Jackets, Tigers favorites to face off in Tampa

CLEMSON -- Georgia Tech and Clemson are on track for a rematch this season, possibly facing off in Tampa, Fla., in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

If Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 ACC) wins Saturday at Duke, the Jackets clinch the Coastal Division. In the Atlantic, Clemson (6-3, 4-2) controls its own path to the title game and closes with a favorable ACC schedule: at N.C. State on Saturday; hosting Virginia the following week.

Clemson lost at Georgia Tech, 30-27, earlier this season in a wild affair that included a Clemson comeback from a 24-7 halftime deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead.

If Georgia Tech doesn't bet Duke, Miami would own the tiebreaker if both teams finish 6-2. Preseason favorite Virginia Tech has a slim chance if it can create a three-team tie.

Thumbs up

C.J. Spiller

Playing through turf toe, the senior star is third on Sports Illustrated's Heisman watch, and fourth on the ESPN list after recording back-to-back 300 all-purpose-yard effort on national TV.

Paul Johnson

His triple offense is actually better this year, leading the ACC in yards (442) and points (34.7) per game. He's recorded back-to-back, nine-win seasons at Georgia Tech, and is a win away from a divisional title. He's won at Navy, Georgia Southern and now in the FBS. His system might be timeless, but can he recruit another Jonathan Dwyer or Demaryius Thomas to his selfless, anti-pro-style offense?

Baseball-playing ACC quarterbacks

How long are Russell Wilson, a sophomore, and Kyle Parker, a freshman, going to stick around throwing passes in the ACC? Who knows. Both might be better baseball prospects. But both are playing excellent football. Parker has led Clemson to at least 38 points in four straight games -- a first in program history. And Wilson has a 24-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Thumbs down

Bowl eligibility

The voices calling for Bobby Bowden to step down will grow exponentially if the Seminoles (4-5, 2-4) fail to make a bowl trip, but FSU needs to win two of its last three games to become eligible. The Seminoles' last game is against Florida, so they need wins at Wake and against Maryland.

Bowling in the ACC

The ACC added two new bowl destinations last week for its 2010-13 lineup -- El Paso, Texas and Shreveport, La. Maybe that's why so many conference teams seem uninterested in becoming bowl-eligible.

The Al Grohs

Speaking of bowl eligibility, remember when Virginia was in first place in the Coastal? The Wahoos have lost three straight, and November is shaping up to be an anticipated hangover from their Octoberfest.

By the numbers

1 -- Georgia Tech leads the nation in time of possession, keeping the ball 34:56 minutes per game. Paul Johnson wants to keep his defense off the field as much as possible.

31 - Career interceptions by Clemson's starting defensive backfield -- Crezdon Butler (11), DeAndre McDaniel (11) and Chris Chancellor (9). It's the most of any backfield in the country and doesn't include five from part-time player Rashard Hall.

1,113 -- Kick return yards by Maryland's Torrey Smith, breaking his own ACC single-season record (1,089). He has returned 42 kicks this year -- 31 more than Dyrell Roberts (Va. Tech) who leads the ACC in kickoff return average (38.6), and 27 more than Spiller who is second (35.3).

Trav's take

--Paul Johnson is saying he's happy at Georgia Tech. But for how long? He stayed at Georgia Southern for five years, Navy for six, and the trend says he won't be hanging out in Atlanta four years. Johnson says he turned down a higher paying job during the offseason, and Auburn was reportedly interested. But might he be waiting to make a bigger splash at, say, Notre Dame? If I'm an athletic director at a middle-of-the-pack SEC school, I'm offering Johnson the farm and the president's mansion. Against Florida and Alabama, you can't be conventional.

--Despite what DeAndre McDaniel is saying about being "99.9" percent sure he'll return to Clemson next season, I'm betting on the 0.1 percent. McDaniel's NFL stock will never higher. He could give the draft a third first-round safety after Taylor Mays (Southern Cal) and Eric Berry (Tennessee).