College Football Preview: Wake Forest vs. Boston College

Thursday, May 21, 2009 3:07 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — Alphonso Smith has spent plenty of time all season doing the math at Wake Forest. One way or another, for both his team and Boston College, those calculations are about to become much simpler.

The Demon Deacons and Eagles meet today in what's essentially an elimination game in the ACC's muddled Atlantic Division race. However, the only thing the winner is guaranteed — especially if it's Wake Forest — is a little more time to savor being mathematically eligible in the race for a spot in the Dec. 6 title game.

The picture in the Atlantic should become much clearer by day's end. A Wake Forest victory in its league finale over Boston College would eliminate the Eagles, but the Demon Deacons (6-4, 4-3) would be out if Maryland beats either Florida State on Saturday night or BC next week.

The Eagles (7-3, 3-3) have won two straight.

Lately, Wake Forest has been a markedly better team at home, where the Demon Deacons haven't lost an ACC game since a meaningless matchup with Virginia Tech in 2006.

Jim Grobe's team is hoping to duplicate last season's late surge in which it won three straight after starting 6-4.

"It would be really easy for everybody to kind of hang their heads after last week and be down about it," quarterback Riley Skinner said. "But to know that we still have a shot — it's kind of out of our control. We just have to take care of what we can handle, and that's playing Boston College."

The Eagles have never won in Winston-Salem.