Around the Conference Table: ACC College Football 2026 - Week 7

Welcome back to Season 3 of Cal in the ACC. Let’s take a look at what our neighbors on the East Coast are doing.

Florida State at 3 Miami (Miami wins 43-35 in 2OT)

Christopher Helling - As I've said in previous weeks, FSU is just as good as they need to be. They finally found success on offense by--get this--throwing to WR Duce Robinson, and showed they still have the horses to compete with everyone (while still finding a way to struggle in an FCS matchup).

Ben - Preparing for a football game will often start several days before your team steps out onto the gridiron. Players can spend a full week getting their heads in the game, learning their opponents, and developing the best approach for the match-up ahead. As game day draws near, preparation starts the night before. Be sure to eat a good meal, get a full night’s rest, and start mentally preparing for the big day. Although game-day preparation techniques vary from player to player, there are core similarities among the most effective habits, and football players at any level can learn how to better prepare for a game.

Piotr T Le - FSU is in the unfun spot where they can't fire Norvell anytime soon but aren't willing to give him the $$$ needed to go anywhere with his vision. Miami wins a game they lose last year.

Virginia at 24 SMU (SMU wins 23-13)

Christopher Helling - UVA ran the ball the entire first quarter, with the only throws being screen passes to the RB out wide. SMU had false starts near the redzone that turned a 4th and goal at the 1 into a FG, but UVA had a late hit after the play to give SMU a FG to go up 13-10 SMU at halftime. QB Beau Pribula did not look great throwing the ball, as he kept trying to throw the same throw down the sidelines for covered receivers, just poor reads on throws that only work if your receiver is a lot better than the corner, and UVA had to move away from the run game to the pass game as they fell behind and SMU started stopping the run better on early downs. QB Kevin Jennings plays a very risky game, sometimes throwing turnover-worthy throws, but also hitting big plays once in a while for critical scores. RB Kendrick Raphael remains a very reliable running back, just consistently picking up the needed yards. SMU doesn’t look like they are as strong as they were in previous seasons, but they so consistently do just enough to win.

Rob Hwang - So we MIGHT have a chance?

Ben - Tip 1. Football Coach Eric Colonna says when preparing for a game, watch videos of your opposing team if possible. This will help you get a sense of their strengths, weaknesses, and favorite plays. If you can, make a game plan with your teammates. Have a strong week of practice, eat well, and get plenty of sleep.

Piotr T Le - UVA is sinking fast after the hot start. SMU hopes WF stumbled later in the season to make the CFP.

Charleston Southern at Clemson (Clemson wins 37-0)

Christopher Helling - Even against an FCS team, Clemson's pass offense was still anemic, and needed to rely on bully ball to beat a vastly out-talented team.

Rob Hwang - Good for Dabo.

Ben - Tip 2. Get your head in the game as soon as you can. When today’s game is over, start preparing mentally for next week’s match-up. Mental preparation for a football game includes skills such as visualizing success, eliminating distractions, improving your mental toughness, and staying positive.

Pitt at Boston College (Boston College wins 27-21)

Christopher Helling - Well, I was right about Pitt turning to freshman QB Corey Dailey, and he started it off with an absolute bomb for a TD, but it looks like he'll still need some time to adjust to the speed of the college game. Although Dailey has a cannon, Pitt's potential game-winning drive ended with Dailey tried to force a deep ball into double coverage. Pitt's secondary was disappointing in this one, and BC found success through the air (via wide open receivers to give up huge plays) that they don't usually have.

Rob Hwang - Backup QB being important is huge here.

Ben - Tip 3. Talk with your coaching staff about strategies and expectations. Each football game is a different battle. Your coaches will have specific goals and strategies lined up for the game ahead, and you and your teammates need to be proactive about getting on board.

Piotr T Le - Pitt is sinking without an answer at QB. BoB wins again, maybe Narduzzi is allergic to HCs named Bill who have coached in the NFL?

Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech wins 34-24)

Christopher Helling - A bounce-back game for VT, and they came out strong with some huge plays to WR Que'Sean Brown as they leapt out to a 24-3 halftime lead, and held on to win it. GT QB Alberto Mendoza is still young, and eats a lot of sacks when he needs to throw it away. GT had a lot more success running the ball than usual, though, which is a good sign going forward.

Rob Hwang - Good to see we helped VTech find their fire again.

Ben - Tip 4. Practice hard all week long. You can’t expect to play your best on game day if you haven’t given it your all during practice. Dig into drills without simply going through the motions, realizing that each aspect of practice is about preparing you for real in-game situations.

North Carolina at Duke (North Carolina wins 24-20)

Christopher Helling - RB Nate Sheppard still appears to be limited by injury, as he was unable to break any really big plays like he had earlier in the season. Duke put far too much responsibility on the arm of QB Walker Eget, but he’s just not a great quarterback (most passes were to Sheppard anyway, as an extension of the run game). QB Billy Edwards Jr is also not very good, and didn’t manage much offense after their initial 17-0 lead (one of which was a TD on a short field after a bad snap on a punt, but UNC returned the favor and did the same thing later in the game for a Duke TD). Duke felt like they should be the better team but seemed to be outcoached by Belichick and UNC, as UNC’s defense has been able to stop mediocre offenses so far.

Rob Hwang - A glimpse into rivalry games being played earlier in a 24 team playoff.

Ben - Tip 5. Eat a healthy meal a few hours before going to sleep. A balanced meal consists of all three macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) in ratios appropriate to the body and lifestyle of the individual. However, many trainers recommend eating a meal focused more on carbohydrates the night before strenuous activity or sports to ensure sustained energy the next day.

Piotr T Le - Bill wins! He is happy! Does he know that if he keeps it up he's headed for a quick Mayo bath?

Elon at Stanford (Stanford wins 34-7)

Christopher Helling - Well, it's nice for Stanford to have a competitive matchup for once. I saw the first quarter before leaving to a friend's place to watch the Cal game, and honestly thought Stanford should be on upset alert. Elon got a surprising amount of pressure on QB Davis Warren, and Stanford's poor run defense in the secondary is going to get Elon RB Kamerin McDowell-Moore paid next year as a transfer (21 carries, 164 yards). Elon was down to a backup QB and had no pass offense whatsoever, and the fact an FCS team was able to run the ball at will--even with the Stanford defense expecting it--should raise alarm bells.

Ben - Tip 6. Make sure you have all your equipment ready for the next day. Have your jersey, socks, cleats, and other gear packed up and ready for heading out the door in the morning. Check the weather reports to see what extra layers or supplies you might need.

Louisville at Syracuse (Louisville wins 34-26)

Christopher Helling - Both of these teams feel like they should have much better records than they do. Louisville has one of the best offenses in the conference (or country), but their defense just can't keep pace. Syracuse is a lot better than I keep giving them credit for, and I didn't expect them to give Louisville a run for their money down to their 4th or 5th string QB now. QB Malachi Nelson was also a lot better than I expected him to be, but he left the game late with an injury, which is definitely not a good sign going forward for Syracuse. Umari Hatcher so far has been a cheat code for Syracuse; without him, I'm not sure if Syracuse is remotely competitive in any of their matchups.

Ben - Tip 7. Get a full night’s sleep. Assuring enough rest before a day of strenuous activity is one of the most important elements of preparation for a big day. Don’t forget to set your alarm! Your coaches and teammates are relying on you to show up prepared and on time.

Any other thoughts on the teams?

Rob Hwang - football is pain.

Christopher Helling - This week is kind of a reminder that the ACC is a lot more clustered together than most conferences, and it feels like (if you exclude Miami) almost anyone can beat almost anyone else. That's how you end up with two teams like Wake Forest and Virginia Tech who seem pretty equal on paper, where one has an embarrassing loss to Cal while the other one blew Cal out. Georgia Tech feels like they're roughly on Cal's level, and one week they're beating 4-0 Duke, another week they're losing to bottom of the barrel teams like Stanford. No game is safe.

Ben - Taking too much time “warming up” can tire you out for the game. Don’t eat right before a football game (or before any strenuous exercise). You can get a cramp or find yourself with an uncooperative stomach. A backyard football game can be flag, two-hand touch, or tackle. Be sure you know what you’re getting into when you sign up for the game!