Cleveland Cavaliers
Clemson Needs to Tread Carefully Against Dangerous Gamecocks
This feels almost like the ACC-SEC challenge with four of the eight games scheduled in the ACC in Week 13 coming against SEC opponents.
One of those features Clemson meeting a South Carolina team that just ran national title contending Tennessee off the field. A loss this weekend would end any hopes Clemson has of earning a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.
The most intriguing of the ACC matchups could be the North Carolina-North Carolina State showdown.
The Virginia-Virginia Tech game was canceled in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of receivers Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. and linebacker D’Sean Perry.
Clemson moved up one spot to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings while North Carolina went from 13th to 17th.
Clemson moved up two spots to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and is eighth in the American Football Coaches Association poll.
According to the college football playoff odds, Clemson (+2000) is fifth in the odds to win the national title.
Here’s a look at the Week 13 slate of games involving ACC teams.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF predictions. We’ve plenty of NCAAF expert picks for you to consider.
Game of the Week
North Carolina State vs North Carolina
- Game, time (TV): Friday, Nov. 25, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Line: North Carolina -6½
Both teams are coming off losses with the Wolfpack falling to Louisville and North Carolina stunned by Georgia Tech.
North Carolina State has used three quarterbacks since losing starter Devin Leary for the season and the results have not been good.
North Carolina State has the second-fewest rushing touchdowns in the ACC and hasn’t done much in the running game so there could be plenty on the shoulders of untested QBs. North Carolina has allowed more passing yards than any other ACC team this season.
Freshman quarterback Drake Maye is coming off a season-low 202 passing yards and was held without a TD pass for the first time.
Second-leading rusher Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is questionable for North Carolina State.
North Carolina (9-2, 6-1 in the ACC) has already clinched the Coastal Division title and will meet Clemson in the ACC title game. North Carolina State (7-4, 3-4) is trying to finish at .500 in conference play.
North Carolina’s Cedric Gray leads the ACC with 123 tackles while the Wolfpack’s Aydan White is second in the conference with four interceptions.
North Carolina has covered against the college football predictions in the last five meetings with North Carolina State.
Rest of the Schedule
Florida vs Florida State
- Date, time (TV): Friday, Nov. 25, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Line: Florida State -9½
This game doesn’t have the national title game implications that it had during a different era. However, both teams do come into the game with winning records so there has been some progress.
Florida State (8-3) is averaging nearly 100 more yards per game than the Seminoles put up a season ago.
Quarterback Jordan Travis has 21 touchdown passes and four interceptions to go with five scoring runs while Jared Verse is tied for second in the conference with 7½ sacks.
Highest graded QBs heading into rivalry week♨️ pic.twitter.com/97bWJLBSQS
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 23, 2022
Florida (6-5) is third in the SEC with an average of 6.8 yards per play.
Florida’s second-leading tackler Ventrell Miller will miss the first half after being called for targeting in the Gators’ last game while third-leading receiver Xzavier Henderson is questionable for Florida.
The total has gone under in eight of the last 11 games when Florida played in Tallahassee. This year’s matchup has a total of 58.
Georgia Tech vs Georgia
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 12 noon ET (ESPN)
- Line: Georgia -35½
This one could get out of control early.
Georgia Tech (5-6) is 12th in the ACC in total defense and has allowed the most plays of 10 yards or longer in the conference. The Yellow Jackets are coming off an upset of North Carolina, however.
No. 1 Georgia can wrap up an undefeated regular season with a win and the college football odds are projecting a comfortable win for the defending national champions.
After throwing 29 touchdowns a season ago, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett only has 14 in 2022.
Quarterbacks Jeff Sims and Zach Pyron are both out for Georgia Tech so it will be Zach Gibson at QB.
Georgia will be without two of its top defensive players with linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive lineman Jalen Carter both sidelined.
The college football predictions total has gone under in 10 of Georgia’s last 13 games. That is one of the reasons why the total is set at 49 in this one.
South Carolina vs Clemson
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 12 noon ET (ABC)
- Line: Clemson -14
This is a dangerous game for Clemson as South Carolina just knocked Tennessee out of the national-championship picture.
Clemson (10-1) is allowing just 301 yards in conference play. Will Shipley needs 40 yards to hit 1,000 rushing yards. He ran for 128 yards in the 2021 matchup with South Carolina.
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler has been a part of four wins over ranked teams dating to his time at Oklahoma. The most recent win was his most impressive performance as he threw for 438 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-38 win over Tennessee.
After knocking Tennessee out of the national championship picture, will the Gamecocks do the same against ACC powerhouse Clemson?
Clemson has won seven straight games against South Carolina while eight of the last 11 games in the series went under the total. The total is currently sitting at 58.
Receiver Beaux Collins is questionable for Clemson. South Carolina’s leading rusher Marshawn Lloyd is questionable for the game with a quad injury.
Louisville vs Kentucky
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 3 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
- Line: Kentucky -3
When the season began, this matchup figures to be highlighted by the quarterback matchup.
However, Louisville’s Malik Cunningham and Will Levis of Kentucky played their way out of the Heisman conversation weeks ago.
Kentucky (6-5) went from being the team that Vanderbilt snapped its 26-game SEC losing streak against to going toe to toe with defending national champion Georgia.
After being suspended for the first four games of the season, Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez has rushed for more than 100 yards four times in his seven games.
Cunningham has eight TD passes for Louisville (7-4) but he does have 11 scoring runs. He is questionable for the game with a shoulder injury.
Louisville’s Yasir Adbullah leads the ACC with eight sacks.
Kentucky has covered in four of the last five meetings with Louisville while the total has gone over in six of the last seven meetings. The total is 43 in this game.
Wake Forest vs Duke
- Date, Game (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network).
- Line: Wake Forest -3½
Not too many folks who bet online had Duke heading into this game with a better conference record than the Demon Deacons.
As impressive as the turnaround has been for Duke (7-4, 4-3), it could have been better if the Blue Devils closed out some games. Duke is 2-4 in one-score games. Wake Forest (7-4, 3-4) is 0-2 in one-score affairs in conference play.
Duke and Wake Forest are 11th and 13th in the ACC in total defense and both teams have struggled in pass defense so this game could have some offensive fireworks.
Quarterbacks Sam Hartman of Wake Forest and Riley Leonard of Duke have combined for 48 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. Hartman threw for 402 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s meeting.
Receivers Donovan Greene and Jahmal Banks, who have combined for 72 catches and 13 TD receptions, are both questionable for Wake Forest. Third-leading rusher Jaquez Moore is questionable for Duke.
Something to consider for those who bet online, Duke has covered in four of its first five home games this season. Wake Forest is 4-1 in the last five games against Duke and is also 4-1 against the spread in those matchups.
Syracuse vs Boston College
- Date, Game (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
- Line: Syracuse -10½
This has not been a year to remember for Eastern programs.
Syracuse (6-5, 3-4) has lost five games in a row since a 6-0 start with the Orange allowing at least 38 points in three of those contests.
Boston College (3-8, 2-5) is coming off a 44-point loss to Notre Dame and the Eagles will finish with a losing record in back-to-back seasons for the first time in a decade.
Boston College has attempted more passes than any other ACC teams but injuries and inconsistent play by quarterback Phil Jurkovec has proved costly for the Eagles. Jurkovec is questionable with a knee injury.
Syracuse’s offense is led by running back Sean Tucker as he needs 65 yards to become the first Syracuse player with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons since Delone Carter a decade ago.
Syracuse has covered in five of the last seven games against Boston College.
Pittsburgh vs Miami
- Date, Game (TV): Saturday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
- Line: Pittsburgh -7
Miami came into the season predicted to win the Coastal Division title and be the top threat to Clemson in the ACC. Instead, the Hurricanes (5-6, 3-4) need to beat the defending ACC champion Panthers (7-4, 4-3) just to become bowl eligible.
Israel Abanikanda is set to become the first Pittsburgh player to lead the ACC in rushing since James Conner ran for 1,765 yards during the 2014 season. Miami is averaging less than four yards per carry for the fourth year in a row. Miami’s leading rusher Henry Parrish has missed the last two games and is questionable for the game.
Among ACC teams, only Boston College has turned the ball over more frequently than Miami.
Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor are tied for fourth in the ACC with seven sacks.
Miami has won four games in a row against Pittsburgh and has covered in six of the last seven games in the series.
The Hurricanes and Panthers are 6-16 against the spread this season.
