There's a big game in the Coastal Division this week, but all in all, this isn't a week where the rest of the nation is going to pay much attention to the ACC.
Georgia Tech welcomes Virginia Tech on Thursday night in one of the bigger Coastal games of the season, but other than being on national TV on a Thursday, that game isn't going to attract much national notice. One individual storyline to watch: Can Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas play well and start to regain some of his luster?
Here's a look at all the games involving ACC teams this week, ranked from worst to best:
8. Troy at Duke, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
Rating: 1 star
The skinny: Troy senior WR Eric Thomas (6-foot-1, 209 pounds) lacks speed, but he already has six TD catches. He and the rest of the Trojans will be going against a Duke secondary that has been shredded regularly this season. Duke senior CB Ross Cockrell (6-0, 180) needs to play better or risk sliding further down draft boards.
7. Central Michigan at North Carolina State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Rating: 1 star
The skinny: Central Michigan already is on its third starting quarterback of the season. Chippewas junior WR Titus Davis (6-2, 190) poses a test for NC State's secondary; he is No. 2 in the nation among current players with a career 19.4 yards-per-reception average. Expect NCSU senior CB Dontae Johnson (6-2, 195) to spend a lot of time shadowing Davis.
6. Miami at USF, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Rating: 1 star
The skinny: USF's offense is rancid, which should lead to a lot of tackles for Miami junior LB Denzel Perryman (6-0, 240). Miami sophomore TB Duke Johnson (5-9, 196) still is looking for his breakout game of 2012. Will this be it?
5. Wake Forest at Clemson, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Rating: 1.5 stars
The skinny: Two of the ACC's best wide receivers will be on view in Wake senior Michael Campanaro (5-11, 190) and Clemson junior Sammy Watkins (6-1, 205). But Watkins' teammates are a lot better than Campanaro's. Clemson leads this "rivalry" 60-17-1.
4. Florida State at Boston College, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC regional/ESPN2
Rating: 2 stars
The skinny: FSU has some injuries in the secondary and that could be good for Boston College senior WR Alex Amidon (6-0, 182). But can BC's offensive line keep FSU's pass rush away from BC QB Chase Rettig? Boston College senior LBs Steele Divitto (6-2, 237) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (6-1, 225) can impress scouts if they can fend off FSU's athletic offensive line.
3. East Carolina at North Carolina, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC syndication/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 2.5 stars
The skinny: UNC's offense was supposed to put up big numbers, but that hasn't been the case. QB Bryn Renner, WR Quinshad Davis and TE Eric Ebron need to play with some consistency. ECU WR Justin Hardy (6-0, 186) needs to produce against a sometimes-shaky Tar Heels secondary.
2. Virginia at Pittsburgh, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC syndication/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 3 stars
The skinny: Pitt's passing attack has been a revelation. If senior QB Tom Savage (6-5, 230) can remain upright, he can torch a bunch of secondaries. He has a big-time arm but falls apart when pressured. There should be some good individual battles between Pitt WRs Tyler Boyd (6-2, 185) and Devin Street (6-4, 195) and Virginia CB Demetrious Nicholson (5-11, 185) and SS Anthony Harris (6-1, 185). Keep an eye on Pitt senior DT Aaron Donald (6-0, 285), who already has four sacks and seven tackles for loss. UVA's offensive interior seems unlikely to be able to handle him.
1. Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Rating: 4 stars
The skinny: A big game in the ACC Coastal Division race. Georgia Tech already owns a win over North Carolina, has the Hokies this week, then gets division favorite Miami next week. Virginia Tech senior QB Logan Thomas (6-6, 254) continues his freefall on most draft boards. He is completing 48.5 percent of his passes, with four TDs and six interceptions. Georgia Tech senior DE Jeremiah Attaochu (6-3, 242) has just one sack and seems to be struggling after moving from outside linebacker. Georgia Tech guards Will Jackson (6-3, 295) and Shaquille Mason (6-1, 305) and C Jay Finch (6-3, 285) vs. Virginia Tech DTs Derrick Hopkins (6-0, 311) and Luther Maddy (6-1, 296) is where the game will be won or lost.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
