ESPN College Football

Both teams on our Upset Watch lost last week. Are there more upsets on the horizon in Week 6? Let us take a look at the teams that could face problems. Remember, these are not predictions. They are just guesses at which contests might offer the biggest surprises.

1. Ball State at Virginia. Given the way the Hoos have played on offense this season, there are no guaranteed wins. Ball State has the much better offense, having scored scored 200 points already -- the most in school history through the first five games of a season. Keith Wenning is one of two FBS quarterbacks to pass for 300 or more yards in each game so far, and Willie Snead ranks No. 3 in the nation in receiving yards with 611. Virginia, meanwhile, has produced stingy efforts in back-to-back games, holding VMI and Pitt to less than 200 yards of offense. UVa hasn’t done that in consecutive games since 1972. The passing defense has been solid, too -- UVa ranks No. 8 nationally in passing yards allowed (152.8) and No. 4 in team passing efficiency defense (82.84). So this leads to two questions -- can the Virginia defense shut down the Ball State offense? And will the Hoos be able to score more than a handful of points?


2. Georgia Tech at No. 14 Miami. Yes, we know Georgia Tech did not look great on offense in a 17-10 loss to Virginia Tech last week. Yes, we know Miami has won four straight in the series, too. But the reason we are waving a red flag here is because Miami has not played its starters for a full game since beating Florida, back on Sept. 7. In the ensuing weeks, the Hurricanes had a bye, then FCS pushover Savannah State and then FBS pushover USF. Stephen Morris is nursing a sore ankle, too. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, has had a crush of tough Coastal Division games the past three weeks and has been more recently tested. Say this about Georgia Tech -- its defense is much improved over from last season and should keep the Jackets in the game. The good news for the Jackets' offense is the Miami D is not quite as good as what they saw out of Virginia Tech. Even still, Miami is better defensively, too. How the Georgia Tech offense responds is the key to this game.

3. No. 25 Maryland at No. 8 Florida State. As Heather pointed out Monday, we really have no idea whether the Terps are for real. We do know they have never won in Tallahassee, which gives Florida State a big advantage right off the bat. But the Noles struggled last week to contain the run, and Maryland is much better running the ball this season. Maryland is averaging 226.8 yards on the ground thanks to the combined efforts of running back Brandon Ross (No. 4 in ACC in rushing) and quarterback C.J. Brown (No. 8 in ACC in rushing). Florida State, meanwhile, ranks an uncharacteristic No. 62 in rushing defense, its worst ranking since 2009. Coach Jimbo Fisher defended the performance of his defensive unit this week, but there's no question its performance against Boston College have left folks wondering whether the Noles are ripe for an upset.

4. No. 3 Clemson at Syracuse. We can hear Clemson fans complaining about how the Tigers always seem to be on this list. In Week 1, we had 'em on there because we believed they would upset Georgia (and they did). We had them on there against NC State, and the game ended up being too close for comfort. And now we have them on here this week for three main reasons. First, Clemson has never played in the Carrier Dome, a notoriously tricky place for visitors. Second, Syracuse has upset teams with top-shelf quarterbacks three years running (West Virginia and Geno Smith in 2010 and 2011; Louisville and Teddy Bridgewater in 2012). Third, Clemson was not great the last time it hit the road. So for those reasons, the Tigers have to be mindful of getting upset. Now, having said all that, we believe an upset in this game is the least likely out of all the contests listed.

The U.S. government shutdown could have a trickle-down effect into our world of college football, as the service academies are considering cancelling their games and Boston College hosts Army this weekend. Army is the only academy that hasn't issued a public statement yet.

Boston College athletic director Brad Bates (@BCBradBates) has tweeted the school's official statement:

We have been in close communication with Army athletics officials regarding the potential impact of the govt shutdown on Saturday's game.

— Brad Bates (@BCBradBates) October 1, 2013

Obviously our intention is to exhaust all possibilities to play & will communicate the information promptly as soon as we have resolution.

— Brad Bates (@BCBradBates) October 1, 2013

Air Force has already announced that "travel for all intercollegiate athletics is cancelled," including the Air Force-Navy game on Saturday.

From the Department of Defense:

As a result of the government shutdown, the Department of Defense has suspended all intercollegiate athletic competitions at the Service Academies.

The Naval Academy will cancel contests as appropriate and notification on Saturday’s football game against Air Force will be made public prior to 12 noon on Thursday.

Stay tuned for updates.

Following Virginia Tech’s 17-10 win at Georgia Tech last week, Hokies’ fans were clamoring to know one thing: Is Virginia Tech’s defense the best in the country?

Consider this: The Hokies held defending national champ Alabama to just two offensive touchdowns.

More evidence: Virginia Tech’s defense held Georgia Tech, which had the nation’s fourth-ranked rushing offense, to 200 yards below its average -- on just four days of preparation.

The final dagger: Michigan State’s schedule has nuthin’ on the Hokies.

Virginia Tech has a championship-caliber defense that’s only going to get better this week with the expected return of cornerback Antone Exum, and on paper, Michigan State is the only program that can rival the numbers the Hokies’ D are putting up. Considering how much stronger Virginia Tech’s strength of schedule has been, and how the Hokies have performed in their two most important games (against Bama and Georgia Tech), they should earn the title of nation’s best right now.

Check out these numbers from ESPN’s Stats & Information department:

• Virginia Tech’s yards per play defense (3.73) ranks second in the country behind only Michigan State.
• Only 28.8 percent of plays against Virginia Tech’s defense gain five yards or more. That’s second-best in the country, behind only Michigan State.
• 43.3 percent of the time, Virginia Tech’s defense held opponents to a play that gains either zero yards or negative yardage. That rate ranks fifth in the country. Michigan State first again.

Here’s what you need to know about the Spartans: They’ve played Western Michigan, South Florida, Youngstown State and Notre Dame -- and lost to the Irish. Western Michigan and South Florida have combined for an 0-9 record this season. Look at where their scoring offenses rank nationally: Western Michigan 119; South Florida 118, Notre Dame 85. Youngstown State is FCS. ‘Nuff said.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has played Alabama, which is averaging 35 points per game and scored just 14 offensive points against the Hokies (we’re excluding the punt return, kick return, and interception returns for touchdowns). Georgia Tech is averaging 36.5 points per game and managed just 10 against the Hokies -- at home.

Need more?

Virginia Tech’s front seven has created tremendous pressure and opened opportunities up for the secondary. Virginia Tech is tied for the FBS lead in interceptions (11) and sacks (17). According to ESPN’s Stats & Info crew, the Hokies are snagging one interception every 12.2 passes -- by far the best rate in the nation. The next closest is Nebraska (1 every 15) and the national average is 1 every 31.2. In other words, the Hokies are picking off passes at a rate almost three times the national average.

Good luck, North Carolina.

Now that Virginia Tech fans are gloating and floating on air, here’s your reality check: The Hokies can have the best defense in the world and it’s not going to matter if the offense can’t get a first down. Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas and his supporting cast took a major step forward against Georgia Tech and looked the best they have all season, but it has to continue as the Hokies enter the heart of their ACC schedule.

Virginia Tech’s identity has long been a lunch-pail defense and mediocre offense, and it’s been good enough to win four ACC titles and make five appearances in the ACC championship game.

With the nation’s best defense, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to make it six.

Officially throwing my hat in the ring for the vacant Cubs managerial job. Just waiting on Theo's call...

Days after aggravating an ankle injury against USF, Stephen Morris says he's feeling better and regrets comments critical of the Bulls, writes the Sun Sentinel.

NC State QB Brandon Mitchell is close to returning from a foot injury he suffered in Week 1, writes the Charlotte Observer.

After showing concussion symptoms following a win over Virginia, Pitt QB Tom Savage appears to be on track to start this week's game, writes the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

More walking wounded among the ACC QB ranks: Logan Thomas is dealing with foot and abdominal problems as the Hokies get set for UNC, writes the Richmond Times Dispatch.

As the offensive struggles mount, the wide receivers are taking their share of criticism at Virginia, writes The Roanoke Times.

Maryland kicker Brad Craddock has gotten some help from an accomplished mentor en route to a strong start in 2013, writes the Baltimore Sun.

Clemson's ground game is getting an injection of talent as D.J. Howard finally appears healthy and ready to contribute, writes the Post and Courier.

Florida State's defense knows it needs to make some improvements before high-flying Maryland arrives, writes the Orlando Sentinel.

After Boston College's ground game paced a solid effort against FSU, The Boston Herald writes that Chase Rettig will get his shot to put up big numbers this week against Army.

History doesn't exactly favor Georgia Tech this week when it takes on Miami in a huge Coastal Division matchup, writes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The News & Observer breaks down Duke's win over Troy and says the Blue Devils must cut down on all the big plays they've allowed.

Terrel Hunt could be the key to making Syracuse's pistol offense run smoothly, writes Orange Fizz.

In the wake of some critical comments from tailback A.J. Blue, Tar Heel Blog wonders if there might be some problems brewing inside the North Carolina locker room.

 

Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum has been cleared to play after an eight-month rehab on his injured right knee.

In a statement released Tuesday, head athletic trainer Mike Goforth said Dr. James Andrews cleared Exum to return to practice without any restrictions. Exum, who tore his ACL in a pickup basketball game last January, is expected to continue rehabilitation for the remainder of the season.

"His playing time for North Carolina and all future games will be determined by how well the right knee tolerates practices this week and how quickly he re-establishes pre-injury cardiovascular endurance and pre-injury skill levels," Goforth said.

Without Exum, Virginia Tech has relied on two freshmen: Brandon Facyson and Kendall Fuller. Both have had outstanding starts to the season. Facyson is tied for first in the ACC with seven passes defended and leads the league with four interceptions. Fuller has two interceptions and five passes defended. It will be interesting to see how the Hokies incorporate Exum back into the lineup given how well Facyson has played in that spot.

Exum was a second-team All-ACC selection last season, starting all 13 games at cornerback. He does have starting experience at safety, but it appears that Virginia Tech plans on keeping Exum at cornerback. On Monday night, Exum expressed his happiness on Twitter:

1. THE DAYCARE IS NOW OPEN! #COMEPLAYpic.twitter.com/jGx1Pw6H1e

— Antone Exum Jr. (@IAmSwag1) September 30, 2013

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The scenes flickered across the screen as Jimbo Fisher broke down the film on Sunday, and the Florida State coach breathed a sigh of relief.

The outcomes were just as he'd remembered. Boston College's rather mundane attack gashed the Seminoles' defense again and again, big chunks of yardage adding up to 34 points -- the most BC had scored in an ACC game in nearly four years.

Florida State still escaped with a win, thanks to another dynamic effort from Jameis Winston, but the defense was exposed, and the future schedule promised to be far less forgiving. Fisher assumed the worst, but the film eased his mind.

"I wasn't as distraught as I thought I would be," Fisher said Monday, putting a happy face on an otherwise troubling effort. "It was more two or three individuals that caused all the problems."

There is ample room for big-picture concerns. Players admit to being slow to latch on to the subtleties of new coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's defensive scheme. The aggressive approach has yielded a handful of big plays but also surrendered a few more to the opposition. The Seminoles' performance through four games has fans wondering if disaster looms just over the horizon, as the explosive offenses of Maryland and Clemson await.

Instead, what Fisher saw on film were a few minor glitches -- easily correctable mental errors. A few missed assignments here, a few sets of eyes focused on the wrong things there. Rather than panicking, Florida State's defense seems relieved.

“Those mistakes are going to help you," safety Terrence Brooks said. "It’s bad, but it also can be good for you, too. Those are things you know you’ve got to key in on. It’s just room for improvement.”

That's the upbeat spin. These are the raw numbers: Through four games, Florida State has coughed up 606 yards on the ground, nearly half the total its defense allowed in 14 games last year. Boston College amassed 397 total yards Saturday; only Clemson (2010 and 2011) managed more against FSU since the start of the 2011 season -- and the Tigers' high-flying attack gets its shot against the Seminoles in just three weeks. The defense has started slowly in every game, and as a result, FSU has trailed in three of four games. It's a particularly disconcerting picture given that this week's opponent, Maryland, has topped 500 yards of offense three times, is averaging better than 7 yards per play, has a dual-threat quarterback and one of the ACC's most explosive playmakers in receiver Stefon Diggs.

And yet, Florida State's players insist they're not worried. The fixes aren't physical failures, but rather mental miscues -- a product of new personnel seeing an increased workload, a handful of gimmick plays by the opposition and a continuing adjustment to Pruitt's new scheme.

"We had some little, stupid mental errors in that game -- letting our guys go, trying to do too much and getting out of gaps," Brooks said. "That’s the only reason they were able to get all those points they did get."

It's not an entirely unfair accounting. Two of Boston College's touchdowns came on nearly identical plays, when the offense shifted heavily to one side, then threw the opposite way. FSU's defense aggressively pursued the ball and left a receiver wide open.

Of course, Pruitt's approach also might be part of the problem. As FSU's players raved about the new scheme this offseason, the buzzword used again and again was "aggressive." Pruitt promised to turn the Seminoles' athletes loose to make plays, and the players loved the concept. It all sounded good until Boston College used that mindset against them.

"We’re a very aggressive defense, and we want to get to the ball fast," Brooks said. "That right there kind of killed us a little bit."

It's not that the scheme is flawed, however. Pruitt essentially is installing a defense similar to what Alabama used to win three of the past four national titles. There's a track record of success.

The difference is that when Pruitt took over as defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2010, that scheme was already in place, and the veterans already knew it well. At Florida State, it's all new, and the learning process requires time.

"When you come in during the spring and put in a new defense, especially as complex as this one, it’s not like you’re coaching a team full of guys that have already been in the system," defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan said. "It’s almost like you’re coaching a defense full of freshmen, technically. We’re all learning it."

Jernigan insists his teammates have bought in, but the learning process has come more quickly for some. Fisher praised Jernigan's work against BC, saying the junior played perhaps the best game of his career. Eddie Goldman earned raves, too, and linebacker Telvin Smith earned player of the week honors in the ACC after finishing with 10 tackles.

So where are the problems?

Fisher did his best to avoid criticizing specific players, though the absence of senior Christian Jones from his synopsis was noteworthy. Dan Hicks was burned for a touchdown, as well, though he was noticeably overmatched in his assignment. Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and safety Tyler Hunter sat out for the second straight game against BC, too, and there are no assurances they'll be ready this week.

But to hear Fisher's analysis, there's no cause for alarm. It's not a matter of a flawed scheme, a too-steep learning curve or a lack of personnel. It's simply about getting the little things right.

Florida State's players are convinced of that, too, and the film from Boston College only burnished that optimism. But even so, this week's practices come with a mandate for improvement.

"Having that happen with these good teams that have mobile quarterbacks, people who can run and pass better, better receivers," Brooks said, "it’s just more of a problem at that point."

North Carolina has started the season 1-3, a huge surprise considering many expected this team to compete for the Coastal crown. So that has gotten us to wonder, what has been the bigger disappointment at UNC this season -- the offense or the defense?

Heather Dinich says: Deee-fense

We knew North Carolina’s offense would go through a bit of a transition. It was naïve to think otherwise. With the losses of standout running back Giovani Bernard and his lead blocker Jonathan Cooper to the NFL, it was all but inevitable there would be some growing pains.

What’s the defense’s excuse?

Andrea will argue that UNC’s offense has been the bigger disappointment, but Bryn Renner & Co. didn’t allow East Carolina 603 total yards -- the second-highest total ever allowed by UNC at home. Saturday’s 55-31 loss to the Pirates was embarrassing, but hey, at least Renner found a way to throw three touchdown passes. You’d think that on a day when your quarterback throws for a career-high 366 yards and three touchdowns it would be enough to win the game.

Unless, of course, the quarterback is playing with the UNC D.

The Tar Heels allowed ECU 36 first downs. The Pirates ran 101 plays -- the most plays by an opponent against UNC. Ever. Vintavious Cooper ran for a career-high 186 yards. He may as well have been running on a treadmill for how much was in his way. How far the defense has fallen in a year, since last season when UNC held ECU quarterback Shane Carden without a touchdown in a 27-6 win.

On Saturday, North Carolina couldn’t stop the run. It lost the battle up front. There were missed tackles all over the field. And it was hardly the first porous performance.

For four straight games, North Carolina has allowed a 100-yard rusher and at least 400 total yards. Had David Sims eeked out one more yard for Georgia Tech, UNC would have allowed the Yellow Jackets two 100-yard rushers. It was a critical Coastal Division game UNC could have won, had it not squandered first-half leads of 13-0 and 20-7.

This is a secondary that returned all four starters from a group that ranked No. 20 in the country last year with 16 interceptions. Senior defensive end Kareem Martin was among the ACC’s leaders in tackles for loss last year.

Hasn’t mattered one bit.

UNC enters Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech ranked No. 105 in the country in total defense, No. 112 in rushing defense, No. 108 in third-down conversion defense, No. 103 in first-down defense, and tied for No. 93 in scoring defense. These guys could make the Hokies’ pedestrian offense look like one of the best in the ACC.

There’s certainly plenty of blame to go around in Chapel Hill, on both sides of the ball, but the math is simple: If your offense can only score 25.3 points per game, the defense can’t allow 32.5.

Andrea Adelson says: _ffense

The easy answer for the biggest disappointment at North Carolina is the defense. But that cannot be true, not when this was a mediocre group a season ago that nobody anticipated would become elite in just a year.

No, the biggest disappointment has to be the offense, which ranks among the worst in the ACC. Yes, we knew it would be a struggle without Bernard and three new starters on the offensive line. But North Carolina returned a veteran quarterback in Renner, the best tight end in the league in Eric Ebron and talented young receivers. Surely, that would be enough to get North Carolina through as it worked on its run game.

But alas, we have come to see just how valuable Bernard was to this team a year ago. North Carolina has gone from having the No. 1 rusher in the league to the worst rushing offense in the ACC, averaging just about 100 yards on the ground per game. That, in turn, has caused one of the biggest offensive downfalls in the entire nation. North Carolina has tumbled from No. 14 in total offense to No. 75, averaging just 397 yards per game. Only West Virginia and Louisiana Tech have had steeper drops.

North Carolina only has one game with 500 yards total offense this year. Last year, it had four. The two games North Carolina has failed to reach 400 yards under coach Larry Fedora came this season, too, against South Carolina and Georgia Tech.

The failures we have seen from this offense have put Fedora into uncharted territory. Fedora has found success everywhere he has been with his version of the spread, hurry-up offense. He has simply plugged new players into starting roles and chugged along from there.

In his first season at Southern Miss, the offense broke 36 school records. His offense gained over 5,000 yards of offense all four years he was there, including a record 6,459 yards in his final year, 2011. Then last year, he came into North Carolina and the Tar Heels set more than 35 team and individual marks, including total points, points per game and total offense.

Throughout his career, Fedora has achieved these numbers with balance. In every previous season as a head coach, his teams averaged at least 181 yards rushing per game. Without that balance this year, though, North Carolina is on pace to total less than 5,000 total yards of offense for the first time in Fedora’s career as a head coach.

Fedora has built his reputation on offense. But his offense is simply doing him no favors this year.

His stats were not the best among ACC quarterbacks in Week 5, but Logan Thomas did not need to put up record-setting numbers to lead Virginia Tech to a crucial Coastal Division win over Georgia Tech last week.

He simply needed to be consistent and make the plays in front of him. Thomas did that, turning in his best game since 2011. The importance of his effort, combined with his final stat line, earned him ESPN.com ACC Player of the Week honors. Thomas accounted for 279 total yards and two touchdowns in the 17-10 win. Those are not exactly eye-popping numbers when you look at what Jameis Winston or Brandon Connette did this past weekend. But for Thomas, the entirety of his night was simply jaw-dropping when you consider where he has been.

Criticism has been heaped on him since last season, when he appeared to take a step back in his development. The start to this season was supposed to be better with a new offensive coordinator in charge. But we saw the same old sluggish Hokies offense in the first four games, muddling through drives while relying on the defense time and again to pull out victories. Against Georgia Tech, though, something seemed to click for Thomas.

He completed his first nine pass attempts. He led the longest drive of the season, at 91 yards. He got some help from his receivers, too, who did a much better job hanging on to the football. And he ran, picking up tough yards when Virginia Tech needed them. Perhaps most impressive of all, Thomas had his best game of the season despite playing through an abdominal strain and a sprained foot, which he injured in the first quarter.

"He's a quality, quality quarterback, and he's tough," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said after the win. "He's mentally tough, and he's physically tough the way he runs the football and bangs around people. I'm proud of that guy."

Thomas ended up completing 76 percent of his passes, his highest completion percentage since a 38-35 win over Miami in 2011 (92 percent). Consider that he completed 60 percent of his passes against FBS teams just once all of last season (against Duke). What's more, he did not have a turnover. In fact, this was the first time since the Virginia game at the end of the 2012 regular season when he did not throw an interception.

Now what the Hokies need are efforts just like this one week in and week out.

All eyes are squarely focused on Oct. 19, when Florida State travels to Clemson in what everybody anticipates will be another battle between unbeaten top 10 teams with national championship aspirations.

But coaches always warn it is dangerous to look ahead. In this case, that mantra fits. The clichéd trap week is here, for both programs. Eighth-ranked Florida State must face an unbeaten Maryland team on Saturday in Tallahassee, while No. 3 Clemson travels to play its first game in the Carrier Dome against improving Syracuse.

Both teams should win, but as folks have learned across the ACC, there are never guarantees. Just last week, Florida State struggled at Boston College. And Clemson looked ragged the last time it went out on the road in a too-close-for-comfort win at NC State.

What makes this week perhaps more difficult for Clemson is preparing for the unknown. This is Syracuse’s ACC opener. Coaches are not nearly as versed in what Syracuse likes to do as they are with all the other ACC teams on their schedules. Playing in the Carrier Dome presents an X-factor as well.

“Typically when you’re looking up for passes, when you’re catching punts, when you’re catching kicks, all of those things it’s totally different when you’re inside because the lighting is over the top of you as opposed to off to the side and things like that,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “It is an adjustment as opposed to playing outside, which is what you do every single day in practice and most games.”

Swinney did note that playing in the Georgia Dome in the bowl game last season should help, along with having an indoor practice facility to help simulate conditions. But unlike the Georgia Dome, the Carrier Dome is smaller and the crowd is closer to the field. Plus, there is no air conditioning inside, causing hot and humid conditions early in the season.

Not only that, Syracuse has pulled a few upsets in the Dome over the last few seasons, completely shutting down the likes of Geno Smith and Teddy Bridgewater, widely regarded as among the best quarterbacks in the country when they played the Orange. Last year, Louisville came in unbeaten and ranked No. 9 in the nation. Syracuse won 45-26. In 2011, Syracuse beat No. 15 West Virginia just as badly, 49-23.

The architect behind those two defensive efforts was coordinator Scott Shafer, who is now the Syracuse head coach. Do you know how much pride he takes in those two victories? During his introductory news conference last January, he specifically mentioned the way the Orange proved their doubters wrong in those two games:

"West Virginia came in here a year ago,” he said then. “They were talking. We locked them in the dome and beat the hell out of them. Louisville this year when we played the unstoppable team and (we) didn't have a chance in hell to play against that team and our kids got after it and the crowd was rumbling in that Dome."

Swinney says his staff will study some tape from last year because four games from 2013 is not enough to evaluate tendencies and scheme. What Syracuse did to Louisville should be on that list. In addition, Swinney said he has gotten input from several coaches on staff who have either coached in the Dome or played in it. Unlike most weeks, his group might do a walk-through at the Carrier Dome when it arrives on Friday to get a better idea for the environment it will face Saturday afternoon.

Still, the focus all week will be on Clemson’s scheme and Clemson’s game plan, to make sure the Tigers have the type of consistent effort that led to a 56-7 win over Wake Forest.

“I think our guys will be excited about it,” Swinney said. “It’s a new place. I’ve never been there. I’m excited about going up there. I’ve seen Syracuse on TV a million times, but we look forward to getting up there. We’ve got to be a good road team. It doesn’t matter where you go, that’s just part of it. You've got to play well on the road. We've got one win under our belt on the road and we played OK. Hopefully we can go on this road trip and play a little better. That’ll be our objective.”

Heather Dinich talks about three ACC quarterbacks who stood out in Week 5 and their performances that led their teams to wins.

Maryland has started 4-0 for the first time since 2001. The Terps are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2010. They’ve outscored their opponents 159-41.

And yet the question remains: Are they for real?

Florida State should help answer that. The Noles are ranked No. 8 in the country and are considered a contender for the national title. They’re No. 4 in the country in scoring offense, and they’ve got one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the county in redshirt freshman Jameis Winston.

And yet the question remains: Are they for real?

Saturday’s game in Tallahassee will be proving grounds for both teams, in spite of the fact they’re both 4-0. It’s the marquee matchup in the conference this week – the lone game between undefeated teams in the Atlantic Division -- and it should show just how far No. 25 Maryland has come in trying to close the gap with one of the ACC’s premier programs. It should also reveal if Florida State’s sluggish defensive performance at Boston College on Saturday was an anomaly or a deeper-rooted problem that Maryland can continue to expose.

On paper, it looks like the Terps could be exactly the kind of tricky opponent that has tripped up the Noles in the past. Maryland had a bye week to prepare for its first ranked opponent of the season, and Florida State allowed BC 200 rushing yards in a 48-34 victory at Boston College. How much of Maryland’s success, though, is simply a product of the poor competition it has played early, and have any of those teams prepared the Terps for what they’ll face in Tallahassee?

Maryland’s wins have come against Florida International, Old Dominion, Connecticut and West Virginia – teams that are a combined 6-12 this season, including two 0-4 programs in FIU and Connecticut. UConn hit a new low this season with losses to Towson and Buffalo, and on Monday fired coach Paul Pasqualoni. Maryland’s best victory was a 37-0 shutout of West Virginia in Baltimore, and it looks even better now that the Mountaineers just knocked off No. 11 Oklahoma State.

That was Baltimore. This is Tally. Maryland hasn’t beaten Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium – well, ever. The Noles have won all 11 games there and seven straight in the series. This is only the second time Maryland has even been ranked when playing Florida State. For the Noles to go down, Maryland needs to be every bit as good as it looks right now on paper.

The Noles should and will be favored, but they fell behind 14-0 at Boston College and looked vulnerable. It was a surprising start for an opponent FSU was expected to handle with ease, and it’s only going to get more difficult. The Terps will be Florida State’s first ranked opponent as well. FSU padded its stats against Nevada and Bethune-Cookman and looked unprepared on Saturday for what BC had to dish out. The Eagles are a one-dimensional offense that depends heavily on Andre Williams and the running game. Maryland is not. The Terps have more depth and more playmakers and will be an even bigger challenge for the FSU defense.

Maryland’s offense, which finished the 2012 season dead last in the ACC in total offense, averaging just 284 yards, now ranks second in the ACC at 498.5 yards per game, an improvement of 213.7 yards per game.

There’s no question Maryland is light years better than it was a year ago, when it finished the season with just four wins and a linebacker at quarterback. And there’s no question Florida State is still one of the top two teams in the ACC.

Just how good both of them truly are, though, has yet to be determined.

The ACC on Monday announced the game times and networks for Oct. 12:

Saturday, Oct. 12

• Pitt at Virginia Tech (Noon. ET, ESPNU)
• Navy at Duke (12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
• Boston College at Clemson (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN2 or ESPNU*)
• Virginia at Maryland (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN2 or ESPNU*)
• Syracuse at NC State (3:30 p.m. ET, Regional Sports Networks)
• Georgia Tech at BYU (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

* Networks to be announced by Sunday, Oct. 6

 

The following links contain no "Breaking Bad" spoilers.

• There were plenty of positives for Boston College in its surprisingly competitive, yet ultimately frustrating game against Florida State, writes BC Interruption.
• Florida State, meanwhile, has plenty to work on in the trenches, writes the Orlando Sentinel.
• Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Facyson has been a revelation in the Hokies' secondary this season, writes the Roanoke Times.
• North Carolina's loss to East Carolina might have reshuffled expectations outside the locker room, writes the Charlotte Observer, but the Tar Heels' plans for the 2013 season haven't changed.
• Maryland snuck into the AP poll this week at No. 25 -- an accomplishment that has been a long time coming, writes the Baltimore Sun.
• After an easy win against USF, Miami's focus has turned to a crucial ACC game against Georgia Tech, writes the Miami Herald.
• Syracuse receiver Ashton Broyld adds some competitive flair to the Orange offense -- for better and for worse -- writes The Post-Standard.
• The defense carried Pitt to its second ACC win one week after the offense led the charge. Now, the Panthers need to get both units in sync, writes the Post-Gazette.
• After a blowout win over Wake Forest, Tiger Net writes that Clemson QB Tajh Boyd is back to his Heisman form -- on and off the field.
• As NC State's offense continues to develop, running back Shadrach Thornton is picking up a bigger slice of the pie, writes the Raleigh News & Observer.
• With the offense struggling mightily, Virginia coach Mike London says changes are in store -- beginning with the offensive line, writes the Roanoke Times.

Hey guys,

Just your reminder to join our weekly college football discussion at 1 p.m. ET today. Can't get there? Send your questions in early and they could still get answered. We can talk FSU-Maryland, Miami-Georgia Tech, or anything else you're interested in for Week 6. Your time, your topics. See you there!

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