Wake Forest football should have no problem with Army in Week 8

Wake Forest football is currently sitting atop the ACC power rankings, along with holding down No. 16 in the AP Top 25. However, many are not expecting the Demon Deacons to just keep winning, as they have tremendously struggled in escaping their last two opponents.

But, despite all of the questions regarding Wake’s limitations, their first defeat of the season should not come at the hands of the Army Black Knights this weekend; and there are multiple reasons as to why I can say that so confidently.

For starters, the Demon Deacons are coming off of an open week, so they will be well-rested for this matchup. Army, on the other hand, was just dealt a physical loss to the Wisconsin Badgers last Saturday, so them being a little banged up for this one was virtually inevitable.

Speaking of how the Black Knights have looked throughout their slate so far this season, they have failed to really make an impact on viewers (even with a 4-2 record). This is because they have had little-to-no star power on their schedule up until this point — their best win thus far was on the road, over a 2-4 Georgia State squad to open the season. No offense to Wake Forest, but if the Deacs are as tough as your schedule gets, you probably don’t have that tough of a schedule.

But despite the vapid nature of their slate, Army’s last two games have still ended in defeat: the one to a down Wisconsin squad (3-3), along with a 12-point embarrassment at the hands of Ball State (4-3) before it.

You can’t take all of that in and still say that they have a chance to stun the Demon Deacons, who have beaten a 5-2 Virginia team on the road by 20, and dominated the talent on Florida State’s roster like no other powers have this year.

Now some on social media have argued that, regardless of the visible skill gap between the two names, Army’s old-fashioned, triple-option style can be tricky for the more modern coaches of college football to get a defensive grasp on; that is true.

However, Wake head coach Dave Clawson is most likely an exception to this theory, as he faced the scheme multiple times back when the Deacs would play Army in the mid-2010s.

So the only true advantage that the Knights seem to have in this one is the game’s location: Michie Stadium in West Point. But while that crowd can be rowdy, we’re not exactly talking about “The Big House” here.

According to WynnBET, the spread is narrowly in Wake’s favor (-3). Do not be surprised if the Demon Deacons take the win by more, though. Such a close spread definitely feels as if Wake Forest is being a teeny bit disrespected.

My take is that Army is really going to be winded entering this game, while the Deacs will be refreshed and ready to go. As for a final score prediction, I’ll say 34-16 Wake. If the projected outcome is accurate, Wake Forest will climb to 7-0 on the season, while the Black Knights suffer from a third straight loss.