ACC title game from Charlotte. I was going to pass on this game unless it got to 3.5, and here we are. I understand why Pitt is favored but not by this much. At least from a noise perspective, Wake Forest should have an edge as the fan support should be hugely in the Deacons' favor about 75 miles down the road from campus. Wake thrives on forcing turnovers as its 27 turnovers created rank fourth in the nation. The Deacons rank No. 5 nationally with a turnover margin of plus-11. Pittsburgh is plus-3. Defensively, the Panthers are better for sure, but they have had problems with RPO offenses this year and that's what Wake runs better than anyone in the ACC. The SportsLine Projection Model has Wake winning outright. A three-point game either way wouldn't surprise.

These are two potent offenses, but the total is too high for a conference title game. Teams tend to get more conservative in these spots, and I like Pitt's chances of being able to control the tempo and keep the Wake offense off the field. It's going to be a white-knuckled thrill ride, but we should get in with the final tally in the 60s.

Wake Forest's creative offense has generated season-long buzz, but Pitt has matched the Deacons by scoring 43 ppg. Wake’s defense is considerably weaker than the Panthers’. It has yielded a minimum of 34 points in all but two of the previous eight outings. Wake should be especially worried about pass protection. It is sack-prone, and Pitt’s 46 sacks are second-most in FBS.