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The Pittsburgh-Miami game might be the hardest ACC game to predict this weekend, and it is based mostly on the unknowns. What Miami team is going to show up in Sun Life Stadium on Saturday? Will it be the one we saw in the first half against Florida State and the previous three games, or will it be the defeated, uninterested group that was beat up by a Virginia team desperately trying to make a bowl game and save coach Mike London's job?   As for the Panthers, they need running back James Conner, who exited last weekend's game with a hip injury. At his Monday meeting with the media, Pitt coach Paul Chryst had no new information on Conner, who is one of the country's top running backs.
"We'll see how he goes," Chryst said. "After the game, he felt all right. Obviously [he] was hurting." Without Conner, who is third nationally with 1,600 yards, it is hard to envision the Panthers beating Miami and getting to a bowl game. While Pitt has a great stable of young running backs that rushed for 214 yards in the last game, it came against woeful Syracuse. While the Canes and Orange are nearly identical in rushing yards allowed per game, Miami has a significantly better offense to relieve pressure on the defense, which has been porous at times. Pitt quarterback Chad Voytik has not shown enough this season to instill enough confidence he can put the team on his back and carry Pitt to win, so the offense might see a lot of receiver and returner Tyler Boyd, who certainly has that ability. If Conner cannot play and Pittsburgh loses, it would be an unfortunate ending to the sophomore's season as he was a dark horse Heisman contender through the early portion of the season. Here are a few more links: Which team has had a better season: Georgia or Georgia Tech? If Deshaun Watson cannot play, Cole Stoudt is confident he can lead Clemson to a win over South Carolina. Confidence around Stoudt, who was benched in September, has waned since the beginning of the season. Embattled starter Michael Brewer will start at quarterback for Virginia Tech against rival UVa on Friday. Duke Johnson, who could bolt Miami after this season for the NFL, said he has nothing left to prove at the college level. Syracuse is a double-digit underdog to Boston College. The spray paint incident between Duke and North Carolina should end with the Tar Heels paying for the damages. UNC will not punish any of the involved players. NC State's Hakim Jones accused UNC Marquise Williams of quitting after the Tar Heels' star takes a few hits. Rivalry week baby! UNC coach Larry Fedora can't wait to tell Williams about the comments. FSU receiver Rashad Greene is doing fine after temporarily exiting Saturday's game with an elbow injury.
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