2010 CFBZ Prediction: 4th Place in ACC Atlantic
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 2nd in ACC Atlantic (9-4, 5-3)
The Wolfpack came into this season on a string of 4-straight losing seasons, 3 of them led by Tom O'Brien. The pundits, yes we were one of them, didn't think that this year would be much different. Led by Junior QB Russell Wilson the Pack finished 18th in the Nation in Passing Yardage per game and 32nd in Points scored. They started off the season 4-0 beating Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Central Florida. Who would have thought that at the end of the season the UCF win would be the most impressive out of that bunch? NC State went on to get some good wins (FSU, UNC, Boston College and West Virginia) on their way to their first winning season since going 7-5 in 2005. To get the scoop on the Wolfpack's 2010 season we caught up with the NC State blog Riddick & Reynolds.
1. NC State exceeded a lot of expectations by finishing 9-4 this year, what were you favorite moments of the season?
My highlight of the year was the Carolina win. Yeah, it extended Tom O'Brien's streak to 4-0 against the Heels since taking over as State's coach, but it was the way the game was won that did it for me. In that sense, it could've been any opponent on the other side of the trench. Trailing most of the first part of the game, State takes the lead on two of the most remarkable plays this season, a tipped pass touchdown on 4th down and a punt return for a touchdown shortly thereafter to take the lead for good. It was just a fantastic, fantastic game regardless of the fact it came against the Tar Heels (though that certainly didn't hurt:) )
2. Which player was the biggest surprise of the season?
I'll give you one from each side of the ball. True freshman Mustafa Greene was a revelation at tailback when the Pack entered the season not knowing who would tote the ball, let alone if the running game would have any efficacy. Greene showed everything you like to see in a back several years more experienced: toughness, decisiveness at the point of attack and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He showed that in the bowl game against West Virginia when he took a swing pass to the house, fighting through tackles with a strong blow on WVU's cornerback at the end of the run. The only problem with Greene this season was that he wasn't used more, certainly through no fault of his own. I expect great things from him moving forward if he stays healthy.
Defensively, I'd probably say Audi Cole was the biggest surprise in the conventional sense, i.e. someone who came relatively from nowhere to really elevate his game. I was surprised at Nate Irving's effectiveness following his car crash and rehab stint, but we all knew what Nate could deliver when 100%. Cole, however, took a huge leap forward in his growth as a linebacker and really complimented the skillsets of Irving and Terrell Manning. Cole had a tremendous game against Central Florida and had perhaps the most impressive interception of the year when he backpedaled into coverage, read the QB's eyes and made a leaping grab in front of the intended receiver. I couldn't have pictured him making that play last season.
3. What game was the turning point of the season?
Probably the Florida State win. A lot of having a great season is having the ball bounce your way (just ask Wake Forest in their ACC title season), and when it seemed all hope was lost, Ponder fumbling the ball in the fourth quarter to seal the victory showed me that we were having one of those years where the breaks go your way. They didn't ALWAYS go in our favor, but I'd say more good than bad was on our ledger in 2010. State was much healthier this year, too, and when we were midway through the year and had not lost any key player for any notable length of time, that was another hint that 2010 could be a good season.
4) Which player are you most excited about for next season?
I really want to see what kind of job Mike Glennon can do at quarterback, so as strange as it may sound to wish Russell Wilson well and along on his way, I want Mike to get two years at QB before his time here is done. The reason is if you look at our depth chart, 2012 shapes up to be loaded with a lot of junior and senior talent on both sides of the ball. It may be our best opportunity in the foreseeable future to take another run at an ACC title. If Wilson returns in 2011, that leaves just one year for Glennon, and if 2012 lines up like it should, I'd rather have a two-year starter in Glennon under center than someone taking the first starts of his career.
5. What do the Wolfpack need to improve this off-season to maintain their success from 2010 and possibly challenge for the ACC title in 2011?
We have to develop a running game, first and foremost. As exciting as the passing game can be at times, it's useless when you're trying to close out a game or wear down an opposing defense's front seven. I think the potential is there with Greene but our blocking up front has to improve. And our defensive backfield still needs work; the great play of our blitzing linebackers tended to mask their shortcomings this year. Their poor play cost us the Maryland game and ultimately the shot at the ACC title.
Next season shapes up well for a run at the Atlantic again...but for Florida State. The 'Noles look like they'll be back to their old dominant ways under Fisher and life will be even tougher for State and the rest of the Atlantic moving forward. The challenge for O'Brien is to keep pace and that will not be easy.
Showing posts with label ACC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACC. Show all posts
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Clemson Tigers: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 3rd Place in ACC Atlantic
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 4th Place in ACC Atlantic (6-7, 4-4)
When Dabo Swinney replaced Tommy Bowden during the 2008 season I'm sure that 6-7 isn't what the administration was hoping for. Especially in a year that was considered a down year for the ACC. Ultimately trying to replace C.J. Spiller, Jacoby Ford and Michael Palmer all in one year was just too much for the offense to handle. Clemson came ultra close to picking off Auburn early in the season (losing in OT) but then dropped the next two games to Miami (Fl) and UNC to put them in a 2-3 hole. Clemson rebounded with good wins over bowl-bound Maryland and Georgia Tech and looked like it had righted the ship and was headed to a turnaround. Unfortunately, Clemson lost 3 of their next 5 and took a 6-6 record into their bowl loss against South Florida. We caught up with Dr B of SB Nation's Clemson Blog Shakin The Southland exactly what they thought of Clemson's performance in 2010 and how they feel going into 2011.
In our Pre-Season Preview you said that Clemson needed to finish 9-3 for it to be a successful season in your eyes. The season is over and the Tigers finished 6-7. What went wrong?
Everything.
Coming into this year we felt that if Clemson played to its strengths, they would end up in the 9-10 win range, particularly with what was coming back for us. Our coaching staff never played to these strengths, and we paid for it.
Lets say your team brought back 4 starters off a fair O-line, and two backs who both averaged over 5 ypc and each had over 400 yards the year before. You have no proven WRs, 1 very talented TE, and a RS Soph at QB. What would you do with that? You'd run the ball quite a bit right? Wrong, not Clemson. We threw the ball over 30 times in each loss, some over 40.
Clemson had a sensible gameplan for Auburn and we took it to them up front. Parker took a nasty late hit to the ribs and it dazed him, and while our staff said it had no effect for Miami the next week, it was quite apparent that it did. Knowing that your QB is hurting, wouldn't you gameplan to play to your strength and run a lot more? No, not Clemson. DeAndre McDaniel got his teeth knocked out on the first Miami TD and they left him in the game, and he made coverage bust after coverage bust and Miami went up big, and we abandoned the run altogether early. Despite Harris' best efforts we could not win it.
The next week they wouldn't attack a depleted UNC defense and lost. They decided to not give the football to our best back and instead throw the ball around. Same thing continued to happen over and over throughout the season, and even when we won it looked horrible. Once we lost our best back at Boston College, it was over.
Last year we were an I-formation and zone running pro-style play-action team. Hand it off to Spiller 19 times a game and then use some PA passes and we could win. This year, they ditched all that, and we hardly saw the I-formation after the first few games. When you see Clemson line up in the shotgun, we pass. When we're one-back under center, we run. Most of the time they went to the Gun, even when both backs were healthy. They claim to self-scout, but never recognized this on film, and we kept up with it all year on the site in the game reviews.
I just don't think our staff is intelligent. I know Dabo is the one that decided to scrap the power run game that became our identity last year to get the ball into his WRs hands, just because he believes it will work. Now that he finished 6-7 and everyone raised hell, he knows he has to fire people to keep his own job.
What game was the turning point of the season?
You know, this happens to us quite a bit. One game really flips the season around, and you look back and wonder "what if we won it?"
We took Auburn to the wire, and if we had snapped the ball correctly in OT on the FG attempt to tie it, and later won, who knows how our season would've gone. Who knows how Auburn would've turned out had they lost there? I tend to think momentum like that is a freaky thing with a team. If you get on a roll, sometimes you continue to play above your level and winning breeds winning. Sometimes when you prepare for a team all offseason, which we did, a loss crushes you and you don't recover.
The gameplan we had there was the one that worked last year for us. After we lost, Swinney decided to take power-running personnel and run a spread system. I think he made an impulsive decision to abandon what works just because it didn't win at Auburn.
Which player(s) was the biggest surprise of the season and on the flip-side who was the biggest disappointment?
Probably Hopkins, I rarely expect a true FR to come in and basically take the job at Flanker away from a senior, but that is what happened. He needs to add some weight but he's a tough football player.
Jamie Harper averaged over 5 ypc last year and barely cracked 4 ypc this year. He cracked 100 yards against North Texas in the first game, and then tanked. He tiptoes into holes and refuses to lower his shoulder on defenders. Now the dummy declares for the NFL? I just laugh at that.
Which player are you most excited about for next season?
Who knows with Dabo calling the shots. I think if Andre Ellington stays healthy, he gets over 1000 yards. I think if we insist on passing heavily that DeAndre Hopkins will crack 70 receptions and 1000 yards. Both of them are outstanding football players.
In what areas does Clemson need to improve the most to get back into contention for the ACC Championship?
Next year the chief concern is former 5-star QB Tajh Boyd. He showed us this year that he was not ready to play, and next year he has to be. If he gets the new offense down pat, we might be ok.
The second is the WRs. Someone besides Hopkins must show ball skills.
3rd, the defense. We lose most of it. Up front we are depleted with two starters leaving, one rumored to go, and a chief backup leaving. We lose SS Deandre McDaniel, CB Byron Maxwell and CB Marcus Gilchrist, who is also our KR/PR. Linebacker is the only spot we don't lose anyone.
And finally coaching. The defensive staff earned their paycheck. When an opponent does something, I can see the adjustments they make and they work. The offensive staff makes no adjustments and showed me they should be fired. Some of them already have been but I think Swinney is the real problem there: he fancies himself an offensive visionary, having never been an OC in his life.
So who knows...I won't make a prediction on next year. We could go 3-9 or 8-4.
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 4th Place in ACC Atlantic (6-7, 4-4)
When Dabo Swinney replaced Tommy Bowden during the 2008 season I'm sure that 6-7 isn't what the administration was hoping for. Especially in a year that was considered a down year for the ACC. Ultimately trying to replace C.J. Spiller, Jacoby Ford and Michael Palmer all in one year was just too much for the offense to handle. Clemson came ultra close to picking off Auburn early in the season (losing in OT) but then dropped the next two games to Miami (Fl) and UNC to put them in a 2-3 hole. Clemson rebounded with good wins over bowl-bound Maryland and Georgia Tech and looked like it had righted the ship and was headed to a turnaround. Unfortunately, Clemson lost 3 of their next 5 and took a 6-6 record into their bowl loss against South Florida. We caught up with Dr B of SB Nation's Clemson Blog Shakin The Southland exactly what they thought of Clemson's performance in 2010 and how they feel going into 2011.
In our Pre-Season Preview you said that Clemson needed to finish 9-3 for it to be a successful season in your eyes. The season is over and the Tigers finished 6-7. What went wrong?
Everything.
Coming into this year we felt that if Clemson played to its strengths, they would end up in the 9-10 win range, particularly with what was coming back for us. Our coaching staff never played to these strengths, and we paid for it.
Lets say your team brought back 4 starters off a fair O-line, and two backs who both averaged over 5 ypc and each had over 400 yards the year before. You have no proven WRs, 1 very talented TE, and a RS Soph at QB. What would you do with that? You'd run the ball quite a bit right? Wrong, not Clemson. We threw the ball over 30 times in each loss, some over 40.
Clemson had a sensible gameplan for Auburn and we took it to them up front. Parker took a nasty late hit to the ribs and it dazed him, and while our staff said it had no effect for Miami the next week, it was quite apparent that it did. Knowing that your QB is hurting, wouldn't you gameplan to play to your strength and run a lot more? No, not Clemson. DeAndre McDaniel got his teeth knocked out on the first Miami TD and they left him in the game, and he made coverage bust after coverage bust and Miami went up big, and we abandoned the run altogether early. Despite Harris' best efforts we could not win it.
The next week they wouldn't attack a depleted UNC defense and lost. They decided to not give the football to our best back and instead throw the ball around. Same thing continued to happen over and over throughout the season, and even when we won it looked horrible. Once we lost our best back at Boston College, it was over.
Last year we were an I-formation and zone running pro-style play-action team. Hand it off to Spiller 19 times a game and then use some PA passes and we could win. This year, they ditched all that, and we hardly saw the I-formation after the first few games. When you see Clemson line up in the shotgun, we pass. When we're one-back under center, we run. Most of the time they went to the Gun, even when both backs were healthy. They claim to self-scout, but never recognized this on film, and we kept up with it all year on the site in the game reviews.
I just don't think our staff is intelligent. I know Dabo is the one that decided to scrap the power run game that became our identity last year to get the ball into his WRs hands, just because he believes it will work. Now that he finished 6-7 and everyone raised hell, he knows he has to fire people to keep his own job.
What game was the turning point of the season?
You know, this happens to us quite a bit. One game really flips the season around, and you look back and wonder "what if we won it?"
We took Auburn to the wire, and if we had snapped the ball correctly in OT on the FG attempt to tie it, and later won, who knows how our season would've gone. Who knows how Auburn would've turned out had they lost there? I tend to think momentum like that is a freaky thing with a team. If you get on a roll, sometimes you continue to play above your level and winning breeds winning. Sometimes when you prepare for a team all offseason, which we did, a loss crushes you and you don't recover.
The gameplan we had there was the one that worked last year for us. After we lost, Swinney decided to take power-running personnel and run a spread system. I think he made an impulsive decision to abandon what works just because it didn't win at Auburn.
Which player(s) was the biggest surprise of the season and on the flip-side who was the biggest disappointment?
Probably Hopkins, I rarely expect a true FR to come in and basically take the job at Flanker away from a senior, but that is what happened. He needs to add some weight but he's a tough football player.
Jamie Harper averaged over 5 ypc last year and barely cracked 4 ypc this year. He cracked 100 yards against North Texas in the first game, and then tanked. He tiptoes into holes and refuses to lower his shoulder on defenders. Now the dummy declares for the NFL? I just laugh at that.
Which player are you most excited about for next season?
Who knows with Dabo calling the shots. I think if Andre Ellington stays healthy, he gets over 1000 yards. I think if we insist on passing heavily that DeAndre Hopkins will crack 70 receptions and 1000 yards. Both of them are outstanding football players.
In what areas does Clemson need to improve the most to get back into contention for the ACC Championship?
Next year the chief concern is former 5-star QB Tajh Boyd. He showed us this year that he was not ready to play, and next year he has to be. If he gets the new offense down pat, we might be ok.
The second is the WRs. Someone besides Hopkins must show ball skills.
3rd, the defense. We lose most of it. Up front we are depleted with two starters leaving, one rumored to go, and a chief backup leaving. We lose SS Deandre McDaniel, CB Byron Maxwell and CB Marcus Gilchrist, who is also our KR/PR. Linebacker is the only spot we don't lose anyone.
And finally coaching. The defensive staff earned their paycheck. When an opponent does something, I can see the adjustments they make and they work. The offensive staff makes no adjustments and showed me they should be fired. Some of them already have been but I think Swinney is the real problem there: he fancies himself an offensive visionary, having never been an OC in his life.
So who knows...I won't make a prediction on next year. We could go 3-9 or 8-4.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 4th Place in ACC Coastal
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in ACC Coastal (6-7, 4-4)
In only Paul Johnson's second year at Georgia Tech he took them to an 11-3 record and a birth in a BCS game. Expectations flew high for the Yellow Jackets but they lost their star RB and lost their best defensive players to the NFL. This resulted in Tech falling to 6-7 and 4-4 in the ACC. There is no question that Paul Johnson is a skilled and feared offensive coach. The question mark remains if he can get recruits to play his style of football and if he can build a quality defense. Not counting South Carolina State, the only team that Tech beat with a winning record this year was North Carolina and we all know the issues they dealt with at the beginning of the season when the loss occurred. Tech has a lot of question marks going into the 2011 season including losing their leading rusher and their quarterback. We caught up with SB Nation blog From The Rumble Seat and John Bird talked to us about his thoughts on 2010 and what he wants to see in 2011.
Obviously it was a down year for Tech to finish 6-7 after winning the ACC last year. What were the primary reasons/issues that the team had a downswing this year?
Turnovers, lack of talent, lack of execution, injuries. The list goes on and on. We were just not very good. We lost the UGA game on a missed PAT. We lost the VT game because Josh Nesbitt broke his arm trying to tackle a guy. We lost the Air Force game because of muffed punts. It was a season that will be hard to forget in the worst kind of way.
Which player(s) was the biggest surprise of the season?
Orwin Smith at A-Back (slotback) was a big time play maker for the Jackets. He stepped up and really made some clutch plays throughout the season. He was easily the most consistent receiver on the field and made several big runs throughout 2010. Tech fans are really looking forward to Orwin's 2011 season.
What game was the turning point of the season?
Losing to Kansas really shot the season in the foot. No matter what we did from then on out would really redeem that opening loss. The entire game was merely an indicator of how bad a season Tech would have. We failed to push a small, bad defensive line off the ball on run plays and our offense executed about as poorly as possible. Defensively, we allowed a team that had little to no offensive identity execute consistently. It was the point at which Tech fans realized 2010 was truly a rebuilding year.
After one year what are your thoughts on the 3-4 defense under Al Groh and what does Tech need to do to improve on that side of the football?
I think we still need time to evaluate Al Groh. I already know he's a better defensive coordinator than Dave Wommack based on several ingame adjustments he made throughout the course of the season and the execution of gameplans against several key opponents. However, Groh needs time to recruit his players and we'll give him time. Hopefully, Groh won't leave for a HC position in the next couple years and will really develop a solid D unit.
Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson is known for running the football. Tech is losing both their leading rushers (Joshua Nesbitt and Anthony Allen), who do you want to see get the main opportunities at QB and RB next year?
Well, this is a huge question mark for Georgia Tech. Tevin Washington is the heir apparent at QB but there will be a lot of competition from true freshman Vad Lee and redshirt freshman Synjyn Days.
At B-Back or fullback, Tech has one veteran and a slew of inexperience. It will most likely be a mixture of Preston Lyons, Daniel Drummond, Richard Watson, Daniel Connors, and some true freshmen. They are all bigger, power backs so the look and feel of Tech's offense could change dramatically in 2011.
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in ACC Coastal (6-7, 4-4)
In only Paul Johnson's second year at Georgia Tech he took them to an 11-3 record and a birth in a BCS game. Expectations flew high for the Yellow Jackets but they lost their star RB and lost their best defensive players to the NFL. This resulted in Tech falling to 6-7 and 4-4 in the ACC. There is no question that Paul Johnson is a skilled and feared offensive coach. The question mark remains if he can get recruits to play his style of football and if he can build a quality defense. Not counting South Carolina State, the only team that Tech beat with a winning record this year was North Carolina and we all know the issues they dealt with at the beginning of the season when the loss occurred. Tech has a lot of question marks going into the 2011 season including losing their leading rusher and their quarterback. We caught up with SB Nation blog From The Rumble Seat and John Bird talked to us about his thoughts on 2010 and what he wants to see in 2011.
Obviously it was a down year for Tech to finish 6-7 after winning the ACC last year. What were the primary reasons/issues that the team had a downswing this year?
Turnovers, lack of talent, lack of execution, injuries. The list goes on and on. We were just not very good. We lost the UGA game on a missed PAT. We lost the VT game because Josh Nesbitt broke his arm trying to tackle a guy. We lost the Air Force game because of muffed punts. It was a season that will be hard to forget in the worst kind of way.
Which player(s) was the biggest surprise of the season?
Orwin Smith at A-Back (slotback) was a big time play maker for the Jackets. He stepped up and really made some clutch plays throughout the season. He was easily the most consistent receiver on the field and made several big runs throughout 2010. Tech fans are really looking forward to Orwin's 2011 season.
What game was the turning point of the season?
Losing to Kansas really shot the season in the foot. No matter what we did from then on out would really redeem that opening loss. The entire game was merely an indicator of how bad a season Tech would have. We failed to push a small, bad defensive line off the ball on run plays and our offense executed about as poorly as possible. Defensively, we allowed a team that had little to no offensive identity execute consistently. It was the point at which Tech fans realized 2010 was truly a rebuilding year.
After one year what are your thoughts on the 3-4 defense under Al Groh and what does Tech need to do to improve on that side of the football?
I think we still need time to evaluate Al Groh. I already know he's a better defensive coordinator than Dave Wommack based on several ingame adjustments he made throughout the course of the season and the execution of gameplans against several key opponents. However, Groh needs time to recruit his players and we'll give him time. Hopefully, Groh won't leave for a HC position in the next couple years and will really develop a solid D unit.
Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson is known for running the football. Tech is losing both their leading rushers (Joshua Nesbitt and Anthony Allen), who do you want to see get the main opportunities at QB and RB next year?
Well, this is a huge question mark for Georgia Tech. Tevin Washington is the heir apparent at QB but there will be a lot of competition from true freshman Vad Lee and redshirt freshman Synjyn Days.
At B-Back or fullback, Tech has one veteran and a slew of inexperience. It will most likely be a mixture of Preston Lyons, Daniel Drummond, Richard Watson, Daniel Connors, and some true freshmen. They are all bigger, power backs so the look and feel of Tech's offense could change dramatically in 2011.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
ACC Championship Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Florida State
On Saturday Dec. 4, the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles will play for just the fourth time since ACC expansion in 2004 (FSU is 2-1 in those games). Although it doesn't quite feel the same to see Bobby Bowden opposite Frank Beamer, don't expect Hokie fans to be silent about their distaste for FSU.
Historically, the 'Noles have dominated the Hokies, holding a 22-11-1 advantage. Of these games, six have been played this decade, (I know, I shouldn't be counting this year's game as it's 2010) with the Hokies winning only the 2007 matchup in Blacksburg. Otherwise the Hokies lost the National Championship game to the 'Noles in 2000, lost the Toyota Gator Bowl to them in 2002, lost the inaugural ACC Championship Game in 2005, and lost the only matchup this decade in Tallahassee in 2008 after Tyrod Taylor went down on the game's first play and Tech was forced to use three quarterbacks.
Our record against the 'Noles is a reason for our inferiority complex when it comes to our hatred for them, but I'd say as a general rule, fans of any fan base tend to feel ill-will for ANY team they have been beaten by soundly over a long period of time, ESPECIALLY if that team is a college football power the likes of FSU.
Amplified are these feelings by the experiences Hokies fans have had with 'Noles fans over the years, as many a Hokie fan have told me there is no worse experience they have had with a fan base than that of the 'Noles. Of course, based on the interactions I have had with the Seminole Nation, they may take that as a compliment. Take it as you will. There are always bad apples in any fan base, but FSU fans take the cake in my book. Another reason for Hokie fans' disgust felt for the Seminoles is the mind-numbing, torturous, and inescapable spectacle that is the Tomahawk Chop. News to Seminoles fans: in a world that includes Rockytop (and though I will concede our "Key Play" on EVERY 3rd down is dumb), you have BY FAR the most annoying chant/fight song/ in stadium tradition college sports. Please vary it up for a change. I may even have to become a FSU fan myself just to invent something to replace some of the endless Tomahawk Chops, but based on what you've read so far I'm unlikely to do that.
Here are some examples of the hostility that the Hokie fans have for the 'Noles and their infamous chop.
This was at the 2007 matchup between the Hokies and the 'Noles, in which Hokies fans, tired of seeing/hearing "THE CHOP" took it upon themselves to make the visiting FSU fans leave early, by chopping the ENTIRE fourth quarter stadium wide when it became evident the Hokies would win. So consider that this treatment will repeat if we feel you have chopped too much Saturday night and we have a lead late.
Now, down to the game. The Hokies clenched a week before the Seminoles did, so they got a tremendous head start on filling the stadium. I ordered my tickets a mere hour after the Hokies locked up the Coastal Division and Tech had already gone through their allotment of tickets, meaning that a good portion if not all the "extra" tickets not sold through the two schools' athletic departments will probably either be in the hands of scalpers or Hokie fans. Also, playing the game in Charlotte for the first time (a game that makes perfect geographical sense as the league is centered in Tobacco Road and not a home game for the two traditionally powerful Florida ACC programs) equates to what will essentially be a home game for the Hokies (as Blacksburg is a little over 2 hours from the Queen City).
When it comes down to the X's and O's, both teams are incredibly similar. Here's a link to GobblerCountry.com, where wisec4g posted the two teams offensive and defensive rankings. As you can see neither team strays very far in the rankings from one another.
When it comes down to it, you have a coach that is in his first year as the head coach at FSU and a coach on the opposing sideline who has been at Virginia Tech now for 24 years. But the seniority doesn't necessarily make his team better. I think if anything the advantage the Hokies have is being the better coached team. But the 'Noles have an advantage as well. They have a lot of good athletes and recruits that have been highly touted and are usually ranked higher (despite the fact that recruiting rankings aren't always the best determinant of success) than their counterpart Hokies.
The Hokies have Tyrod Taylor and the 'Noles Christian Ponder, two incredibly experience quarterbacks whose influence and ability will weigh heavily on this game. I don't want it to sound like a cop-out, but in my determination, the game is as simple as this: the team whose quarterback shines or even plays better will win. That encompasses turnovers, the passing game, for Virginia Tech the rushing game, and how a defense reacts and/or is able to contain the opposing player. I also think that whichever team wins the battle in the trenches and can establish the run can infinitely improve their chances of winning.
I may be riding the fence here, but as a Hokie fan wary of our past history with the 'Noles, I'm not making any predictions. As the great Michael Scott said, I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious.
Historically, the 'Noles have dominated the Hokies, holding a 22-11-1 advantage. Of these games, six have been played this decade, (I know, I shouldn't be counting this year's game as it's 2010) with the Hokies winning only the 2007 matchup in Blacksburg. Otherwise the Hokies lost the National Championship game to the 'Noles in 2000, lost the Toyota Gator Bowl to them in 2002, lost the inaugural ACC Championship Game in 2005, and lost the only matchup this decade in Tallahassee in 2008 after Tyrod Taylor went down on the game's first play and Tech was forced to use three quarterbacks.
Our record against the 'Noles is a reason for our inferiority complex when it comes to our hatred for them, but I'd say as a general rule, fans of any fan base tend to feel ill-will for ANY team they have been beaten by soundly over a long period of time, ESPECIALLY if that team is a college football power the likes of FSU.
Amplified are these feelings by the experiences Hokies fans have had with 'Noles fans over the years, as many a Hokie fan have told me there is no worse experience they have had with a fan base than that of the 'Noles. Of course, based on the interactions I have had with the Seminole Nation, they may take that as a compliment. Take it as you will. There are always bad apples in any fan base, but FSU fans take the cake in my book. Another reason for Hokie fans' disgust felt for the Seminoles is the mind-numbing, torturous, and inescapable spectacle that is the Tomahawk Chop. News to Seminoles fans: in a world that includes Rockytop (and though I will concede our "Key Play" on EVERY 3rd down is dumb), you have BY FAR the most annoying chant/fight song/ in stadium tradition college sports. Please vary it up for a change. I may even have to become a FSU fan myself just to invent something to replace some of the endless Tomahawk Chops, but based on what you've read so far I'm unlikely to do that.
Here are some examples of the hostility that the Hokie fans have for the 'Noles and their infamous chop.
This was at the 2007 matchup between the Hokies and the 'Noles, in which Hokies fans, tired of seeing/hearing "THE CHOP" took it upon themselves to make the visiting FSU fans leave early, by chopping the ENTIRE fourth quarter stadium wide when it became evident the Hokies would win. So consider that this treatment will repeat if we feel you have chopped too much Saturday night and we have a lead late.
Now, down to the game. The Hokies clenched a week before the Seminoles did, so they got a tremendous head start on filling the stadium. I ordered my tickets a mere hour after the Hokies locked up the Coastal Division and Tech had already gone through their allotment of tickets, meaning that a good portion if not all the "extra" tickets not sold through the two schools' athletic departments will probably either be in the hands of scalpers or Hokie fans. Also, playing the game in Charlotte for the first time (a game that makes perfect geographical sense as the league is centered in Tobacco Road and not a home game for the two traditionally powerful Florida ACC programs) equates to what will essentially be a home game for the Hokies (as Blacksburg is a little over 2 hours from the Queen City).
When it comes down to the X's and O's, both teams are incredibly similar. Here's a link to GobblerCountry.com, where wisec4g posted the two teams offensive and defensive rankings. As you can see neither team strays very far in the rankings from one another.
When it comes down to it, you have a coach that is in his first year as the head coach at FSU and a coach on the opposing sideline who has been at Virginia Tech now for 24 years. But the seniority doesn't necessarily make his team better. I think if anything the advantage the Hokies have is being the better coached team. But the 'Noles have an advantage as well. They have a lot of good athletes and recruits that have been highly touted and are usually ranked higher (despite the fact that recruiting rankings aren't always the best determinant of success) than their counterpart Hokies.
The Hokies have Tyrod Taylor and the 'Noles Christian Ponder, two incredibly experience quarterbacks whose influence and ability will weigh heavily on this game. I don't want it to sound like a cop-out, but in my determination, the game is as simple as this: the team whose quarterback shines or even plays better will win. That encompasses turnovers, the passing game, for Virginia Tech the rushing game, and how a defense reacts and/or is able to contain the opposing player. I also think that whichever team wins the battle in the trenches and can establish the run can infinitely improve their chances of winning.
I may be riding the fence here, but as a Hokie fan wary of our past history with the 'Noles, I'm not making any predictions. As the great Michael Scott said, I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Conference Championship Game Predictions
SEC: Auburn (12-0) vs. South Carolina (9-3)
Kevin: OK, everybody who had Auburn vs South Carolina at the beginning of the year raise your hands. Seriously, the odds of this happening had to be very narrow at the beginning of the season. Florida and Georgia both under-performed this year and South Carolina beat both of them to take the SEC East Crown. Auburn had a much tougher road as they are in the same division as 4 other Top 25 teams but still finished the year unbeaten. All year I was waiting for Auburn to lose but as the year went on Auburn seemed to get stronger. They fell behind against Georgia and Alabama but showed a lot of mental toughness and came back to win both of those games. It's just hard to bet against Auburn right now. That being said, I will be rooting against them as I just can't root for Nick Unfairley after his repeated late hits to my redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray.
Prediction: AUBURN 31 SOUTH CAROLINA 24
Ross: On one hand, you have an Auburn team that seems like a team of destiny after the way they came back from the dead against Alabama and pulled off an incredible comeback win. They also happen to have the best player in college football this year (Cam Newton), who's playing at an incredibly high level. And they have one of the best defensive players in college football, too, in Nick Fairley. On the other hand, you have a South Carolina team that seems to have flipped a switch in the last three weeks, turning in three straight dominant performances, including blowout wins over Florida (to clinch the SEC East) and Clemson (to win a rivalry game). Stephen Garcia's not turning the ball over, Marcus Lattimore is running like a man possessed, Alshon Jeffery is the best receiver no one talks about, and the defense is stoning people. Oh, and they did come awful close to knocking off Auburn when they played earlier this year, until Newton Hulked up in the fourth quarter and the Cocks helped out by turning the ball over four times. So... they could win, right? Yeah, they could, but only a fool would bet against Cam Newton at this point -- and I don't feel like being a fool.
Prediction: AUBURN 38, SOUTH CAROLINA 31
Big 12: Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Nebraska (10-2)
Kevin: This is a HUGE game for Oklahoma and the Big 12. Nobody in the Big 12 wants to see Nebraska win the Big 12 title in their last season in the conference. OU is riding a 3-game winning streak over Texas Tech, Baylor and rival Okie State. Nebraska comes into the game having lost to Texas A&M just before blowing out Colorado. I really don't have a feel for this one but I just think OU is going to tough it out.
Prediction: OKLAHOMA 27 NEBRASKA 24
Ross: How fitting that the last-ever Big 12 Championship Game features the two teams that defined the conference that birthed the Big 12 -- the Big 8. Oklahoma and Nebraska had one of the game's most legendary rivalries in the 70s and 80s and while it was unavoidably diminished when the Big 12 was formed and they stopped playing each other every year, it's still a pretty good thing -- especially when both teams are good, which is the case this year. Neither team is great (they each have two losses for a reason), but they've both been very impressive for stretches of the season. Oklahoma seems to be rounding into form at the end of the season, especially on offense (three straight efforts of 40+ points) and for all of Bob Stoops' failures in BCS bowls, he's been a killer in the Big 12 Championship Game (5-1). On the other hand, Nebraska has a far better defense than what Oklahoma has been playing. The key for them will be whether Taylor Martinez is healthy enough to be effective in this game -- Nebraska blew out Colorado without him, but they aren't going to get solid performances from the usually lousy Cody Green or two touchdown passes from a running back (Rex Burkhead) too often. Defense usually wins championships, but going against Stoops in a game like this is usually a losing proposition.
Prediction: OKLAHOMA 27, NEBRASKA 20
ACC: FSU (9-3) vs. Virginia Tech (10-2)
Kevin: FSU showed some fire that I didn't know they had in them last week when they took Herban Meyer and Florida to the woodshed. That being said, Virginia Tech is on a 10-game winning streak. Who would have thought that after falling Boise State and then James Madison (yes, James Madison) that Virginia Tech would be undefeated in the ACC. I can't bet against the Hokies in this one.
Prediction: VIRGINIA TECH 34 FLORIDA STATE 21
Prediction: VIRGINIA TECH 28, FLORIDA STATE 24
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Week 1 Questions: Miami Hurricanes
1. Who impressed you the most with their Week 1 performance?
On offense, it was the Harris-Hankerson connection. On a team with a lot of good receivers, Hankerson is still the first option on most plays. Hankerson can line up anywhere, which is part of the reason FAMU couldn't account for his whereabouts at times.
Defensively, there was a reason Oliver Vernon was not accounted for as part of my preseason preview. But there's a reason he's being mentioned here. In a half against the Rattlers, he had 2.5 sacks and five tackles. Which is after having 1.5 sacks in all of 2009. Ray Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence made big plays out there and Allan Bailey spent most of his playing time fighting off double-teams. But Vernon was the Miami defense on Thursday.
2. Based on their Week 1 performance, what area(s) does the team need to improve on the most?
These are probably going to be recurring themes throughout 2010, but I would like to see them run more effectively between the tackles and I'd like to see the defense stop overpursuing on misdirection plays. The words "stay at home" sometimes escapes the Hurricane defense's vocabulary.
3. Which back-up or newcomer earned more playing time with their performance in last weeks game?
Lamar Miller is going to get more touches as the year goes on whether I lobby for it or not. Randy Shannon knows what he has in Miller, and that's a C.J. Spiller-type who can potentially find the end zone from anywhere on the field. Miller isn't just fast, he's fast in pads.
4. What are the major question marks that still surround the team headed into Week 2?
While the offensive line kept Harris' jersey clean in his limited duty Thursday, Miami's blocking schemes involved a lot of short-count passes and off-tackle running plays. They really didn't get an effective push agaisnt the FAMU defensive line. Given that Ohio State's front seven might be the strongest part of their team, that could be a problem if Harris holds onto the ball too long.
5. Are you more or less confident in your teams ultimate success this year after Week 1?
In that Miami looked good against a team that they should have and did give 40 lashes to? Yes. But all they proved in Week 1 is that they're worlds better than Florida A&M. While there were a lot of things I saw that I liked, there's no way to know that they'll work against the big boys until UM goes out and proves it.
6. What needs to happen in order to secure a victory in Week 2?
Let's start with the hyena in the corner first.
Yes, the 2003 Fiesta Bowl was a bad night and yes, I wish the back judge had pulled out his flag a little faster and yes, I threw up in my mouth a little for even thinking about it. But other than the coaches, no one who played in Tempe, Ariz. is playing on Saturday. Yes, UM's football alums can live vicariously through the 2010 roster...that's always been the way at Miami anyway. But it has nothing to do with the game this coming week for either team. What Saturday's game actually is about is simple: Ohio State is looking to prove they belong in the National Title conversation and Miami wants to get there.
The Hurricanes came out of the gate against FAMU in a spread no-huddle offense and zipped it down the field in seven fast-paced plays, which put the Rattlers on their heels immediately and they stayed there for the rest of the night. They gave FAMU (and by extension, the Ohio State film room) a small taste of what that formation is capable of. In order to win on Saturday, they need to wheel out the whole buffet cart. Miami needs to hit them early, jump out to a lead early, and don't let them speed up the game by allowing them to pound the ball.
On defense, the game plan needs to be to contain QB Terrelle Pryor in the pocket and make him win the game by throwing. Let six of the front seven worry about the Bucks' running backs and have one Hurricane --most likely Spence-- to know what flavor of chewing gum Pryor is by the end of the game.
This is a classic boxer v. puncher matchup, and it's really a question of whether Miami can land enough haymakers in order to win. I'm just concerned that Ohio State has plenty of sting of its own and can win this game without constantly having to swing for the fence like UM has to.
On offense, it was the Harris-Hankerson connection. On a team with a lot of good receivers, Hankerson is still the first option on most plays. Hankerson can line up anywhere, which is part of the reason FAMU couldn't account for his whereabouts at times.
Defensively, there was a reason Oliver Vernon was not accounted for as part of my preseason preview. But there's a reason he's being mentioned here. In a half against the Rattlers, he had 2.5 sacks and five tackles. Which is after having 1.5 sacks in all of 2009. Ray Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence made big plays out there and Allan Bailey spent most of his playing time fighting off double-teams. But Vernon was the Miami defense on Thursday.
2. Based on their Week 1 performance, what area(s) does the team need to improve on the most?
These are probably going to be recurring themes throughout 2010, but I would like to see them run more effectively between the tackles and I'd like to see the defense stop overpursuing on misdirection plays. The words "stay at home" sometimes escapes the Hurricane defense's vocabulary.
3. Which back-up or newcomer earned more playing time with their performance in last weeks game?
Lamar Miller is going to get more touches as the year goes on whether I lobby for it or not. Randy Shannon knows what he has in Miller, and that's a C.J. Spiller-type who can potentially find the end zone from anywhere on the field. Miller isn't just fast, he's fast in pads.
4. What are the major question marks that still surround the team headed into Week 2?
While the offensive line kept Harris' jersey clean in his limited duty Thursday, Miami's blocking schemes involved a lot of short-count passes and off-tackle running plays. They really didn't get an effective push agaisnt the FAMU defensive line. Given that Ohio State's front seven might be the strongest part of their team, that could be a problem if Harris holds onto the ball too long.
5. Are you more or less confident in your teams ultimate success this year after Week 1?
In that Miami looked good against a team that they should have and did give 40 lashes to? Yes. But all they proved in Week 1 is that they're worlds better than Florida A&M. While there were a lot of things I saw that I liked, there's no way to know that they'll work against the big boys until UM goes out and proves it.
6. What needs to happen in order to secure a victory in Week 2?
Let's start with the hyena in the corner first.
Yes, the 2003 Fiesta Bowl was a bad night and yes, I wish the back judge had pulled out his flag a little faster and yes, I threw up in my mouth a little for even thinking about it. But other than the coaches, no one who played in Tempe, Ariz. is playing on Saturday. Yes, UM's football alums can live vicariously through the 2010 roster...that's always been the way at Miami anyway. But it has nothing to do with the game this coming week for either team. What Saturday's game actually is about is simple: Ohio State is looking to prove they belong in the National Title conversation and Miami wants to get there.
The Hurricanes came out of the gate against FAMU in a spread no-huddle offense and zipped it down the field in seven fast-paced plays, which put the Rattlers on their heels immediately and they stayed there for the rest of the night. They gave FAMU (and by extension, the Ohio State film room) a small taste of what that formation is capable of. In order to win on Saturday, they need to wheel out the whole buffet cart. Miami needs to hit them early, jump out to a lead early, and don't let them speed up the game by allowing them to pound the ball.
On defense, the game plan needs to be to contain QB Terrelle Pryor in the pocket and make him win the game by throwing. Let six of the front seven worry about the Bucks' running backs and have one Hurricane --most likely Spence-- to know what flavor of chewing gum Pryor is by the end of the game.
This is a classic boxer v. puncher matchup, and it's really a question of whether Miami can land enough haymakers in order to win. I'm just concerned that Ohio State has plenty of sting of its own and can win this game without constantly having to swing for the fence like UM has to.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Game Re-Cap: Miami 45, Florida A&M 0
A collection of random and not-so-random thoughts regarding Miami's 2010 debut:
-First off, let's call Thursday's game what it was: A sparring match. The FAMU band would have put up more of a fight.
-If Miami can go to Columbus and run their hurry-up spread even three-quarters as effectively against Ohio State as they ran it against FAMU, look out. If this were boxing, the Buckeyes now have to at least respect the Hurricanes' right hook, because UM proved tonight it's got some sting, Granted, Jacory Harris is going to have about half the time against OSU to make his reads and a lot of those reads were of the three-step-single-receiver persuasion, but they had a clear game plan and an identity from the word go. And it worked. Boy howdy, did it work. Best way to deal with a shaky o-line? Don't have the ball long enough to get hit.
-Miami played as well on defense as they needed to, sacks aside. They still seemed to have a tendency to fall sucker to counter plays in overpursuit. No doubt Rattlers HC Joe Taylor (a good coach with not enough ammunition in Junior Varsity Tallahassee) saw that on film and tried to exploit it. The big problem is that everything that FAMU did on offense that worked, OSU does all of it better with better personnel.
-Memo to ESPN's Dave Weekley: When a field goal doinks off the crossbar, don't say "It had the distance". If it hit the crossbar, it did not have the distance. Otherwise it wouldn't have hit the crossbar. Better living through physics. Then again, this was for ESPN 3, so it shouldn't stun me that the R-Team of announcers was in Miami to cover this. Also, he said "It's all about The U" more times than Uncle Luke said it in the song. Difference is I don't think Weeklely was at Club Rolexx in Luke's office (and by "office", I mean "tip rail") after the game. No, Billy Corben briefly in the booth to plug "The U" on DVD, where are you going? There's cake!
-Thank you, Leonard Hankerson, for making me look like a genius when I called him an offensive lynchpin last week. In a half, Hankerson had 6 catches, 115 yards and 2 TDs. Then again, FAMU's secondary also deserves credit for making me look good by barely covering him. But I'll take all the help I can.
-Miami's running game attempts were OK at best. If they can't push FAMU of the ball, it doesn't bode well that they can carry Ohio State, or even anyone in the ACC, off the line. Expect a lot more off-tackle running plays as the season goes on. Especially from Lamar Miller, who I knew had wings, but I didn't realize he had a jet-pack to go with it. The running backs catching passes in the flat just might BE the best version of Miami's running game. Which is weird to say for a team that's so flush in RB talent.
-Sidenote: Watching the "Training Days With Alabama" piece reminded me of a something Don Shula said just after Saban left the Dolphins to take the head job in Tuscaloosa: "The guy likes to hear himself talk." Granted, Shula was bitter at the time and I still might be bitter now, but titles or not, everything out of Saban's mouth sounds like it comes from The Great Big Book Of Generic Coachspeak. It's OK, Alabama; one day it will be you. Nick Saban is like Tiger Woods if you replaced "Porn stars and Perkins waitresses" with "head coaching jobs".
-Speaking of sidenotes and ex-Dolphin coaches, there was Pitt with a win over Utah on the road in hand, only to blow it in true Wannstedtian fashion. First, the game-winning TD gets called back via penalty, then the first play in overtime results in a Pitt INT and then Utah runs 48 draw plays in a row in order to win, accompanied by 394 camera shots of the Pitt student body watching the game. There they were in one place, a generation lost in space. Which can happen to any group forced to watch a Dave Wannstedt-coached team.
-After throwing a pick in his first series, A.J. Highsmith got a quicker hook than Matt Leinart got with the Arizona Cardinals, though he did get a second chance. Not that No. 3 QB Spencer Whipple was given a ton to do or was any great shakes. The backup quarterbacks only emphasized the point that if Harris goes down, the season goes with him.
-Graig Cooper sighting happened in the 3rd quarter when it's 42-0. Clearly he had post-injury syndrome, which is both to be expecting and not encouraging. Seantrel Henderson came in for mop-up duty in the second half after spending the first half using his back for the end zone LCD screen. Storm Johnson didn't dress, though, which means he can still be redshirted. But really, he can just as soon not play this year and let ESPN tell Bill Brasky-esque folk tales about him and it won't do anything but help his rep.
In summation: Florida A&M, to paraphrase Dennis Green, were who Miami thought they were: A good work-out-the-kinks opponent. Winning against the Rattlers in a rout wasn't going to make anyone serve notice to any higher aspirations: that's a job for next week. But they did serve notice that win or lose this could be a fun team to watch in 2010, and it's been a long time since I've been able to say that about any Hurricanes team. Call me encouraged but wary of an actual challenge.
-First off, let's call Thursday's game what it was: A sparring match. The FAMU band would have put up more of a fight.
-If Miami can go to Columbus and run their hurry-up spread even three-quarters as effectively against Ohio State as they ran it against FAMU, look out. If this were boxing, the Buckeyes now have to at least respect the Hurricanes' right hook, because UM proved tonight it's got some sting, Granted, Jacory Harris is going to have about half the time against OSU to make his reads and a lot of those reads were of the three-step-single-receiver persuasion, but they had a clear game plan and an identity from the word go. And it worked. Boy howdy, did it work. Best way to deal with a shaky o-line? Don't have the ball long enough to get hit.
-Miami played as well on defense as they needed to, sacks aside. They still seemed to have a tendency to fall sucker to counter plays in overpursuit. No doubt Rattlers HC Joe Taylor (a good coach with not enough ammunition in Junior Varsity Tallahassee) saw that on film and tried to exploit it. The big problem is that everything that FAMU did on offense that worked, OSU does all of it better with better personnel.
-Memo to ESPN's Dave Weekley: When a field goal doinks off the crossbar, don't say "It had the distance". If it hit the crossbar, it did not have the distance. Otherwise it wouldn't have hit the crossbar. Better living through physics. Then again, this was for ESPN 3, so it shouldn't stun me that the R-Team of announcers was in Miami to cover this. Also, he said "It's all about The U" more times than Uncle Luke said it in the song. Difference is I don't think Weeklely was at Club Rolexx in Luke's office (and by "office", I mean "tip rail") after the game. No, Billy Corben briefly in the booth to plug "The U" on DVD, where are you going? There's cake!
-Thank you, Leonard Hankerson, for making me look like a genius when I called him an offensive lynchpin last week. In a half, Hankerson had 6 catches, 115 yards and 2 TDs. Then again, FAMU's secondary also deserves credit for making me look good by barely covering him. But I'll take all the help I can.
-Miami's running game attempts were OK at best. If they can't push FAMU of the ball, it doesn't bode well that they can carry Ohio State, or even anyone in the ACC, off the line. Expect a lot more off-tackle running plays as the season goes on. Especially from Lamar Miller, who I knew had wings, but I didn't realize he had a jet-pack to go with it. The running backs catching passes in the flat just might BE the best version of Miami's running game. Which is weird to say for a team that's so flush in RB talent.
-Sidenote: Watching the "Training Days With Alabama" piece reminded me of a something Don Shula said just after Saban left the Dolphins to take the head job in Tuscaloosa: "The guy likes to hear himself talk." Granted, Shula was bitter at the time and I still might be bitter now, but titles or not, everything out of Saban's mouth sounds like it comes from The Great Big Book Of Generic Coachspeak. It's OK, Alabama; one day it will be you. Nick Saban is like Tiger Woods if you replaced "Porn stars and Perkins waitresses" with "head coaching jobs".
-Speaking of sidenotes and ex-Dolphin coaches, there was Pitt with a win over Utah on the road in hand, only to blow it in true Wannstedtian fashion. First, the game-winning TD gets called back via penalty, then the first play in overtime results in a Pitt INT and then Utah runs 48 draw plays in a row in order to win, accompanied by 394 camera shots of the Pitt student body watching the game. There they were in one place, a generation lost in space. Which can happen to any group forced to watch a Dave Wannstedt-coached team.
-After throwing a pick in his first series, A.J. Highsmith got a quicker hook than Matt Leinart got with the Arizona Cardinals, though he did get a second chance. Not that No. 3 QB Spencer Whipple was given a ton to do or was any great shakes. The backup quarterbacks only emphasized the point that if Harris goes down, the season goes with him.
-Graig Cooper sighting happened in the 3rd quarter when it's 42-0. Clearly he had post-injury syndrome, which is both to be expecting and not encouraging. Seantrel Henderson came in for mop-up duty in the second half after spending the first half using his back for the end zone LCD screen. Storm Johnson didn't dress, though, which means he can still be redshirted. But really, he can just as soon not play this year and let ESPN tell Bill Brasky-esque folk tales about him and it won't do anything but help his rep.
In summation: Florida A&M, to paraphrase Dennis Green, were who Miami thought they were: A good work-out-the-kinks opponent. Winning against the Rattlers in a rout wasn't going to make anyone serve notice to any higher aspirations: that's a job for next week. But they did serve notice that win or lose this could be a fun team to watch in 2010, and it's been a long time since I've been able to say that about any Hurricanes team. Call me encouraged but wary of an actual challenge.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Miami Hurricanes
2009 Record: 9-4 (5-3 in ACC)
2009 Bowl: Champs Sports Bowl (lost to Wisconsin 20-14)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #19
Head Coach: Randy Shannon (21-17 Overall, 11-13 in ACC)
Non-Conference Schedule: Florida A&M (9/2), at Ohio State (9/11), at Pittsburgh (9/23), South Florida (11/27)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 30.3 points per game (4th in ACC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 138 (5th in ACC)
Passing Yards/Game: 262 (5th in ACC)
Total Yards/Game: 400 (4th in ACC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 22.2 points per game (5th in ACC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 122 (3rd in ACC)
Passing Yards/Game: 207 (5th in ACC)
Total Yards/Game: 329 (5th in ACC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.00 per game (7th in ACC)
Penalties: 54 yards per game (9th in ACC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 6
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 2
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Jacory Harris, Jr (242 of 406 for 3352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT)
Rushing: RB Damien Berry, Sr (93 carries for 616 yds, 6.6 ypc, 8 TD)
Receiving: WR Leonard Hankerson, Sr (45 rec, 801 yds, 6 TD)
Tackles: LB Colin McCarthy, Sr (94)
Sacks: DE Allen Bailey, Sr (7.0)
Interceptions: CB Brandon Harris, Jr (2), DT Micanor Regis, Jr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
AP: #13
Athlon Sports: #14
Phil Steele: #9
Pre-Snap Read: #13
Sporting News: #4
Sports Illustrated: #15
USA Today Coaches Poll: #13
2010 Pre-Season ACC Coastal Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #1
Sports Illustrated: #2 (tie with GT and UNC)
Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: Champs Sports Bowl (vs. Notre Dame)
Phil Steele: Orange Bowl (vs. Florida)
For our final ACC Preview we caught up with Miami Hurricanes fan Joshua Mann to get his perspective on the 2010 Canes. Here is an intro from Josh and then some Q&A:
The U is at The Crossroads. Are they a nine-win team destined to stay in place due to scheduling and their own inconsistency or are they still a growing foundation destined to blossom back into a perennial National Title contender?
While the 2009 season was still not near the sometimes-untenable expectations set by the program over the last quarter-century, the Miami Hurricanes made gains, sometimes dramatic and sometimes modest, closer to their former dynasty status than away from it. After two years worth of fruitful recruiting by Randy Shannon, they managed to restock the shelves and at the same time resurrect The U’s original blueprint for local recruiting by once again establishing what Howard Schnellenberger once called “The State of Miami”. Roughly half of the Hurricanes’ roster played their high school ball in South Florida and their ability to make most of the area’s top recruits stay at home has begun to pay dividends.
However, Miami is now to the point where pointing to the recruiting classes of 08 and 09 and asking for patience from its occasionally fickle fanbase is no longer an option. Those classes are now the core of a team that starts the season ranked in the Top 15 and is a viable contender for the ACC title that has eluded them since they joined the conference six years ago. The Baby Canes of 2008 are now the young men of this season.
Shannon, who in his fourth season as a head coach, is still trying to forge his identity. While the nine-win season was enough for UM to give Shannon the contract extension that seemed iffy at best after 2008, Shannon is now in new territory as a head coach in that this is the first season he’s had a team that has at least moderate expectations.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the Hurricanes?
Above and beyond all else with Miami, their greatest strength and weakness is the same thing: Jacory Harris’ confidence. The junior quarterback has shown periods where the same swagger that allowed him to beat Florida St. in Tallahassee and Oklahoma and Georgia Tech at home last season has also made him given to force passes into double-coverage, which led to 17 INTs. When he’s on, though, Harris is the undisputed on-field leader for the Hurricanes and is the most talented quarterback the Hurricanes have boasted in a decade. He just always hasn’t been. Much of last season was spent with offensive coordinator Mark Whipple (a rising star in the coaching ranks) determining what is the best way to use Harris and his dangerous foursome of wideouts. When they work in tandem, they’re deadly.
Tied into the success of Harris is the question mark that is UM’s offensive line. Gone is their anchor at left tackle Jason Fox and In his place is Orlando Franklin, who moves over from left guard to protect Harris and his tender right thumb. If the line grows into its role quickly and Miami can get more game-to-game consistency out of its offense, Harris’ longstanding promise of showing up with a pimp cup should he ever be named a Heisman finalist might be realized in the next two seasons.
Shannon’s defense, while topped with individual talent, has yet to build any kind of cohesion and on occasion seems too determined to make highlight reel plays in favor of safer ones and have lost more gambles than they’ve won over the last few seasons. Also, much like how the offense has been laden with giveaways, the defense has suffered from a lack of takeaways, which was a trademark of Shannon’s playmaking defenses of the early 2000s. But like with all things with this team in recent years, Miami has been forced to throw a young defense into the deep end quickly, with the results still not fully forthcoming due to injuries and Shannon’s tendency to move players in and out of the starting lineup.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
In a possible first for The U, the booing they will likely receive in Columbus will have more to do with the name “Miami” than the name “Hurricanes”. In the offseason, some basketball player defected from the city of Cleveland in favor of playing in South Florida. It made a few papers. LeBron factor or not, playing the pre-ranked No. 2 Ohio State and their National Title aspirations in the Horseshoe will be the test for Miami.
But like 2009, Miami’s early schedule is front-loaded. After the likely Week one sparring match with Florida A&M and the proving-ground tustle with the Buckeyes, the Canes then journey to always-tough-at-home Pittsburgh and then to Clemson before finally returning to Miami to face a revenge-minded Florida State to then play their string of ACC games before finishing up against feisty South Florida, who is still trying to make the state of Florida into the Big Four.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
While Miami almost has nothing to lose in Columbus, they have everything to lose on their own field on Oct. 23. In a division with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech where every win counts, the team that has been the biggest thorn in UM’s side has been North Carolina and former Miami head coach Butch Davis. Three years straight, Miami has self-destructed against Davis’ Tar Heels, and have seen their conference title game aspirations in the last two seasons go into a tailspin as a direct result of those losses. Part of the problem in the Coker/Shannon era is that the Hurricanes began losing to teams that on paper they were better than, and their lack of success against Carolina since joining the ACC is the most glaring example.
Who is the best player on Miami that nobody talks about?
Leonard Hankerson doesn’t have the sub-4.3 speed of Travis Benjamin, nor does he have the Matrix-lke tools of Laron Byrd, both of whom have shown flashes of jumping to the next level but so far have not. All Hankerson did in 2009 was emerge as Miami’s most consistant wide receiver an Jacory Harris’ bailout target on 3rd down. His 45/801/6 season was enough to put him on the watch list for 2010 Belitnikoff Award. More Reggie Wayne than Michael Irvin (whose No. 47 was given to Byrd in expectation of what he might still become), Hankerson has been the steadying force on what could be one of the best quartets of receivers (along with junior Aldarious Johnson) in college football.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
With Harris and the four WRs, it’s easy to forget about senior RB Graig Cooper, especially since his own team almost forgot about him for the upcoming season. When healthy, Cooper is an all-purpose yards machine and a home-run threat from anywhere on the field who can change games as a running back, a receiver out of the backfield and as a kick returner. After a serious knee injury suffered in the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin, it was presumed that Cooper would use his as-yet-unused redshirt season to rehabilitate and come back in 2011. Cooper, however, has insisted that his knee will be ready for Week 1 against the Rattlers. If Cooper doesn’t make it back this season, Damian Berry, who averaged over 6 yards per carry, will start at tailback
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Opposing offensive linemen will need to account for the whereabouts of Allen Bailey at all times, which could potentially be in six spots in the front seven. The versatile defensive end, who can also line up at outside linebacker and defensive tackle, had seven sacks and 11 TFL in 2009 and is already tagged as a lottery pick by several NFL Draftnicks. The attention and probable double-teams that Bailey commands will create some favorable one-on-one matchups for Miami’s other bookend Adewale Ojomo, who missed 2009 with a broken jaw after turning heads as a redshirt freshman in 2008.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
In 2008 as a freshman, Sean Spence was named top ACC Defensive Newcomer and seemed like he would be a cornerstone to Miami’s defense for the next three seasons. However, a rash of injuries of 2009 made Spence a victim of the dreaded sophomore jinx. Another case of an on-field leader who can’t stay on the field is fellow LB Colin McCarthy, whose recurring absences has hurt Miami’s defense the most over the last two seasons. Kylan Robinson, a converted RB with only four special teams tackles to his credit, will get the first chance to fill Daryl Sharpton’s old spot on the field in the middle, with McCarthy the backup plan at MLB and Ramon Buchanan waiting in the wings at OLB should the experiment with Robinson fail. One of the main red flags going into this season is that this is a team that is lacking proven depth at linebacker which could be an issue should injuries pop up once again.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
While Berry will open the season in the starting backfield, redshirt freshman Lamar Miller should also get his share of the ball should Cooper not make it onto the field. Miller was last seen rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and 22 TDs for Miami Killian in the death pool that is the Miami-Dade County 6A District and has shown flashes of brilliance all spring. The most promising true freshman for the Hurricanes during early scrimmages is a RB with a name right out of central casting: Storm Johnson has been turning heads all summer, and while his early contributions may be more on special teams, with Cooper possibly out Johnson may see his share of carries as the season goes on. While most of the recent headlines has been Miami’s acquisition of Seantrel Henderson after the top-rated prep lineman ditched Lane Kiffin and USC at the altar, it hasn’t been decided whether he’ll see any action in 2010.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
For a defense that has a number of returning contributors, putting Robinson as a starting LB is the all-in move for 2010. It won’t take long to figure out if he can play the position or not, with his first real test coming in Game 2. Putting a converted RB into one of the most critical slots in Shannon’s defense is a wait-and-see proposition.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Miami is not yet at the stage where they will be anywhere near the National Title stage--Week 2 in Columbus should see to that. And even if they do pull off the upset over the Bucks, they still need to prove that they can navigate the game-to-game landmines that make up their conference schedule, which they have yet to do. But barring injury and with some improvements in the decision-making of both Harris and the defense, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be in the conversation for the ACC championship. In reality, the Canes might be a year away from doing some serious damage in the BCS polls.
Previous ACC Previews:
ACC Conference Preview
Boston College Eagles
Clemson Tigers
Duke Blue Devils
Florida State Seminoles
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Maryland Terrapins
North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina State Wolfpack
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Tech Hokies
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous Pre-Season Previews:
Big 12- Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Syracuse Orange, UConn Huskies, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, Wisconsin Badgers
Conference USA- East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars, Marshall Thundering Herd, Rice Owls, SMU Mustangs, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
Independent- Army Black Knights, Navy Midshipmen, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, Temple Owls, Toledo Rockets
MWC- BYU Cougars, Colorado State Rams, UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Golden Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars
SEC- Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- FIU Golden Panthers, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, North Texas Mean Green, Troy Trojans
WAC- Boise State Broncos, Fresno State Bulldogs, Hawaii Warriors, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: Champs Sports Bowl (lost to Wisconsin 20-14)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #19
Head Coach: Randy Shannon (21-17 Overall, 11-13 in ACC)
Non-Conference Schedule: Florida A&M (9/2), at Ohio State (9/11), at Pittsburgh (9/23), South Florida (11/27)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 30.3 points per game (4th in ACC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 138 (5th in ACC)
Passing Yards/Game: 262 (5th in ACC)
Total Yards/Game: 400 (4th in ACC)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 22.2 points per game (5th in ACC)
Rushing Yards/Game: 122 (3rd in ACC)
Passing Yards/Game: 207 (5th in ACC)
Total Yards/Game: 329 (5th in ACC)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.00 per game (7th in ACC)
Penalties: 54 yards per game (9th in ACC)
Returning Starters
Offense: 6
Defense: 8
Kicker/Punter: 2
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Jacory Harris, Jr (242 of 406 for 3352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT)
Rushing: RB Damien Berry, Sr (93 carries for 616 yds, 6.6 ypc, 8 TD)
Receiving: WR Leonard Hankerson, Sr (45 rec, 801 yds, 6 TD)
Tackles: LB Colin McCarthy, Sr (94)
Sacks: DE Allen Bailey, Sr (7.0)
Interceptions: CB Brandon Harris, Jr (2), DT Micanor Regis, Jr (2)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
AP: #13
Athlon Sports: #14
Phil Steele: #9
Pre-Snap Read: #13
Sporting News: #4
Sports Illustrated: #15
USA Today Coaches Poll: #13
2010 Pre-Season ACC Coastal Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #1
Sports Illustrated: #2 (tie with GT and UNC)
Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: Champs Sports Bowl (vs. Notre Dame)
Phil Steele: Orange Bowl (vs. Florida)
For our final ACC Preview we caught up with Miami Hurricanes fan Joshua Mann to get his perspective on the 2010 Canes. Here is an intro from Josh and then some Q&A:
The U is at The Crossroads. Are they a nine-win team destined to stay in place due to scheduling and their own inconsistency or are they still a growing foundation destined to blossom back into a perennial National Title contender?
While the 2009 season was still not near the sometimes-untenable expectations set by the program over the last quarter-century, the Miami Hurricanes made gains, sometimes dramatic and sometimes modest, closer to their former dynasty status than away from it. After two years worth of fruitful recruiting by Randy Shannon, they managed to restock the shelves and at the same time resurrect The U’s original blueprint for local recruiting by once again establishing what Howard Schnellenberger once called “The State of Miami”. Roughly half of the Hurricanes’ roster played their high school ball in South Florida and their ability to make most of the area’s top recruits stay at home has begun to pay dividends.
However, Miami is now to the point where pointing to the recruiting classes of 08 and 09 and asking for patience from its occasionally fickle fanbase is no longer an option. Those classes are now the core of a team that starts the season ranked in the Top 15 and is a viable contender for the ACC title that has eluded them since they joined the conference six years ago. The Baby Canes of 2008 are now the young men of this season.
Shannon, who in his fourth season as a head coach, is still trying to forge his identity. While the nine-win season was enough for UM to give Shannon the contract extension that seemed iffy at best after 2008, Shannon is now in new territory as a head coach in that this is the first season he’s had a team that has at least moderate expectations.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the Hurricanes?
Above and beyond all else with Miami, their greatest strength and weakness is the same thing: Jacory Harris’ confidence. The junior quarterback has shown periods where the same swagger that allowed him to beat Florida St. in Tallahassee and Oklahoma and Georgia Tech at home last season has also made him given to force passes into double-coverage, which led to 17 INTs. When he’s on, though, Harris is the undisputed on-field leader for the Hurricanes and is the most talented quarterback the Hurricanes have boasted in a decade. He just always hasn’t been. Much of last season was spent with offensive coordinator Mark Whipple (a rising star in the coaching ranks) determining what is the best way to use Harris and his dangerous foursome of wideouts. When they work in tandem, they’re deadly.
Tied into the success of Harris is the question mark that is UM’s offensive line. Gone is their anchor at left tackle Jason Fox and In his place is Orlando Franklin, who moves over from left guard to protect Harris and his tender right thumb. If the line grows into its role quickly and Miami can get more game-to-game consistency out of its offense, Harris’ longstanding promise of showing up with a pimp cup should he ever be named a Heisman finalist might be realized in the next two seasons.
Shannon’s defense, while topped with individual talent, has yet to build any kind of cohesion and on occasion seems too determined to make highlight reel plays in favor of safer ones and have lost more gambles than they’ve won over the last few seasons. Also, much like how the offense has been laden with giveaways, the defense has suffered from a lack of takeaways, which was a trademark of Shannon’s playmaking defenses of the early 2000s. But like with all things with this team in recent years, Miami has been forced to throw a young defense into the deep end quickly, with the results still not fully forthcoming due to injuries and Shannon’s tendency to move players in and out of the starting lineup.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
In a possible first for The U, the booing they will likely receive in Columbus will have more to do with the name “Miami” than the name “Hurricanes”. In the offseason, some basketball player defected from the city of Cleveland in favor of playing in South Florida. It made a few papers. LeBron factor or not, playing the pre-ranked No. 2 Ohio State and their National Title aspirations in the Horseshoe will be the test for Miami.
But like 2009, Miami’s early schedule is front-loaded. After the likely Week one sparring match with Florida A&M and the proving-ground tustle with the Buckeyes, the Canes then journey to always-tough-at-home Pittsburgh and then to Clemson before finally returning to Miami to face a revenge-minded Florida State to then play their string of ACC games before finishing up against feisty South Florida, who is still trying to make the state of Florida into the Big Four.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
While Miami almost has nothing to lose in Columbus, they have everything to lose on their own field on Oct. 23. In a division with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech where every win counts, the team that has been the biggest thorn in UM’s side has been North Carolina and former Miami head coach Butch Davis. Three years straight, Miami has self-destructed against Davis’ Tar Heels, and have seen their conference title game aspirations in the last two seasons go into a tailspin as a direct result of those losses. Part of the problem in the Coker/Shannon era is that the Hurricanes began losing to teams that on paper they were better than, and their lack of success against Carolina since joining the ACC is the most glaring example.
Who is the best player on Miami that nobody talks about?
Leonard Hankerson doesn’t have the sub-4.3 speed of Travis Benjamin, nor does he have the Matrix-lke tools of Laron Byrd, both of whom have shown flashes of jumping to the next level but so far have not. All Hankerson did in 2009 was emerge as Miami’s most consistant wide receiver an Jacory Harris’ bailout target on 3rd down. His 45/801/6 season was enough to put him on the watch list for 2010 Belitnikoff Award. More Reggie Wayne than Michael Irvin (whose No. 47 was given to Byrd in expectation of what he might still become), Hankerson has been the steadying force on what could be one of the best quartets of receivers (along with junior Aldarious Johnson) in college football.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
With Harris and the four WRs, it’s easy to forget about senior RB Graig Cooper, especially since his own team almost forgot about him for the upcoming season. When healthy, Cooper is an all-purpose yards machine and a home-run threat from anywhere on the field who can change games as a running back, a receiver out of the backfield and as a kick returner. After a serious knee injury suffered in the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin, it was presumed that Cooper would use his as-yet-unused redshirt season to rehabilitate and come back in 2011. Cooper, however, has insisted that his knee will be ready for Week 1 against the Rattlers. If Cooper doesn’t make it back this season, Damian Berry, who averaged over 6 yards per carry, will start at tailback
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Opposing offensive linemen will need to account for the whereabouts of Allen Bailey at all times, which could potentially be in six spots in the front seven. The versatile defensive end, who can also line up at outside linebacker and defensive tackle, had seven sacks and 11 TFL in 2009 and is already tagged as a lottery pick by several NFL Draftnicks. The attention and probable double-teams that Bailey commands will create some favorable one-on-one matchups for Miami’s other bookend Adewale Ojomo, who missed 2009 with a broken jaw after turning heads as a redshirt freshman in 2008.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
In 2008 as a freshman, Sean Spence was named top ACC Defensive Newcomer and seemed like he would be a cornerstone to Miami’s defense for the next three seasons. However, a rash of injuries of 2009 made Spence a victim of the dreaded sophomore jinx. Another case of an on-field leader who can’t stay on the field is fellow LB Colin McCarthy, whose recurring absences has hurt Miami’s defense the most over the last two seasons. Kylan Robinson, a converted RB with only four special teams tackles to his credit, will get the first chance to fill Daryl Sharpton’s old spot on the field in the middle, with McCarthy the backup plan at MLB and Ramon Buchanan waiting in the wings at OLB should the experiment with Robinson fail. One of the main red flags going into this season is that this is a team that is lacking proven depth at linebacker which could be an issue should injuries pop up once again.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
While Berry will open the season in the starting backfield, redshirt freshman Lamar Miller should also get his share of the ball should Cooper not make it onto the field. Miller was last seen rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and 22 TDs for Miami Killian in the death pool that is the Miami-Dade County 6A District and has shown flashes of brilliance all spring. The most promising true freshman for the Hurricanes during early scrimmages is a RB with a name right out of central casting: Storm Johnson has been turning heads all summer, and while his early contributions may be more on special teams, with Cooper possibly out Johnson may see his share of carries as the season goes on. While most of the recent headlines has been Miami’s acquisition of Seantrel Henderson after the top-rated prep lineman ditched Lane Kiffin and USC at the altar, it hasn’t been decided whether he’ll see any action in 2010.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
For a defense that has a number of returning contributors, putting Robinson as a starting LB is the all-in move for 2010. It won’t take long to figure out if he can play the position or not, with his first real test coming in Game 2. Putting a converted RB into one of the most critical slots in Shannon’s defense is a wait-and-see proposition.
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Miami is not yet at the stage where they will be anywhere near the National Title stage--Week 2 in Columbus should see to that. And even if they do pull off the upset over the Bucks, they still need to prove that they can navigate the game-to-game landmines that make up their conference schedule, which they have yet to do. But barring injury and with some improvements in the decision-making of both Harris and the defense, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be in the conversation for the ACC championship. In reality, the Canes might be a year away from doing some serious damage in the BCS polls.
Previous ACC Previews:
ACC Conference Preview
Boston College Eagles
Clemson Tigers
Duke Blue Devils
Florida State Seminoles
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Maryland Terrapins
North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina State Wolfpack
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Tech Hokies
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous Pre-Season Previews:
Big 12- Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Syracuse Orange, UConn Huskies, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, Wisconsin Badgers
Conference USA- East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars, Marshall Thundering Herd, Rice Owls, SMU Mustangs, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
Independent- Army Black Knights, Navy Midshipmen, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, Temple Owls, Toledo Rockets
MWC- BYU Cougars, Colorado State Rams, UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Golden Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars
SEC- Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- FIU Golden Panthers, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, North Texas Mean Green, Troy Trojans
WAC- Boise State Broncos, Fresno State Bulldogs, Hawaii Warriors, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, New Mexico State Aggies
Saturday, August 21, 2010
ACC Preview
2009 Standings
Atlantic Division
Clemson Tigers 9-5 (6-2)
Boston College Eagles 8-5 (5-3)
Florida State Seminoles 7-6 (4-4)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 5-7 (3-5)
North Carolina St Wolfpack 5-7 (2-6)
Maryland Terrapins 2-10 (1-7)
Coastal Division
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 10-3 (7-1)
Virginia Tech Hokies 10-3 (6-2)
Miami Hurricanes 9-4 (5-3)
North Carolina Tar Heels 8-5 (4-4)
Duke Blue Devils 5-7 (3-5)
Virginia Cavaliers 3-9 (2-6)
ACC Championship Game: Georgia Tech 39 Clemson 34
Returning Leaders: Passing
Jacory Harris, Miami, Jr (242 of 406 for 3352 yds, 24 TD, 17 INT)
Russell Wilson, NC St, Jr (224 of 378 for 3027 yds, 31 TD, 11 INT)
Kyle Parker, Clemson, Soph (205 of 369 for 2526 yds, 20 TD, 12 INT)
Tyrod Taylor, Va Tech, Sr (136 of 243 for 2311 yds, 13 TD, 5 INT)
T.J. Yates, NC, Sr (214 of 355 for 2136 yds, 14 TD, 15 INT)
Returning Leaders: Rushing
Ryan Williams, Va Tech, Soph (293 carries for 1655 yds, 21 TD)
Montel Harris, BC, Jr (308 carries for 1457 yds, 14 TD, 4.7 ypc)
Joshua Nesbitt, GT,Sr, (279 carries for 1037 yds, 18 TD, 3.7 ypc)
Jermaine Thomas, FSU, Jr (163 carries for 832 yds, 9 TD, 5.1 ypc)
Ryan Houston, UNC, Sr (191 carries for 713 yds, 9 TD, 5.1 ypc)
Returning Leaders: Receiving
Donovan Varner, Duke, Jr (65 rec for 1047 yds, 8 TD, 5.4 rec/game)
Greg Little, UNC, Sr (62 rec for 724 yds, 5 TD, 4.8 rec/game)
Torrey Smith, Maryland, Jr (61 rec for 828 yds, 5 TD, 5.1 rec/game)
Devon Brown, Wake Forest, Jr (61 rec for 671 yds, 6 TD)
Marshall Williams, Wake Forest, Sr (60 rec for 867 yds, 6 TD)
Bert Reed, FSU, Jr (60 rec for 711 yds, 0 TD, 4.6 rec/game)
Returning Leaders: Tackles
Luke Kuechly, BC, Soph, LB (158 total, 12.1 tackles/game)
Alex Wujciak, Maryland, Sr, LB (131 total, 10.9 tackles/game)
DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, Sr, SS (98 total, 7 tackles/game
Marcus Gilchrist, Clemson, Sr, CB (96 total, 6.8 tackles/game)
Barquell Rivers, Va Tech, Jr, LB (96 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
Returning Leaders: Sacks
Robert Quinn, UNC, Jr, DE (11.0 sacks)
Allen Bailey, Miami, Sr, DE (7.0)
Adrian Moten, Maryland, Sr, LB (5.5)
Mister Alexander, FSU, Sr, LB (5.0)
Quinton Copes, UNC, Jr, DE (5.0)
Returning Leaders: Interceptions
DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, Sr, SS (8 interceptions)
Deunta Williams, UNC, Sr, FS (6)
Rashad Carmichael, Va Tech, Sr, CB (6)
Rashard Hall, Clemson, Soph, FS (6)
Kendric Burney, UNC, Sr, CB (5)
Around the Blogs
Who is your pick to win the ACC?
BC Interruption:
Virginia Tech. It always comes back to the Hokies.
Gobbler Country:
I'm a homer so I have to go with Virginia Tech. I think issues with both lines might cause the Hokies to struggle early on, but they'll hit their stride in time for conference play. They have a tough gauntlet of games in November against the other three Coastal contenders, but they're helped by not having to play FSU or Clemson this year.
From The Rumble Seat:
I am picking Georgia Tech to win the conference again. Despite the pundits stating otherwise, Georgia Tech's schedule lines up perfectly. The easy games are early in the season allowing Georgia Tech to focus on tougher opponents later in the season and build momentum. The offense relies heavily on timing and execution. CPJ gets the wheels turning by the midpoint of the season and very few teams late in the season can slow down GT's rushing attack. And I have proof. Check out the average points and yards per game per month since CPJ has been at GT:
September - 26.0 PPG, 362 YPG
October - 31.6 PPG, 393 YPG
November - 32.4, 433 YPG
No other team in the ACC has shown more consistency from start to finish in the regular season from 2008-2009 besides the Jackets. VPI lost a ton of talent on defense (their offense's crutch). Miami and FSU will ruin one or the other's season on Labor Day and the winner of that game will start losing once the temperature drops below 85 degrees. UNC and Clemson are tragically flawed (UNC with a terrible offense and Clemson with a terrible head coach). And the rest of the teams don't have the horses to run with Georgia Tech in a Championship Game.
The Sports Age
I think Virginia Tech finally gets it done this season. The Hokies always come in as a top-rated team, but never seem to be able to finish the job in conference. However, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, running backs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans (who missed all of last season), and a healthy dose of Beamer ball can finally get the job done and bring an ACC Conference Championship to Blacksburg this season.
Breaking Down The ACC With The Zealots
Boston College Eagles
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #2): The Eagles return many of the major pieces to the puzzle. The odd piece out is Dave Shinskie, although his low profile hard work are character traits rather famous with former BC quarterbacks. Montel Harris can be a star, but at worst he's a very productive back...to the tune of 1,450 yards 14 TD's a year ago. Add in Mark Herzlich and you've got your Atlantic Division runners up. But if Shinskie can improve, there is no doubt the Eagles are capable of going to the ACCCG.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #2): Each of the last two years, I've picked BC to finish last in the division. And each year, they've made me look foolish, winning the division in 2008 and placing second last season. So I'm not making that mistake again. This year's squad looks like another really solid unit with good experience and a great running back in Montel Harris. If Dave Shinskie can cut his interceptions in half, there's no reason they can't compete for the division title. And remember, they're 3-1 over the last 4 years against Florida State, their primary competition. Though they travel to Tallahassee and get a visit from Virginia Tech this season, they also draw the two worst teams from the Coastal Division (Duke, Virginia) and have no other really challenging away games. Whatever they can get out of Mark Herzlich is just gravy. There will be a lot of inspirational stories told about what he means to this team, but in truth, they're capable of winning big without him.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #2): BC has an overpowering OL, a top-notch RB (Montel Harris), and a member of the Chris Weinke All-Stars at QB (26-year old sophomore Dave Shinskie). On the other hand, Shinskie threw 14 interceptions last year and lacks many returning targets at WR. Until the offense proves they can throw the ball at least moderately well, Harris may not have much room to run. The defense should be good as it returns a pair of starters at LB, DL, and in the secondary -- and could be really good if cancer survivor Mark Herzlich is as good as he was in 2008 (ACC Defensive Player of the Year). They draw Virginia Tech, Duke, and Virginia from the other division, which is pretty favorable; the division title may come down to their 10/16 road tilt against Florida State.
Clemson Tigers
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #1): Kyle Parker shocked a lot of people when he decided to return to school despite being picked early in the MLB Draft in an early round. He brings back with him a nearly intact offensive line, though the skill position players are relatively new. The guy who it just seems like was the fresh face (Parker) will have to lead and teach these new guys the ropes. Even after losing Spiller and Jacoby Ford, I believe that Parker is up to the job. Add in a defense that was very good overall last year and returns 7 starters and it begins to start becoming more apparent why I picked these guys. Remember, not too many reasons are needed, after all, this is the weaker side of the ACC.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #3): I'm feeling Clemson a little more than I was, now that Kyle Parker has confirmed he's returning this season. He looked very promising as a freshman, but at the same time, you have to wonder how much he's improved in the off-season with so much of his attention going towards baseball. You also have to wonder how much motivation he has to improve from here out, knowing that this is likely going to be his last year playing football. Regardless, Clemson is better off with him under center than to be breaking in a freshman for the second straight year. But that's somewhat beside the point. The REAL issue facing the Tigers this season is figuring out where they can dig up about 2,700 total yards and 21 TDs, because that's what walked out the door with CJ Spiller. He WAS the offense last year. Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper are nice players, but they won't come close to matching Spiller's impact. Clemson also doesn't have a returning receiver who caught more than 14 passes last year. The defense should be alright, but Clemson draws 3 of the toughest teams out of the Coastal division AND has to go on the road to play FSU and BC. On second thought, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad year to break in Tajh Boyd at QB. They aren't going to contend for anything, anyway.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #3): The good news for Clemson's offense is that they return four starters on the offensive line and their starting QB; the bad news is they don't return much else. CJ Spiller leaves a big hole to fill and they have no proven receivers. The defense should be pretty solid since they return a lot along the defensive line and in the secondary, but until this team finds some new stars at the skill positions, they're going to have a tough time equaling last year's accomplishments. They draw Miami, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech from the other division, too, which is no picnic.
Duke Blue Devils
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #5): Let me now clarify that I hate Duke. Having said that, I think Duke is improving under David Cutcliffe. It will certainly be interesting to see how sophomore Sean Renfree tries to fill the shoes of four-year starter at quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. I think Duke could finish as high as fourth and maybe even contend for a bowl this year, BUT it all centers around Renfree. He has the skill position players to get it done, as was evidenced by Duke finishing #9 in the nation last year in passing. But they also finished DEAD last in rushing. Many teams had a single player that out-rushed Duke's 762-yard rushing output for the season. So to improve and become bowl eligible, it starts with being able to have some semblance of a running game. And then the Blue Devils must also improve upon a defense that was a little below average last year. But if they can stay in that range, they will put themselves in position to maybe move up a spot in the ACC pecking order.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #5): I'm a big fan of David Cutcliffe as a coach. He walked in the door at Duke and had them pushing for bowl eligibility after 4 straight years of 2 wins or less (6 double-digit loss seasons in the previous 8 years). However, I think he takes a step back in 2010. Its a bit of a rebuilding year on defense (and when you're rebuilding at Duke you're REALLY rebuilding), and Duke has to replace Thad Lewis at QB. Sean Renfree looks promising as his replacement, but there are going to be major growing pains. And the schedule doesn't set up well for them at all. Their only winnable conference home game looks like Virginia, beyond that maybe they catch Maryland or Wake Forest on the road. Regardless, the gap between Duke and the Big Four in the Coastal is gargantuan.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #5): They lose their best player in some time (Thaddeus Lewis), as well as slew of other key players on offense and defense and play in arguably the toughest division in college football. David Cutcliffe is doing a nice job at Duke, but this year doesn't set up too well for him.
Florida State Seminoles
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #3): I know, I know, I know. I am not picking the post-Bobby Bowden Seminoles to win the Atlantic. I just don't think that Christian Ponder is the savior of the fan nation with the annoying chop chant (most annoying thing in college football, closely followed by Rockytop). Rather, he reminds me more of the lineage of Chris Weinke, Chris Rix, or Wyatt Sexton (Minus the whole I am the messiah worship me part). On one hand they do return their entire offensive line. A GREAT offensive line! On the other hand, which skill position player is going to do something with it? Also, a key skill player was already suspended. The BIGGEST question mark is how drastically the D can improve under Jimbo Fisher. Without it, they don't stand a chance at #1 in the Atlantic. If they do, I may need to think about changing my pick.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #1): The Jimbo Fisher era at FSU got off to a hot start on the recruiting trail, where he dramatically upgraded the defensive talent level with the likes of LaMarcus Joyner, Jeff Luc, and Christian Jones, among others. Those guys are throwbacks to the freak athletes that used to dominate the Seminole defense, and all of them will get on the field this year. Of course, they'll be a bit erratic, being so inexperienced, but they'll make up for it by making the sort of dynamic plays FSU has lacked on that side of the ball during Mickey Andrews' last years. And expect new defensive coordinator Mark Stoops to light a fire under everyone. It's unlikely they're going to turn into a defensive powerhouse over night, but if they can just keep their points allowed under 30 points per game (last year's average), FSU is going to win a lot of games. Because the offense is going to take care of itself. FSU may boast the best offensive line in the country, and Christian Ponder seemed to be making a lot of progress as a passer before going down with an injury last season. I'm not buying into the Heisman hype, though.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #1): Every year we talk about Florida State being "back"... but this really might be the year. Christian Ponder should be the best QB in the league (and a possible Heisman contender) and he should get ample time to find his experienced receivers behind an offensive line that returns all five starters. That same line should be able to open up a lot of holes for a pair of solid running backs (Jermaine Thomas and Chris Thompson), too. As good as the offense should be, though, the defense will need to be a lot better for FSU to win the division. They were one of the worst in the nation a year ago, so there's a lot of work for new defensive coordinator Mark Stoops to do. But if he can get them up to even respectable levels, the offense should be potent enough to lead them back to the promised land. The schedule is a little tricky, especially in October when they play Miami, Boston College, and North Carolina over the span of four games (the fourth game is against NC State). That run of games will either sink their title hopes or put them in pole position.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #4): This may finally be the year where Paul Johnson's triple option attack at GT will look humanly possible to contain. Aside from quarterback Josh Nesbitt, the Yellow Jackets lost nearly every other playmaker on offense and defense. Roddy Jones and Embry Peoples will try to reproduce some of the explosiveness and productivity of Dwyer while Anthony Allen will try to be the punishing back that Dwyer could channel as well. However, the Yellow Jackets may have to go away from their run, run, run, run, run, hail mary deep pass strategy with the loss of Demaryius Thomas. Thomas was a huge field-stretcher for the Yellow Jackets and their most reliable option. Nesbitt was able to throw up balls for grabs and Thomas would come down with them. Even still, Nesbitt completed a paltry 46% of his passes, and that is likely to worsen and make the Jackets into even more of a running team that in Johnson's two previous years with them. The Jackets also lose a lot on the defensive side of the ball, most notably with Derrick Morgan. They are changing their defense as well, so I would imagine it may take some time to click. Basically, Georgia Tech is high in many peoples polls, but not mine. Despite Nesbitt's leadership and experience, working with some new skill position players and behind a completely revamped offensive line (2 returning starters) makes me doubt their ACC contention. In my eyes, Duke even has a chance to leap the Yellow Jackets. Don't sleep on the Dookies!
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #4): I'm looking for a big step backwards for Paul Johnson's option attack this season. The biggest loss for this team probably isn't even Jonathan Dwyer; Anthony Allen should fill his role as the big B-back very well. No, the guy they'll miss the most is Demaryius Thomas. His emergence as a gigantic deep threat (1,154 receiving yards - out of 1,701 passing yards for Josh Nesbitt), opened up the field for the option game to be even more explosive than before. With him gone, teams are going to clamp down again. I highly doubt there are any other receivers on the team capable of filling that void. I doubt Nesbitt could get the ball to them, anyway. Nesbitt really can't throw, but Thomas was great for him because he was so huge, he was hard to miss. Two of GT's biggest conference rivals also have bye weeks prior to their games with the Yellow Jackets (UNC and VT), which further lessens the effectiveness of the option by giving them more prep time. They'll still roll up yards, but scoring is going to be much more difficult. Defensively, they slipped last season, and I see more slippage in 2010 with the loss of guys like Morgan Burnett, Sedric Griffin, and Derrick Morgan. They return nearly every one else, but Johnson doesn't seem to be refreshing the talent level to the same standard as Chan Gailey to this point. You also have to expect some degree of an adjustment period as they make the switch to a 3-4 defense.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #4): It's hard not to see this team taking a step back, given how much they lost on offense (three linemen, plus their leading rusher [Jonathan Dwyer] and their top receiver [Demaryius Thomas]) and defense (Derrick Morgan, Morgan Burnett). That's a lot of high-level production to replace. Nesbitt was a poor passer a year ago even with a stud WR and a more experienced OL... what's he going to be like if he has to scramble more and he doesn't have a target like Thomas out there? The defense was lousy a year ago and adding Al Groh as defensive coordinator and switching to a 3-4 isn't going to fix things overnight. It doesn't help that two of their toughest opponents (Virginia Tech, North Carolina) are on the road and get 10-14 days to prep for GT's funky offense. High-level defense + extended prep time = bad news for Georgia Tech.
Maryland Terrapins
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #5): The only separation I have between Maryland and Wake at the bottom of the division is that Maryland not only has play-makers in Da'Rel Scott and Torrey Smith, but they also have a quarterback to get it to them, or at least they know who the guy who will try to do that is. Friedgen is on the hot seat, and all indications point to him being gone by this time next year. This could negatively effect this team and cause them to lose focus or feel like they really don't have anything to play for. It will be interesting to see how this team reacts. Looking at what the Terps need to improve on, the list goes on so long that I can't definitively say what it is that needs most improvement. They have a bad defense, a bad offense, and a young roster. If they don't improve though, they could be asking him to leave College Park mid-season and return that athletic department Nordic Trek that's collecting dust somewhere in the Friedgen house.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #5): I can only assume the people at Maryland don't care about football. That's the only explanation I have as to why Ralph Friedgen still has a job there. I know he had those 3 great years in the beginning, but the program has been trending downwards every since, bottoming out at 2-10 last season. I don't see them doing much better this year. What they gain in favorable conference scheduling (drawing Duke and Virginia from the Coastal), they make up for in tough non-conference games against Navy and at West Virginia. Maybe they'll get serious about football up there after their 5th losing season in the last 7 years.
Ross: (Atlantic Prediction: #6): Ralph Friedgen is a dead man walking and this doesn't look like the sort of team that can give him a proud send-off.
Miami Hurricanes
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #3): Many people have Miami in the second spot switched with Carolina, but not me. I like the Canes, and I like Jacorry Harris (although he needs to limit his mistakes), but I think replacing 3 offensive linemen and the leading rusher for 3 consecutive years in Greg Cooper will be a big blow. Cooper may return, but it is doubtful. Defensively, they will be good, but I would expect Carolina to unseat the Hokies at the top of the division if it is going to be anyone.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #2): They're the glamor team in the ACC this year. And for good reason, I guess. I think they're by far the most athletically gifted team in the conference. Leonard Hankerson and Alderius Johnson look like gazelles running around on the field. And, of course, everyone is in love with Jacory Harris. I'm...not so much. Obviously, he has the talent, but I question his decision making process. 17 interceptions is just unacceptable. Normally, you would expect progression in that area between seasons, but he missed a lot of valuable reps during the spring with an injury. Defensively, they lose a handful of very good players, but return a ton more. I think this could be the year Randy Shannon finally gets them under 20 points allowed per game. And the schedule will definitely help them (in conference at least), as they get all their big games except Georgia Tech at home and draw Virginia and Duke from the Atlantic. At times, I think the biggest thing holding this team back is Shannon himself. Half the time I see him, he looks half asleep. Teams tend to take on the personalities of their coaches, and I wonder if this Miami team's lack of intensity and killer instinct, things that would take them to the next level, comes straight from the languorous Shannon.
Ross: (Coastal Prediction: #2): The lingering Randy Shannon factor is still a concern, but there's a lot of returning talent on offense and defense here -- especially on defense, where they could field the most Miami-like defense in quite a while this year. On the other hand, they have to find three new starters on the offensive line and the schedule is loaded with potholes, especially a brutal four-game stretch early on: @ Ohio State (9/11), @ Pitt (9/23), @ Clemson (10/2), Florida State (10/9). Only two of those games will have a bearing on their hunt for a division title, but that's still a stretch of games that could take a lot out of them.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #2): You will never catch me praising Butch Davis for his coaching skills (what? he has those?), but he is an amazing recruiter. And finally, his players that he has brought in have made what will be the most intimidating defense in the nation this year. If Butch Davis can coach his way out of a paper bag then the Heels may take the Hokies spot in the ACC title game, but he hasn't proven to have any competence in the area that his job title indicates. What you will see is a NASTY defense, an anemic but improving offense (it can't get much worse than 108th nationally), and a coach trying to make sense of it all on the sideline. If he ever does, watch out. If not, just expect Butch to keep landing top of the line kids and twiddle his thumbs on gameday.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #3): On paper, this should be North Carolina's year. With something like 19 returning starters, including a 3 year starter at QB, a deep o-line, and a ton of guys on defense who are going to be getting paid to play on Sundays (if they're not already), the Tar Heels seem like a no-brainer for #1 in the division, maybe even the conference. But, for one thing, there have been SO many distractions around the team as of late. Even if everybody stays eligible, I don't see how they can NOT be affected by it. And even if they can stay focused and the defense only allows 17 points per game again, can the offense be counted on to score 18? That's two too many if's. TJ Yates is such an enigma at QB. I have no idea what to expect out of him. I do know that another 15 interception year isn't going to be winning any titles. And while Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn are nice players, neither are exactly a Mark Ingram that can carry a game and hide rough QB play while the defense wins it. I won't be shocked if Butch Davis gives Bryn Renner a shot at QB is Yates struggles early. So that's my dilemma: the defense is BCS bowl material, the offense is Pizza Bowl material. Who do I side with? Unless the defense puts up crazy 08 USC numbers (think under 10 points a game), I don't think they can win consistently enough to get above that Meineke Car Care Bowl level they've been at the past couple of years.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #3): If Agentgate doesn't take too big a bite out of their team, they could be even better than this, frankly. Their defense should be flat-out nasty, given how many returning starters they have -- and how many guys they have who turned down the NFL to come back to Chapel Hill. And just ask Virginia Tech how far a dominant defense can carry you in the ACC, even with a middling offense. Whether or not the UNC offense is any better than middling will depend on what kind of progress QB TJ Yates can make. 15 TD/14 INT again probably won't get it done. UNC also benefits from the scheduling, which spaces out their toughest games (aside from back-to-back games with FSU and Virginia Tech in late November) pretty nicely.
North Carolina State Wolfpack
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #4): When Coach Tom O'Brien left a successful Boston College program for a stalling NC State program, I was shocked. Still, 4 years late I sit here shocked...not at the result, but the decision. The reason I have NC State at #4 is this: I don't trust a team that is not as talented as the top-3 and returns a total of 9 starters to make a run for the Atlantic Division crown. Heck, if not for Russell Wilson, they would be dead last in the Atlantic in my mind. But they do happen to have one of the nation's best quarterbacks. People feeling bad for Jake Locker should look at Wilson. Their skill position players are similar in talent and yet Wilson is the more efficient. The Pack will have to make the most of their opportunities and their junior quarterback, and try to aide their inexperience at the three interior offensive line spots and defense. If they can do that, they'll be going bowling.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #4): This is probably the end for Tom O'Brien in Raleigh. The Wolfpack has one of the best QBs in the conference, in terms of his actual production to this point, with Russell Wilson, but they have NOTHING around him. Despite owning North Carolina on the field, O'Brien has been taken to the woodshed by Butch Davis on the recruiting trail. He just doesn't have the talent on hand to compete in an ACC with several program peaking at the same time. The schedule is hellacious. By my count, there's only one sure win on their entire schedule. Every other game is going to be a desperate fight for survival. I like them heads-up against Wake Forest and Maryland, but beyond that...I don't see them being bowl eligible. UCF and ECU will give them a run for their money.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #4): Russell Wilson might be the second best QB in the ACC, but there may not be much to work with here. NC State has big holes to fill on both lines and the defense was miserable last year. It doesn't help that they have to play Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina from the other division.
Virginia Cavaliers
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #6): I like Mike London, don't get my wrong. I think he was the right guy for the job. But man is he going to have one tough first year. Usually when coaches vacate their jobs they at least leave something behind. For UVA, the cupboard is almost completely bare. They will be EXTREMELY lucky to win more than one ACC game this year.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #6): Step 1 is acknowledging you have a problem. Virginia did that when they finally showed Al Groh the door. Unfortunately, there's no undoing the damage he did in short order. It's going to be a lengthy process. I'm not sure if Mike London is the guy to get it done, but consider this inevitably brutal season as Step 2. At the very least, I expect Virginia to avoid another William & Mary-esque debacle against Richmond or VMI. That's progress.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #6): Getting rid of Groh was a good first step, but it's still going to take a while to turn this ship around. Especially in this division.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): The Hokies return a crop of offensive talent the likes of which Blacksburg has never seen at any one time. They are loaded in the backfield, challenging Alabama for the best backfield in the nation. They have one of the nation's top 5 running backs in Ryan Williams and a guy backing him up that is also previously a 1,000 yard rusher. Their backup from a season ago was moved to fullback to get him touches and the most athletic player on the team, sophomore David Wilson, is a former High School All-American and will probably redshirt because the backfield is too deep for him despite scoring 4 touchdowns in 2009 in a reserve role. His replacement will be Tony Gregory, a back who prepped for an extra year and was the star of the spring game, breaking tackles left and right...yet he will be the Hokies fifth rushing option out of the backfield as Tyrod Taylor is a mobile QB. Speaking of Taylor, he will be entering his third full year as a starter. He finally started to turn his game around a year ago, and was impressive and efficient. He returns all of his receivers, a VERY deep and versatile core, except for TE Greg Boone who was only in on 7 catches in 2009. Back up quarterback Logan Thomas, a former Army All-American will also play tight end and H-back and be a big time player wherever he lines up. The Hokies lost their best offensive lineman in Sergio Render and somewhat of a liability in Ed Wang. However, I do not see much of a drop off in offensive line play. On defense, believe it or not the Hokies will not be AS good as their counterparts on the offensive side of the ball. I actually think they are getting off a little easy in the media for what they have coming back. They return 5 starters, only 4 of which will be on the field against Boise State, when their most experienced linebacker Barquell Rivers will be out of action still with a torn quadriceps tendon, so that could be big. Eventually, conventional wisdom says that they will be alright there, especially with defensive coordinator Bud Foster at the helm. The offense may have to beat teams early though for the defense to catch on. There is too much talent to ignore on this Virginia Tech team, and they will win the Coastal Division and the Conference Championship.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): Generally speaking, it's hard to go wrong picking Virginia Tech to win the Coastal. What Frank Beamer does in Blacksburg isn't flashy, but it wins a heck of a lot of football games. However, this year he could have his most prolific offene since the days of Mike Vick. Ryan Williams and a healthy Darren Evans comprise the most powerful 1-2 punch at running back outside the Tuscaloosa city limits. And while I'm not a huge fan of Tyrod Taylor as a quarterback, he did show improvement in his decision making last year, and with Williams and Evans dominating on the ground, it should make his job much easier. He'll also have the benefit of playing with all of his favorite receiving targets from last year. Defensively, they'll be somewhat of a work in progress, but Bud Foster has a tremendous reputation as a defensive coordinator and hasn't allowed opponents to average over 20 points or 300 yards per game in 6 years. They'll be fine. They do have to travel to North Carolina and Miami, but Beamer has winning records against both schools over the past 5 years. If they can get up for Boise State and take care of business to start the year, they'll be dark horse national title contenders.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): When in doubt, bet on Virginia Tech in the ACC. And with so much parity in the ACC (and this division in particular), there's room for plenty of doubt. But they should have an absolutely dynamite offense and it's not really taking a huge leap of faith to expect Bud Foster to assemble another nasty defense, even if the does have to slot in a lot of new faces this year. That said, their season really boils down to a three-game stretch in November: Georgia Tech (11/4), @ UNC (11/13), and @ Miami (11/20). If they go at least 2-1 in that stretch, they should be in good shape to win the division. Getting 10 days to prep for Georgia Tech's offense and playing them in Blacksburg on a Thursday night (where VT is almost unbeatable) is a big boost.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #6): This call is so hard because of how little teams like Maryland and Wake can be separated on paper, and possibly will be at the end of the year. The two teams are so similar that Athlon sports projected them one pick apart nationally and 5th and 6th in this division respectively. Wake can be a lot higher if their young athletic defense can mature and if their quarterback (s) (realize I use an s. They don't know who their starter is definitively yet) and young offensive line don't slow down what is otherwise an impressive slew of skill position players. Jim Grobe is one of the best coaches in the league and has been as consistent as you can expect for the smallest school in FBS football (enrollment just over 4,000), you just kind of feel sorry for the guy because it's hard to recruit players there.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #6): The post-Riley Skinner Era begins in much the same place the pre-Riley Skinner Era ended: with a losing record. Jim Grobe is a very good coach, and he did an excellent job of taking advantage of a down ACC. But the ACC is coming back around again, and he just doesn't have the talent to keep up. You can actually track the resurgence of the ACC against Wake's conference record since their BCS season in 06 (7-2, 5-3, 4-4, 3-5). Well, this is going to be the best ACC in a long while, and I can easily see Wake only winning 1 conference game (home against Duke in week 2). Beyond that, all their home games are tough and all their winnable matchups are on the road.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #5): Jim Grobe's a helluva coach, but they're looking a little thin in the talent department at the moment.
CFBZ Predicted ACC Finish
Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech Hokies
2. Miami Hurricanes
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
5. Duke Blue Devils
6. Virginia Cavaliers
Atlantic Division
1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Boston College Eagles
3. Clemson Tigers
4. North Carolina State Wolfpack
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech over FSU
Atlantic Division
Clemson Tigers 9-5 (6-2)
Boston College Eagles 8-5 (5-3)
Florida State Seminoles 7-6 (4-4)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 5-7 (3-5)
North Carolina St Wolfpack 5-7 (2-6)
Maryland Terrapins 2-10 (1-7)
Coastal Division
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 10-3 (7-1)
Virginia Tech Hokies 10-3 (6-2)
Miami Hurricanes 9-4 (5-3)
North Carolina Tar Heels 8-5 (4-4)
Duke Blue Devils 5-7 (3-5)
Virginia Cavaliers 3-9 (2-6)
ACC Championship Game: Georgia Tech 39 Clemson 34
Returning Leaders: Passing
Jacory Harris, Miami, Jr (242 of 406 for 3352 yds, 24 TD, 17 INT)
Russell Wilson, NC St, Jr (224 of 378 for 3027 yds, 31 TD, 11 INT)
Kyle Parker, Clemson, Soph (205 of 369 for 2526 yds, 20 TD, 12 INT)
Tyrod Taylor, Va Tech, Sr (136 of 243 for 2311 yds, 13 TD, 5 INT)
T.J. Yates, NC, Sr (214 of 355 for 2136 yds, 14 TD, 15 INT)
Returning Leaders: Rushing
Ryan Williams, Va Tech, Soph (293 carries for 1655 yds, 21 TD)
Montel Harris, BC, Jr (308 carries for 1457 yds, 14 TD, 4.7 ypc)
Joshua Nesbitt, GT,Sr, (279 carries for 1037 yds, 18 TD, 3.7 ypc)
Jermaine Thomas, FSU, Jr (163 carries for 832 yds, 9 TD, 5.1 ypc)
Ryan Houston, UNC, Sr (191 carries for 713 yds, 9 TD, 5.1 ypc)
Returning Leaders: Receiving
Donovan Varner, Duke, Jr (65 rec for 1047 yds, 8 TD, 5.4 rec/game)
Greg Little, UNC, Sr (62 rec for 724 yds, 5 TD, 4.8 rec/game)
Torrey Smith, Maryland, Jr (61 rec for 828 yds, 5 TD, 5.1 rec/game)
Devon Brown, Wake Forest, Jr (61 rec for 671 yds, 6 TD)
Marshall Williams, Wake Forest, Sr (60 rec for 867 yds, 6 TD)
Bert Reed, FSU, Jr (60 rec for 711 yds, 0 TD, 4.6 rec/game)
Returning Leaders: Tackles
Luke Kuechly, BC, Soph, LB (158 total, 12.1 tackles/game)
Alex Wujciak, Maryland, Sr, LB (131 total, 10.9 tackles/game)
DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, Sr, SS (98 total, 7 tackles/game
Marcus Gilchrist, Clemson, Sr, CB (96 total, 6.8 tackles/game)
Barquell Rivers, Va Tech, Jr, LB (96 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
Returning Leaders: Sacks
Robert Quinn, UNC, Jr, DE (11.0 sacks)
Allen Bailey, Miami, Sr, DE (7.0)
Adrian Moten, Maryland, Sr, LB (5.5)
Mister Alexander, FSU, Sr, LB (5.0)
Quinton Copes, UNC, Jr, DE (5.0)
Returning Leaders: Interceptions
DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, Sr, SS (8 interceptions)
Deunta Williams, UNC, Sr, FS (6)
Rashad Carmichael, Va Tech, Sr, CB (6)
Rashard Hall, Clemson, Soph, FS (6)
Kendric Burney, UNC, Sr, CB (5)
Around the Blogs
Who is your pick to win the ACC?
BC Interruption:
Virginia Tech. It always comes back to the Hokies.
Gobbler Country:
I'm a homer so I have to go with Virginia Tech. I think issues with both lines might cause the Hokies to struggle early on, but they'll hit their stride in time for conference play. They have a tough gauntlet of games in November against the other three Coastal contenders, but they're helped by not having to play FSU or Clemson this year.
From The Rumble Seat:
I am picking Georgia Tech to win the conference again. Despite the pundits stating otherwise, Georgia Tech's schedule lines up perfectly. The easy games are early in the season allowing Georgia Tech to focus on tougher opponents later in the season and build momentum. The offense relies heavily on timing and execution. CPJ gets the wheels turning by the midpoint of the season and very few teams late in the season can slow down GT's rushing attack. And I have proof. Check out the average points and yards per game per month since CPJ has been at GT:
September - 26.0 PPG, 362 YPG
October - 31.6 PPG, 393 YPG
November - 32.4, 433 YPG
No other team in the ACC has shown more consistency from start to finish in the regular season from 2008-2009 besides the Jackets. VPI lost a ton of talent on defense (their offense's crutch). Miami and FSU will ruin one or the other's season on Labor Day and the winner of that game will start losing once the temperature drops below 85 degrees. UNC and Clemson are tragically flawed (UNC with a terrible offense and Clemson with a terrible head coach). And the rest of the teams don't have the horses to run with Georgia Tech in a Championship Game.
The Sports Age
I think Virginia Tech finally gets it done this season. The Hokies always come in as a top-rated team, but never seem to be able to finish the job in conference. However, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, running backs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans (who missed all of last season), and a healthy dose of Beamer ball can finally get the job done and bring an ACC Conference Championship to Blacksburg this season.
Breaking Down The ACC With The Zealots
Boston College Eagles
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #2): The Eagles return many of the major pieces to the puzzle. The odd piece out is Dave Shinskie, although his low profile hard work are character traits rather famous with former BC quarterbacks. Montel Harris can be a star, but at worst he's a very productive back...to the tune of 1,450 yards 14 TD's a year ago. Add in Mark Herzlich and you've got your Atlantic Division runners up. But if Shinskie can improve, there is no doubt the Eagles are capable of going to the ACCCG.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #2): Each of the last two years, I've picked BC to finish last in the division. And each year, they've made me look foolish, winning the division in 2008 and placing second last season. So I'm not making that mistake again. This year's squad looks like another really solid unit with good experience and a great running back in Montel Harris. If Dave Shinskie can cut his interceptions in half, there's no reason they can't compete for the division title. And remember, they're 3-1 over the last 4 years against Florida State, their primary competition. Though they travel to Tallahassee and get a visit from Virginia Tech this season, they also draw the two worst teams from the Coastal Division (Duke, Virginia) and have no other really challenging away games. Whatever they can get out of Mark Herzlich is just gravy. There will be a lot of inspirational stories told about what he means to this team, but in truth, they're capable of winning big without him.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #2): BC has an overpowering OL, a top-notch RB (Montel Harris), and a member of the Chris Weinke All-Stars at QB (26-year old sophomore Dave Shinskie). On the other hand, Shinskie threw 14 interceptions last year and lacks many returning targets at WR. Until the offense proves they can throw the ball at least moderately well, Harris may not have much room to run. The defense should be good as it returns a pair of starters at LB, DL, and in the secondary -- and could be really good if cancer survivor Mark Herzlich is as good as he was in 2008 (ACC Defensive Player of the Year). They draw Virginia Tech, Duke, and Virginia from the other division, which is pretty favorable; the division title may come down to their 10/16 road tilt against Florida State.
Clemson Tigers
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #1): Kyle Parker shocked a lot of people when he decided to return to school despite being picked early in the MLB Draft in an early round. He brings back with him a nearly intact offensive line, though the skill position players are relatively new. The guy who it just seems like was the fresh face (Parker) will have to lead and teach these new guys the ropes. Even after losing Spiller and Jacoby Ford, I believe that Parker is up to the job. Add in a defense that was very good overall last year and returns 7 starters and it begins to start becoming more apparent why I picked these guys. Remember, not too many reasons are needed, after all, this is the weaker side of the ACC.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #3): I'm feeling Clemson a little more than I was, now that Kyle Parker has confirmed he's returning this season. He looked very promising as a freshman, but at the same time, you have to wonder how much he's improved in the off-season with so much of his attention going towards baseball. You also have to wonder how much motivation he has to improve from here out, knowing that this is likely going to be his last year playing football. Regardless, Clemson is better off with him under center than to be breaking in a freshman for the second straight year. But that's somewhat beside the point. The REAL issue facing the Tigers this season is figuring out where they can dig up about 2,700 total yards and 21 TDs, because that's what walked out the door with CJ Spiller. He WAS the offense last year. Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper are nice players, but they won't come close to matching Spiller's impact. Clemson also doesn't have a returning receiver who caught more than 14 passes last year. The defense should be alright, but Clemson draws 3 of the toughest teams out of the Coastal division AND has to go on the road to play FSU and BC. On second thought, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad year to break in Tajh Boyd at QB. They aren't going to contend for anything, anyway.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #3): The good news for Clemson's offense is that they return four starters on the offensive line and their starting QB; the bad news is they don't return much else. CJ Spiller leaves a big hole to fill and they have no proven receivers. The defense should be pretty solid since they return a lot along the defensive line and in the secondary, but until this team finds some new stars at the skill positions, they're going to have a tough time equaling last year's accomplishments. They draw Miami, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech from the other division, too, which is no picnic.
Duke Blue Devils
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #5): Let me now clarify that I hate Duke. Having said that, I think Duke is improving under David Cutcliffe. It will certainly be interesting to see how sophomore Sean Renfree tries to fill the shoes of four-year starter at quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. I think Duke could finish as high as fourth and maybe even contend for a bowl this year, BUT it all centers around Renfree. He has the skill position players to get it done, as was evidenced by Duke finishing #9 in the nation last year in passing. But they also finished DEAD last in rushing. Many teams had a single player that out-rushed Duke's 762-yard rushing output for the season. So to improve and become bowl eligible, it starts with being able to have some semblance of a running game. And then the Blue Devils must also improve upon a defense that was a little below average last year. But if they can stay in that range, they will put themselves in position to maybe move up a spot in the ACC pecking order.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #5): I'm a big fan of David Cutcliffe as a coach. He walked in the door at Duke and had them pushing for bowl eligibility after 4 straight years of 2 wins or less (6 double-digit loss seasons in the previous 8 years). However, I think he takes a step back in 2010. Its a bit of a rebuilding year on defense (and when you're rebuilding at Duke you're REALLY rebuilding), and Duke has to replace Thad Lewis at QB. Sean Renfree looks promising as his replacement, but there are going to be major growing pains. And the schedule doesn't set up well for them at all. Their only winnable conference home game looks like Virginia, beyond that maybe they catch Maryland or Wake Forest on the road. Regardless, the gap between Duke and the Big Four in the Coastal is gargantuan.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #5): They lose their best player in some time (Thaddeus Lewis), as well as slew of other key players on offense and defense and play in arguably the toughest division in college football. David Cutcliffe is doing a nice job at Duke, but this year doesn't set up too well for him.
Florida State Seminoles
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #3): I know, I know, I know. I am not picking the post-Bobby Bowden Seminoles to win the Atlantic. I just don't think that Christian Ponder is the savior of the fan nation with the annoying chop chant (most annoying thing in college football, closely followed by Rockytop). Rather, he reminds me more of the lineage of Chris Weinke, Chris Rix, or Wyatt Sexton (Minus the whole I am the messiah worship me part). On one hand they do return their entire offensive line. A GREAT offensive line! On the other hand, which skill position player is going to do something with it? Also, a key skill player was already suspended. The BIGGEST question mark is how drastically the D can improve under Jimbo Fisher. Without it, they don't stand a chance at #1 in the Atlantic. If they do, I may need to think about changing my pick.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #1): The Jimbo Fisher era at FSU got off to a hot start on the recruiting trail, where he dramatically upgraded the defensive talent level with the likes of LaMarcus Joyner, Jeff Luc, and Christian Jones, among others. Those guys are throwbacks to the freak athletes that used to dominate the Seminole defense, and all of them will get on the field this year. Of course, they'll be a bit erratic, being so inexperienced, but they'll make up for it by making the sort of dynamic plays FSU has lacked on that side of the ball during Mickey Andrews' last years. And expect new defensive coordinator Mark Stoops to light a fire under everyone. It's unlikely they're going to turn into a defensive powerhouse over night, but if they can just keep their points allowed under 30 points per game (last year's average), FSU is going to win a lot of games. Because the offense is going to take care of itself. FSU may boast the best offensive line in the country, and Christian Ponder seemed to be making a lot of progress as a passer before going down with an injury last season. I'm not buying into the Heisman hype, though.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #1): Every year we talk about Florida State being "back"... but this really might be the year. Christian Ponder should be the best QB in the league (and a possible Heisman contender) and he should get ample time to find his experienced receivers behind an offensive line that returns all five starters. That same line should be able to open up a lot of holes for a pair of solid running backs (Jermaine Thomas and Chris Thompson), too. As good as the offense should be, though, the defense will need to be a lot better for FSU to win the division. They were one of the worst in the nation a year ago, so there's a lot of work for new defensive coordinator Mark Stoops to do. But if he can get them up to even respectable levels, the offense should be potent enough to lead them back to the promised land. The schedule is a little tricky, especially in October when they play Miami, Boston College, and North Carolina over the span of four games (the fourth game is against NC State). That run of games will either sink their title hopes or put them in pole position.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #4): This may finally be the year where Paul Johnson's triple option attack at GT will look humanly possible to contain. Aside from quarterback Josh Nesbitt, the Yellow Jackets lost nearly every other playmaker on offense and defense. Roddy Jones and Embry Peoples will try to reproduce some of the explosiveness and productivity of Dwyer while Anthony Allen will try to be the punishing back that Dwyer could channel as well. However, the Yellow Jackets may have to go away from their run, run, run, run, run, hail mary deep pass strategy with the loss of Demaryius Thomas. Thomas was a huge field-stretcher for the Yellow Jackets and their most reliable option. Nesbitt was able to throw up balls for grabs and Thomas would come down with them. Even still, Nesbitt completed a paltry 46% of his passes, and that is likely to worsen and make the Jackets into even more of a running team that in Johnson's two previous years with them. The Jackets also lose a lot on the defensive side of the ball, most notably with Derrick Morgan. They are changing their defense as well, so I would imagine it may take some time to click. Basically, Georgia Tech is high in many peoples polls, but not mine. Despite Nesbitt's leadership and experience, working with some new skill position players and behind a completely revamped offensive line (2 returning starters) makes me doubt their ACC contention. In my eyes, Duke even has a chance to leap the Yellow Jackets. Don't sleep on the Dookies!
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #4): I'm looking for a big step backwards for Paul Johnson's option attack this season. The biggest loss for this team probably isn't even Jonathan Dwyer; Anthony Allen should fill his role as the big B-back very well. No, the guy they'll miss the most is Demaryius Thomas. His emergence as a gigantic deep threat (1,154 receiving yards - out of 1,701 passing yards for Josh Nesbitt), opened up the field for the option game to be even more explosive than before. With him gone, teams are going to clamp down again. I highly doubt there are any other receivers on the team capable of filling that void. I doubt Nesbitt could get the ball to them, anyway. Nesbitt really can't throw, but Thomas was great for him because he was so huge, he was hard to miss. Two of GT's biggest conference rivals also have bye weeks prior to their games with the Yellow Jackets (UNC and VT), which further lessens the effectiveness of the option by giving them more prep time. They'll still roll up yards, but scoring is going to be much more difficult. Defensively, they slipped last season, and I see more slippage in 2010 with the loss of guys like Morgan Burnett, Sedric Griffin, and Derrick Morgan. They return nearly every one else, but Johnson doesn't seem to be refreshing the talent level to the same standard as Chan Gailey to this point. You also have to expect some degree of an adjustment period as they make the switch to a 3-4 defense.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #4): It's hard not to see this team taking a step back, given how much they lost on offense (three linemen, plus their leading rusher [Jonathan Dwyer] and their top receiver [Demaryius Thomas]) and defense (Derrick Morgan, Morgan Burnett). That's a lot of high-level production to replace. Nesbitt was a poor passer a year ago even with a stud WR and a more experienced OL... what's he going to be like if he has to scramble more and he doesn't have a target like Thomas out there? The defense was lousy a year ago and adding Al Groh as defensive coordinator and switching to a 3-4 isn't going to fix things overnight. It doesn't help that two of their toughest opponents (Virginia Tech, North Carolina) are on the road and get 10-14 days to prep for GT's funky offense. High-level defense + extended prep time = bad news for Georgia Tech.
Maryland Terrapins
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #5): The only separation I have between Maryland and Wake at the bottom of the division is that Maryland not only has play-makers in Da'Rel Scott and Torrey Smith, but they also have a quarterback to get it to them, or at least they know who the guy who will try to do that is. Friedgen is on the hot seat, and all indications point to him being gone by this time next year. This could negatively effect this team and cause them to lose focus or feel like they really don't have anything to play for. It will be interesting to see how this team reacts. Looking at what the Terps need to improve on, the list goes on so long that I can't definitively say what it is that needs most improvement. They have a bad defense, a bad offense, and a young roster. If they don't improve though, they could be asking him to leave College Park mid-season and return that athletic department Nordic Trek that's collecting dust somewhere in the Friedgen house.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #5): I can only assume the people at Maryland don't care about football. That's the only explanation I have as to why Ralph Friedgen still has a job there. I know he had those 3 great years in the beginning, but the program has been trending downwards every since, bottoming out at 2-10 last season. I don't see them doing much better this year. What they gain in favorable conference scheduling (drawing Duke and Virginia from the Coastal), they make up for in tough non-conference games against Navy and at West Virginia. Maybe they'll get serious about football up there after their 5th losing season in the last 7 years.
Ross: (Atlantic Prediction: #6): Ralph Friedgen is a dead man walking and this doesn't look like the sort of team that can give him a proud send-off.
Miami Hurricanes
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #3): Many people have Miami in the second spot switched with Carolina, but not me. I like the Canes, and I like Jacorry Harris (although he needs to limit his mistakes), but I think replacing 3 offensive linemen and the leading rusher for 3 consecutive years in Greg Cooper will be a big blow. Cooper may return, but it is doubtful. Defensively, they will be good, but I would expect Carolina to unseat the Hokies at the top of the division if it is going to be anyone.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #2): They're the glamor team in the ACC this year. And for good reason, I guess. I think they're by far the most athletically gifted team in the conference. Leonard Hankerson and Alderius Johnson look like gazelles running around on the field. And, of course, everyone is in love with Jacory Harris. I'm...not so much. Obviously, he has the talent, but I question his decision making process. 17 interceptions is just unacceptable. Normally, you would expect progression in that area between seasons, but he missed a lot of valuable reps during the spring with an injury. Defensively, they lose a handful of very good players, but return a ton more. I think this could be the year Randy Shannon finally gets them under 20 points allowed per game. And the schedule will definitely help them (in conference at least), as they get all their big games except Georgia Tech at home and draw Virginia and Duke from the Atlantic. At times, I think the biggest thing holding this team back is Shannon himself. Half the time I see him, he looks half asleep. Teams tend to take on the personalities of their coaches, and I wonder if this Miami team's lack of intensity and killer instinct, things that would take them to the next level, comes straight from the languorous Shannon.
Ross: (Coastal Prediction: #2): The lingering Randy Shannon factor is still a concern, but there's a lot of returning talent on offense and defense here -- especially on defense, where they could field the most Miami-like defense in quite a while this year. On the other hand, they have to find three new starters on the offensive line and the schedule is loaded with potholes, especially a brutal four-game stretch early on: @ Ohio State (9/11), @ Pitt (9/23), @ Clemson (10/2), Florida State (10/9). Only two of those games will have a bearing on their hunt for a division title, but that's still a stretch of games that could take a lot out of them.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #2): You will never catch me praising Butch Davis for his coaching skills (what? he has those?), but he is an amazing recruiter. And finally, his players that he has brought in have made what will be the most intimidating defense in the nation this year. If Butch Davis can coach his way out of a paper bag then the Heels may take the Hokies spot in the ACC title game, but he hasn't proven to have any competence in the area that his job title indicates. What you will see is a NASTY defense, an anemic but improving offense (it can't get much worse than 108th nationally), and a coach trying to make sense of it all on the sideline. If he ever does, watch out. If not, just expect Butch to keep landing top of the line kids and twiddle his thumbs on gameday.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #3): On paper, this should be North Carolina's year. With something like 19 returning starters, including a 3 year starter at QB, a deep o-line, and a ton of guys on defense who are going to be getting paid to play on Sundays (if they're not already), the Tar Heels seem like a no-brainer for #1 in the division, maybe even the conference. But, for one thing, there have been SO many distractions around the team as of late. Even if everybody stays eligible, I don't see how they can NOT be affected by it. And even if they can stay focused and the defense only allows 17 points per game again, can the offense be counted on to score 18? That's two too many if's. TJ Yates is such an enigma at QB. I have no idea what to expect out of him. I do know that another 15 interception year isn't going to be winning any titles. And while Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn are nice players, neither are exactly a Mark Ingram that can carry a game and hide rough QB play while the defense wins it. I won't be shocked if Butch Davis gives Bryn Renner a shot at QB is Yates struggles early. So that's my dilemma: the defense is BCS bowl material, the offense is Pizza Bowl material. Who do I side with? Unless the defense puts up crazy 08 USC numbers (think under 10 points a game), I don't think they can win consistently enough to get above that Meineke Car Care Bowl level they've been at the past couple of years.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #3): If Agentgate doesn't take too big a bite out of their team, they could be even better than this, frankly. Their defense should be flat-out nasty, given how many returning starters they have -- and how many guys they have who turned down the NFL to come back to Chapel Hill. And just ask Virginia Tech how far a dominant defense can carry you in the ACC, even with a middling offense. Whether or not the UNC offense is any better than middling will depend on what kind of progress QB TJ Yates can make. 15 TD/14 INT again probably won't get it done. UNC also benefits from the scheduling, which spaces out their toughest games (aside from back-to-back games with FSU and Virginia Tech in late November) pretty nicely.
North Carolina State Wolfpack
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #4): When Coach Tom O'Brien left a successful Boston College program for a stalling NC State program, I was shocked. Still, 4 years late I sit here shocked...not at the result, but the decision. The reason I have NC State at #4 is this: I don't trust a team that is not as talented as the top-3 and returns a total of 9 starters to make a run for the Atlantic Division crown. Heck, if not for Russell Wilson, they would be dead last in the Atlantic in my mind. But they do happen to have one of the nation's best quarterbacks. People feeling bad for Jake Locker should look at Wilson. Their skill position players are similar in talent and yet Wilson is the more efficient. The Pack will have to make the most of their opportunities and their junior quarterback, and try to aide their inexperience at the three interior offensive line spots and defense. If they can do that, they'll be going bowling.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #4): This is probably the end for Tom O'Brien in Raleigh. The Wolfpack has one of the best QBs in the conference, in terms of his actual production to this point, with Russell Wilson, but they have NOTHING around him. Despite owning North Carolina on the field, O'Brien has been taken to the woodshed by Butch Davis on the recruiting trail. He just doesn't have the talent on hand to compete in an ACC with several program peaking at the same time. The schedule is hellacious. By my count, there's only one sure win on their entire schedule. Every other game is going to be a desperate fight for survival. I like them heads-up against Wake Forest and Maryland, but beyond that...I don't see them being bowl eligible. UCF and ECU will give them a run for their money.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #4): Russell Wilson might be the second best QB in the ACC, but there may not be much to work with here. NC State has big holes to fill on both lines and the defense was miserable last year. It doesn't help that they have to play Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina from the other division.
Virginia Cavaliers
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #6): I like Mike London, don't get my wrong. I think he was the right guy for the job. But man is he going to have one tough first year. Usually when coaches vacate their jobs they at least leave something behind. For UVA, the cupboard is almost completely bare. They will be EXTREMELY lucky to win more than one ACC game this year.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #6): Step 1 is acknowledging you have a problem. Virginia did that when they finally showed Al Groh the door. Unfortunately, there's no undoing the damage he did in short order. It's going to be a lengthy process. I'm not sure if Mike London is the guy to get it done, but consider this inevitably brutal season as Step 2. At the very least, I expect Virginia to avoid another William & Mary-esque debacle against Richmond or VMI. That's progress.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #6): Getting rid of Groh was a good first step, but it's still going to take a while to turn this ship around. Especially in this division.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Chris (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): The Hokies return a crop of offensive talent the likes of which Blacksburg has never seen at any one time. They are loaded in the backfield, challenging Alabama for the best backfield in the nation. They have one of the nation's top 5 running backs in Ryan Williams and a guy backing him up that is also previously a 1,000 yard rusher. Their backup from a season ago was moved to fullback to get him touches and the most athletic player on the team, sophomore David Wilson, is a former High School All-American and will probably redshirt because the backfield is too deep for him despite scoring 4 touchdowns in 2009 in a reserve role. His replacement will be Tony Gregory, a back who prepped for an extra year and was the star of the spring game, breaking tackles left and right...yet he will be the Hokies fifth rushing option out of the backfield as Tyrod Taylor is a mobile QB. Speaking of Taylor, he will be entering his third full year as a starter. He finally started to turn his game around a year ago, and was impressive and efficient. He returns all of his receivers, a VERY deep and versatile core, except for TE Greg Boone who was only in on 7 catches in 2009. Back up quarterback Logan Thomas, a former Army All-American will also play tight end and H-back and be a big time player wherever he lines up. The Hokies lost their best offensive lineman in Sergio Render and somewhat of a liability in Ed Wang. However, I do not see much of a drop off in offensive line play. On defense, believe it or not the Hokies will not be AS good as their counterparts on the offensive side of the ball. I actually think they are getting off a little easy in the media for what they have coming back. They return 5 starters, only 4 of which will be on the field against Boise State, when their most experienced linebacker Barquell Rivers will be out of action still with a torn quadriceps tendon, so that could be big. Eventually, conventional wisdom says that they will be alright there, especially with defensive coordinator Bud Foster at the helm. The offense may have to beat teams early though for the defense to catch on. There is too much talent to ignore on this Virginia Tech team, and they will win the Coastal Division and the Conference Championship.
J Martin (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): Generally speaking, it's hard to go wrong picking Virginia Tech to win the Coastal. What Frank Beamer does in Blacksburg isn't flashy, but it wins a heck of a lot of football games. However, this year he could have his most prolific offene since the days of Mike Vick. Ryan Williams and a healthy Darren Evans comprise the most powerful 1-2 punch at running back outside the Tuscaloosa city limits. And while I'm not a huge fan of Tyrod Taylor as a quarterback, he did show improvement in his decision making last year, and with Williams and Evans dominating on the ground, it should make his job much easier. He'll also have the benefit of playing with all of his favorite receiving targets from last year. Defensively, they'll be somewhat of a work in progress, but Bud Foster has a tremendous reputation as a defensive coordinator and hasn't allowed opponents to average over 20 points or 300 yards per game in 6 years. They'll be fine. They do have to travel to North Carolina and Miami, but Beamer has winning records against both schools over the past 5 years. If they can get up for Boise State and take care of business to start the year, they'll be dark horse national title contenders.
Ross (Coastal Prediction: #1 and ACC Champion): When in doubt, bet on Virginia Tech in the ACC. And with so much parity in the ACC (and this division in particular), there's room for plenty of doubt. But they should have an absolutely dynamite offense and it's not really taking a huge leap of faith to expect Bud Foster to assemble another nasty defense, even if the does have to slot in a lot of new faces this year. That said, their season really boils down to a three-game stretch in November: Georgia Tech (11/4), @ UNC (11/13), and @ Miami (11/20). If they go at least 2-1 in that stretch, they should be in good shape to win the division. Getting 10 days to prep for Georgia Tech's offense and playing them in Blacksburg on a Thursday night (where VT is almost unbeatable) is a big boost.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Chris (Atlantic Prediction: #6): This call is so hard because of how little teams like Maryland and Wake can be separated on paper, and possibly will be at the end of the year. The two teams are so similar that Athlon sports projected them one pick apart nationally and 5th and 6th in this division respectively. Wake can be a lot higher if their young athletic defense can mature and if their quarterback (s) (realize I use an s. They don't know who their starter is definitively yet) and young offensive line don't slow down what is otherwise an impressive slew of skill position players. Jim Grobe is one of the best coaches in the league and has been as consistent as you can expect for the smallest school in FBS football (enrollment just over 4,000), you just kind of feel sorry for the guy because it's hard to recruit players there.
J Martin (Atlantic Prediction: #6): The post-Riley Skinner Era begins in much the same place the pre-Riley Skinner Era ended: with a losing record. Jim Grobe is a very good coach, and he did an excellent job of taking advantage of a down ACC. But the ACC is coming back around again, and he just doesn't have the talent to keep up. You can actually track the resurgence of the ACC against Wake's conference record since their BCS season in 06 (7-2, 5-3, 4-4, 3-5). Well, this is going to be the best ACC in a long while, and I can easily see Wake only winning 1 conference game (home against Duke in week 2). Beyond that, all their home games are tough and all their winnable matchups are on the road.
Ross (Atlantic Prediction: #5): Jim Grobe's a helluva coach, but they're looking a little thin in the talent department at the moment.
CFBZ Predicted ACC Finish
Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech Hokies
2. Miami Hurricanes
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
5. Duke Blue Devils
6. Virginia Cavaliers
Atlantic Division
1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Boston College Eagles
3. Clemson Tigers
4. North Carolina State Wolfpack
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech over FSU
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