ACC Football: Three impact Coastal Division games in week 2

Which ACC Football Coastal Division games are the biggest of the weekend?

Last week, we mentioned how the College Football Playoff has made for a more interesting opening weekend. And while all of that is well and true, it has also made for a more interesting second weekend as well.

Week one featured three top-25 matchups, while week two features four, including a second straight battle between top five teams.

That top matchup is a replay from a week three game last season between Oklahoma and Ohio State. Last year, the Buckeyes traveled to Norman and walked out with a 21-point victory.

The game served two huge purposes in line with the College Football Playoff. First, it was the major criteria the committee used to put Ohio State in the top-four even though they didn’t win the Big Ten.

Secondly, it guaranteed the Big 12 would miss out of the playoff for the second time in three years. Will the game have the same impact this season?

The second big match-up pits No. 3 Clemson versus No. 13 Auburn in what is also a repeat from last season. Last year, the Tigers from Clemson beat the Tigers from Auburn by six points, propelling them to their second straight playoff and national title game.

Will the winning Tiger team also have the inside track to the title game this year?

The third top-25 showdown would not have been one a week ago. Georgia travels to play a Notre Dame team that just joined the rankings this week. The winner will be 2-0 on the season and in good shape for the CFP come November.

The last matchup is an all-Pac 12 affair as No. 14 Stanford travels south to play No. 6 USC. The Cardinal looked much better than the Trojans did in their opening game against lesser competition.

Additionally Stanford is coming off an extra bye week thanks to playing an earlier week one matchup. Since Jim Harbaugh’s squad spanked Pete Carrol’s by 40, this has been a rivalry game worth watching.

That’s all the major action from a national perspective, which leaves only the three impact games of the ACC Coastal Division.

Louisville vs North Carolina (Saturday, September 9th @ 12:00 pm)

Louisville is coming off a seven-point road win against a Power Five team that went 3-9 last season. Meanwhile, UNC is coming off a five-point home loss against a Power Five team that went 4-8 last year.

Which team can shake off the rust and get their first conference win of the season?

Things going for the Tar Heels: Michael Carter. In one of the few bright spots in North Carolina’s loss to Cal, true freshman Michael Carter looks to be the next great back at North Carolina.

Carter finished the game with 94 yards on 11 carries and two scores. What he’s able to do against a stingy Louisville run defense may be key to the Tar Heels pulling an upset.

Things going against the Tar Heels: Lamar Jackson. Jackson continued to do Jackson things against the Boilermakers. The junior quarterback finished with 485 total yards and two scores in the seven-point win.

The Tar Heels defense will have to know their assignments and keep a quarterback spy in place if they want to slow him down. Luckily, Andre Smith is the perfect type of player to do so, and he’s coming off a good game against the Golden Bears (10 tackles and a pick).

I discussed in-depth all that went wrong with UNC in the power rankings. Needless to say, if Larry Fedora continues to run a two quarterback system, this might not be much of a game.

If he picks one quarterback and stays with him, the team might be able to keep the game close since the Tar Heels are at home. At the end of the day, though, the Cardinals have the better overall team and league’s best player. That is probably more than UNC can overcome.

Pittsburgh at Penn State (Saturday, September 9th @ 3:30 pm)

Last season the two teams met at Pittsburgh with the Panthers pulling out the three-point win. The game was often used by the college football committee as a reason why Ohio State was ranked ahead of the Nittany Lions despite the head-to-head win.

Will this year’s game have the same impact on the College Football Playoff?

Things going for the Panthers: Quadree Ollison. Ollison was one of the few bright spots in the Panthers’ win against Youngstown State. The junior back finished with 126 total yards of offense and two scores.

The Panthers will need a big game out of Ollison if they want to win, as they take on a Penn State team that allowed just 159 total yards last week.

Things going against the Panthers: Defense. Pitt’s defense was really bad last week, allowing 418 yards and blowing a 21-point lead. Things don’t get easier either as they face a Nittany Lions offense that showcases Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorely.

In their win over the Golden Zips, the duo combined for 554 total yards and five touchdowns.

I know last year the game was close, but this one really looks like it could be a blowout, particularly after giving up a three touchdown lead last week. The Penguins are a decent FCS squad, but not one that any team should relinquish that large of a lead to.

On top of that, the fact that Penn State completely shut out Akron last week is scary for the Panthers. It is a rivalry game so anything is possible, but any outcome that doesn’t end with a PSU victory should be considered an upset.

Northwestern at Duke (Saturday, September 9th  @ 12:00 pm)

This will be the third straight season of the brain bowl. Both Northwestern and Duke are small private institutes known more for their academics than athletics.

The Wildcats have won the past two meetings. Can Duke stop them from making it three in a row?

Things going for the Blue Devils: Brittain Brown. The freshman running back is coming off a 10 carry, 120-yard performance against North Carolina Central. If Duke wants to control the game and give themselves a chance to win, they’ll need a big outing from Brown.

Things going against the Blue Devils: The Wildcats offense. Northwestern is coming off a game where they racked up 508 yards against Nevada. Duke’s defense is coming off a 158-yard performance against an FCS school. Will they be able to do similar things against a Power Five opponent?

The game is at Duke which should favor the Blue Devils. However, Duke also played the easier opponent last week. Both teams put up over 500 yards of total offense, so we could be in for a high scoring affair.

This game will also serve as a barometer for both teams, as neither played a particularly tough opponent last weekend. The winner will be one step closer to bowl eligibility, and despite being the road team, this game leans toward Northwestern.

One to keep an eye on: Indiana at Virginia (Saturday, September 9th @ 3:30 pm)

Indiana is coming off a tough loss to Ohio State. Virginia is coming off a big win against William and Mary. Can the Cavs keep their home winning streak alive? Or will the Hoosiers get a Power Five win that their program desperately needs?

The rest of the action sees Miami travelling to Arkansas State and the two Tech squads welcoming in FCS competition.

That does it for this weeks’ edition of impact games in the ACC Coastal. Get ready because football is off and running and anything can happen at anytime.