Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs.Vanderbilt Commodores, 12:21 pm ET, SEC-TV
This is probably the least compelling of the ACC-SEC match-ups this week. There, I said it. Even with Florida State expected to demolish Florida, that game has the stakes of state pride and a heated rivalry regardless of the outcome. Same with Georgia-Georgia Tech and Clemson-South Carolina, though those games are expected to be at least somewhat more competitive than the battle in the Sunshine State.
On the other hand, the Wake Forest-Vanderbilt meeting might have the opportunity to develop into a nice little rivalry, if it were to continue for a lengthy period of time. They're both traditionally lower-tier programs in their conferences that have tried to gain respectability in fits and starts. Unfortunately, the game between them will never get the chance to develop into something more, given the pressures on both teams' future schedules. This is the last edition, at least for now.
And it might even be different if Wake Forest had anything approaching a quality offense. But the Deacons do not. They generate 292.9 yards of total offense a game, making Wake one of seven teams in the FBS not to average at least 300 yards a game -- a bar that even Kansas manages to clear. (All five of the teams currently reclassifying to the FBS also average well over 300 yards a contest, though they also get to play more FCS teams.) Wake Forest is good enough to slow Vanderbilt down a bit, but they can't come close to scoring the points they need to win the game.
Vanderbilt 29, Wake Forest 14