The football season, to me, always moves very quickly. Basketball seems to drag but never football. And already, we've reached the final full Saturday of the regular season.
This has certainly been a down season for the ACC, and just think how bad it would have been if Syracuse, instead of Virginia Tech, had joined the conference. You remember, that was the original idea.
Last week, I went 4-2, missing the Carolina win over State and the Rice victory over ECU.
Here with go for one more week:
East Carolina at N.C. State: The Pirates with six wins have more wins than State, Carolina and Duke combined. That doesn't speak well of the Triangle schools' seasons does it?
East Carolina comes to play a State team in turmoil. The Wolfpack is not just 3-8 but Coach Chuck Amato's job, after seven years as head coach, could be in jeopardy.
With six wins, East Carolina is bowl-eligible, but to really ensure their post-season hopes, a seventh victory might be needed.
I certainly admire the job that Skip Holtz has done as the Pirates coach. I've had several people tell me State is toast. No way they win this game. ECU, however, is not Ohio State, and I don't see them coming to Carter-Finley and winning this game. The Pack is due. They win one for the Chuckster.
My pick is N.C. State.
UNC at Duke: It's John Bunting's final game as head coach of the Tar Heels. It is funny how there's all this talk about Chuck Amato losing his job, and he's been to five bowl games in seven years, while Ted Roof's Duke team hasn't won a game, and there's very little talk about him. It just shows the apathy that surrounds Duke football.
Will Carolina have a letdown after last Saturday's emotional game against State? Well, they could. I truly believe Duke will play hard. They should have won last year's game. Still, the logical pick is Carolina to extend the nation's longest losing streak.
My pick is UNC.
Wake Forest at Maryland: If Wake Forest wins it, they go to the ACC championship game. Who would have ever thought that?
The Deacons were beaten last week by, what I think was a better Virginia Tech team, but they kept fighting just like they have all season through all kinds of injuries.
Maryland has really overachieved. Everybody talks about the job that Jim Grobe has done, but Ralph Friedgen's job has been just as impressive.
Wake is getting some of its injured players back, and I'm picking this one with whom I want to win -- and I do that rarely. My pick is Wake Forest.
South Carolina at Clemson: Steve Spurrier invades Tigertown. Clemson has won the last four in this bitter series, including last season's squeaker in Columbia.
For most of the season, many thought Clemson was the best team in the ACC, but the Tigers faltered down the stretch. I was very impressed with the way South Carolina played in their loss at Florida. They could have won it.
I'm going with the upset here. Spurrier finds away. My pick is South Carolina.
Florida at Florida State: Florida is in the national championship hunt while the Seminoles are just awful. This used to be one of those games that everybody pointed to, but FSU has fallen off the map. You suppose the 'Noles want to win one for Coach Jeff?
It's not even hard to go into Doak-Campbell Stadium anymore and win. They hate the Gators in Tallahassee, but it won't make any difference. My pick is Florida.
Notre Dame at Southern California: Two one-loss teams who think they have a shot to make the championship game. Two schools with great fight songs. Notre Dame is good. Southern Cal is very good, and they're playing in the Coliseum. I think USC just has better athletes. My pick the USC Trojans.
There you go. It will be a fun Saturday.
I will be covering the ECU-State game, which will have a lot of story lines including the Chuck Amato saga. It will be very interesting, indeed.
Enjoy everybody!
