Around the Conference Table: ACC College Football 2025 - Week 9

Presented by Headlands On Campus

Welcome back to Season 2 of Cal in the ACC. Let’s take a look at what our neighbors on the East Coast are doing.

Syracuse at 7 Georgia Tech (Georgia Tech wins 41-16)

Piotr T Le - Fran Brown’s down season but not really, hard to win with that schedule without your star QB. Question is if he stays at Cuse or goes somewhere else? He’ll be in demand...

Also HAAAAAAAYNESSSSS KAAAAANNNG BABY.

Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores) - Georgia Tech looking solid. Can’t get caught looking ahead, but there’s a path here potentially for a 4 seed with some luck and a win over Georgia.

@RexVolcano - *Gritting my teeth so hard I crack a molar* How about Georgia Tech, huh? Love to see a surprise ACC team with a favorable schedule catch lightning in a bottle. Good for them! *passes out*

TD_24 - Super impressed with how consistent Georgia Tech has continued to be over the course of the year. Just a no nonsense team led by one of the best stories in Haynes King.

Nick Kranz - We’re in a strange situation where it looks like Pitt is the biggest obstacle between Georgia Tech and an ACC title game appearance.

Jesse Miller-Gordon - I think it’s time to talk to your kids about Georgia Tech. Haynes King risks his life every game and it keeps paying off. What if?

Stanford at 9 Miami (Stanford loses 7-42)

Piotr T Le - Stanford had 1 drive of joy,1 half of hope, and then were crushed by the Canes who remembered who they are.

Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores) - And Stanford comes back down to earth. Gulbranson is the QB he’s been all season.

@RexVolcano - Miami didn’t look like a better-coached team than Stanford, and Stanford kept this alarmingly competitive until halftime. They were talking specifically about Malachi Toney and Reuben Bain Jr. when they said that Jimmys and Joes matter more than X’s and O’s.

TD_24 - Ok, this score is actually weird. Mario Cristobal was Stanford’ing again and actually had the Canes behind with 1 minute left to the half. Then Miami woke up.

Big Game is more ominous though.

Nick Kranz - Stanford gained 69 yards and scored 7 points on their first drive of the game, then gained 75 yards and scored zero points on the 31 plays they ran the rest of the way. 30 of those yards came on a 4th quarter garbage time drive after Stanford benched QB Ben Gulbranson, so there’s a situation to monitor as we head closer to Big Game.

16 Virginia at North Carolina (Virginia wins 17-16 OT)

Piotr T Le - UNC is getting better but man bad look for UVa to have this game come this close. I don’t think they were overlooking UNC on our account but man. Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores)This was the most shocking one to catch replay of. Bill Belichick’s faustian bargain for Patriots success continues to come due.

@RexVolcano - Am I crazy, or is Virginia the most 2017 Washington State team we’ve played since 2017 Washington State? Kinda afraid to find out the answer.

TD_24 - Virginia has flirted with losing a lot in recent weeks. UNC made the call to go for 2 and lost by inches, but UVA has a grittiness and will to win that’s impressive. Should monitor Chandler Morris’s status, he was beat up in this game.

Nick Kranz - Cal’s primary hope against Virginia is that the Cavalier offense looked really bad behind a still-hurt Chandler Morris, who was completely ineffective as a runner and, in this game at least, was a check down artist as a passer. If he’s not 100% next week, Cal’s chances of pulling the upset rise.

Jesse Miller-Gordon - Nice to see someone else have the fucked up near miss that we did. What if we’re the trap game? What if?

Boston College at 19 Louisville (Louisville wins 38-24)

Piotr T Le - BC’s second best performance falls short to the pulse haver Jeff Brohm.

Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores) - Surprised BC hung 24 on them.

@RexVolcano - Thinking once again about the alternate universe where Miller Moss committed to Cal instead of USC. I wonder how they’re doing and if the other Top Dog locations are still open there.

TD_24 - A weird night game at Louisville you say? Hard to project the way Cal will attack the Cards but Isaac Brown is him.

Nick Kranz - It’s not entirely clear to me how this game was even vaguely close (BC scored a TD to get within 7 with 6:17 left before Louisville put it away) because BC had three turnovers to go along with three turnovers on downs. Louisville’s offense is very boom-bust, with lost of explosives, and that scares me against an increasingly unsound Cal defense.

SMU at Wake Forest (Wake Forest wins 13-12)

Piotr T Le - Dickert is a good ball coach and I am wondering what would’ve happened if we hired him last year out of WSU. Lashlee might be looking at that Arkansas job opening SMU and it’s money portal.

Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores) - What a weird scoreline!

@RexVolcano - *Eye twitching* love to see an ACC underdog turn their fortunes around under the most hireable coach available in the last cycle! Good for them! *A blood vessel in my forehead bulges concerningly*

TD_24 - Wake is certainly punching above its weight this season but I can’t figure out SMU. 6-2 but things just haven’t been pristine at all including the end of game sequence here.

Nick Kranz - Three interceptions, five fumbles, two turnovers on downs, two missed field goals, and somehow there was still time for 17 punts in this game, and after all of that the difference was a missed extra point. I’m sad I wasn’t able to watch, if only because I suspect that this game will haunt the memories of SMU fans for a long time.

Jesse Miller-Gordon - I have no idea what to think about this.

NC State at Pitt (Pitt wins 53-34)

Ben (who spent Saturday doing chores) - Pitt did what?

@RexVolcano - Good for Pitt. I’m earnestly actually happy for them, in a way that does not cause me recurring psychic damage.

TD_24 - Pitt has certainly found their QB Mason Heintschel, he’s been a stud for them. I don’t get why NC State is struggling so much especially on defense.

Jesse Miller-Gordon - Pitt scoring over 40 points goes against God. Over 50 is speculative and odd. James Franklin’s incoming tenure at NC State is going to be fruitful and tough, so whoever’s playing the Wolfpack this season should enjoy the moment.

Any other thoughts?

Piotr T Le - ACC is so winnable and alas we’re struggling to find a way to go 6-6. Comedy.

TD_24 - Trying to make sense of Cal’s opponents is a fools errand.

Nick Kranz - Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pitt, Louisville, SMU, Duke, and Miami all still have one or fewer conference losses, and I’ve decided that Pitt and UVA would be the funniest championship game combo, even if my heart still belongs to Haynes King and the Jackets.