat themselves and gave Maryland the win. The question that will be answered in this one is if the Terps improved last week or just got lucky. Wake, on the other hand, is playing for something and is not going to overlook anyone now. This could be a good game or a blowout in favor of Wake.

TV: ESPN360

Pick: Wake Forest will not give away anything and they have plenty of motivation. The Deacs win by two scores.

Florida A&M @ Miami: How in the world did this one sneak into the schedule? Miami is a quality FBS team and they will have no trouble handling these guys. The only reason to watch this one is if you have nothing better to do and you are a hard core Canes fan.

TV: ESPN360

Pick: Miami wins by a bunch.

Georgia Tech @ Florida State: This is the game of the week in many respects. On the one hand we have the drama at Florida State with Bobby Bowden. The vultures are circling and many of them are influential alumni. If those players have any heart, they will rally to their coach and play their hearts out this week. On the other side we have Georgia Tech that is aiming for a division title. They are the sort of team that can kill a team playing on raw emotion.

TV: ESPN2

Pick: The Seminoles are better than they have played this year. They rally and win a big one at home.