It's a Showdown in Texas and Our Staff Makes Their Picks
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In this week's CFP Rankings, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1, 5-1 ACC) moved up three spots to No. 13. With only three games remaining in the regular season, their postseason is coming into focus. Win out and the Deacs will be in the final ACC Championship Game on December 5, probably with a rematch against Miami.
However, to do that, they must first get past SMU. Wake heads to Dallas this weekend for what could be the most consequential game of the season, and even of the Jake Dickert era in Winston-Salem. The winner of this game, barring losses by either team in the last two weeks, should make it to Charlotte for the championship game.
Not only is it Homecoming at SMU, but it's also Senior Day. Quarterback Kevin Jennings will play his final game on the Hilltop. Emotions will run high, and the Mustangs have not lost at home all season. To say it's all on the line for Wake is an understatement.
Our staff is predicting a tight game. The majority of our staff has picked Wake Forest to win. However, it's only the third game of the season in which our staff was not unanimous in picking the winner. We have Wake winning by less than a touchdown - 4.9 points. Our average projected combined score is 57.1 points. This works out to an average prediction of Wake Forest 31, SMU 26.
Last week, Keylor came the closest with his prediction of Wake Forest 77, Merrimack 7. The final score was 77-0. This marked Keylor's second closest prediction win of the season, and it was enough to move him to No. 2 on our leaderboard. Brandon, with his four closest prediction wins, remains the frontrunner amongst our staff.
Staff Leaderboard after Week Ten:
Place | Name | Wins | Losses | Closest | Cumulative Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brandon | 8 | 1 | 4 | 135 |
2 | Keylor | 8 | 1 | 2 | 157 |
3 | Barry | 8 | 1 | 1 | 160 |
4 | Justin | 8 | 1 | 1 | 192 |
5 | Alex | 8 | 1 | 1 | 204 |
6 | Seth | 8 | 1 | 1 | 217 |
7 | JD | 8 | 1 | 0 | 185 |
8 | Andrew | 7 | 2 | 0 | 235 |
9 | Sean | 7 | 2 | 0 | 245 |
10 | Blake* | 5 | 1 | 0 | 128 |
* Blake did not participate in Weeks 1-3
Staff Predictions - Wake Forest Demon Deacons at SMU Mustangs
Alex Gendron (8-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 34-27
Andrew Bauhs (7-2) - Wake Forest 33-24
Barry Lewis (8-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 31-28
Blake Robison* (5-1) - Wake Forest 27-17
Brandon Oakes (8-1, four closest predictions) - Wake Forest 35-28
JD Andress (8-1) - Wake Forest 59-3
Justin Kontul (8-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 31-28
Keylor Piers (8-1, two closest predictions) - Wake Forest 24-21
Sean Kennedy (7-2) - SMU 30-24
Seth Dowdle (8-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 34-31
* Blake did not participate in Weeks 1-3
Do you agree with our picks? Let us know what you think the final score will be.
What's Next for the Demon Deacons?
The game will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 14. It will be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. You can watch it on ESPN.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 12+ writers and photographers covering all sports at Wake Forest. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, ACC Kickoff, and ACC Tipoff. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.