Wake Forest football should obliterate Old Dominion in Week 1

Whether it is because of Dave Clawson’s coaching, an exciting offensive regime, or the defense’s overbearing nature, 2021 should be anticipated as a year that will feature a formidable Wake Forest football team.

The Demon Deacons should not wow an abundance of people, though, as they are bound to be held back a good deal by their rather aggressive schedule. The slate includes names like Clemson, North Carolina, and Army (all of which are road games for the Deacs this season).

But luckily, none of those said landmines are set to welcome Wake into their upcoming run. Instead, Old Dominion will do so, playing their first college football game in over a year and a half.

Old Dominion was scheduled to face the Deacs last year but bowed out of the 2020 season following the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, the misfortune does not end there for the Monarchs, as they had been struggling immensely even before COVID-19 broke loose.

The final months of 2019 saw a dreadful team fielded by Old Dominion, as it finished its stretch with an ungodly record of 1-11. Its sole win? A season-opening escape from the mediocre FCS program Norfolk State (who Wake Forest, coincidentally, plays the week after they are set to match up with ODU).

The sorry run, which was technically the worst in school history, resulted in the resignation of veteran Monarchs head coach Bobby Wilder. Ricky Rahne, a former offensive coordinator at Penn State, soon came in as his replacement.

So to summarize, Wake Forest football will be beginning its 2021 season against a Group of Five program that has failed to field a team in well over a calendar year, has lost every game it has played in since Aug. 31, 2019, and has a first-time head coach at the helm.

Oh, and the game is taking place in Winston-Salem.

Wake Forest football should make this one lopsided

If Wake Forest wins this “battle” as convincingly as everyone expects them to, the margin of victory should range anywhere from 25 to 35 points — and that’s being generous — as this is their season-opener, after all.

As previously established, the Deacs should have a lethal combination of unstoppable offense and fear-inducing defense, along with being able to easily outcoach the Monarchs as well.

The offense should be headlined by quarterback Sam Hartman orchestrating the passing game while running back Christian Beal-Smith lights up the rushing attack.

On the defensive side of things, Old Dominion should try its best to prepare for a brutal pass rush, as the Wake defensive line unit has some dangerous names tied to it — most notably those of the dynamic line duo, Miles Fox and Sulaiman Kamara.

Lastly, the coaching mismatch really cannot afford to be ignored. While Rahne is going to almost certainly be out of his element, the aforementioned Deacs head coach has an esteemed resume in the business, having won a conference title at every head coaching job he has held before his current one.

As many big personalities have learned the hard way, it is never wise to underestimate an opponent. But nonetheless, saying that Wake Forest should blow right past Old Dominion this Friday would be a massive understatement.