ACC & Big 12 Weekend Preview: Thursday ACC Action & an Unbeaten West Virginia Highlight Week 8 Schedule

In the eighth week of the college football season, members of the Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee are making visits throughout ACC and Big 12 country, meeting with fans across both conferences in advance of the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 28th.

Miami at Virginia Tech – 7:00 p.m. Thursday on ESPN

The Hurricanes (4-2, 1-2 ACC) and Hokies (4-2, 2-1 ACC) each look to bounce back from losses when they square off in a mid-week Coastal Division clash in Blacksburg. Falling behind 20-3 early, Miami was unable to pull off the comeback at home against North Carolina, ultimately losing 20-13. The loss was the second straight for the Hurricanes after starting 4-0. The Hokies suffered a 34-17 upset loss on the road against Syracuse in a game that featured their lowest offensive output this season. Earning victories in the first 12 meetings, Miami holds a 20-13 advantage in the all-time series. The Hokies have had the edge in recent times, however, winning 13 of the past 21 games.

NC State at #7 Louisville – 12:00 p.m. on ABC

NC State (4-2, 1-1 ACC) goes on the road to face a Top-10 team for the second straight week when they meet Louisville (5-1, 3-1 ACC) in an inter-divisional ACC matchup on Saturday. The Wolfpack fell in overtime to #3 Clemson after missing a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired in regulation. Louisville fended off Duke’s tough defensive effort to keep pressure on Clemson for the Atlantic Division’s spot in the ACC Championship Game. The two programs have only met six times previously, with Louisville earning five wins including all three in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The Wolfpack’s only victory against the Cards came in the 2011 Belk Bowl.

TCU at #12 West Virginia – 3:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2

After jumping eight spots in the polls to No. 12 this week, West Virginia (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) returns home to face TCU (4-2, 2-1 Big 12). The Mountaineers are coming off of a 31-point victory on the road against Texas Tech in which they held the Red Raiders to 17 points, their fewest single-game total since 2014. The Horned Frogs staved off Kansas’ upset attempt earning a 24-23 win in Lawrence their last time out. Both of TCU’s losses have come in one-score games to ranked opponents. TCU and West Virginia have met just five times, with TCU coming out on top in three of those games. The Horned Frogs dominated last season’s meeting, winning 40-10, but the previous three meetings since the programs joined the conference in 2012 were separated by a combined five points.

Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) at Kansas (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) – 12:00 p.m. on FS1
Texas (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) at Kansas State (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) – 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2
Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC) at Boston College (3-3, 0-3 ACC) – 12:30 p.m. on ACC/ESPN
#22 North Carolina (5-2, 3-1 ACC) at Virginia (2-4, 1-1 ACC) – 3:00 p.m. on ACC/ESPN
#16 Oklahoma (4-2, 3-0 Big 12) at Texas Tech (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) – 8:00 p.m. on FOX

All times listed are Eastern Time Zone (ET), and all games are on Saturday unless otherwise listed.