NC/ACC Week 10 College Football Preview
(“This Week In College Football, with David Glenn” show = below)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
The 2024 college football season continues Thursday through Saturday with an intriguing Week 10 schedule, highlighted by two Top 25-vs.-Top 25 contests and several important Atlantic Coast Conference matchups, while Charlotte hosts the first regular-season ESPN game in program history, and Appalachian State, NC State and UNC try to take another step toward automatic bowl eligibility.
On the national scene, the Big Ten and the ACC will provide the only two games matching fellow members of the national Top 25.
In a clash between two well-positioned candidates for the newly expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, #4 Ohio State (6-1) will visit #3 Penn State (7-0) in Happy Valley on Saturday afternoon (noon, FOX). The Buckeyes have won seven straight games — and 11 of the last 12 — head-to-head against the Nittany Lions, including all five previous matchups under sixth-year coach Ryan Day.
Meanwhile, in a possible “elimination game” of sorts, #18 Pitt (7-0) will visit #20 SMU (7-1) in Dallas on Saturday evening (8 pm, ACCN). The Panthers and the Mustangs join #5 Miami and #11 Clemson as the only ACC teams with perfect records in conference play so far this season.
The #5 Hurricanes (8-0) host Duke (6-2) on Saturday afternoon (noon, ABC/ESPN+) in a homecoming of sorts for Manny Diaz, the Blue Devils’ first-year head coach. Diaz was born and raised in Miami, became a three-sport athlete at a Miami high school, later saw his father become the mayor of the city of Miami, and most recently (2016-2021) spent three seasons as the Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator and three as their head coach.
In the Old North State, Charlotte (3-5) will get the Week 10 schedule off to an early start when it hosts Tulane (6-2) in the national television spotlight on Thursday night (7:30 pm, ESPN). The contest will mark the 49ers’ first regular-season appearance on the main ESPN channel in the 12-year history of its modern gridiron program.
The other three in-state Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams that are in action this weekend also are seeking another step toward the six victories required for automatic bowl eligibility.
App State (3-4) is a two-point underdog against Old Dominion (4-4) in Boone. NC State (4-4) is a 10-point favorite over Stanford (2-6) in Raleigh, as 12th-year coach Dave Doeren — a guest this week on the David Glenn Show— tries to position the Wolfpack for its 10th bowl invitation in the last 11 years. UNC (4-4) is a two-point favorite versus Florida State (1-7) in Tallahassee, despite the Tar Heels’ 3-17-1 all-time record against the Seminoles. East Carolina (4-4) and Wake Forest (4-4) are off this weekend.
At the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, #21 NC Central (6-2) also will get more time in the national TV spotlight, during its visit to South Carolina State (5-2) on Thursday night (7:30 pm, ESPN2). Coach Trei Oliver and the Eagles, who captured the HBCU national championship in 2022, are seeking their second MEAC title in the last three years, and SC State appears to be the other top candidate for that honor this season.
Finally, at the Division Two level, #16 Johnson C Smith (8-0) will carry the highest ranking in program history into its matchup against Fayetteville State (3-4), which marks the Golden Bulls’ final home game of the season. Elsewhere,
Wingate (6-1) will visit #12 Lenoir-Rhyne (7-1), with the winner putting itself in great position to host the South Atlantic Conference title game in mid-November as the Piedmont Division champion.
NC Football Bowl Subdivision (Seven Teams)
(Games Saturday Unless Otherwise Indicated)
Tulane (6-2) at Charlotte (3-5), 7:30 pm (ESPN) — (Thurs.)
Duke (6-2) at #5 Miami (8-0), noon (ABC/ESPN+)
Stanford (2-6) at NC State (4-4), noon (ACCN)
Old Dominion (4-4) at Appalachian State (3-4), 2:30 pm (ESPN+)
North Carolina (4-4) at Florida State (1-7), 3:30 pm (ACCN)
Open Week: East Carolina (4-4), Wake Forest (4-4)
Atlantic Coast Conference (17 Teams)
Duke (6-2) at #5 Miami (8-0), noon (ABC/ESPN+)
Stanford (2-6) at NC State (4-4), noon (ACCN)
Virginia Tech (5-3) at Syracuse (5-2), noon (The CW)
North Carolina (4-4) at Florida State (1-7), 3:30 pm (ACCN)
Louisville (5-3) at #11 Clemson (6-1), 7:30 pm (ESPN)
#18 Pittsburgh (7-0) at #20 SMU (7-1), 8 pm (ACCN)
Open Week: Boston College (4-4), California (4-4), Georgia Tech (5-4), Virginia (4-4), Wake Forest (4-4)
NC Football Championship Subdivision (Seven Teams)
#21 NC Central (6-2) at South Carolina State (5-2), 7:30 pm (ESPN2) — (Thurs.)
#24 William & Mary (5-3) at North Carolina A&T (1-7), 1 pm (FloSports)
Campbell (3-5) at Elon (2-6), 2 pm (FloSports)
Gardner-Webb (2-6) at Charleston Southern (1-7), 2 pm (ESPN+)
#25 Chattanooga (5-3) at Western Carolina (4-4), 2:30 pm (ESPN+)
Davidson (5-3) at San Diego (4-3), 4 pm (ESPN+)
Open Week: none
NC Division Two (14 Teams)
Emory & Henry (7-1) at Mars Hill (3-3), 1 pm (FloSports)
West Virginia Wesleyan (0-8) at UNC Pembroke (3-5), 1 pm
Bowie State (2-6) at Elizabeth City State (2-6), 1 pm
Fayetteville State (3-4) at #16 Johnson C Smith (8-0), 1 pm
Livingstone (5-3) at Shaw (5-4), 1 pm
Wingate (6-1) at #12 Lenoir-Rhyne (7-1), 1 pm (FloSports)
Catawba (2-6) at Barton (2-6), 2 pm
Chowan (2-5) at #1 Valdosta State (7-0), 3 pm (FloSports)
Open Week: St Augustine’s (program suspended for 2024), Winston-Salem State (6-3)
NC Division Three (Five Teams)
North Carolina Wesleyan (2-5) at Greensboro (1-6), noon
Methodist (1-7) at Brevard (4-2), noon
Ferrum (3-4) at Guilford (3-4), 1 pm
Open Week: none
