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It hasn't taken long for Butch Davis to get into North Carolina's rivalry with N.C. State.

"The fans are right on top of each other," the second-year coach said. "I was mad at some people dressed in red at the (grocery store) last night."

About a half-hour east on Interstate 40, N.C. State running back Andre Brown can feel it, too.

"You can just see it that even after the whistle's blown how people are still driving and still trying to physically beat the guy down," Brown said.

The angst that comes with the latest meeting of longtime instate rivals offers a simple motivation today. It sure beats dwelling on the big picture, whether it's the 25th-ranked Tar Heels' chances of somehow winning the ACC's muddled Coastal Division race or the Wolfpack's need to win its last two games to become bowl eligible.

North Carolina (7-3, 3-3 ACC) controlled its own fate in the division before last weekend's 17-15 loss at Maryland. The Tar Heels got a boost with Miami's loss to Georgia Tech on Thursday night, but they still need Virginia and Virginia Tech to lose at least once. Both the Cavaliers and Hokies are 3-3 in the league, but they have beaten the Tar Heels to earn the head-to-head tiebreakers.

Ask Davis anything about that scenario and his answer usually falls into the "one game at a time" category.

"You don't look at the landscape," he said. "I don't follow all the other schools. We can't control anybody else. We worry about how we play and how we prepare and if we do like we're supposed to, the future will take care of itself."

That leaves the Tar Heels to focus on regrouping from the disappointing loss to the Terrapins in which they missed a 28-yard field goal and went 1-for-11 on third-down conversions. They've managed to bounce back after their close losses to Virginia Tech and Virginia, getting solid performances from one-time third-stringer Cameron Sexton at quarterback.

WAKE FOREST: Alphonso Smith has spent plenty of time all season doing the math at Wake Forest. One way or another, for both his team and Boston College, those calculations are about to become much simpler. The Deacons and Eagles meet today in what's essentially an elimination game in the ACC's muddled Atlantic Division race. However, the only thing the winner is guaranteed -- especially if it's Wake Forest -- is a little more time to savor being mathematically eligible in the race for a spot in the Dec. 6 title game.

DUKE: With some help from its friends at Georgia Tech and more needed next week, Virginia Tech still has a chance to reach its first goal: repeating as ACC division champs. The Hokies (6-4, 3-3 ACC) stayed alive Thursday night when the Yellow Jackets beat division-leading Miami, but will have to dash Duke's postseason dreams today to keep their improbable push going. The Blue Devils (4-6, 1-5) still have a chance to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1994, but in their first season under head coach David Cutcliffe, they need to win their last two games.

HOME FOR HOLIDAYS? Clemson and Virginia are both fighting to get the wins they need to qualify for a bowl game, but the situation is more dire for the Tigers. Lose again, and the the Tigers (5-5, 3-4 ACC) are home for the holidays.