Week 14 Preview: More Mayhem Ahead

MIAMI (7-4) at N.C. STATE (5-6)
Saturday, 11/29/08, noon ET - Carter Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Series Record: Miami leads 7-4-1; the Wolfpack won last year's meeting 19-16 in OT
What May or May Not Happen: Russell Wilson and the Pack are in a groove. Just two weeks ago, odes to Randy Shannon were abundant; now, watch the wolves come out when State beats the Canes. A fickle game, this college football is. N.C. State 27, Miami 20

GEORGIA TECH (8-3) at GEORGIA (9-2)
Saturday, 11/29/08, noon ET - Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
Series Record: Georgia leads 59-38-5; the Bulldogs won last year's meeting 31-17
What May or May Not Happen: Georgia's been overrated and soft from day one. Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer will rattle the Dawg defense, while Michael Johnson and Co. will punish the grossly over-hyped Matt Stafford. Georgia Tech 30, Georgia 20

SOUTH CAROLINA (7-4) at CLEMSON (6-5)
Saturday, 11/29/08, noon ET - Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Series Record: Clemson leads 64-37-4; the Tigers won last year's meeting 23-21
What May or May Not Happen: The five-to-ten year future of Clemson football likely rests on this game; if they win, it's The Dabo Show for at least a few more years. If they lose, they move on to bigger and better names. Clemson 20, South Carolina 17

VIRGINIA (5-6) at VIRGINIA TECH (7-4)
Saturday, 11/29/08, noon ET - Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Series Record: Virginia Tech leads 47-37-5; the Hokies won last year's meeting 33-21
What May or May Not Happen: We all know how this works in the ACC in 2008: When you have a chance to separate from the pack, you lose. Therefore...Virginia 14, Virginia Tech 13

FLORIDA (10-1) at FLORIDA STATE (8-3)
Saturday, 11/29/08, 3:30pm ET - Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Series Record: Florida leads 31-19-2; the Gators won last year's meeting 45-12
What May or May Not Happen: Perhaps with a more disciplined defense, the Seminoles could pull this one off. Maybe next year. Florida 42, Florida State 31

MARYLAND (7-4) at BOSTON COLLEGE (8-3)
Saturday, 11/29/08, 3:30pm ET - Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
Series Record: Boston College leads 3-2; the Terrapins won last year's meeting 42-35
What May or May Not Happen: See Virginia-Virginia Tech. Maryland 17, Boston College 14

NORTH CAROLINA (7-4) at DUKE (4-7)
Saturday, 11/29/08, 3:30pm ET - Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
Series Record: North Carolina leads 54-36-4; the Tar Heels won last year's meeting 20-14 in OT
What May or May Not Happen: This is everyone's trendy upset pick this weekend. I'm betting the Heels are seething over last week's embarassment to State and will take it out on the Blue Devils. Sorta. North Carolina 28, Duke 17

VANDERBILT (6-5) at WAKE FOREST (6-5)
Saturday, 11/29/08, 7pm ET - BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC
Series Record: Vanderbilt leads 7-4; the Demon Deacons won last year's meeting 31-17
What May or May Not Happen: The SEC's darling goes 0-2 against the ACC's two smallest schools. And nobody notices. Wake Forest 20, Vanderbilt 14

ACC on TV

Where to find tomorrow's games on the tube or internets:

Georgia Tech @ Georgia, noon ET - CBS
Virginia @ Virginia Tech, noon ET - ESPN, ESPN360
South Carolina @ Clemson, noon ET - ESPN2, ESPN360
Miami @ N.C. State, noon ET - Raycom, Gameplan, ESPN360
Florida @ Florida State, 3:30pm ET - ABC, ESPN2, ESPN360
Maryland @ Boston College, 3:30pm ET - ABC, ESPN2, ESPN360
North Carolina @ Duke, 3:30pm ET - ESPNU
Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest, 7pm ET - ESPNU

Happy Thanksgiving

Tiebreaker Tutorial

All this talk over the last few weeks about who's going win which division has given me a headache, but at the same time has caused me to investigate what tiebreakers are actually in place to solve the potential mess we may face next Sunday (and that mess would be five of the twelve league teams at 5-3 and tied atop their respective divisions; or to put it another way...nearly half of the league would be tied for a division crown).

That investigation began and ended with my discovery of The Official ACC Tiebreaker Rules. For those too lazy to click on the link, here's the gist:

A. Two-Team Tie

1. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams.
2. Records of the tied teams within the division.
3. Head-to-head competition versus the team within the division with the best overall record (divisional). Conference record and proceeding though the division. Multiple ties within the division broken from first to last.
4. Overall record versus all common non-divisional opponents.
5. Combined record versus all non-divisional teams.
6. Record versus common non-divisional teams based on their order of finish (divisional and non-divisional) and proceeding through other common non-divisional teams based on their order of finish within their division.
7. The tied team with the highest ranking in the Bowl Championship Series Standings following the end of regular season games shall be the divisional representative in the ACC Championship Game.
8. The representative shall be chosen by a draw.

B. Three (or More) Team Tie
(Once tie has been reduced to two teams, the two-team tiebreaker format is used)

1. Combined head-to-head record among the tied teams.
2. Records of the tied teams within the division.
3. Head-to-head competition versus the team within the division with the best overall (divisional or conference) record, and proceeding through the division. Multiple ties within the division will be broken first to last.
4. Overall record for non-divisional teams.
5. Combined record versus all common non-divisional teams.
6. Record versus common non-divisional with the best overall Conference (divisional and non-divisional record) and proceeding through the other common non-divisional teams based on their order of finish within the division.
7. The tied team with the highest ranking in the Bowl Championship Series Standings following the conclusion of regular season games shall be the divisional representative in the ACC Championship Game, unless the second of the tied teams is ranked within five-or-fewer places of the highest ranked tied team. In this case, the head-to-head results of the top two ranked tied teams shall determine the representative in the ACC Championship Game.
8. The representative shall be chosen by a draw.

So let's get started.

ATLANTIC DIVISION
The Candidates: Florida State (5-3), Boston College (4-3), Maryland (4-3)

Scenario 1: Boston College defeats Maryland next Saturday, setting up a two-way tie between the Eagles and the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division crown.
Resolution 1: Boston College wins the Atlantic by virtue of the first two-team tiebreaker.

Scenario 2: Maryland defeats Boston College next Saturday, setting up a two-way tie between the Terps and the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division crown.
Resolution 2: Florida State wins the Atlantic by virtue of the first two-team tiebreaker.

Well that was easy.

COASTAL DIVISION
The Candidates: Georgia Tech (5-3), Miami (4-3), Virginia Tech (4-3)

Scenario 1: N.C. State defeats Miami and Virginia defeats Virginia Tech next Saturday, leaving Georgia Tech alone atop the Coastal.
Resolution 1: I think that would be rather obvious.

Scenario 2: Miami defeats N.C. State and Virginia defeats Virginia Tech next Saturday, setting up a two-way tie between the Yellow Jackets and Hurricanes for the Coastal Division crown.
Resolution 2: Georgia Tech wins the Coastal by virtue of the first two-team tiebreaker.

Scenario 3: N.C. State defeats Miami and Virginia Tech defeats Virginia next Saturday, setting up a two-way tie between the Yellow Jackets and Hokies for the Coastal Division crown.
Resolution 3: Virginia Tech wins the Coastal by virtue of the first-two team tiebreaker.

Scenario 4: Miami defeats N.C. State and Virginia Tech defeats Virginia, setting up a three way tie between the Yellow Jackets, Hurricanes and Hokies for the Coastal Division crown.
Resolution 4: The first three-team tiebreaker results in a stalemate; all three teams went 1-1 against the other two (Georgia Tech beat Miami, Miami beat Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech). The second three-team tiebreaker eliminates Georgia Tech and Miami; the Jackets went 2-3 in the Coastal, the Canes posted a 3-2 Coastal record, while the Hokies went 4-1 in the division. Virginia Tech then wins the Coastal by virtue of the second three-team tiebreaker.

So there you have it. It's either Florida State/Boston College in the Atlantic and Georgia Tech/Virginia Tech in the Coastal. Most of you already knew that, but seeing how we got there always helps.

Bright and early Blog Pollin'

Nothing like submitting the ol' ballot while the images of Saturday's festivities are fresh in my mind...

Rank	Team
1	Texas
2	Oklahoma
3	Alabama
4	Florida
5	Southern Cal
6	Texas Tech
7	Penn State
8	Utah
9	Oklahoma State
10	Missouri
11	Ohio State
12	Oregon State
13	Georgia
14	TCU
15	Georgia Tech
16	Boise State
17	Florida State
18	Cincinnati
19	Mississippi
20	Boston College
21	Ball State
22	Michigan State
23	Oregon
24	North Carolina
25	Pittsburgh

Dropped Out: Maryland (#21), Miami-FL (#23), LSU (#25)

Allow me to explain a few selections that might raise some eyebrows:

-Oregon State #12. It's all about the resume - beat #5 USC, lost to #7 Penn State, lost to #8 Utah close, handled a decent Cal team. The opening loss to Stanford looks pretty bad...but that was week one.

-Boise State #16. This may or may not be controversial. They're unbeaten, yes, but they played one real team all year, Oregon, and won in close fashion. The rest of their schedule has a combined record of 43-70.

-North Carolina #24. Before yesterday's debacle against the Wolfpack, their three previous losses were by 3 points to Va. Tech, 3 points in OT at Virginia, and 2 points at Maryland. And they blew out Boston College and Georgia Tech in the last month. And they seal-clubbed decent UConn and Rutgers teams earlier this season. They'd be Top 20 if the loss to NC State was respectable; 41-10 knocks them nearly off my ballot.

Whatcha think?

ACC on TV

Where to find Saturday's games on the telly and/or google machine...

N.C. State @ North Carolina, noon ET - Raycom, Gameplan, ESPN360
Clemson @ Virginia, noon ET - Raycom, Gameplan, ESPN360
Boston College @ Wake Forest, 3:30pm ET - ABC, ESPN, Gameplan, ESPN360
Duke @ Virginia Tech, 5:30pm ET - ESPNU
Florida State @ Maryland, 7:45pm ET - ESPN, ESPN360