College football games to watch
Inside the ACC
3 to watch
1. No. 3 Clemson at N.C. State, 3:30 (ABC)
The Tigers (7-0) are the last unbeaten team in the ACC and have their eyes set on a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Wolfpack (5-2) has won three of its past five home games against top 10 teams.
2. Miami at No. 22 Duke, 7 (ESPNU)
Miami (4-3) got rid of Al Golden, but it still has problems on defense and an injured quarterback. The Blue Devils (6-1) survived a trip to Virginia Tech and needs to hold serve at home.
3. Syracuse at No. 17 Florida State, noon (ABC)
The Orange (3-4) gave No. 4 LSU fits earlier this season. Don’t be surprised if the Seminoles (6-1), coming off their first ACC loss since 2012, are in a bit of a fog here.
Observations
▪ Given Florida State’s problems on offense and the location of next week’s game with Clemson (at Death Valley), Saturday’s trip to Raleigh might be the biggest obstacle on Clemson’s path to an ACC title.
The Tigers’ three games after FSU next week are at Syracuse (3-4), Wake Forest (3-5) at home and at South Carolina (3-4).
▪ Duke’s on the verge of posting back-to-back home wins over Miami. Go and find a college football fan from 1980s, 1990s or 2000s and try to explain that.
▪ A wild finish and win over Florida State last week just might save Georgia Tech’s remarkable streak of finishing .500 or better in league play. The Yellow Jackets, 1-4 in ACC play, close with Virginia (on Saturday), Virginia Tech and Miami. A sweep continues their streak for a 21st year.
Number to know
4 ACC teams ranked in the top 10 in the country in total defense (2. Boston College, 3. N.C. State, 4. Clemson, No. 9 Duke).
Top 25 schedule
Thursday
No. 5 TCU 40, West Virginia 10
North Carolina 26, No. 23 Pittsburgh 19
Saturday
No. 3 Clemson at N.C. State, 3:30 p.m.
No. 8 Stanford at Washington State, 10:30 p.m.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 21 Temple, 8 p.m.
No. 10 Iowa vs. Maryland, 3;30 p.m.
No. 11 Florida vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, Fla., 3:30 p.m.
No. 12 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 Utah vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Oklahoma at Kansas, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 Michigan at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Memphis vs. Tulane, 7 p.m.
No. 17 Florida State vs. Syracuse, noon
No. 18 Houston vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
No. 19 Mississippi at Auburn, noon
No. 22 Duke vs. Miami, 7 p.m.
No. 24 UCLA vs. Colorado, 3 p.m.
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 2:06 PM with the headline "College football games to watch."