Weekend Preview

Aside from the big UNC/Duke game that I already reviewed, there wasn't much of note in the ACC this week.  There was, however, a pretty surprising upset, as Florida State lost to Boston College.  That has to be a big boost for BC, which some people thought wouldn't win an ACC game this year.

Only five ACC games this weekend - Georgia Tech and NC State are off.

Saturday:

Miami at Florida State (1:00 p.m., ACC Network)
A couple of very intriguing games at 1:00 on Saturday.  The battle of Florida takes on extra importance as both teams are in the hunt for a top 4 seed.  Florida State wants to prove that the BC game was a fluke.  And Miami's looking to upgrade its NCAA resume with a signature road win.  This is probably the most meaningful FSU/Miami game in a long time.

Virginia at North Carolina (1:00 p.m., ACC Network)
We'll learn a lot about the toughness of North Carolina in this game.  How will they respond after the crushing Duke loss against a Virginia team that is very tough to play against?  Virginia played very well against Wake Forest and will need another great effort from Mike Scott against Carolina's frontline if they have a chance at the road upset.

Maryland at Duke (4:00 p.m., ESPN)
This could be a sneaky game for Duke.  The Blue Devils are coming off the emotional high of the win against North Carolina.  They have also played better on the road this year than at home, which is pretty unusual.  Maryland is playing pretty solid basketball, with a nice road win against Clemson this week.  They generally play Duke tough at Cameron too.

Clemson at Wake Forest (4:00 p.m., FSN)
Wake really struggled in Charlottesville, and Clemson has played very poorly on offense the last two games.  This will most likely be a close, low-scoring game that could go either way.

Sunday:

Boston College at Virginia Tech (6:00 p.m., ESPNU)
A month ago it was unthinkable that BC could possibly sweep Virginia Tech.  But with a confidence building win over Florida State, they have a chance to win in Blacksburg.  Virginia Tech looked lifeless against Miami, and may just be playing out the string the rest of the season.