By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- Two is a crucial number for both Georgia Tech and
Wake Forest.

The No. 10 Yellow Jackets are chasing the higher prize, needing
two wins to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship game. But two victories also would be meaningful
for Wake Forest, which is trying to become eligible for its
fourth straight bowl trip.

With larger goals looming over their seasons, both teams are
trying to keep the focus on Saturday's game.

"We don't want to get caught up in that stuff," Georgia Tech
defensive end Derrick Morgan said. "It could be gone in the
blink of an eye."

The Yellow Jackets (8-1, 5-1 ACC) would lock up a spot in the
ACC championship game by beating the Demon Deacons (4-5, 2-3)
and winning again at Duke next weekend. Georgia Tech hasn't won
an outright conference title since 1990, also the season they
finished No. 1 in the coaches' poll.

"That was a long time ago. I was a 1-year-old," Morgan said with
a chuckle. "That is on everybody's mind. We're just trying to
take Georgia Tech to the next level. We've done a good job so
far, but we've got to keep pushing."

And keep running like they have. The Yellow Jackets rank second
nationally with an average of 304 yards per game on the ground,
and the spread option has really kicked it into high gear the
last five weeks. During that span, the team is averaging 42
points and 483 yards per game.

Coach Paul Johnson has certainly defied the skeptics who said a
triple-option, run-oriented offense would never work in a
big-time conference.

"He's wearing people out with that offense," Wake Forest coach
Jim Grobe said. "It's a unique thing that nobody else does. When
you're the only show in town, that makes it really hard on
people to get ready for it."

The quarterback is the one who makes the spread option go, and
Josh Nesbitt shouldered more of the running load for Georgia
Tech early on when defenses focused on stopping 2008 ACC player
of the year Jonathan Dwyer.

But Dwyer has come on strong in recent weeks, including an
186-yard performance against Vanderbilt last Saturday, and he's
now leading the team with 904 yards, averaging 6.2 yards every
time he touches the ball. Nesbitt has 763 yards rushing and
leads Georgia Tech with 13 touchdowns, while A-back Anthony
Allen also ranks among the ACC's leading rushers with 470 yards
on a mere 44 carries.

Defenses have to focus on stopping the run, which usually leaves
6-foot-3, 229-pound receiver Demaryius Thomas in single
coverage. The Yellow Jackets have gone to him enough that he
leads the ACC in receiving yards per game (91.4) and made the
list of semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's
top pass-catcher.

Johnson clearly relishes the success of his offense, even though
he's still driven by those who didn't think it would work
against top-level competition - and maybe still don't, all
evidence to the contrary.

"I could go out tomorrow and put in the same offense that
everybody else runs," Johnson said. "I think I'm smart enough to
do that. But I don't choose to. I choose to do what I think
gives us the best chance to win."

Wake Forest has a better chance to win now that fifth-year
senior Riley Skinner has been cleared to start at quarterback
after sustaining a concussion last week in the closing minutes
of yet another gut-wrenching loss, 28-27 to Miami.

Skinner did not practice Monday and got only minimal time the
following day, but he was able to return to a regular routine by
the end of the week after showing no lingering symptoms from the
head blow. He'll make his 33rd consecutive start against the
Yellow Jackets, who had been expecting all along to face the No.
1 quarterback.

Not that it mattered much in their preparations. "You get ready
for Wake Forest," Johnson said. "You don't get ready for certain
people."

And you don't let your mind wander to what might lie ahead.

"We've got to be ready for Wake Forest," Johnson said. "It's a
one-game schedule right now and all we're doing is getting ready
for them. You can't worry about somebody down the road. If you
do, you'll trip up. You better take care of what's at hand."