Cal Gets the Week Off, But ACC Football Mayhem Continues

Cal gets a week off to decompress, get healthy and refocus for the 128th Big Game a week from Saturday at Stanford.

For one week, the Bears escape the chaos that is the ACC, with four teams tied for first place and two more within a game of the top spot. Cal (6-4, 3-3 ACC) is bowl eligible and tied for eighth place after its 29-26 overtime win at Louisville.

More and more the conference appeared destined to land only one team in the College Football Playoff. But which team secures that spot isn’t anywhere nearly decided so every outcome going forward will be consequential.

Here are the Week 12 matchups in the ACC:

(Point spreads provided by DraftKings)

FRIDAY

— Clemson (plus-2.5) at No. 20 Louisville, 4:30 p.m., ESPN

This isn’t an easy assignment for the Cardinals (7-2, 4-2), coming off their home overtime defeat to Cal. Clemson (4-5, 3-4) has been the ACC’s most disappointing team but the Tigers posted a decisive 24-10 win over Florida State last week, and a victory Friday gets them within one win of bowl eligibility. That could achieve that a week from now when Furman — an FCS team that has lost four of its past five games — visits for a late-season non-conference mismatch.

SATURDAY

— No. 9 Notre Dame (minus-12.5) at No. 22 Pittsburgh, 9 a.m., ABC

ESPN GameDay will visit Pitt as the Panthers (7-2) try to extend their five-game win streak with freshman Mason Heintschel starting at quarterback. The Irish (7-2) have won their past seven games and have won the past four meetings vs. Pitt in a series that began in 1909, including by a 58-7 margin two years ago. Pitt’s run defense, best in the ACC, will be tested by Notre Dame’s potent rushing attack.

— NC State (plus-15.5) at No. 15 Miami, 12:30 p.m., ESPN

The ACC has five teams rated among the top 22 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2) sit atop that group at No. 15. Miami has lost two of its past four games after a 5-0 start and cannot afford to trip up vs. NC State (5-4, 2-3) if it wants to squeeze into the CFP bracket.

— No. 16 Georgia Tech (minus-16.5) at Boston College, 12:30 p.m., ACC Network

Part of a four-way tie for first place in the ACC, Tech (8-1, 5-1) needs to respond after a 48-36 loss at NC State. Fortunately, the last-place Eagles (1-9, 0-6) offer a cure for what ails the Yellow Jackets.

— No. 19 Virginia (plus-4) at Duke, 12:30 p.m., ESPN2

The Cavaliers (8-2, 5-1) lived on edge for four straight victories that were one-score games in the final minute. That run of good fortune ended last week with a 16-9 home loss to Wake Forest, and Virginia now needs to get back on track vs. Duke (5-4, 4-1), loser in two of its past three games while allowing more than 36 points per game over that stretch.

— North Carolina (plus-6) at Wake Forest, 1:30 p.m., The CW Network

Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels (4-5, 2-3), have won two in a row after starting 2-5. Suddenly, UNC can become bowl eligible with two wins in its final three games. First up, the Demon Deacons (6-3, 3-3), who earned bowl eligibility with their road upset of then-No. 14 Virginia.

— Virginia Tech (plus-14) at Florida State, 4:30 pm., ACC Network

This one has no big-picture consequences but Florida State (4-5, 1-5) is one of the highest-scoring teams in the ACC (36.7) and VA Tech (3-6, 2-3) is one of the league’s leakiest defensive teams (29.7). Thus, the substantial point spread.

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