•Marshall (5-6) at ECU (7-4), Friday 2
Last season at Marshall, the Herd got a win that eliminated ECU from bowl eligibility. What goes around … Pirates don’t just need a win, though. They need some help from Alabama-Birmingham against Central Florida on Saturday in order to reach to the C-USA title game against Tulsa
Bucs, 30-21.
•Boston College (2-9) at N.C. State (6-5), Saturday 3
It’s logical to assume that Frank Spaziani is out at BC win or lose. Far trickier is Tom O’Brien’s situation. A loss could be double as exit move. But if O’Brien goes, so does offensive coordinator Dan Bible in all likelihood.
But let’s don’t venture into that hood. Pack, 34-21.
•Miami (6-5) at Duke (6-5), Saturday 12:30
David Cutcliffe’s almost certainly going to be ACC coach of the year even if the Blue Devils lose and take a four-game losing streak into their bowl. Hopefully, justice isn’t blind after all and that fate will be avoided.
Devils, 34-31.
•Maryland (4-7) at UNC (7-4), Saturday 3
Wow, how depressing can one two-way season finale get? This one could qualify as an all-time benchmark. Maybe the Terps will find a more favorable karma as a Big Ten member in 2014, and maybe the Heels can rehab their image by then. At least there’s Gio Bernard to watch in what will likely be his last college game.
UNC, 35-10.
•South Carolina (9-2) at Clemson (10-1), Saturday 7
The Gamecocks have managed to hang around since the loss of Marcus Lattimore, but does Connor Shaw have enough arm to throw deep consistently against Clemson’s leaky secondary? Nope.
Tigers, 28-24.
•Virginia (4-7) at Virginia Tech (5-6), Saturday noon
The team with so much as the slightest interest in playing the game will win. It’s strictly a guess but at least the Hokies can still get to a bad bowl somewhere. VT, 20-17.
•Florida (10-1) at Florida State (10-1), Saturday 3:30
A bad week for the ACC will become catastrophic if the SEC Gators do a number on FSU in Doak Campbell. On paper, the Gators shouldn’t have enough offensive punch to pull it off. But if it’s close at the end, the Seminoles could freak out again.
FSU, 28-17.
•Georgia Tech (6-5) at Georgia (10-1), Saturday noon
It’s very possible that the Yellow Jackets, although much improved during the past month, will take a 6-7 record into the postseason. Bulldawgs, 35-24.
•Notre Dame (11-0) at Southern Cal (7-4), Saturday 8
It’d be nice if the SC defense is as DOA as it has looked of late, but the sight of the Irish will bring them back to life. On the other hand, there’s always the Lane Kiffin factor.
Irish find a way, 28-27.
•Last week 6 up, 2 down. Season 53-21.
Columnist