Roddy Jones joins N&O college football Week 12 picks for NC schools, other big games

As C.L. Brown threatens to run away with things — now with a two-game lead on Chip Alexander, as the rest of our esteemed experts have fallen back to the pack — we thought we’d better bring in an actual, honest-to-God football expert to challenge him this week and arrest a four-week slide of guest pickers.

Enter Roddy Jones, the ACC Network analyst and former Georgia Tech star, an explosive A-Back who scored 14 total touchdowns in the old Paul Johnson triple option, long may it be remembered. Jones is calling the N.C. State at Louisville game this week, so he has to abstain from that one, but he’s willing to give the rest his best shot.

Guest pickers

Rod Brind’Amour: 3-4

Mark Armstrong: 4-3

LeVelle Moton: 5-2

Adam Gold: 6-1

Debbie Antonelli: 4-3

Mary-Ann Baldwin: 4-3

Roy Williams: 4-3

Michael S. Williams: 3-4

This week’s games

Georgia Tech at North Carolina: With the Coastal Division in hand, the Tar Heels are performing for the CFP committee now, which means instead of a virtual week off against the Yellow Jackets they’re actually under some pressure to deliver a blowout — at least, if they want to play in a New Year’s Six bowl, or try to put their chips on the 0.2 percent chance ESPN’s FPI gives them of making the playoff.

With the win over Wake Forest in its pocket and games looming against N.C. State and Clemson, UNC still has legitimate chances to bolster its resume and move up the CFP pecking order — from 13th in the official rankings and FPI’s analytic eyes. Some of that will take care of itself merely by virtue of winning but this one’s all about style points or, at the least, first doing no harm. N&O consensus: Roddy Jones isn’t coming through that door for GT.

Jones says: “I think Georgia Tech is in such a tough spot. You’ve got tumult at the quarterback position. And the defense has played better. But Carolina’s at another level offensively with Drake Maye and Josh Downs and Antoine Green and Eljiah Green.”

N.C. State at Louisville: The Wolfpack’s losses at Clemson and Syracuse, while disappointing, were entirely understandable — strong opponents in insane road atmospheres, the second immediately after Devin Leary’s injury. And while fans have legitimate gripes about the play calling, it’s easy to understand why N.C. State’s staff was cautious early on, given the state of the receiving corps and the changes at quarterback.

But there’s absolutely no excuse for losing to a two-win Boston College team, also forced to start a freshman quarterback, at home, with a 14-point lead, after Dave Doeren took shots at fans who left previous home games early. Inexcusable doesn’t even really cover it. It goes against everything this particular team has been about. Which, for the first time this season, raises this question: Which Wolfpack team will show up at the House the Weird Pizza Man Built? N&O consensus: Louisville piles on the Pack pain.

Jones says: “I’m doing that game so we’ll leave this one out.”

Duke at Pittsburgh: Duke may be playing with house money, getting greedy as impending ACC coach of the year Mike Elko would say, and the Blue Devils are probably going to be slotted into one of the ACC’s second-tier bowls no matter how they fare against Pitt and Wake Forest. But this is still a big game for Duke, because for all its struggles, Pittsburgh still has talent, can still run the ball down your throat and it’s still a road game.

This is a good litmus test to see just how far Duke has come, whether there’s a lot on the line or not. Meanwhile, in a year when the ACC’s most ballyhooed quarterbacks — Leary, Sam Hartman, Tyler Van Dyke, Brennan Armstrong — have struggled for various reasons, Riley Leonard is right behind Drake Maye in the who-saw-this-coming department. N&O consensus: Pitt the pick, but not unanimously.

Jones says: “I think Riley Leonard’s running ability is the difference. If you can break the first wave of Pitt defenders you can hit some long runs against them. It’s a big if, but I trust that more than I do Pitt on honest.”

Syracuse at Wake Forest: How did it all go so sour, so fast for Wake Forest? In a vacuum, the loss to North Carolina wasn’t a bad one at all, a game that could have gone either way. But coming on the heels of the losses at Louisville and N.C. State, as part of a trend, it certainly does raise questions about how a once-top-10 team lost its way. There may not be easy or obvious answers there — and it’s not only Hartman, as easy as it is to point a finger at his turnovers — but when it went bad for Wake, it went really bad.

Syracuse’s slide is easier to understand: It has played five straight good teams, beat the first without its starting QB and lost the next four. Someone breaks the skid Saturday night in the ACC Network nightcap brought to you by Myrtle’s Spurtles and Alien Tape. N&O consensus: A tip of the TacShaver to the streak-breaking Deacons.

Jones says: “Offensively, Wake is still very good when they don’t turn the ball over. Syracuse has been reluctant to give Sean Tucker the football. Orande Gadsen has one catch the last two games. Garret Shrader can’t do it all himself. The book’s kind of out on Syracuse.”

Houston at East Carolina: If the Pirates had been able to pull out a win at Cincinnati last week — and they were ever so close — this game would have massive implications in the AAC standings, with ECU chasing a slim shot at the second-place spot in the American title game. Instead, it’s a chance to honor Greenville’s own Holton Ahlers for a remarkable career on Senior Day and chase an eight-win regular season. Pirates are favored by almost a touchdown to send Ahlers off with a win. N&O consensus: A successful farewell to Dowdy-Ficklen.

Jones says: “I love the way ECU has been playing all year. It’s one of those teams where its record doesn’t reflect how good the team is and its record is very good. Houston’s defense has been one of the most disappointing in the country, not just that league, and ECU is one of the most complete offensive teams in that league.”

Virginia Tech at Liberty: Why the ACC scheduled SO many road games at Group of Five teams remains an enduring mystery. It’s easier to understand in the case of N.C. State opening at East Carolina, where there are decades of history between the schools, but Liberty’s only been a Division I team since 1988. Throw in the loss at Old Dominion and the Hokies have an amazing chance to go 0-2 on the road within the borders of the commonwealth before they even play Virginia — if that game is even played next week given the tragedy in Charlottesville. N&O consensus: Who’s picking the Hokies at this point?

Jones says: “Virginia Tech’s not playing well enough on offense. Liberty’s pretty confident right now. They should be pretty fired up.”

N.C. Central at Tennessee Tech: With the MEAC title and a spot against Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl already clinched, the Eagles get a chance to burnish their resume against a different out-of-conference HBCU first, traveling west to play the fourth-place team in the OVC. Idle thought: As the OVC undergoes considerable turnover (and runs low on football members), could Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State be long-term fits in the MEAC? They’re closer to the Delmarva schools than Bethune-Cookman was. At any rate, NCCU would be about a 4-point favorite if there were a line on this one. N&O consensus: NCCU finishes strong

Jones says: “The Eagles have the better record. First in the MEAC!”

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