By Joe Overby
SouthernPigskin.com ACC Columnist
SouthernPigskin.com ACC Columnist Joe Overby warns teams to beware of rivalry week.
Congratulations are due for Clemson, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. The Tigers and Yellow Jackets clinched the Atlantic and Coastal division titles, respectively, and the Tar Heels have been one of the league's hottest teams in the last month. But a word to the wise: Beware of Rivalry Weekend.
Each of these teams will face downtrodden, struggling in-state archrivals this weekend that have seen their seasons fall asunder (to varying degrees). And, funny as it sounds, that can be a dangerous proposition for the favorites.
Sure, on paper, Clemson, Tech and UNC should all win easily. But you can bet that South Carolina, Georgia and N.C. State -- all of whom have had wildly disappointing seasons in their own right -- would love nothing more than to ruin Thanksgiving for their not-so-chummy neighbors.
And it wouldn't surprise me to see all three fight like mad to make that happen. And, more importantly, all three have the talent to make that happen -- even if that talent hasn't been maximized through the first 11 weeks of the season.
The Gamecocks and Bulldogs, both at 6-5, are both jockeying to get decent bowl berths and salvage otherwise frustrating seasons. Embarrassing their archrivals and the chance for eight wins for USC and UGa will provide plenty of motivation -- ya know, outside of the usual bitter spite for their ACC counterparts.
NCSU has been bowl ineligible since its loss on Nov. 14, but a victory over the hated Tar Heels would be the Wolfpack's last chance to salvage some of an utterly dreadful season. So, the motivation is there for all three -- as in any heated rivalry -- and these squads aren't as far apart as one might think.
The Tigers have some blazing fast speed on offense in C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, but only Alabama and Florida rank ahead of South Carolina in total defense in the SEC. Before the Yellow Jackets' win last year, Georgia had won seven straight over Tech.
UNC and NCSU have split the last 10 in a series that has been whisper-close the past 25 years. What's more, the Gamecocks, Dogs and Pack have nothing to lose, but a whole Turkey Day spread's worth of braggin' rights to gain.
And one of them will pull an upset this weekend.
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UNC has a little payback on their mind. Last UNC faded down the stretch, and NCSU was there to slam the gas pedal. UNC, I’m sure, is looking to drop a hammer like the world has never seen on the woofies.
