2009 ACC Schedule Released

Here it is. And yes, I had a very nice sabbatical from blogging...thanks for asking.

Some quick thoughts:

--too many 1-AA/FCS opponents (13); Duke, NC State and UNC are major offenders as they each play two this upcoming season

--either the ACC is bent on destroying Randy Shannon's career, or The U is on a suicide mission; their first four games are @Florida State (Labor Day), Georgia Tech (Thursday), @Virginia Tech, Oklahoma. Will Shannon even make it to November?

--there are a number of intriguing non-conference matchups on tap, aside from the annual rivalry games...Duke @ Kansas, Pitt @ NC State, Florida State @ BYU, USF @ Florida State, Maryland @ Cal, Rutgers @ Maryland, Miami @ USF, TCU @ Virginia, Stanford @ Wake Forest, Nebraska @ Virginia Tech and most importantly Virginia Tech-Alabama at the site of Tommy Bowden's coaching demise

--except for Miami-Oklahoma, I don't see any guaranteed beatdowns of ACC teams in out of conference action

Apologies in advance to Florida and Oklahoma

The ACC has been assigned to provide the officiating crew for tomorrow night's BCS Championship Game.

Loved this little capsule:

It's likely that ACC veteran Jack Childress will head the crew. Childress is no-nonsense, but sometimes he likes to throw the flag a little too much. If he is the head referee, with any luck, he will let some emotions flow and simply separate players.

Stating that Jack Childress "likes to throw the flag a little too much" is akin to saying the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima destroyed a few buildings.

Lest we get carried away by early bowl performances...

...here's a quick guide into the actual matchups in the ACC's bowl games this season:

ADVANTAGE ACC
Champs Sports Bowl - Florida State (8-4, ACC #4 of 12) vs. Wisconsin (7-5, Big Ten #6 of 11)
Music City Bowl - Boston College (9-4, ACC #3 of 12) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6, SEC #6 of 12)
Chick-fil-A Bowl - Georgia Tech (9-3, ACC #2 of 12) vs. LSU (7-5, SEC #7 of 12)

DISADVANTAGE ACC
Emerald Bowl - Miami (7-5, ACC #7 of 12) vs. California (8-4, Pac 10 #4 of 10)
PapaJohns.com Bowl - NC State (6-6, ACC #10 of 12) vs. Rutgers (7-5, Big East #4 of 8)
Gator Bowl - Clemson (7-5, ACC #9 of 12) vs. Nebraska (8-4, Big XII #6 of 12)

RELATIVELY EVEN
EagleBank Bowl - Wake Forest (7-5, ACC #8 of 12) vs. Navy (8-4, Independent); Navy won the regular season meeting
Meineke Car Care Bowl - North Carolina (8-4, ACC #5 of 12) vs. West Virginia (8-4, Big East #3 of 8)
Humanitarian Bowl - Maryland (7-5, ACC #6 of 12) vs. Nevada (7-5, WAC #3 of 9)
Orange Bowl - Virginia Tech (9-4, ACC #1 of 12) vs. Cincinnati (11-2, Big East #1 of 8)

So the ACC should go 3-3 with 4 other question marks based strictly on matchups. If the "even" matchups all break the ACC's way (and they haven't as we've already seen), the league should go 7-3 in bowls. If the "even" matchups all go to hell (and they haven't as we've already seen), the ACC is looking at 3-7. So there's your window: 7-3 and above means a rousing success, 3-7 or worse means disaster. 4-6 is disappointing but not necessarily cause for panic. 6-4 or 5-5 is OK but not something to plaster all over the 2009 media guide. Naturally, one of the "Advantage ACC" games could very well result in an upset, just as one of the "Disadvantage ACC" contests could surprise. But it all comes back to the matchups as a whole. 7-3 is the mark to hit for glory and honor and all that crap.

ACC Bowl Bids

Just released...

ORANGE BOWL (Miami - 1/1/09)
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL (Atlanta - 12/31/08)
Georgia Tech vs. LSU

GATOR BOWL (Jacksonville - 1/1/09)
Clemson vs. Nebraska

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL (Orlando - 12/27/08)
Florida State vs. Wisconsin

MUSIC CITY (Nashville - 12/31/08)
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL (Charlotte - 12/27/08)
North Carolina vs. West Virginia

EMERALD BOWL (San Francisco - 12/27/08)
Miami vs. California

HUMANITARIAN BOWL (Boise - 12/30/08)
Maryland vs. Nevada

EAGLEBANK BOWL (Washington - 12/20/08)
Wake Forest vs. Navy

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL (Birmingham - 12/30/08)
N.C. State vs. Rutgers

Football gods continue to dump on the ACC

-North Carolina QB T.J. Yates is out at least six weeks with a broken right ankle. His injury in the third quarter of the Heels' loss to Virginia Tech came with UNC in the lead, and they didn't score again after Yates left the game.

-N.C. State, who has clearly neglected to perform the required offerings and sacrifices to the gridiron deities, has now lost just-coming-into-his own QB Russell Wilson and top LB Nate Irving to unspecified injuries. They will miss next Saturday's game against USF, at least.

I know I promised a weekend recap today, but personal issues have prevented that. It'll be up tomorrow.

We're #9...and #15...and #23

So I saw that the Preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll was released the other day. #1 is a mild surprise, but not entirely off the wall. The ACC placed just three teams in the poll, as you can see below:

1. Georgia
2. USC
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. LSU
7. Missouri
8. West Virginia
9. Clemson
10. Texas
11. Auburn
12. Wisconsin
13. Kansas
14. Texas Tech
15. Virginia Tech
16. Arizona State
17. Brigham Young
18. Tennessee
19. Illinois
20. Oregon
21. South Florida
22. Penn State
23. Wake Forest
24. Michigan
25. Fresno State

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama 83, South Carolina 64, Utah 60, Rutgers 53, Florida State 53, Boston College 47, California 41, Pittsburgh 34, Boise State 25, Oregon State 23, Nebraska 17, Cincinnati 13, Virginia 12, Connecticut 9, Michigan State 9, Mississippi State 6, Notre Dame 5, TCU 5, Kentucky 5, Maryland 4, North Carolina 3, UCLA 3, Texas A&M 3, Georgia Tech 2, UCF 2, Louisville 2, Colorado 1, Tulsa 1, Oklahoma State 1, Arizona 1

Three ACC clubs in the poll, six in the "others receiving" category, and Miami isn't among them. Weird.

Clemson and Virginia Tech are ranked about where I expected, based on their showings in the plethora of preseason publications. Wake makes a welcome appearance in the poll, and it is gratifiying to see the Deacs getting that level of respect...it looks like people really are paying attention to the machine Jim Grobe has built. I'm surprised Virginia and Georgia Tech got any votes. Florida State, Boston College, Maryland, and North Carolina's number of votes look about right to me.

Nationally, Georgia at #1 is a reach. On the one hand it's nice to see someone other than USC at the top of a preseason poll, but the Trojans, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Florida and LSU all have valid cases for that top spot heading into 2008 and - unlike the Dawgs - those schools have proven they can finish at #1 with their current coaching staffs. UGA's getting a little too much love from beating the poi out of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl and for beating Florida for just the third time since 1990.

As for conference comparisons among the BCS leagues, this is what we have:

-SEC (12 teams)- 5 ranked (42%), 4 also getting votes (33%)
-Big XII (12 teams)- 5 ranked (42%), 4 also getting votes (33%)
-Big Ten (11 teams)- 5 ranked (45%), 1 also getting votes (9%)
-ACC (12 teams)- 3 ranked (25%), 6 also getting votes (50%)
-Pac 10 (10 teams)- 3 ranked (30%), 4 also getting votes (40%)
-Big East (8 teams)- 2 ranked (25%), 5 also getting votes (63%)

For all the self-inflicted damage the ACC has wrought upon itself the last few years - along with the generally dismissive coverage the league gets in the blogosphere and national media - I'm a tad surprised to see 75% of the ACC either ranked or getting votes. The SEC and Big XII deservedly garner the most respect in the preseason poll. The Big East actually has the best percentage of ranked-or-getting-votes with 7 out of 8 clubs showing up, but the quick collapse of Louisville and Rich Rod's departure from Morgantown last season showed just how fragile the league's football rep really is and this season might just begin the Big East's fall out of the BCS orbit in terms of overall quality, stability, and depth.

Getting back to the ACC, I think Clemson is Georgia-lite...they're getting too much love for too little reason. Virginia Tech is garnering a few legacy votes...#15 is a reach considering the offseason personnel losses. Wake should probably be where the Hokies are in terms of ranking. Florida State and Boston College are in decent shape to vault into the poll with a few early wins. Maryland and/or North Carolina are primed to jump into the rankings with fast starts, and deservedly so. Virginia and Georgia Tech may not see another vote again after the season kicks off. And Miami....O Brother, Where Art Thou?

A Few Words About Recruiting...

I've never been much of a follower of the madness that is college football recruiting. I've been more of a bystander, occasionally checking Rivals and Scout and various message boards to see how schools are doing. The whole process has always pretty much bored me, but over the last few years it has gotten to the point of making me a tad queasy. The way these 17 and 18-year olds are paraded - and the way far too many parade themselves - throughout their senior year of high school is a bit tawdry, and the media industry built around it is equally brazen. But that's just me.

That said, here are the Rivals rankings of the ACC haul at the end of National Signing Day (national ranking in parentheses):

1- Miami (4)
2- Florida State (7)
3- Clemson (12)
4- Virginia Tech (18)
5- N.C. State (31)
6- Maryland (32)
7- Boston College (33)
8- North Carolina (34)
9- Georgia Tech (49)
10- Wake Forest (58)
11- Virginia (62)
12- Duke (66)

ACC Title Game Heads to Tampa...and Charlotte Too

Tampa in 2008 & 2009 and Charlotte in 2010 & 2011, to be precise.

As I was getting ready to sit down and write about the future of the ACC Championship Game (post-failed Jacksonville experiment), the league comes along today and drops the hammer on my line of thinking (I say play the game on campus, but more on that later).

That said, these are the two best options on the table as far as neutral sites go. Tampa Bay is a great area with tons to do (I should know, I live here), and Raymond James Stadium is regarded by many as the best football stadium in the United States. Charlotte, while not as sizzling a destination, is by far the best choice in terms of location to the vast majority of schools. It's a great city in it's own right, and Bank of America stadium is a choice venue as well.

I never understood the choice of Jacksonville from the start. It has historically been a: 1) Florida Gators town, 2) Georgia Bulldogs town, and 3) Florida State Seminoles town, with the Noles only really coming on in the last 15 years or so. Nothing about it screams "ACC!" (well, except for the specious Gator Bowl tie-in). It's a decent city in and of itself, but it's simply not a "major league" city by any stretch of the imagination (pipe down, Jag fans). The Super Bowl hosted there a few years ago was a total mess, the Jaguars have been on the relocation search due to lackadaisical fan support, and it's not a city that's easy to get to from other ACC schools, either by car or plane. It's like a slightly bigger version of Mobile, AL...pleasant enough, but you just don't hold your showcase game there.

While Tampa is certainly not an easy trip by car for anyone but Miami or FSU fans, it's much easier to get flights in and out of the Bay area and it's a much more attractive vacation spot as well. The Tampa Bay metro population is also twice that of Jacksonville, and it's closer to other large Florida population centers (such as the Orlando, Sarasota, and Fort Myers areas). And if it's properly promoted, you'll get upwards of 25,000-30,000 locals in the stands in addition to the participants' fans, unless it's an inexplicable Duke-Wake Forest matchup (sweet Baby Jesus, no).

Charlotte has the advantage of fine tuning their events calendar and festivities schedule over the next few years and I think they'll put on a great show as well.

Before today's announcement, I was going to post my thoughts on how best to host the game. In the long run, I think playing it on campus will turn out to be the best for everyone. The division winner with the best overall record should get to host the title game, which will not only spark additional interest in the final regular season games (especially if a team has locked up their division by the beginning of November) but having the game on campus will provide an added element of excitement surrounding the game, and most certainly in the stadium. Neutral site games such as bowl games and most conference championship games are always kind of sterile, even when the stadium is full. And having the game on campus will most certainly prevent this type of scene from ever happening again:


Thank you Jacksonville!

The ACC has a steep enough hill to climb already in terms of voluminous fan bases. Four of the twelve league schools are private institutions and have enrollments of 10,000 or less. Georgia Tech and Virginia only have 12,000 and 13,000 undergrads respectively. That means that six of the twelve ACC schools have smaller enrollments than nine of the ten Pac 10 programs, ten of the eleven Big Ten programs, eleven of the twelve Big 12 schools, and ten of the twelve SEC schools. When you expound enrollments to alumni, then you see just how far behind most ACC programs are in terms of sheer numbers of viable fans and boosters willing and able to make it to an event like the ACC-CG. Taking all of that into account, placing the game in an apathetic and not-very-easy-to-get-to place like Jacksonville was just a dumb idea.

Still, neither Tampa nor Charlotte can guarantee success. Only in the last ten to fifteen years has the ACC cranked up the football machine, and the already outlined smaller overall fanbase still turns it's attention a tad more toward basketball. One thing is clear - if the game doesn't gain a foothold in either Tampa or Charlotte, holding the game on campus will be the only option left. And that would be just fine.

Tuesday News & Notes

--Nick Saban practically gushes when discussing the supposed intricacies of the FSU offense under Jimbo Fisher, his OC at LSU. Oh yeah, the Noles play the Tide this Saturday in Jacksonville.

--Miami's romp over Texas A&M - combined with Georgia Tech's inexplicable collapse and Virginia Tech's all-around blah-ness - may have made the Hurricanes the team to beat in the Coastal Division.

--Even the Cavaliers don't quite seem to know why or how they've turned their season around. Which is why I'm not buying UVA stock just yet.

--In reaction to their late season collapse in 2006, the Tigers are making a concerted effort to keep James Davis and CJ Spiller as fresh as possible for the conference wars to come in the next two months. Not a bad idea.

--The Pick has already become a part of Wake Forest lore, just three days after the play ignited the Deacons' spirited comeback against Maryland.

--Meanwhile, the Terrapins are living proof that one team's pleasure is another's excruciating pain.

--Apparently, the Yellow Jackets aren't much better on offense this year, even sans Reggie Ball and Patrick Nix.

--Boston College's 4-0 start already has some long-time Eagles fans wondering if this is The Year for BC football. Jeff Jagodzinski is doing his best to temper unbridled enthusiasm.

Tuesday News & Notes

--Some say it's a hasty move...but not I. Though he didn't set the world on fire against LSU, it's abundantly clear that freshman QB Tyrod Taylor gives the Hokies the best chance to do something, anything on offense, and he'll get the start this Saturday against Ohio.

--Likewise for Miami and Kyle Wright, although why he was unable to beat out Kirby Freeman in the spring and summer is still a mystery.

--Tom O'Brien says that he treated his return to Chestnut Hill like any other game. Uh-huh. Sure.

--138 rushing yards, 3 TDs, and still 3rd on the depth chart? What's Jonathan Dwyer gotta do to move up? The Yellow Jackets are enjoying an embarrassment of riches at running back this year.

--Good news for the Terps this Saturday: West Virginia's pass defense is a bit shoddy. The bad news: Maryland's passing offense is equally dilapidated.

--Slow but steady progress in Chapel Hill...instead of the typical Bunting-esque road annihilation, the Heels lost at the gun in Greenville last Saturday.

--'Tis a marathon, not a sprint Seminoles...apparently part of the reason FSU has looked downright dreadful in the first halves against Clemson and UAB is self-imposed pressure to return the program to the glory days of 45-7 butt-kickings. Halftime counseling from the coaching staff reminded the lads that just winning these games right now is kinda important.

Tuesday News & Notes

--Harrison Beck has been named the new starter for NC State this Saturday, and the Pack running attack will be now be the Andre Brown Show since Toney Baker has been lost for the season.

--Jordan Steffy's grip on the Maryland QB job just got tighter, after backup Josh Portis was declared ineligible due to a mysterious "academic issue".

--Despite a spectacularly atrocious outing against Wyoming, Jameel Sewell is still the man for the Cavaliers. ACC defenses rejoice.

--Despite a lackluster outing against Clemson, Drew Weatherford is still the man for the Seminoles. ACC defenses rejoice.

--Despite a horrible outing against East Carolina, the Hokie offensive line will remain intact. LSU's defense rejoices.

--Jeff Jagodzinski prepares for the return of Tom O'Brien this Saturday. Of particular interest, check out the quote on page 2 of the article. Methinks TOB and Jags do not exchange Christmas cards.

--He wasn't their first choice, but Randy Shannon may have been the right one for Miami.

--The ACC may just have a bona-fide Heisman candidate in Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice.

--Riley Skinner's shoulder separation means backup Brett Hodges will make the start vs. Nebraska. Deja vu all over again?

Not Bad for a Supposedly Wretched Conference

Rivals has catalogued their top five games of opening weekend, and our little ol' ACC is in three of them, with five teams in total.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Florida State at Clemson

The winner of 'Bowden Bowl IX' gets the inside track in the ACC Atlantic Division race. Clemson has a two-game winning streak in the series and has won three of the last four. The Tigers also have one of the nation's premier rushing tandems in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Florida State returns eight starters from a defense which ranked 12th nationally against the run in 2006. How Florida State's offense fares in its debut under coordinator Jimbo Fisher will be of keen interest. So will the performance of Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper, who is making the first start of his collegiate career.

3. Wake Forest at Boston College

Can Wake Forest continue the magic of 2006? This game should provide some indication of whether the defending ACC-champion Deacons were one-year wonders or if they can again contend for the conference crown. The game also features a matchup of the league's top two quarterbacks -- BC's Matt Ryan and Wake Forest's Riley Skinner. However, the play of the defenses may reveal more. Boston College anticipates fielding one of its best defensive units ever. Wake Forest, meanwhile, has six new starters. Last season, the Deacons' 20-14 victory over BC was the difference in the Atlantic Division standings.

4. Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Irish coach Charlie Weis won't reveal whether Evan Sharpley, Demetrius Jones or heralded freshman Jimmy Clausen will start at quarterback against the Yellow Jackets. That's the first question about Notre Dame's offense. The second question is whether it will matter. The Irish edged Georgia Tech 14-10 in last year's season opener – and that was with Brady Quinn, Darius Walker and Jeff Samardzija in the lineup. How successful can they be against a Georgia Tech defense that returns eight starters?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many of you are aware that I'm a rabid Florida State junkie, but the Wake-BC matchup may just be the ACC Must See Game O' The Week.

Monday News & Notes

....The folks over at the ACC's Official Site have completed their "12 Days of ACC Football" preview. Not too shabby.

....To the surprise of practically no one, Drew Weatherford was named the Seminoles' starting QB after outduelling Xavier Lee in summer practices. Unlike his predecessor at OC, Jimbo Fisher still plans to get the X-man involved in certain situations where his quickness and brute strength can be utilized...think Weatherford=Chris Leak, Lee=Tim Tebow. I can only hope.

....FSU's Labor Day opponent has also named their starting QB. Tommy Bowden tabbed Cullen Harper to lead the Clemson offense, although fan favorite frosh Willy Korn will likely get a few looks throughout the season.

....'Tis official...Miami will be moving to Dolphin Stadium starting in the '08 season. I know, just a few weeks ago I ragged on how dilapidated and wholly unpleasant that old bucket of bolts known as the Orange Bowl is, but the suddenness of the switch is a bit jarring. The Canes last ever home game in that old stadium will be against Virginia on Nov. 10.

....Maryland limped through their final practice of the summer with nearly a third of their roster on the sideline nursing various injuries and ailments. A nasty season is afoot in College Park this season, I fear.

....Wondered why Virginia QB Jameel Sewell's passes sometimes lacked zip and outright accuracy last season? Two broken bones in his left (throwing) wrist may have had a something to do with it.

....I hope Georgia Tech goes 10-2 as I predict if for no other reason other than to never have to read or hear about some form of the Chan Gailey Equilibrium ever again.

....Virginia Tech's opener with East Carolina next week is the start of a nine-year series with the Pirates. Ummm...why? Sure, a home and home once or twice a decade is fine, but nine straight years with ECU? Ok, whatever, but there had better not be any hint of 1-AA-ness on the Hokies' slate at anytime in the near future.

....Wake Forest football has finally hit the big-time; they've sold out their entire package of season tickets, and long time boosters and fans are complaining about increased booster fees for seating privileges and such. Welcome to the club Deacons!

Saturday News & Notes

--UNC head coach Butch Davis named freshman QB TJ Yates as the tentative starter for next month's opener with James Madison, thereby squashing my not-so-brilliant assumption last week regarding the QB battle.

--Clemson RB Ray Ray McElrathbey is out for the season with a torn ACL.

--The Seminoles' leader in rushing TDs in 2006, Joe Surratt, looks to be gone for the season with a fractured right fibula. Big Joe had sunk to third on the depth chart earlier in the spring before getting back in Jimbo Fisher's good graces in the last few weeks.

--One of the big concerns I have about Boston College this season continues to be a problem as opening weekend approaches.

--Duke LB Michael Tauiliili has been reinstated, just two weeks after his arrest for DWI, assault and other assorted misbehavior. The Devils' leading tackler the last two years has been suspended for the season opener with Connecticut.

--Tony Barnhart, a/k/a "Mr. College Football" (a foisted upon, or self-proclaimed moniker?), says the ACC is the 4th best conference this year. Sounds about right to me.

--Sports Illustrated and Rivals have unveiled their ACC previews, and they don't quite see things playing out the way I do.

Opie's Rampage

Georgia Tech QB Taylor Bennett's reputation skyrocketed in the hearts and minds of many last week when he roughed up starting DE Darrell Robertson during a scrimmage. The altercation between the two then resulted in a skirmish among several players.

Robertson had to be helped off the field by trainers. God help the opposing DB who tries to return a pick on Opie - excuse me, Mr. Bennett - this season.


The last thing you see before his fist crashes through your skull

Friday News & Notes

...ESPN's Mark Schlabach opines on the 2007 edition of coaches on the hot seat; Clemson's Tommy Bowden has managed to earn tenure on these lists, as he makes his 38th consecutive appearance and is the headliner this year. Ted Roof at Duke and Al Groh at Virginia make unwanted appearances as well.

...Backhanded motivation, or straight-up candor? Seminole OC Jimbo Fisher says that the QB job is now a three-way race, with redshirt freshman Christian Ponder in consideration. My guess is that this is but another tool in Fisher's bag o' tricks to motivate Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee to make solid, concrete cases for themselves. There's no way the Noles are going to throw a redshirt frosh out against Clemson on Labor Day evening with less than a month's work with the first team.

...UNC is still searching for their starting QB as well, which may be good news for last year's sometime-starter Cam Sexton; real and considerable playing time (albeit a bit unimpressive) would have to be a tiebreaker if everything else is even among the QB trio.

...Miami's feared voodoo magic in the old Orange Bowl stadium may come to an end as early as next season. As one who has attended games there as a fan of an opposing team (Florida State, '96 and '98 contests), this is certainly welcome news and I'm much more likely to attend a Cane game in Dolphin Stadium, which is an actual 20th century facility, located in the northern part of Miami-Dade county, and likely too far for the riff-raff to carjack their way up to the game.

...This story would be mildly comical if it didn't involve the athletic director of one of our military service academies. Navy AD Chet Gladchuk had his wittle feewings hurt - and is apparently still sobbing into his pillow each night - when the Academy's instate "rival", Maryland, opted to play in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando last year instead of the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, in which the Midshipmen lost to Boston College. Hmmm...December in Central Florida, or in 30-degree, roll up the streets at 9pm downtown Charlotte? You'd think that anyone in any kind of executive position at Annapolis would have a slightly better disposition than that of a spurned 14-year old girl, but apparently you'd be wrong.

ACC Media Daze

This past weekend's ACC Media Days extravaganza in beautiful Pinehurst, NC yielded practically nothing of note. To wit, one of the bigger stories of the event was the realization that Boston College QB Matt Ryan physically resembles his former coach, and current N.C. State skipper, Tom O'Brien. Blah.

As usual, the most interesting topic from the event was the media pre-season poll. To little surprise, Florida State and Virginia Tech were picked as favorites to win their respective divisions, with the Hokies tabbed to win the ACC Championship Game.

Thoughts On A Season

So another season of ACC football is in the bag, and quite frankly that is where this 2006 campaign should stay. It was most certainly the worst season for the conference since the addition of Florida State in 1992; no team had fewer than 3 losses, the league went just 25-22 in 1-A out of conference matchups (6-16 vs. BCS conference teams), and the two flagship programs - FSU and Miami - both teetered on the brink of losing seasons before finishing 7-6.

It was one thing for both the Noles and Canes to struggle at the same time, but that no other program really took advantage of it to stake a claim as a new power in the league is cause for concern. Yes, Wake Forest made the most of this year's disarray and won the conference, but as great as Jim Grobe is, the Demon Deacons simply are not going to compete year in and year out. Clemson, Georgia Tech and to a lesser extent Boston College all blew solid chances at seizing control of the conference. With the coaching changes going on in Tallahassee and Coral Gables, and with Virginia Tech returning much of their 10-win team for next year, the ACC race will likely fall back into the hands of the Big 3.

Now that the year's over, here's my obligatory categorization of certain teams, players, coaches and storylines of the season.....

Biggest Surprise: Wake Forest. No explanation necessary.

Biggest Disappointment: Not Florida State or Miami. That's too easy, and you can't find a single program in America over the last 10 years that didn't have an "off" year like the Noles and Canes just had. Instead, I'm pegging both Clemson and Georgia Tech as the biggest duds of the season. With FSU, Miami and even Virginia Tech a bit down, these two programs were in prime position to take control of the league. Instead, they both lost 5 games and will finish unranked.

Best Game: Boston College 34, Clemson 33 (2OT)

Worst Game: Georgia Tech 7, North Carolina 0

Most Shocking Game: Wake Forest 30, Florida State 0 - in Tallahassee

Best Coaching Job: Jim Grobe. No explanation necessary.

Worst Coaching Job: John Bunting, North Carolina. After 6 years on the job, and some great recruiting classes, he entered late November with zero wins over 1-A competition for the season. Sure, he beat NC State and Duke to close out the year, but that was a month after he was already fired.

Player of the Year: Gaines Adams, Clemson. A one-man defensive force, largely responsible for two of the Tigers' wins - his FG block and return against Wake Forest sparked their 4th quarter comeback, and his constant harassment of NC State QB Daniel Evans helped lead the Tigers to a 20-14 victory when their offense did jack squat. And he also led the league in sacks and finished #3 nationally in that category.

Freshman of the Year: Riley Skinner, Wake Forest. When you're a freshman and lead Wake Freaking Forest to the ACC title, you automatically get named freshman of the year.

Most Disappointing Player of the Year: Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech. Unquestionably.

Coach on the Hot Seat for 2007: Bowden. Tommy Bowden. The disgraceful collapse to end '06 is going to leave a sting all offseason. More on that in a future column. Al Groh's hind end might feel a little toasty next year as well.

Team on the Rise for 2007: Florida State. With the new coaching talent both known and rumored to be coming in, all I can say is WOW. More on that in a future column.

Team on the Decline for 2007: Quite frankly, no one. Half of the conference teams had their worst seasons in recent memory, and the other half look to be in about the same boat for 2007.

New Head Coach Most Likely to Make a Quick Turnaround: Butch Davis, North Carolina. The facilities and resources are there. There's some great talent too. Just wait 'til he hits the recruiting trail.

New Head Coach Most Likely to Struggle: Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College. No offense to BC fans, but you all basically ran off a guy who went 28-9 the last three seasons, won 7 straight bowls and raised the profile of the program high enough to warrant the move to the ACC. Your new guy has no head coaching experience and has been out of the college game for eight years. I understand O'Brien lacked "the social skills" at times, and never had that one breakthrough conference-winning-type year, but come on.....y'all had it pretty good.

Best New Conference Rivalry: Boston College-N.C. State. This year's game already had both sides jawing at each other, and now that Tom O'Brien bolted the Eagles for the Wolfpack, this Atlantic Division matchup will be must-see for years to come.

Biggest Storyline Heading Into 2007: The infusion of new coaches into the league. Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, and N.C. State will all be sporting new head coaches and staffs, while Florida State will field almost an entirely new coaching staff, save for the stalwart Bobby Bowden and defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.


It's been fun this year, despite the incredibly disappointing season. I've enjoyed getting to know some fellow bloggers and I've enjoyed the feedback I've received regarding this blog. Thanks for reading, and I'll still be posting all through the offseason.

ACC Postseason Honors Extravaganza

Courtesy of the members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, the winners are.....

Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech. No one can deny the man's physical skills, but when a league's top player is a wideout with just 899 receiving yards on 59 catches (an average of just 4.92 per game!), then that league has severe problems on the offensive side of the ball.

Coach of the Year: Jim Grobe, Wake Forest. Unanimous decision. I should friggin think so.

Rookie of the Year: Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest. Hmm, the big 3 awards involve players or coaches from the two schools competing in this weekend's ACC title game. At least something makes sense this year.

And the All-ACC team....

FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB--Matt Ryan, Boston College
RB--James Davis, Clemson
RB--Branden Ore, Virginia Tech
WR--Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR--Chansi Stuckey, Clemson
TE--Greg Olsen, Miami
OT--Steve Vallos, Wake Forest
OT--Barry Richardson, Clemson
OG--Josh Beekman, Boston College
OG--Nathan Bennett, Clemson
C--Steve Justice, Wake Forest

Defense
DE--Gaines Adams, Clemson
DE--Calais Campbell, Miami
DT--Joe Anoai, Georgia Tech
DT--Tank Tyler, N.C. State
LB--Vince Hall, Virginia Tech
LB--Buster Davis, Florida State
LB--Jon Abbate, Wake Forest
CB--John Talley, Duke
CB--Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech
S--Josh Gattis, Wake Forest
S--Jamal Lewis, Georgia Tech

Special Teams
K--Sam Swank, Wake Forest
P--Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
Specialist--Darrell Blackman, N.C. State

SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB--Riley Skinner, Wake Forest
RB--Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech
RB--C.J. Spiller, Clemson
WR--Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
WR--Greg Carr, Florida State
TE--Anthony Hill, N.C. State
OT--Duane Brown, Virginia Tech
OT--Jim Marten, Boston College
OG--Leroy Harris, N.C. State
OG--Andrew Crummey, Maryland
C--Dustin Fry, Clemson

Defense
DE--Chris Long, Virginia
DE--Adamm Oliver, Georgia Tech
DT--Kareem Brown, Miami
DT--Andre Fluellen, Florida State
DT--B.J. Raji, Boston College
LB--Phillip Wheeler, Georgia Tech
LB--Erin Henderson, Maryland
LB--Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
CB--Marcus Hamilton, Virginia
CB--DeJuan Tribble, Boston College
S--Kenny Phillips, Miami
S--Brandon Meriweather, Miami

Special Teams
K--Brandon Pace, Virginia Tech
P--Adam Podlesh, Maryland
Specialist--Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech

"And the world turned upside down..."

For your amusement, the ACC Atlantic Division standings as of today:

Wake Forest (1-0 ACC, 4-0 Overall)
NC State (1-0, 2-2)
Clemson (2-1, 3-1)
Maryland (0-0, 3-1)
Boston College (1-1, 3-1)
Florida State (1-1, 3-1)

Good morning!