ACC Road to Charlotte 2014

Here is a week by week look at the key ACC games that will shape the race for the conference title.  Now, considering how topsy turvy the ACC is, I'm sure there are several games left off that will ultimately be key, or certain games here won't actually matter come October.

Monday, September 1
Miami at Louisville.  A Labor Day night matchup welcomes the Cardinals to the ACC.  Louisville is replacing Maryland on the Atlantic side, but unlike their predecessor, they might actually be a contender.

Saturday, September 6
Virginia Tech at Ohio State.  What's a non-conference game doing on this list?  Well, this is the game that will set the tone for the Hokies.  They are expected to lose, but opinions differ on how close they will keep the score.  A win would certainly shock the entire NCAA, and put the conference on notice that Tech is a major player again.  Even a loss could speak volumes about at least part of the team, like last year's loss to Alabama not only put the defense on the map, but also showed some weakness in the Crimson Tide.

Saturday, September 20
Clemson at Florida State.  The past few years, this game has essentially been the de facto Atlantic division championship.  Clemson is still a question mark this year without Tajh Boyd, but still easily considered the number two team in the division.

Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech.  Up until last year, this game decided the Coastal division.  Could that tradition return this year?  Regardless of records and ability, Paul Johnson's offense has been Bud Foster's arch-nemesis for the last six years, so it's always a marquee game on the schedule.

Saturday, September 27
Florida State at NC State.  No one is expecting Florida State to do anything less than just steamroll through their opponents.  However, NC State has been FSU's kryptonite more often than not in the last few seasons.

Duke at Miami.  This game might not be memorable on its own, but it will be pivotal in the 2014 edition of the ACC Wheel of Destiny.

Saturday, October 4
Virginia Tech at North Carolina.  The lines between the different tiers of teams in the Coastal division have gotten very blurred in the last couple of seasons.  This game will show where these teams fall in the Coastal hierarchy.

Saturday, October 11
Duke at Georgia Tech.  Another game that will be key in the Wheel of Destiny, but it could also be the game that really turns up the heat on Paul Johnson's seat.  Duke is on the rise, and GT is on the fall.

Louisville at Clemson.  This could be Louisville's statement game.

Thursday, October 16.
Virginia Tech at Pitt.  I hated this matchup in the Big East days.  I hated it when it was scheduled for a non-conference game, and I still hate it as an ACC game.  VT got lucky with a win at home last year, but that was their only win against Pitt in over a decade.

Saturday, October 18
Georgia Tech at North Carolina.  This could be a game of two bottom dwellers, or it could be a tiebreaker in the Wheel of Destiny.

Thursday, October 23
Miami at Virginia Tech.  It's the first night game in Lane Stadium in two years.  After the pregame show for this matchup in 2003, I literally couldn't hear myself think walking off the field.  This game has been played in Miami for the last two years due to the new ACC schedule, so it's the Hurricane's first trip since the epic 2011 game, which they really would like to forget.

Thursday, October 30
Florida State at Louisville.  Could be the last chance for separation in the Atlantic.

Saturday, November 1
Duke at Pitt.  I don't know what to expect out of this one, but I know I'll keep looking to it for tie breaking purposes.

Saturday, November 15
Virginia Tech at Duke.  For the first time, this game scares me.  It could be the game that decides the Coastal, or at least gives one team the edge while eliminating the other.

Clemson at Georgia Tech.  One of the key cross divisional games that always has a big impact on both sides.

Florida State at Miami.  See above.

Thursday, November 20
North Carolina at Duke.  Like most of Duke's games, this will be a key matchup for the Wheel of Destiny.

Friday and Saturday, November 28-29
All of the games will have different levels of importance for the teams involved, but it's rivalry week, and there's always the chance of something getting screwed up here.