I don't know if you noticed, but Maryland didn't play yesterday. Personally, I used the day off to do a lot of computer maintenance stuff, but the rest of the world actually, y'know, played football. If you didn't pay attention, here's a quick run-down of what we learned:
N.C. State looks legit. The Wolfpack demolished Boston College in a game that was never really close. Russell Wilson is a demi-god at QB, still the best in the ACC, and the rest of the team is finally showing up around him. I counted N.C. St. as a possible win for Maryland to close out their season, but it increasingly looks like the Terps will instead need to get their six wins before the season finale.
Boston College looks beatable. On that same note, BC's in bad shape. They're 2-3 on the year, and those wins came against Weber State and Kent State. All three good teams they've played - VT, Notre Dame, and NCST, have wiped the floor with them. Even if the Wuffies are a probable loss, Maryland should have a chance in Chestnut Hill.
Clemson has a losing record, but they're still good. Going into the Maryland-Clemson game, the Tigers are 2-3. Of course, their three losses have come against Auburn, Miami, and UNC, and all of them have been within one score. The loss to UNC isn't a good one, but Clemson turned out an average-at-best performance and were still within five points. They should be able to deal with Maryland. The guys over at Shakin' the Southland are a little...uh, angry...about Dabo Swinney's coaching performance. A loss next week would probably send them overboard.
If the transitive property applies to football, Wake is a little worse than Maryland. Wake Forest played Navy yesterday, and it seemed oddly similar to Maryland's game against the Midshipmen. With time winding down - less than a minute, actually - Navy had the ball inside Wake Forest's ten yard line while losing by less than a TD but more than a FG. Where Maryland made the goal line stand, Wake gave up the TD on a 6-yard Ricky Dobbs throw, giving Navy a one-point win. The ACC Basement Bowl will be a close one.
So, FSU is back after all. Not exactly Maryland-related, since the Noles were gonna win this game anyway, but FSU put a beatdown on a very good Miami team on the road. Can you say ACC Champs?