Saturday Star Selection
1 STAR SELECTION (2% of Bankroll)
Wake Forest +14 over BOSTON COLLEGE
The soaring Eagles, off a 28-17 win over Virginia last week, host another ACC opponent on Saturday, as Wake Forest rolls into town. Boston College is riding a 3-game winning streak, while the Demon Deacons have won just two of their six games on the season, and are coming off a 41-24 loss at Florida State last week.
Wake Forest actually played better than last week’s final score might indicate and played well. The team has done much better since Jim Grobe put Cory Randolph back behind center and returned to the mis-direction running offense that had been successful in the previous seasons. Now, the Deacons are once again one of the top rushing units in the nation, outputting 368 yards per game in total offense, with 217 coming on the ground. All-ACC tailback Chris Barclay joined by redshirt sophomore Micah Andrews to form a very potent combination in the backfield.
After missing two games with an ankle injury, BC quarterback Quinton Porter resurfaced in a big way last week, as he completed 25-of-37 passes, for 301 yards and one TD, leading the Eagles to the win over Virginia. Tailback Andre Callender was also sensational, with 119 yards on 11 carries, including a 35-yard TD run to open the scoring. On the season, Porter has been efficient under center, completing 71% of his passes, for 890 yards and six TDs.
Wake should have the confidence to play the Eagles tough for 60 minutes. They have won the last 2 SU & ATS in this series, and are playing with renewed confidence. "I think our coaches are doing a better job. I think our players are doing a better job preparing," said Jim Grobe. The Deacons could actually sneak up on Boston College again, as the Eagles have been somewhat distracted. The early-week buzz in Boston concerned the late-hit, non-penalized chop block to star defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka against Virginia. The matter so incensed BC coach Tom O'Brien he called for the league to "decide if that's the way we're going to play football in this conference." On Monday, after those comments were national news, the ACC and Virginia sat down to agree on suspending Brad Butler, the offending offensive lineman on the play, but the incident has been a frequent discussion topic this week and O'Brien may have be challenged to get his team refocused for tricky Wake Forest. With a bye up next and a game at Virginia Tech on the horizon, this is somewhat of a “sandwich†situation. Additionally, Kiwanuka, the Eagles’ best defensive player, is not expected to play in this game. While Boston College would like to get payback for the recent losses to Wake, they are 0-5 ATS at home when playing with revenge, while the Demon Deacons are a tremendous 9-0 ATS & 13-1 ATS over the last 14 games as a road underdog vs. opponents playing with revenge.
Weather conditions can have a big impact on football games, and that may be the case here, as heavy rain is in the forecast. In perceived football "mismatches", poor weather tends to lessen the advantage powerful teams have over weaker opponents. The underdogs' chances of keeping the games close or even pulling off the outright upsets are enhanced, especially by turnovers which occur with more frequency in bad-weather games. Just the threat of turnovers can act as a great equalizer. Teams become more offensively conservative in order to avoid costly fumbles and interceptions. Either way, inclement weather usually portends defensive battles and low scores, and we expect the Deacons to keep this one close against an uninspired Eagles team.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: BOSTON COLLEGE 21 WAKE FOREST 14