Around the Conference Table: ACC College Football Week 4

Presented by Saucy Asian

New Season, New Conference, New Table. Let’s take a look around the ACC.

8 Miami at South Florida (Miami wins 50-15)

Nick Kranz - I don't really think there's a weakness on Miami's offense right now and I think it'll take an elite defense to slow them down . . . and while I'm encouraged at how improved Cal's defense is, we're just not at that level.

TD_24 - Mom come pick me up, Miami gives me the heebie jeebes (waiting on the one Mario Cristobal dumb game quota per year.)

Christopher H - There were an inordinate amount of cramping injuries in the humidity, including USF's starting QB. The USF offense mostly kept pace with the Miami offense in the first half, but ran out of horses in the second. You can't give QB Cam Ward all day to throw and pick apart your defense.

Rob Hwang - I’m just not sold on Miami being a top 10 team yet.

Georgia Tech at 19 Louisville (Louisville wins 31-19)

Nick Kranz - Kudos to Louisville for finding a way to slow down the Tech rushing game, though if GT had a better field goal unit (two misses, one that was blocked and returned for a TD) then this game probably would've been a coin flip rather than a comparatively comfortable Louisville win.

TD_24 - GT seems to have really slowed down but Louisville with a solid win and they look like what NC State was supposed to be.

Christopher H - GT hung in there, but couldn't get past the Louisville defense on second half drives as Louisville pulled away.

Rob Hwang - Both Cards in the ACC won this week.

NC State at 21 Clemson (Clemson wins 59-35)

Nick Kranz - I watched this game in the morning with sleepy eyes and it felt like Clemson was up by three scores roughly 7 seconds after the opening kickoff. Allowing 269 rushing yards at 8.2 yards a pop is . . . well, NC State is not the upwardly mobile ACC team they've been in the recent past.

TD_24 - NC State is a big mess right now. And I hope they don't figure it out until after their trip out west! Clemson dressed them down in every way by putting up 45 in the first half, and looks to be a missile heading for Stanford.

Bk97 - The final score makes this look closer than it was. Clemson absolutely dominated NC State's awful run defense in the first quarter en route to a 28-0 lead. From there they cruised to an easy victory.

Christopher H - This game was over by halftime, and was 52-7 Clemson in the 3rd quarter. I don't think there's any doubt that Clemson is the team to beat in the ACC.

Rob Hwang - NC ST looked like a solid upset pick, but man have they not looked good since week 1.

Stanford at Syracuse (Stanford wins 26-24)

Nick Kranz - I watched this game to see if I could identify things about either team that scare me for when they face Cal. The main thing right now is that Stanford may have a dangerous edge rusher or two that could very well give Cal's offensive line some trouble, but other than that this game was mostly a bunch of meh.

TD_24 - Honestly a character win from Furd. I don't necessarily think they take a big leap this year but that's testament that they are getting better. Also not lost on me that Syracuse lost this game via the DB group which is what the HC is known for.

Christopher H - Well, there goes Syracuse's status as a conference contender. Apparently you need more than just a QB... a run game and defense help too.

Rob Hwang - Happy for Troy. Ayomanor might’ve had the catch of the year so far.

James Madison at UNC (UNC losts 50-70)

Nick Kranz - Mack Brown gonna retire before we get our shot at him, huh?

TD_24 - #DROP50 ON MACK BROWN. Wait.....people are saying this took ONE HALF? Man I love the Dukes.

Bk97 - Another one where the score makes the loss look less bad than it was. During the first half UNC turned the ball over 4 times (including a pick six) and gave up a punt return for TD en route to a 53-21 halftime deficit. To make this look even worse for UNC, JMU won 13-6 over an FCS team last week.

Christopher H - An absolutely embarrassing defensive performance by UNC, whose 5 turnovers on offense only led to more JMU points.

Rob Hwang - Is this man quiet quitting?

Virginia at Coastal Carolina (Virginia wins 43-24)

TD_24 - Honestly didn't think Virginia had this in them

Christopher H - Virginia ran all over Coastal Carolina. A lot of good rushing offenses in the conference, even if some of the QBs are lacking.

Rutgers at Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech loses 23-26)

TD_24 - Kyron Drones takes the place of Dan Orlovsky and Jimmy G for one of the worst safeties known to mankind.

Christopher H - First Vanderbilt, now Rutgers. VT not doing a lot of favors for the ACC's relative strength of schedule, losing to the traditional cellar-dwellers of the SEC and Big Ten.

Rob Hwang - Yeah….

Youngstown State at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh wins 73-17)

Nick Kranz - Youngstown is actually an OKish FCS team, it's a little scary that Pitt seems to be finding a groove on offense with Cal having to travel out there in a few weeks.

TD_24 - Pitt is good and I don't reference that to this game but really the last two weeks. Eli Holstein is for real.

Bk97 - This is going to look awfully quaint when Cal and Pitt are locked in a 6-3 battle late in the 4th quarter in a few weeks.

Rob Hwang - Pitt’s record, scores and who they’ve played looks eerily similar to ours except they came out with a 1-pt win against WVU.

Duke at Middle Tennessee (Duke wins 45-17)

TD_24 - Manny Diaz has this ship steady and that's a big credit to him.

Christopher H - Duke was too much for an obviously overmatched Middle Tennessee.

TCU at SMU (SMU wins 66-42)

Nick Kranz - When I saw the final score I worried that SMU had finally figured out their offensive issues, but 375 yards on 61 plays isn't that impressive. This was down to a complete and utter Sonny-Dykes self-destruction.

TD_24 - A Sonny Dykes defense giving up 60 in a rivalry game? Surely we haven't seen this before.....

Bk97 - I was always annoyed by Sonny Dykes' constant and over-the-top complaining about the refs. I'm glad to see someone finally had enough of that nonsense.

Christopher H - I loved the shot of Dykes taunting the crowd after his ejection with his team down 20 points at the top of the 3rd. Not the flex you think it is.

Rob Hwang - There’s a case to be made here that Sonny Dykes is the CFB equivalent of late career Jose Mourinho. Wins a couple things early, throws players under the bus, doesnt last more than 3 years at any given spot and implodes/explodes at the same time.

Michigan State at Boston College (Boston College wins 23-19)

TD_24 - Gritty game for BC to be honest, one that helps stabilize everything after the close loss to Mizzou.

Any other thoughts?

Nick Kranz - USC losing to a Big-10 team that doesn't have a quarterback is the most delightful karmic justice we can ask for.

TD_24 - Checking the ACC scores and its Cal 0 Bye 0, more after this.