Saturday morning blitz: 3 to watch
3 to watch
1. Georgia Tech at No. 18 Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU): The Hokies (6-1 ACC) can clinch the Coastal Division title with a win. The Yellow Jackets (5-4 overall) need one more win to qualify for a bowl game.
2. N.C. State at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m. (WRAL): Another “must-win” game for the Wolfpack (4-5) which has lost the first two such games (ECU, Boston College) this season.
3. Pittsburgh at No. 3 Clemson, 3:30 p.m. (WTVD): The Tigers (9-0) have to be salivating after watching Pitt’s defense against Oklahoma State, UNC and Virginia Tech.
Observations
▪ Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey missed four games last year with concussion issues. Dungey was knocked out of last week’s loss at Clemson with an apparent concussion.
Syracuse listed Dungey as questionable for the N.C. State game. Dungey is having a fantastic season (2,679 passing yards, 15 TDs) in coach Dino Babers’ version of the Baylor offense. Hopefully, Dungey’s long-term health is more important to Syracuse than any of the final three games of the season.
▪ Wake Forest’s most lopsided loss of the season was 17 points (33-16) at N.C. State on Oct. 1. That figures to be tested with a trip to Louisville (8-1). While the Cardinals struggled with their Coastal Division crossovers (24-14 win over Duke, 32-25 win at Virginia) they have demolished their division foes (save for Clemson) by an average of 40.7 points.
▪ Miami (5-4) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 51-28 home win over Pittsburgh last week but this trip to Virginia is a classic doldrums game. Miami didn’t show a particular interest in beating up on inferior division opponents, especially on the road, before Mark Richt got there. Maybe the Canes can avoid a letdown at Virginia but the Cavaliers have been feisty at home.
Number to know
126 Pitt’s ranking in pass defense, out of 128 FBS teams. The Panthers have given up 317.1 passing yards per game.
Top 25
Thursday
Duke 28, No. 15 North Carolina 27
No. 13 Utah 49, Arizona State 26
Friday
No. 20 Florida State vs. Boston College, late
Saturday
No. 1 Alabama vs. Mississippi State, noon
No. 2 Michigan at Iowa, 8 p.m.
No. 3 Clemson vs. Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Washington vs. Southern Cal, 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Louisville vs. Wake Forest, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m.
No. 7 Wisconsin vs. Illinois, 3:30 p.m.
No. 8 Auburn at Georgia, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 25 Baylor, noon
No. 10 Texas A&M vs. Mississippi, 7:30 p.m.
No. 11 West Virginia at Texas, noon
No. 12 Penn State at Indiana, noon
No. 16 Colorado at Arizona, 10 p.m.
No. 17 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m.
No. 18 Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m.
No. 19 LSU at Arkansas, 7 p.m.
No. 21 Nebraska vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
No. 22 Florida vs. South Carolina, noon
No. 23 Washington State vs. California, 10:30 p.m.
No. 24 Boise State at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Saturday morning blitz: 3 to watch."