Week 8 offers an interesting slate of games in the ACC. Pittsburgh visits Syracuse Friday night to kick off a busy week for the conference, and Clemson puts their undefeated season on the line in Louisville. Here are 3 Bold Predictions for the ACC this weekend:
Kenny Pickett Will Throw for 300+ Yards Vs. Syracuse
The Junior has been impressive this season throwing the ball, including a 372-yard passing performance vs. Penn State’s elite defense. Expect that trend to continue as Syracuse possesses one of the worst passing defenses in the country, allowing on average 276.8 yards per game. This is an Orange defense that has given up 63 points to Maryland, 41 to Clemson and 33 to Western Michigan. Pickett should have no trouble finding his go-to receivers in Taysir Mack and Maurice Ffrench early and often on Friday night.  Don’t be shocked to see another stellar passing-display from the New Jersey native, as they will aim to get above .500 in ACC play. Syracuse’s defense, and more specifically their offense, need to show up vs the Panthers in order to get that coveted first conference win.
Boston College Will Beat NC State as an Underdog
The Eagles let one slip away against the Cardinals two weeks ago, and had all last week to think about it. Starting QB Anthony Brown is out for the season with a knee injury, but backup Dennis Grosel played well in relief for Brown vs. Louisville. Grosel completed 9 passes for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns, and had a chance to win it late in the 4th quarter. The Wolfpack have a top 30 defense in the country, but haven’t been tested to any degree. NC State’s two losses on the season came in blowout fashion, as their defense was abysmal and the offense has been an issue all year. The Eagles are currently a (+3.5) underdog, but coming off a bye week and playing in front of the home crowd should favor BC.
N’Koshi Perry Will Score 5 Touchdowns Vs. Georgia Tech
The Hurricanes have looked like a much better team since N’Koshi Perry took over as quarterback for Jarren Williams against Virginia Tech a few weeks ago. After a four-interception performance in that game, Williams was benched and Perry came in and went to work. He threw for a ridiculous 422 yards off the bench, including four touchdowns in the near comeback win, as the ‘Canes tied the game at 35 after trailing 28-0. A week later, the Sophomore orchestrated the upset-win over 20th ranked Virginia behind his two touchdowns. Expect Perry to have his best performance of his young career, as Georgia Tech’s defense is allowing 32 points per game. If the Yellow Jackets want to end their four-game skid, stopping N’Koshi Perry should be a top priority on Saturday.