Maryland (1-0): Uniforms aside, Maryland’s Monday night triumph over Miami has benefits all over the place. Danny O’Brien and the Terps will take a week’s rest before hosting West Virginia in a critical nonconference match up. Last Week: Maryland 32, Miami 24 This Week: Idle Clemson (1-0): Tajh Boyd’s dynamic second half play in last week’s romp over Troy only means one thing: the Tigers will need to stay in rhythm against Wofford before starting on a daunting row of games, including key contests against Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. Last Week: Clemson 43, Troy 19 This Week: vs. Wofford (3:30 p.m.) #5 Florida State (1-0): FSU prepares for a monster match up with Oklahoma by playing the easiest team on its schedule, Charleston Southern. Electrifying wide out and kick returner Greg Reid is out for the game, but the ‘Noles won’t have any difficulty running over a Buccaneer team who lost 62-0 at UCF last weekend. Last Week: FSU 34, Louisiana-Monroe 0 This Week: vs. Charleston Southern (6 p.m.) N.C. State (1-0): With an Atlantic division match up starting the Pack’s ACC schedule, a solid road win would restore much of the confidence fans lost in a sloppy opening week win versus Liberty. If Earl Wolff and company can reverse last week’s performance and clamp down on the intermediate passing game, State will be tough to take down. Last Week: N.C. State 43, Liberty 21 This Week: @ Wake Forest (3:30 p.m.) Boston College (0-1): Chase Rettig’s 375 passing yards gives BC hope for the future, but the future needs to arrive fast. Conference-USA’s defending champion, UCF, will be favored by a touchdown down in Orlando, and Boston College still has to finish its schedule with six teams who played in bowl games last season. Last Week: Northwestern 24, Boston College 17 This Week: @ Central Florida (8 p.m.) Wake Forest (0-1): After a heartbreaking loss to Syracuse, Wake desperately needs a win versus State to keep postseason hopes alive. Road tests at Boston College, UNC, and Clemson await, and that doesn’t even begin to mention home bouts with No. 5 Florida State, No. 11 Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Maryland. Last Week: Syracuse 36, Wake Forest 29 (OT) This Week: vs. N.C. State (3:30 p.m.) Georgia Tech (1-0): They may just be the last team anyone expects to lead the country in passing efficiency, but after one week that is precisely the case. The Jackets passed for the most yards (365) in one game since Paul Johnson took the helm three years ago. The Rambling Wreck will head out to Middle Tennessee this weekend as a large favorite, but this time around last season’s top rushing unit should be the main reason for victory. Last Week: Georgia Tech 63, Western Carolina 21 This Week: @Middle Tennessee State (7 p.m.) North Carolina (1-0): Quarterback Bryn Renner and running back Giovani Bernard had UNC’s offense firing on all cylinders against James Madison, but Rutgers should offer a stiffer challenge. The Heels’ ACC opener will be next weekend when they host Virginia. Last Week: North Carolina 42, James Madison 10 This Week: vs. Rutgers (12:30 p.m.) Virginia (1-0): With last Saturday’s mission complete, UVA will continue to stay focused on the six win mark in Bloomington, Indiana. The Hoosiers are coming off of a bad loss to Ball State, but will try to represent the Big 10 well by forcing Cavs’ quarterback Michael Rocco into some poor decisions. Last Week: Virginia 40, William&Mary 3 This Week: @ Indiana (7 p.m.) #11 Virginia Tech (1-0): After making easy work of App State, the Hokies will travel to Greenville for a classic trap game at ECU. Quarterback Logan Thomas and star running back David Wilson are the reason Virginia Tech has national championship aspirations, but Dominique Davis’ passing ability could dash those hopes if Tech comes out flat. Last Week: Virginia Tech 66, Appalachian State 13 This Week: @ East Carolina (3:30 p.m.) Duke (0-1): In yet another nightmare, Duke dropped its opener to the Richmond Spiders. With the debacle behind them, Heisman Trophy front-runner Andrew Luck comes to Durham with the rest of his No. 6 Cardinal. To say bowl hopes are on life support would be a major understatement for a program with 22 wins in the past 10 seasons. Last Week: Richmond 23, Duke 21 This Week: vs. #6 Stanford (3:30 p.m.) Miami (0-1): Rocked by scandal over the off-season, the Hurricanes’ debut in College Park wasn’t expected to go smoothly. Going back-and-forth in the rain, Al Golden watched his team come up just short of pulling off the type of win that would stamp a whole different tone on the season. With a bye week and then Ohio State looming, Miami will have a chance to regroup both physically and emotionally. Last Week: Maryland 32, Miami 24 This Week: Idle
Technician’s ACC Roundup
By Sean Fairholm
Deputy Sports Editor
Deputy Sports Editor
September 7, 2011