Collegiate Times

The Clemson Tigers wrapped up the ACC Atlantic Division title in Week 11 with a last minute field goal to defeat Wake Forest. The Coastal Division, however, remains wide open between the Hokies and, oddly enough, Virginia.

Excluding the Hokies game tonight, this week brings a non-conference matchup with Notre Dame and four other games within the ACC that could set the conference championship matchup.

BOSTON COLLEGE AT NOTRE DAME

The “Holy War” will take place on Saturday between the only two catholic institutions to play in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but it has been anything but a smooth ride for these two teams this season. It’ll be senior day for the Fighting Irish, who have finally climbed back into the top 25 for the first time since the preseason.

Notre Dame began the season with two devastating losses to South Florida and Michigan. In the two games, the Irish combined for a total of five turnovers. It even caused coach Brian Kelly to make a change at the quarterback position, removing Dayne Crist and inserting Tommy Rees.

Since the early struggles, however, the team has blossomed on offense and won seven of its last eight games, including the last two over ACC opponents.

The BC secondary will have its hands full with wide receiver Michael Floyd, as he and Rees are beginning to fire on all cylinders. The Notre Dame rushing attack of Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood combined for 234 yards last week against Maryland and has made the offense much more balanced.

Boston College has really struggled this season, but has been much more competitive in recent weeks against ACC opponents — it defeated NC State last week 14-10. The team does have one bright spot in linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly is arguably the best defensive player in the country and he will be vital to helping the Eagles stop an Irish offense that has averaged more than 40 points per game in its last three performances.

For the Eagles to come away with the upset, quarterback Chase Rettig must play much better than he has in a hostile environment. The Irish, though, are beginning to click as an offensive unit and should have their way again with a weak opponent.

Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Boston College 13

NO. 7 CLEMSON AT NC STATE

Clemson is your 2011 ACC Atlantic Division champions and it doesn’t matter at all what happens these remaining two weeks of the season. However, this team remains focused on getting every win and hopes to not have a mental lapse against NC State on Saturday.

Clemson, whose only loss came to Georgia Tech in a primetime game earlier this season, has been the most impressive team in the conference this season. Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd has taken the league by storm, emerging as one of the top players in the league.

One of the primary targets for Boyd’s throws is true freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins. He has caught 68 passes on the season for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a whole, the offense is averaging 478 yards per game and has the ability to put up a lot of points quickly.

The Wolfpack have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league but still hope to become bowl eligible, only needing one win in their final two games.

Quarterback Mike Glennon has had a rollercoaster ride in his first year replacing Russell Wilson. He has thrown for 2,231 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions. The defense remains the strong point for this team and especially after posting a shutout vs. archrival North Carolina two weeks ago.

While it would certainly be easy for the Tigers to overlook this team and focus on the ACC Championship in three weeks, head coach Dabo Swinney won’t let that happen. The team is hoping to get its first 10-win season in 21 years and will do just that with a win against the Wolfpack.

Prediction: Clemson 31, North Carolina State 17

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A version of this article appeared in the Nov 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.