Week-7 picks: Heels, Hokies, LSU

•UNC (4-2) at Miami (4-2), Saturday 2:30

Assuming Miami is better than Duke _ hmm _ the Hurricanes can extend their ACC Coastal lead to something in the 4-furlong range with a win.

At 3-0 and with both Techs flunking chemistry in the same semester, the division is so lean and leaky that even with Florida State just ahead, the lame-duck Tar Heels could equate to Charlotte’s Welcome Wagon for Miami.

Even so, it’s difficult to imagine the Miami defense keeping Saint Bernard on the porch. Heels, 42-31. Would Al Golden think about giving his old buddy Al Groh … naw.

•Duke (5-1) at Virginia Tech (3-3), Saturday 12:30

As late as last year _ when the Hokies were almost the Hokies and the Blue Devils were the Blue Devils  _ this series hasn’t exactly been a laugher for Virginia Tech.

Now that it looks a little bit different on paper, Frank Beamer will be able to get his players’ attention. Hokies, 28-13.

•Maryland  (3-2) at Virginia (2-4),  Saturday, 3:00

This one has a game/set/match feel for the lifeless Wahoos.

But here’s an interesting question: If Mike London isn’t for real and Frank Beamer is fading, who rules recruiting in northern and eastern Virginia? Certainly not Randy Edsall.

Cavs figure it out for at least one afternoon, 20-14.

•Memphis (1-4) at ECU (3-3), Saturday 4:30

The Pirates have a decent chance to go 5-1 on the back side.

And of course, they’re capable of going 1-5, too.

Either way, this one has to be a lock. Bucs, 30-14.

•South Carolina (6-0) at LSU (5-1), Saturday 8:00

As one former South Carolina coach _ Lou Holtz _used to say: “When all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done.”

That line pretty much sums up Steve Spurrier’s SEC big-game pattern.

The good news this time is that Spurrier and the Gamecocks can lose this one and stay alive _ but only if they can win next week at (da-dum) Florida.

I think that’s the direction this road goes, too. Tigers, 17-16.

•West Virginia (5-0) at Texas Tech (4-1), 3:30

It’s got to be time for something really wild to happen in a West Virginia game.

R’Raiders, 45-44.

•Last week 4 hits, 3 misses. Season 23-10.