No. 15 Georgia Tech goes for ACC title-game shot, SMU tries to stay in hunt as part of ACC slate
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Things to watch this week in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
Pittsburgh (7-3, 5-1 ACC) at No. 15 Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Yellow Jackets can clinch a spot in the ACC championship game with a win a week before its rivalry game against No. 4 Georgia. The Panthers are among four one-loss teams in the ACC standings.
The undercard
Louisville (7-3, 4-3) at SMU (7-3, 5-1), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2)
The Mustangs enter the game with a 13-1 record in ACC regular-season games in their two seasons since joining the league. The Cardinals are reeling after home losses to California and Clemson that followed a 7-1 start.
No. 14 Miami (8-2, 4-2) at Virginia Tech (3-7, 2-4), Saturday, noon ET, (ESPN)
The Hurricanes are looking likely to miss the ACC title game with losses to Louisville and SMU, but they’re still chasing CFP consideration with nonconference wins against Notre Dame and South Florida. They visit a Hokies team playing for the first time since the school hired former Penn State coach James Franklin as its next coach.
Impact players
— Duke quarterback Darian Mensah needs a big game Saturday against rival North Carolina (4-6, 2-4) to help the Blue Devils stabilize their wobbly footing. Duke (5-5, 4-2) has lost two straight since a thrilling win at Clemson, with Mensah’s lone TD pass against Virginia last week coming after the Cavaliers had taken a 31-3 lead.
— N.C. State running backs Hollywood Smothers and Duke Scott were bottled up for a combined 12 yards on 14 rushing attempts last week against Miami. The running game has been a strength all year for N.C. State (5-5, 2-4), which hosts Florida State (5-5, 2-5) on Friday in a game with both teams seeking bowl eligibility.
Inside the numbers
The league has four teams in the AP Top 25 poll with No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. … It’s time for the 128th edition of the “Big Game” between instate rivals California and Stanford. The Golden Bears have won four straight and five of six meetings. … Wake Forest (7-3, 4-3) steps out of league play against Delaware, which could give Jake Dickert a chance to post the best win total for any first-year Demon Deacons coach in program history. … Syracuse (3-7) visits No. 9 Notre Dame having lost six straight since a 3-1 start that included a win at Clemson, where the Orange lost starting quarterback Steve Angeli to injury. … Clemson (5-5, 4-4) is closing the schedule with two instate foes in Furman on Saturday and rival South Carolina next week. … Boston College and Virginia have an open week.
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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football