ACC Game Picks, Week 0: It's a Whole New Ballgame in a New League

Cal's opener is still a week away, but the ACC kicks off Saturday with a pair of games, including one in Europe

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech at Dublin, Ireland / Photo courtesy of the ACC

Of all the changes and adjustments we’ve all had to make since the death of the Pac-12 Conference as we know it and Cal’s trek to the Atlantic Coast Conference, now suddenly there’s this:

Picking ACC games each week.

Yikes.

Jake Curtis and I have have covered the Pac-12 for decades and we like think we know something about the schools and programs in the conference. We tell ourselves that, anyway.

There’s no getting around the fact that our familiarity with the ACC is much more distant, quite a bit fuzzier.

But the task here is to predict outcomes of games involving ACC teams, and we’ll forge ahead. Cal doesn’t open its season until next Saturday when it hosts UC Davis. 

In the meantime, we have a pair of games this week, including one that will take place more than 5,000 miles from Berkeley in Dublin, Ireland.

Here goes . . . 

Week 0

Last season: Jeff 54-46, Jake 53-47

All picks against the spread 

Betting line from SIsportsbook.com

SATURDAY

No. 10 Florida State (minus-11.5) vs. Georgia Tech at Dublin, Ireland, 9 a.m., ESPN

Jake:  Georgia Tech has a good offense with lots of experience, but its defense is lousy. That should allow Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei, a transfer from Oregon State, to have a big day in his first game with his new team. Pick: Florida State

Jeff: The Seminoles are still steaming over being left out of the CFP last season. They don’t need to squeeze into a four-team playoff this year, but to be a viable contender for the expanded 12-team field, FSU would like to make a statement, even from Europe. Pick: Florida State

 

SMU (minus-27.5) at Nevada, 5 p.m., CBSSN

Jake: This is a huge spread for a road game against an FBS opponent, but SMU, with QB Preston Stone leading the way and a lot of starters back from an 11-3 squad, thinks it can compete for an ACC title in its first season in its new conference. Meanwhile, Nevada is just trying to stay out of the Mountain West basement in Jeff Choate’s first season as head coach after going 2-10 last year. Nevada will lose but by “only” three touchdowns. Pick: Nevada

Jeff: History only tells us so much about what will happen next. The point spread in this game is huge — SMU must win by 28 points on the road to cover. But consider this: When these teams last played, back in 2009, Nevada was a 10.5-point favorite and SMU won 45-10. Pick: SMU