Credit: 247Sports
With the Virginia Tech-Virginia and BYU-Army games being postponed due to COVID-19, it’s going to be yet another slim slate of games before the SEC joins the fray starting Sept. 26.
There are a few intriguing matchups, even though there aren’t any on the schedule between ranked opponents, including a couple of intriguing coaches making their debuts.
Miami at Louisville (7:30 p.m. ET)
The best showdown on paper is Miami at Louisville in a game that could determine who is an ACC contender. The Hurricanes looked great running the football in the new D’Eriq King-led, Rhett Lashlee-orchestrated offense in a season-opening win against UAB.
Louisville opened the second year of the Scott Satterfield era with a win against Western Kentucky, and the Cardinals showcased some exciting offensive weapons. It will be fun to watch how this one unfolds.
Running back Javian Hawkins and quarterback Micale Cunningham are explosive weapons, and Miami will need to elevate its game on offense.
Central Florida at Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m. ET)
Geoff Collins has something cooking in the ATL in his second season with Georgia Tech.
After the Yellow Jackets surprised Florida State and spoiled Mike Norvell’s opener as the Seminoles coach, this game became a lot more interesting, especially considering it’s in Atlanta. They played solid on defense and made just enough offensive plays to hand FSU yet another season-opening loss.
They’ll have a much tougher offense next week against quarterback Dillon Gabriel and coach Josh Heupel’s explosive team, which could have a big year in the AAC. This could be a tone-setter for both programs, and it has the potential to be a good one. In a week that doesn’t have many marquee showdowns, this is is worth watching.
The Best of the Rest
Tulsa at Oklahoma State (noon ET): The Cowboys have high hopes for this season, and they will get cranked up a week late after the Tulsa game got bumped to Sept. 19 due to COVID concerns. The two explosive offenses should put on a good show.
Syracuse at Pitt (noon ET): Pat Narduzzi’s team needs quarterback Kenny Pickett to take the next step this season, especially with a loaded defense that has a bunch of playmakers. The Orange hung tough with an upstart North Carolina team up until the fourth quarter this weekend, and all of a sudden, this game has more intrigue than originally expected.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter at @Brad_Shepard.
Boston College at Duke (noon ET): When you produce the kind of defenses Jeff Hafley helped develop at Ohio State, you’re going to get a shot to run your own program. That’s exactly what happened when he was selected by Boston College, which will open its season at Duke at noon ET next Saturday.
Hafley received a big boost when Notre Dame transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec was ruled immediately eligible, and he and running back David Bailey will try to outscore David Cutcliffe’s offense, led by Clemson transfer signal-caller Chase Brice.
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