ACC championship game picks: Can North Carolina upset Clemson?

North Carolina (11-1, No. 8 AP, No. 10 CFP) is perhaps out of the race for a college football playoff top four spot, but their winning mentality will not be disturbed. The Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 ACC) are making their first appearance in the ACC title game on Saturday.

On September 3rd, UNC stepped onto the Bank of America Stadium field versus SC with high hopes of putting the very bad conclusion of the 2014 season to bed. Depending on how he plays this weekend, the ACC championship will either solidify himself as a Heisman finalist or eliminate him from consideration. He’s completed 46.2 percent of his throws when pressured, which ranks seventh among Power 5 quarterbacks. However, UNC’s rushing defense has struggled this year (ranked 101st nationally). Coordinator Brent Venables joked that the game plan starts with forcing a three-and-out every UNC possession, but he knows that’s pretty far fetched. Of course, Clemson is the toughest test for the Tar Heels. He’s second on the team in rushing with 786 yards and 10 more touchdowns. Win and move into the college football playoffs; lose and move on to a lesser bowl game and what might have been.

The defensive players at Clemson can say the same.

I believe in this scenario it would come down to a two loss Stanford versus a one loss Carolina. Who will it be? Both teams should be prepared and ready for a great game that will come down to the fourth quarter.

Since that loss to the Gamecocks, North Carolina has run the table. Gallman has rushed for over 1,100 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Tigers this year while Scott has tallied over 700 receiving yards and posted four touchdowns on the year.

208.3: Conversely, North Carolina is awful at defending the run. They went three straight games at one point this season – coinciding with wins at Pittsburgh along with home routs of Duke and Miami – without a turnover. North Carolina won 45-34. Anyone who watched the Tar Heels play on Tuesday night can tell you that. To win the ACC title, the Tar Heels will have to beat another team from the Palmetto State and one of only two teams in the country with a longer win streak.

This game will be a matchup of great dual-threat quarterbacks.

You may have heard by now that DeShaun Watson had a very good year. Watson has totaled 36 touchdowns with 27 coming through the air. In games Clemson hasn’t played a quarterback like Williams. And for a conference that went 12 consecutive seasons, 2001-12, without a top-five team, the last three years have been welcome. Part of the reason the Tar Heels are able to play at such a fast rate is their tight defense over half court.

UNC’s best win is a victory over then-No. However, Williams’ play will be key to the success of the Heels.

Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson leads the country with 20.5 tackles-for-loss and has eight sacks. Williams didn’t see the field his freshman season and redshirted.

Among ACC players, Watson (3,979 total yards) and Williams (3,391) rank 1-2 in total offense. The Tigers are undefeated on the season despite getting a scare from in-state rival SC last week. He’ll have to give his all for UNC to contend with the Tigers. That means Clemson must win the game by six points or more to beat the spread.

“Just take care of the football and not worry about outsiders”, he said.

An argument could be made that North Carolina is on the short list of teams playing its best football in the past five weeks.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are looking at their first real chance at an ACC Championship since 1980.

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