Wake Forest enters this week’s Merrimack vs Wake Forest matchup with a spotlight that goes beyond the scoreboard. Earlier this week, the first CFP rankings of the season placed the Demon Deacons at No. 16, even though they sit higher in both the Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
That ranking adds a little extra context, but it does not change the expectations for this game. Wake Forest is hosting Merrimack College, and the staff projection paints a one-sided picture: a 55.4-point Wake Forest win, with Merrimack held to fewer than seven points.
A lopsided prediction for Wake Forest
The projected final score is 61-6, which would give Wake Forest a third straight win and another convincing result for a team that has already built a 7-1 record overall and a 5-1 mark in the ACC. Merrimack comes in at 4-5, and the gap between the two teams is reflected in every part of the preview.
Wake Forest’s only loss came against Miami, and that matchup looks more understandable now that Miami is ranked No. 1. The committee’s first rankings also came with a reminder that style points are not supposed to matter, but this is still the kind of game where a dominant performance would reinforce Wake Forest’s place in the national conversation.
What the staff expects
Brandon was the closest staff picker last week, when he predicted Wake Forest would beat Virginia 41-13. The actual result was 51-7, and his projected margin was part of a fourth closest prediction win for the staff on the season.
For this week, the larger question is simple: can Wake Forest deliver the kind of efficient, mistake-free performance that matches its ranking and keeps the momentum going? Based on the unanimous staff picks, the expectation is clear. Wake Forest should win comfortably, and Merrimack will need a much better-than-expected showing just to keep the final margin close to respectable.
