No. 17 Clemson visits Pittsburgh in a key ACC title game

What to watch this week in the Atlantic Coast Conference:

Game of the week

No. 17 Clemson at Pittsburgh, Noon ET Saturday (ESPN)

The Tigers (7-2, 6-1 ACC) are in the hunt for a trip to the league title game and can’t afford a slip-up as No. 14 SMU (8-1, 5-0) is still undefeated in the league and No. 12 Miami (9-1, 5-1), hovering nearby. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers regrouped with home loss to Louisville having won at Virginia Techand now must win again on the road.

Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers (7-2, 3-2) fall out of AP top 25 with loss in SMU and loss of home to Virginiaa skid that also put them back in the hunt for a spot in the title game.

Undercard

Boston College at #14 SMU, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

SMU must continue to win to control its own destiny in reaching the ACC title game in its first season in the league, even though the Tigers, Hurricanes and Mustangs do not play each other in the expanded 17-team ACC.

SMU’s only loss of the year came until now – No. 7 BYUT (18-15) at home on September 6.

BC (5-4, 2-3) is bowl eligible in its first season under Bill O’Brien.

Impact player

North Carolina DL Beau Atkinson. The Tar Heels started rushing defenders before last week’s opener, racking up 17 sacks on the road of the state of Virginia and State of Florida. Atkinson had two against the Cavaliers and 3.5 against the Seminoles, putting him in the top 20 nationally for Saturday’s visit from Wake Forest as UNC looks to make a bowl appearance.

Louisville R. B. Isaac Brown. The freshman has been productive all season and came off a 151-yard day in the win over Clemson. Brown enters Saturday’s trip to Stanford having rushed for 800 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

Inside the numbers

North Carolina ranks fourth in the Bowl Subdivision with 3.56 sacks per game. … California leads the ACC in scoring defense (19.3) and is 23rd in FBS, while the Bears are No. 2 in the league in total defense (327.9 yards). … The league has four players averaging at least 100 yards rushing: UNC’s Omarion Hampton (130.9), Clemson’s Phil Mafa (109.0), Virginia Tech’s Bhaishul Tuten (105.7) and Brashard Smith from SMU (100.7). … ACC has three of five players in FBS to throw at least 23 touchdown passes in Cam Ward (No. 1 with 32), Clemson’s Cade Klubnick (tied for third with 24) and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord (23 receptions trip to California).

Sliding Seminoles

Florida State started the year as the preseason favorite and is ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25. But the Seminoles (1-9, 1-7) go into the open date after a 52-3 loss to Notre Dame Notre and must beat either Charleston Southern next weekend or visit rival Florida on Nov. 30 to avoid its first 10-loss season since 1974, two seasons before the great Bobby Bowden arrived.

To date, Florida State has never lost more than six ACC games since joining the league in the 1992 season.

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