College Football 2021: Bold predictions for each Power 5 title game
By Austin Lloyd
ACC: Wake beats Pitt by double-digits
This is certainly one of the hotter takes on this list, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.
The Pittsburgh Panthers, headlined by Heisman-hopeful quarterback Kenny Pickett, are currently favored by three heading into their battle with the Demon Deacons. But close spreads aside, most fans see this one as leaning convincingly in Pitt’s favor.
Both teams are offense-reliant, and neither are beyond giving up a healthy portion of points. That makes for a competitive game right there. The difference-maker, though, is Wake’s defense being noticeably worse.
But not all hope is lost for the Deacs, who are coming off of an impressive showing — on both sides of the ball — in Chestnut Hill. Wake held Boston College to just 19 yards passing in a 41-10 blowout win.
Pittsburgh is obviously a different breed than the Eagles, so that performance may only mean so much. However, it shows that Wake Forest is not completely incapable of waking up on defense. They may even get a turnover or two as well.
Again, the Panthers are favored, and they should be. But, if the social media buzz gets to their heads, WF could have this one in no time.
Score: Wake Forest 42, Pitt 31