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Friedlander: 5 questions to ponder before kickoff of Week 13 in ACC football
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The fix is in.
And there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
At least this year, the College Football Playoff Committee didn’t wait until the final poll to tip its hand by leapfrogging Alabama ahead of the ACC’s top-rated team. And by keeping SMU safely out of realistic contention for an at-large bid.
No matter what happens over the final 2 weeks of the regular season, the ACC is getting only 1 team into the expanded field.
So dial back the outrage. Stop wasting your time by posting blind resumes that compare SMU favorably to teams ranked above it in this week’s poll on social media. Don’t fret over margins of victory or style points.
As long as the 8th-ranked Hurricanes and 13th-ranked Mustangs continue winning, they’ll face off against each other in Charlotte on Dec. 7 in a winner-take-all showdown for both the conference championship and a spot in the Playoff bracket. Both are heavy favorites Saturday, with Miami playing Wake Forest at home and SMU traveling to Virginia.
While we wait to see if they’re able to hold up to the pressure and take care of business, along with the rest of the games on the ACC’s Week 13 schedule, here are 5 questions to ponder before kickoff:
5. Has Florida State finally found an opponent it can beat?
Forget Miami, Forget SMU. You want to talk about a must-win situation? Look no further than Tallahassee. As bad as things already are for 1-9 Florida State, things could still get exponentially worse for the Seminoles – and especially coach Mike Norvell – if they don’t beat Charleston Southern on Saturday. The Buccaneers aren’t just an FCS team. They’re a 1-10 FCS team with losses to the likes of Lindenwood, Gardner-Webb and Tennessee State. And it’s not a sure thing that FSU will beat them, despite being a 33.5-point favorite.
For starters, the teams are remarkably similar in terms of their statistical profiles. Obviously, their level of competition plays a role in the numbers. But Charleston Southern is actually averaging more points (15.0-13.3) and yards per game (267.4-258.9) while the Seminoles’ 18 turnovers are only 1 fewer than the 17 times the Buccaneers have coughed it up. The biggest difference could turn out to be motivation. While Charleston Southern can make its entire season along with some history by upsetting an FBS opponent, FSU is simply playing out the string and could be ready to pack it in. Especially if things don’t go well early.
4. Where does ‘The Big Game’ rank among ACC rivalry games?
Rivalries aren’t just played on the field. In the best of them, the most intense competition is often contested among fans of the opposing teams. Just a quick glance at the back-and-forth on social media over the past few days should tell you all you need to know about Saturday’s matchup between Bay Area neighbors Stanford and Cal. And why their annual showdown is known simply as “The Big Game.” This year’s renewal will feature more than just bragging rights on the line. For the Bears, it’s an opportunity to earn bowl eligibility. For the Cardinal, it’s a chance to finally build some positive momentum after last week’s walk-off win against Louisville.
It’s a shame the ACC didn’t see fit to schedule the battle for the Stanford Axe with its other rivalries on the final week of the regular season. Because while those in the ACC’s traditional footprint might not know much about Cal-Stanford other than the 1982 “Band on the Field” game, it’s just as old as Georgia Tech-Georgia, as intense as Clemson-South Carolina and as competitive as Florida State-Florida.
And while the programs don’t share the same area code — like UNC, Duke and NC State do — they are just 40 miles apart.
Cal has won 3 straight in the series, too. The Bears haven’t won 4 straight since the Aaron Rodgers/Marshawn Lynch stretch that produced 6 consecutive wins in the early 2000s.
3. Which 5-win team stands the best chance of earning bowl eligibility?
Cal isn’t the only team chasing bowl eligibility on Saturday. Boston College, Virginia and Virginia Tech can also qualify for the postseason by reaching the 6-win mark on Saturday. None of them have it easy. The Bears figure to have the best shot at accomplishing the goal at home. And yet, as we all know, anything can happen in a rivalry game. Especially with Cal coming off a loss to Syracuse last week and Stanford determined to play the role of spoiler.
As for the others, BC and its new quarterback Grayson James are facing a rejuvenated North Carolina team playing its best football of the season. Virginia has the unenviable task of taking an SMU team looking to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game and score points with the Playoff Committee. Both the Eagles and Cavaliers are underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Tech, on the other hand, is a 3.5-point favorite at Duke after getting a week off to get healthy and regroup after 2 straight losses. But against a Blue Devils defense that’s allowing the 2nd-fewest points in the league, nothing is guaranteed.
Just ask NC State, which fell only a few inches short of its sixth win Thursday night at Georgia Tech when a potential game-winning 58-yard field goal sailed just outside the goalpost as time expired.
2. How big a surprise is it that Mack Brown plans to return in 2025?
Six weeks ago, it was only a matter of when, not if Mack Brown would announce his retirement and step down as North Carolina’s coach. His team was reeling on the field and off. Not only were the Tar Heels in the throes of a 4-game losing streak punctuated by a final-minute meltdown against Georgia Tech, but they were also forced to deal with the emotional burden of losing teammate Tylee Craft to cancer.
But thanks to Brown’s leadership, experience and grandfatherly presence, his team has staged a remarkable comeback. UNC has won 3 straight, clinched bowl eligibility and on Wednesday, the 73-year-old announced his decision to return to the sideline in 2025. As a Hall of Famer and the winningest coach in program history, Brown has earned the right to determine his own future. Given the current circumstances, his decision is hardly a surprise. Even though it would have been not that long ago.
1. Which ACC frontrunner is more vulnerable to an upset?
Considering the way Miami and SMU have been playing, the Hurricanes would seem the more likely candidate to be on upset watch after seeing their hopes for an undefeated season end 2 weeks ago at Georgia Tech. But thanks to a couple of scheduling breaks a second, more damaging loss doesn’t seem likely. Not only did Mario Cristobal’s team benefit from a well-timed open date to help get over the loss to the Yellow Jackets, their opponent on Saturday – Wake Forest – has allowed the second-most points in the ACC. Just the kind of defense Cam Ward needs to kickstart his Heisman candidacy back into high gear.
Virginia, by contrast, stands at least a puncher’s chance against SMU if quarterback Anthony Colandrea can avoid turning the ball over. And they’ll also have the incentive of playing for bowl eligibility, something they haven’t achieved in coach Tony Elliott’s 2 previous seasons. But the Mustangs have plenty of motivation, too. As well as some pressure. With a win, they’ll cap a successful debut season in the ACC by clinching their spot in the conference championship game.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
