In ACC action Saturday, UNC heads up to UConn, Wake hosts Stanford, Marshall is off to Virginia Tech, Kent State jets up to B.C., TCU is at Virginia, Jacksonville State at FSU, James Madison goes to Maryland, and State hosts Murray State.
Sure bets? Not many. State should beat Murray State, and Florida State should definitely beat Jacksonville State. Most people would look at Virginia Tech and assume they'll whip Marshall, and they're favored by about 20.
However, a few things work in Marshall's favor.
Virginia Tech, only three hours from Marshall, is exactly where Marshall would like to be: a highly regarded national power.
Second, no one is expecting much out of Marshall.
And third, while Virginia Tech might understand this better than most, the passion Marshall has for football is as strong as it is anywhere. Their fans are totally nuts, and the enthusiasm is infectious. They're not as good as Virginia Tech, but talent isn't always the determining factor. If they get a chance, don't be shocked if they take advantage. Yes, they're in a down cycle, but Tech just burned a lot in their loss to Alabama. Things could come together in an interesting way. We're not picking an upset, but it might be tighter than anyone thinks.
Anyone feel safe picking UVa, B.C. or Maryland?
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