Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - BOMBSHELL: ACC Power Rankings SHAKE UP Conference | Is Miami TRULY Number One?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Is anybody in the ACC right now better than Miami? Is anybody right now worse than Virginia Tech? You are Locked-on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Shout out to the Everydayers, and thank you so much for making Locked-on ACC your first listen. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube. We're part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:34 He is Kenton Gibbs, former NC State Defensive linemen and co-host of Locked on Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono, host of Locked on Cains, and today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the Fandual app today. On this episode, we'll take a look at possible week five ACC football upsets. Can anyone else shake up the deck that is the Atlantic Coast Conference? we'll talk about the scheduling overhaul.

Starting point is 00:01:05 Nine conference games now, plus got to have 10 games against Power 4 opposition. The ACC and the SEC are doing that. The Big 10, not so much. And let's talk about Power rankings, Kenton, because we're about a third into the season so far. Let me give you mine. Tell me what I've gotten wrong here, okay? I've got in my top three in order.

Starting point is 00:01:30 Miami at number one, Florida State at number two. Those teams are going to see each other in about 10 days in Tallahassee. So we're going to settle that argument a little bit. I've got Georgia Tech at number three. And I have them at number three. You and I are big proponents of Brent Key. We're big proponents of Haynes King. I'm a little worried, though, after seeing Clemson get a little worse every week.

Starting point is 00:01:54 And that's like Georgia Tech's quality win was beating Clemson by three at home. I don't know if that's a quality win anymore. but I'm still going to have Georgia Tech in my top three. Well, I'm not necessarily sure. It's fair to say, oh, that Clemson loss keeps aging worse and worse. Because if you look at, or that Clemson wind, rather, keeps aging worse and worse. Because if you look at pretty much everybody who's got a quality win per se, how well are those wins aging?

Starting point is 00:02:21 Like even if we were to look at Miami, how well has that Notre Dame win age? Has Notre Dame look like world beaters, gangbusters, anything like that? Since Miami beat them? No, I wouldn't say so. And yet we still hold on to that as a good Miami win. And I would do so, and I'm going to do the same for Georgia Tech here, because there's a certain thing about the belief. Before a team falls off the wagon, there's a certain thing about the belief. And we can reexamine at the end of the year, oh, these teams were terrible.

Starting point is 00:02:50 They were terrible all along. We just didn't know it. That's a different scenario than, hey, they lost that game, went a little. little bit of a loser street and got together late. So I'd say it's still a good win. I'd say Georgia Tech being at three works out for me. You bring up a great point because, yeah, listen, you can look at the Notre Dame win for Miami not aging that well.

Starting point is 00:03:12 Even like, you know, Florida State pounded Alabama. I don't know how good Alabama is. That's fair about Georgia Tech and Clemson. So that's top three. Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, four, five, and six, Kenton. I go proceeding with caution. I go Louisville at number four. because if they are who I think they are, they're a top four team in the ACC.

Starting point is 00:03:34 I just, you know, they haven't really had the opportunity to show it yet this year. Like their best win was against James Madison at home in a game where they didn't look very good until a big Isaac Brown run broke it open. They're going to play against, I'm sorry, who do they play against this week? I know it's, oh, Pittsburgh.

Starting point is 00:03:52 They play against Pittsburgh on the road this week. So that's going to show us something, although Isaac Brown and Duke Watson were questionable last I saw. So hopefully they play because we'll get a better idea who Louisville is. I've got Syracuse at number five and SMU at number six. SMU at six. They haven't played a conference game yet. That's the good news.

Starting point is 00:04:13 So they still have an opportunity to run the table in the ACC. I don't feel like they're going to do that, though. As long as they're done playing teams from the state of Texas, they might be in better shape because they've lost the Baylor and TCU this year. And I've got Syracuse a spot above them. But I guess now the concern for Syracuse at number five would be how much of a drop-off is there going to be from Steve Angelly, who unfortunately tore his Achilles down to Ricky Collins at quarterback. That's going to be something Collins is going to have to answer for their next eight games.

Starting point is 00:04:46 Oh, that's absolutely something he's going to have to answer for those next eight games. But if I'm looking at one of your picks there in SMU, I'm not understanding why they would be in the top. path for the conference. They have not beaten a single power four team yet. And not only have they not beaten a single power four team yet. The only teams that they've beaten were FCS or lower, either still are right now or were that a year ago. Yeah, yeah. Missouri State and East Texas saying, I don't. Everybody knows I love me some SMU, right? I love me some SMU. I'm excited when they're good. I'm happy when they're good. I don't think this is a very good SMU team. I really don't. I don't think the fortitude and the grit to finish out games like they did last year.

Starting point is 00:05:34 It seemed like every break that could go their way did last year. It seems like all those breaks are going against them now. I just, I'm not sure that SMU belongs. I think they're living off last years, uh, dream a little bit. I think you're right. And so, okay, by that logic, would it be fair? If I move SMU from number six, maybe down to number two? nine because right behind SMU, I've got Duke at number seven, NC State at number eight. I obviously do it that way because Duke just got the head-to-head win against NC State. And I've got NC State one spot above Virginia at number nine. Again, the head-to-head NC State beat Virginia.

Starting point is 00:06:12 So maybe I can slide those three possibly up above SMU, put SMU at number nine. I mean, listen, the minute SMU beats a power 14, we can have a conversation. but I don't want to hear, oh, nobody's played a team as good as Baylor. Stop it. Stop it. I'll hear you out for TCU. I'll hear you out. I will hear you out that maybe TCU is that good.

Starting point is 00:06:36 The Baylor Bears. Oh, get out of here. Get out of here. Come on. Come on. Let's not do that. So I think that SMU, you know, while I wouldn't put them in the bottom tier in terms of like, hey, you belong down there in DFL territory.

Starting point is 00:06:51 I'm not going to put them much harder than what they are. I'll drop them down to number nine. This is why we collaborate. All right. So tell me how you feel about my 10, 11 and 12. I've got Pittsburgh at number 10 with a big opportunity to rise if they beat Louisville this weekend. But for now, number 10. Wake Forest at number 11.

Starting point is 00:07:10 I think I've got Wake Forest higher than a lot of people because they've shown me a little something. I thought they played well against NC State, for example. They won two other games on the schedule. And I've got Cal at number two. 12, you know, prior to their San Diego State disaster, I would have, like, probably had Cal like in my, you know, top eight or nine, but they, they dropped a few spots last week. It wasn't that you lost to San Diego State. The specific criteria that we had laid out for why Brent Pry had to go, each and every one of those was met by Cal against San Diego State except that your coach started out 0 and 3.

Starting point is 00:07:50 You were dominated, you were whooped the wheels off off. You could not move the ball against a group of six team. We couldn't tell. If you took off the decals and said one of these teams is powerful, one of these teams is group of six. You would not have guessed who was who. So, Kyle, I'm sorry to knock you down like this. We love us some JKS. Kendrick Raphael has been great over there.

Starting point is 00:08:15 Good to see him making plays and all that. I'm sorry. I can't push you. after what we saw against the mighty Aztecs of San Diego State. No, can't do it. All right, so 13 and 14. I got Clemson at number 13. I don't know if you think I'm being a little harsh there.

Starting point is 00:08:35 They're only two in conference. Like, they're on two. I've got them one spot above Stanford at number 14. Now, Stanford started the season at number 17. They got to win against Boston College. So I respect that. So Clemson 13, Stanford 14, what do you think? I'm not mad at that.

Starting point is 00:08:53 I'm not mad at that only because Clemson has trailed by double digits in every game except their game against LSU. That's the only game that they did not trail double digits in. I had to correct that from last episode. That was the one game that they did not trail double digits in. Every other game this year, they've been down double digits at some point in those games. And that includes against the mighty Troy Trojans, which if you and I were not football fanatics and somebody,

Starting point is 00:09:18 said what state is Troy University in? Can I call for a lifeline? Maybe it's near where they had the Trojan horse. It's somewhere over there. I would say, can I get a lifeline? Not for help. I'd just like to call my mom and tell her I love her before you do what you're going to do here.

Starting point is 00:09:36 Okay. So the reality is this is a Clemson team that looks hapless and looks helpless. But for Clemson, the good news, is the same as it is for a lot of these teams. there's a lot of season left for you to work your way back up these power rankings. These power rankings are very much so, very much so movable and dynamic. They're not static.

Starting point is 00:09:57 You don't get in one place and you're stuck there forever. But right now, Clemson is in La Casa de dogs. All right. So here's the bottom three, 15, 16, and 17. For your sake, I wanted to rank North Carolina lower, but I can't justify putting them lower than 15 because I think the teams below them have had worse losses. So I got North Carolina 15. I've got Boston College 16.

Starting point is 00:10:26 Now, because Kenton, like, I, and you remember a couple weeks ago the way I was talking up Dylan Lonergan. Like I was really trying to talk myself into Bill O'Brien might have himself a team this year. And they can still turn around, but you can't lose to Stanford and expect, you know, to have my respect. So BC drops to 16 and then, you know, number 17 on your programs, number 17 in your hearts. Virginia Tech is at the bottom. Like Kenton, it was bad enough. And now, you know, because, and they made the right call firing Brent Pry. But because of that, you'd expect half their team is going to be in the transfer portal within the next, you know, 22, 23 days, however long it's been since they fired him.

Starting point is 00:11:10 So they're only going to get worse in this day and age in college. football when players can just leave when your coach gets fired. It's not going to get any better for tech. You're absolutely right. And at the end of the day, I'm sorry that you believed in a Bill O'Brien-led team. I don't know what led you to do that, Donald. I don't know. Because Lonnergan was thrown for like 450 yards per game. The kid was out there slinging it. I will say this, Boston college fans keep trying to tell me, oh, you just hate Bill O'Brien, and it's going to work out. There's going to be a day. Where's the day?

Starting point is 00:11:44 Is the day in the room with us? Is the day in the room with us, Dono? I don't think it is. I don't think it is. So I'm not surprised they're down there. UNC and Bill Belichick. Bill Belichick is the reason that I dislike Bill O'Brien. For those of you who don't know, I hate the Patriot way overall.

Starting point is 00:12:00 It does not work. It is proven to be ineffective. Everywhere outside of New England, not a single coach from his coaching tree, has ever been to a Super Bowl, has ever been to the college, football playoff as a head coach. None of these guys have done that.

Starting point is 00:12:17 None. There's a reason. It doesn't work. So, you know, to see them right in Virginia Tech, of course, no coach, readily ship. ODU took you out back and said, hey, we're the best team in Virginia and we're going to show you why in Lane

Starting point is 00:12:33 Stadium. You can't, you know, it's tough to come back from that. It's real tough. And I don't think they have the, I don't think they have the ammunition, the facilities for that. I don't think they had the facilities to come back from that. So here's the recap. Locked-on

Starting point is 00:12:49 ACC-C-Power rankings for week five. Virginia Tech at the bottom, Boston College, UNC 15, Stanford, Clemson at 13, Cal 12, Wake Forest, Pid at number 10, SMU number 9, Virginia 8, NC State 7, Duke

Starting point is 00:13:05 6, Syracuse 5, Louisville 4, Georgia Tech 3, Florida State 2, Miami number 1. When we come back, let's talk about the ACC's new football format because, yeah, we're revolutionizing. Well, we kind of copied off a couple of other papers, but we're revolutionizing the way we do football schedules. And I actually want to make a hard call out to the Big Ten because they are not doing something that the ACC and the SEC are doing. You want to keep it locked right here. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of Lockdown ACC.

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Starting point is 00:15:08 Do not let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use code locked on college at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code locked on college. Thank you for making Locked on ACC your first listen. For your next listen, make sure you check out our other shows. Kent and Gibbs and Grayson Boone do an awesome job on Lockedon Wolfpack. I host Locked on Cains. I talk all things Miami.

Starting point is 00:15:35 They talk all things NC State. We're available free wherever you get your podcasts and available free on YouTube. All right. So we got the big news this weekend. And so the ACC athletic directors commissioner, they had a meeting on Monday. And they have decided to move forward with a nine game conference schedule. All the other power fours do that. With the SEC, prior to the ACC doing it, the SEC a couple weeks ago announced they're going to nine games.

Starting point is 00:16:01 the ACC is now, you know, they're doing what everybody else is doing. There's a couple complications, though. Nothing's easy in the ACC. So with 17 football members, you can't actually have all of them play nine conference games. The math doesn't math. So what the ACC is going to have to do is every single year, 16 teams will play a nine conference game schedule. and on a rotating basis, one of them will play an eight-game conference schedule.

Starting point is 00:16:36 I can only imagine the weird tie-breaking scenarios that could come up with that. That's the complication. Now, here's something that I like, Kenton, that the ACC is doing. And part of this move to a nine conference schedule, they're also requiring every football team in the conference to play 10, at least 10 power four opponents. So you've got to have at least one non-conference game against Power 4 opposition. And this is where I can criticize the Big 10.

Starting point is 00:17:06 You've heard me rant about this a few times already on this show. I look at Penn State's non-conference schedule. They're playing like, you know, directional schools, you know, junior colleges, you know, before their Big Ten schedule begins. The ACC not allowed to do that for all your non-con games. SEC also has the 10 game requirement. I don't think the Big 12 has it unless I'm mistaken. But I'd like to see the other conferences jump on board

Starting point is 00:17:34 because at least that's going to force everybody to schedule some good non-con games. Because I love those on TV. Like you get like a big time SEC versus ACC matchup, ACC versus Big 10 early in the season. I love that stuff. So I want the Big 10 to jump on board. So let's look at it from the Big Ten's perspective, shall we?

Starting point is 00:17:54 Why would they? They've already got the ratings without needing. the, you know, additional big games. And they know Nebraska never wore a real chain in their life. Oh, my God. Yeah, not since like 1990. I was just about to say since Osborne was there. They ain't going to Johnny Gang for them chains no more.

Starting point is 00:18:16 They go into the kiosk in the mall where they're here for you, my friend. For you, my friend, special deal. That's where they're going. Okay. So, you know, the reality is Nebraska fake chain, Penn State. How many times that we found out that they changed was fake? When we thought, oh, this is a great team, this is a great team. And then Michigan rose up, Ohio State rose up, and Oregon rose up.

Starting point is 00:18:39 You saw that stat that I set you. James Franklin is 4 and 20 against top 10 opponents in his Penn State coaching. Four and 20. Are we surprised? Are we surprised? Are we surprised? We know who and what that Penn State program is. However, it continues to look better because who are they playing out of conference?

Starting point is 00:19:02 FIU. Who are they playing out of conference? Villanova. If you were playing them basketball. I didn't even know they had a football. It's a football team that's first time hearing of it. Yeah, they do. Them Georgetown, all in school, they got to, they have football teams.

Starting point is 00:19:17 They just, you know, it's just nothing of note. They usually play flag. I mean, they made them put on pads for the Penn State game. With all due respect to the big East and what's still there. The reality is those football programs are not FBS for a reason. Those football programs are not powerful for a reason. So, you know, the Big Ten is looking at it saying, what do we have to gain? We've already got the viewership.

Starting point is 00:19:44 We know that we're hiding some of our guys. Hey, Nebraska, come over here. Don't go, don't go messing with them nice people over there. Nebraska. The SEC and the ACC, they said, you won't some too old man. and you know what the big 10? I mean, you know what Nebraska is saying? No, we good.

Starting point is 00:20:01 We all right. We are good where we are. I don't know why you came over here and messed with them nice people. So the reality is, I mean, the Big Ten is doing what is advantageous to them. However, guys like you and me get paid to call it cowardly. B. A whole lot of chicken going on right now because it's a whole lot of hot. It's a whole lot of, oh, we don't want to see anybody else because we're the premier brand,

Starting point is 00:20:26 which I'll give them. You've got three, three teams at the top. And I would say, hey, you got some world beaters up there. You got some world beaters with Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon. You got some world beaters. But after them, things get real shaky, doesn't it? Things get real dicey, you know. And you left out Penn State.

Starting point is 00:20:45 Like, I think Penn State's a really good football team. I just think they're not. Their schedule's ridiculous. But then, like, after them, you know, there's some body, like Northwestern. and they're still in the Big Ten, Purdue, Rutgers? Like, we got to play like, like, you know, Barry Alvarez is walking through that door at Wisconsin. We got to play like Ron Dane is walking through that door up there.

Starting point is 00:21:09 You know, it's a lot of teams. I'll give Indiana credit, too. That was a big. It was Big Ten on Big Ten, but that was a beat down. And that's why I said. I give Illinois their credit. I give Illinois credit for saying, hey, let's go seek out another power for a team. And they whoop the wheels off due to turnovers.

Starting point is 00:21:24 Yeah, that's right. reality is they won that ballgame handily i give them their credit more teams should seek out seek com say hey i want to find the baddest dudes in the land and i want to beat them i want to whoop them like they stole something if you are this big bad conference that you say you are prove it line it up you know me donno i'm the king of saying what line it up so guess what i want to see the acc lined up they've agreed to do so i want to see the cc lined up they've agreed to do so big 10 and Big 12. Y'all the conferences were big in your name.

Starting point is 00:21:56 Come on. Show us something. Come be the big bad brothers. Y'all say y'all are. Yeah. And like I say all this for love for the sport. Because, okay, big conference games are fine. Like there's some great in-conference rivalries.

Starting point is 00:22:09 But it's so much better for the sport, Kenton, when we can put on these big non-conference games. When you can get an Ohio state, I give them credit, they open up with Texas. When you can get OSU, Texas Week 1. when you get Alabama Florida State, which we kind of laughed at that game and then we saw what Florida State did. It turned out to be a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous quality win for them. I want to be able to keep getting matchups like that. I'm afraid everybody at nine conference games, if you don't have this mandate to play another

Starting point is 00:22:41 powerful opponent, I'm just going to be afraid we're not going to see as many big 10 teams play big non-conference matchups. That's where I'm at on that. But let's take a look at the ACC week five football schedule when we come back. Do we see any upsets on the horizon? You want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on this brand new episode of Locked on ECC. Oh, we're certainly not done with Fandual.

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Starting point is 00:24:02 Drake Toll of Lockdown Big 12 leads the conversation alongside two-time AP coach of the year, Gary Patterson, former college star Jesse Holly, and Lockdown's local experts. A college football preview only Locked On can do. Catch college football kickoff every Thursday throughout the season, only available on Fire TV. All right. So Kenton, I'm looking at underdogs on the ACC football schedule this weekend. I guess we can start with Friday night, Charlottesville, Virginia, a Virginia offense that's been rolling. I have questions about their defense, but Chandler Morris has got over a thousand yards passing for UVA,

Starting point is 00:24:38 eight touchdowns to just one interception, going up against a Florida state team that, you know, they've had it easy for the past few weeks, a buy week, a win against Ken State, a win, against East Texas A&M. Of course, they beat Bama, which was a huge moment for them. Virginia has six and a half point underdogs in this one, Kent. I think Florida State's going to win and cover. I think even if Virginia keeps it relatively close, FSU is going to win by more than a touchdown.

Starting point is 00:25:07 But do you think UVA might actually cover that spread? I think UVA definitely covers the spread. I don't think they win, though. I don't think they win. Let me tell you why I think UVA covers the spread. I'm not sure how this Florida State team handles success. this is a brand new nucleus. This is a brand new group of guys.

Starting point is 00:25:23 The last time we saw Florida State be over successful, those guys built up to that. There was a building process. This is an immediate enmeshing of, hey, we're going to get the talent, we're going to get the schemes, everything's going to go great, which I think they've done spectacularly.

Starting point is 00:25:38 I want to take nothing away from Florida State. I want to fully acknowledge. I was wrong about Florida State in that Alabama game. But with that being said, I'm not sure that they have the level of maturity to not let it. go to their heads. I think that they win a shootout. I think they win it by a last second field goal or a walk-off touchdown that ends up giving them about a four or six point win.

Starting point is 00:26:00 I'll take it. So we see it upset possibly in the point spread, but not in the actual outcome. The two games with the biggest spreads of the weekend involving ACC teams. So number 16, Georgia Tech on the road at Wake Forest, Georgia Tech favored on the road by 13 and a half points. And then here's a line that I think is not big enough. NC State at home against Virginia Tech, NC State favored by just nine and a half points. That number should be in the double digits, in my opinion. I think Georgia Tech favored by 13.5 against Wake 4 is that's about right. But I think both those games should be about two touchdowns, Kenton. Yeah, so here's my thing about Virginia Tech, NC State. NC State has shown their flaws. People know who they are. They know about the inability

Starting point is 00:26:46 to get off the field on third down. They know that, you know, right now, the defensive linemen have more interceptions than the defensive backs. People know those things about NC State. These are not surprises. People came in saying, hey, this defense is going to be bad. You know what is a surprise?

Starting point is 00:27:02 Virginia Tech being God awful. I mean, they stink to the high heavens. Virginia Tech right now is putting on a display of incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in quite some time. in terms of, you know, just not looking prepared for anything, being very operationally unsound, giving up, you know, return touchdowns and whatnot. And you want to talk about not beating a power four team? They haven't beaten FBS team.

Starting point is 00:27:34 The only team they beat was Wofford. That's it. That's it. Wofford is the only team they beat. Got blew out by Old Dominion, got blew out in the second half by Vanderbilt, which ended up being that game was a blow. out and did not look good against a South Carolina team that that win, or that loss, rather. You want to talk about a lost aging poorly?

Starting point is 00:27:54 Ooh, that thing is aging like a ripe avocado in the sun. It's just not going well for them. So I do believe that NC State wins and covers. I don't think that game is competitive by the middle of the third quarter. What about does Georgia Tech cover 13 and a half at Wake Forest? I think they probably will. Yes, I think they do because Robbie Ashford, is I don't understand how he keeps getting jobs.

Starting point is 00:28:21 I'm not joking when I say that. I don't understand how colleges keep saying, I can change him, I can fix him. What is this? What do you think this is? This is college football. People are making millions of dollars to be good at this or bad at this, okay? And Robbie Ashford is objectively on the bad at this side.

Starting point is 00:28:43 What do we keep doing this? So I think the Georgia Tech covers handily because while Dicker does have them playing hard, the reality is they don't have the horses in the stable at multiple levels to keep off with Georgia Tech. Yeah, Robbie Ashford, the Wake Forest quarterback, has one touchdown to three interceptions so far. That's where he's at. Now, when we were looking at this one the other day, Syracuse hosting Duke, I didn't think, or, I thought the wrong team was favored. I still do with, but I don't know. Maybe, I guess depends on the Ricky Collins thing. How's he going to look?

Starting point is 00:29:23 But Duke is favored by five and a half points at Syracuse. That number has shrunk a little bit because we were looking at it the other day as Duke minus six and a half on the road. It's now Duke minus five and a half, which means there's probably some money coming in on Syracuse. Yeah, I guess like I still have questions about Syracuse's defense. They're going to have chances to answer that. I've got a lot of questions about Duke because they've had a couple of, I know they just beat NC State, but NC State just killed themselves with turnovers. And Duke has also shown in other games they can kill themselves with turnovers.

Starting point is 00:29:55 So I guess I don't feel great about this one, but do you think Syracuse can pull off the home upset? I do. Absolutely. I agree with you there. I like Duke. I like Duke. The problem is every game before NC State, they had a turnover, including against Elon. NC State is the first team all year to not have turned them over, and they played Eli.

Starting point is 00:30:14 So that tells me something more about NC State's defense than Duke's offense. They are more so the exception to the rule than the norm if you catch my drift. They just struggled to take the ball away from teams. And they gave it away a ton. I think the Syracuse is in a good enough position and riding a high in a confidence in a way that this is what's going to happen. They're going to win that game and they're going to win it handily. But the more important thing about this game to me, I think Fran Brom, is establishing Syracuse as, hey, this is who we are.

Starting point is 00:30:49 Like, this is not a situation where you get surprised at beating a Miami. And then you get surprised about beating a Clemson. It's a note, this is the expectation. We're supposed to win ball games here. And so when we win these ball games, we're not going to party like it's 1995. No, no, no. We're going to win our ball game. And then we're going to go ahead and go for the next one because that's who we are and that's

Starting point is 00:31:11 what we do, which to me means he may not be as successful. Syracuse long. I hope I'm wrong because he's a phenomenal coach. And I would hate to see the conference lose him, even if that means him beating up on my boys in Riley as they did last year. But I very sincerely see him as a coach that is serious enough that he's getting guys to buy in and believe. And that's dangerous. I think they get a win here. And I think that they more than cover against Duke. So another one I want to go over here. Louisville, a four and a half point favorite. at Pittsburgh. So, I mean, neither of these teams have, I mean, at least Louisville's undefeated. And I think Louisville's better than Pittsburgh. Like, let me make that clear. But, you know, Louisville hasn't played a tough schedule yet.

Starting point is 00:31:58 Pittsburgh, they've only beaten Duquesne and Central Michigan. They lost the backyard brawl to West Virginia. So Louisville comes in a four and a half point favorite. I'm going to assume Louisville wins this game. However, if we're going to look at a possible upset, that could happen through injury. Because as we're doing this show on Wednesday, both Isaac Brown and Duke Watson,

Starting point is 00:32:22 one of the most dynamic running back duos in the country for Louisville, they are both questionable. So do with that information what you will. But if there is a chance that neither of them play, I think then there's a chance that Pitt pulls off and upset at home. I'll tell you what. This is, Donno, you smell that, you smell that cheese? You hear that squeaking?

Starting point is 00:32:43 This is a rat line. There's something funny in the water going on here. There's something funny because this Louisville team shouldn't just be favored by four and a half points. Yeah. There's something funny going on here. I think that the situation for their running backs is more dire than they're leading us to believe. I'm starting to believe that the more I look at this line. I would avoid this game if I was a gambler.

Starting point is 00:33:08 Yeah. I was going to say that. Yeah. But with that being said, if I had to make a back, that just because styles make fights and Pitt plays a style that's very good for countering Louisville, I go ahead and I put something down on Pitt. I'll put something down because remember last year Louisville was the IT team. And, you know, I believe they took a pit out to the woodshed last year.

Starting point is 00:33:35 I think Pitt wants to get back for that. I do believe Pitt owes them a little something for that. So let's see how this works out. Well, we appreciate everyone for making Locked on ACC your first listen. Make sure to smash that like button and subscribe, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, wherever you get your pods. Check Kenton out at TjF underscore Kenton on X and at Lockdown Wolfpack. Check me out on Lockedon Canes and at Alex Dono on X.

Starting point is 00:34:01 And we'll talk to you next time on another episode of Lockdown ACC. We are part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day.

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