Remember the ACC’s preseason media poll? OK, we don’t blame you for ignoring it. That was probably a good idea.
In any case, here’s how the Coastal votes stacked up:
1. Miami
2. Duke
3. Virginia Tech
4. North Carolina
5. Georgia Tech
6. Pittsburgh
7. Virginia
Those top four teams all received at least 23 first-place votes (Tech got 1, Pitt got 2, Virginia got none). And after Thursday’s Virginia Tech loss to Pitt, three of those top four teams now have two losses in conference play already. On Saturday, Virginia has a chance to complete the foursome by beating Duke, while securing its spot atop the Coastal Division. And this is why we shouldn’t make preseason predictions.
On the field, Pitt looked significantly better than it had in its previous three games -- all losses. Chad Voytik wasn’t great in the passing game -- 10-of-17 for 92 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, while not completing a ball to a wideout other than Tyler Boyd -- but he more than made up for it with his legs. Voytik ran 17 times for 135 yards (not counting sacks), including a 49-yard run that set up the Panthers’ decisive touchdown.
That’s been a trend for the Hokies’ defense this season. In six games against FBS teams, Virginia Tech has allowed four quarterbacks to run for at least 120 yards. Non-QB runs against Tech are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, but quarterbacks (not including sacks) are averaging 7.8 yards per carry this season.
What was clear from Thursday’s game is that the Hokies have a lot of troubles at the moment, but with Tyler Murphy and Anthony Boone still on the schedule down the road, this is one that needs to get fixed quickly.
A few more links:
Freshman Travis Rudolph is emerging as a weapon in Florida State’s passing game, writes the Orlando Sentinel.
FSU’s Chris Casher is being sued by his attorney for unpaid legal bills, writes the Tallahassee Democrat.
Notre Dame cornerback Cody Riggs isn’t worried about the trip to Tallahassee. After four years playing for Florida, he knows the drill, writes CSN Chicago.
The Charlotte Observer has a roundtable with its writers on the state of the ACC at the midpoint, including a discussion of the coach of the year candidates. Not much love for Jimbo Fisher, but in my opinion, he’s the obvious choice.
The Boston College offensive line is doing a cram session to get ready for that fearsome Clemson D, writes the Boston Herald.
All signs point to Greyson Lambert getting the start at QB for Virginia this week, according to The Daily Progress.
Injured Syracuse QB Terrel Hunt is dealing with some serious frustrations at this point, writes Syracuse.com.
Louisville’s Charles Gaines said his defense’s goal is to not allow opponents past midfield, writes The Courier Journal. For what it’s worth, 61 percent of opponents’ drives haven’t gone past the 50 against Louisville, the third-best rate in the nation.