It's that kind of week, I know. As previously reported, not only did GameDay make the decision to head to Nashville for the Vanderbilt/Auburn tilt, but it wasn't one based out of novelty- it's the only matchup between ranked teams where neither experienced a galling loss. If that wasn't enough, there's actually a good argument to be made that Duke/Georgia Tech is the main course for this weekend's ACC smorgasbord as well. I don't know if smorgasbords have main courses, but I'll mix my metaphors as I damn well please.
Clearly, this is a game of maximum importance for each- Duke sits at 3-1, three wins shy of a possible bowl bid that was likely unthinkable for even the most delusional best-case-scenario maker in David Cutcliffe's first year. And though I'm not discounting how much the Yellow Jackets have progressed under Paul Johnson thus far, this probably stands as Duke's best chance for a win in the remainder of the season, as the schedule gets most unkind in the upcoming months (it's not like they get Virginia four more times). That Wake Forest/Vanderbilt one-two ain't what it used to be, and while N.C. State and UNC both come to Durham, I'm pretty sure the home field advantage would be negligible at best. Georgia Tech figures to be further at a loss with starting quarterback Josh Nesbitt unlikely to play.
Meanwhile, for the Yellow Jackets, the loss to Virginia Tech puts them in a bit of a spot in terms of reaching the ACC championship. Whatever you think about the Hokies, it's hard to imagine them losing twice in this conference. Nonetheless, as long as Georgia Tech keeps plugging away, they've got a pretty manageable road in spite of away tilts at Clemson and North Carolina. A game like this could easily be the difference between San Francisco in December and, say, Orlando. Yeah, there's the Orange Bowl as well, but c'mon ... when was the last time those two ever delivered something worth watching? It takes a lot for something to be deemed unwatchable on New Year's Day if it involves a bunch of guys chasing after a football.
