--Paul Johnson is going to show the rest of the ACC how criminally lame Al Groh, Ralph Friedgen and Tommy Bowden have been the last several years.
--Love the Cutcliffe...sure, Duke lost a close one to Northwestern tonight but 472 yards of total offense against the Wildcats means that actual competence on offense is slowly returning to the flotsam that is ACC football.
--Kudos to the Miami defense for the first 50 minutes in Gainesville. Holding the Gators and ESPN Gameday's Official Boycrush to nine (actually seven) points and 200 total yards until early-4th quarter was impressive. Too bad OC Patrick Nix still sucks all over the place.
--I don't care that their lone performance this year was against Western Carolina...Florida State's offense looks to be the best in the ACC thus far. NC State, Virginia and Maryland combined wouldn't hit 70-points on the Catamounts. The Seminoles scored 69 on a wet field without their best player.
--Frank Beamer and Bryan Stinespring keep playing Sean Glennon at their career peril. Why Tyrod Taylor doesn't see every single snap for the Hokies from now on is beyond me.
--East Carolina makes me sad for Wolfpack, Terp, Wahoo and Tiger fans. Shall we compare the salaries of Tom O'Brien, Ralph Friedgen, Al Groh and Tommy Bowden to Skip Holtz? We shan't, as Scanners-style cranium detonation is sure to ensue.
--Execution by Husky-frat-row-march to the officiating crew of the BYU-Washington fiasco.
--Jim Grobe, Riley Skinner and Sam Swank saved the ACC today. The way the Deacons confidently rallied with a minute left after an amazingly-stupid go ahead Ole Miss touchdown was so un-ACC-like that I wanted to hug someone.
I'm out for the next two days. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
ACC on TV - Week 2
Here's your handy guide on where to find this weekend's games on the tube or online:
All times Eastern
Saturday, Sept. 6
Georgia Tech @ Boston College, noon (Raycom, ESPN Gameplan or ESPN360)
Furman @ Virginia Tech, 1:30pm (ACC Select - web only)
Ole Miss @ Wake Forest, 3:30pm (ABC, ESPN2, or ESPN360)
The Citadel @ Clemson, 3:30pm (ESPN360 - web only)
Richmond @ Virginia, 3:45pm (ESPNU)
Western Carolina @ Florida State, 6pm (ESPN Gameplan or ESPN360)
William & Mary @ NC State, 6pm (ACC Select - web only)
Maryland @ Middle Tennessee, 7pm (Comcast Sports or ESPN360)
Northwestern @ Duke, 7pm (ACC Select - web only)
Miami @ Florida, 8pm (ESPN or ESPN360)
So there you go.
All times Eastern
Saturday, Sept. 6
Georgia Tech @ Boston College, noon (Raycom, ESPN Gameplan or ESPN360)
Furman @ Virginia Tech, 1:30pm (ACC Select - web only)
Ole Miss @ Wake Forest, 3:30pm (ABC, ESPN2, or ESPN360)
The Citadel @ Clemson, 3:30pm (ESPN360 - web only)
Richmond @ Virginia, 3:45pm (ESPNU)
Western Carolina @ Florida State, 6pm (ESPN Gameplan or ESPN360)
William & Mary @ NC State, 6pm (ACC Select - web only)
Maryland @ Middle Tennessee, 7pm (Comcast Sports or ESPN360)
Northwestern @ Duke, 7pm (ACC Select - web only)
Miami @ Florida, 8pm (ESPN or ESPN360)
So there you go.
Week 2 Preview, Part II: Sifting Through The Rubble
WESTERN CAROLINA (1-0) at FLORIDA STATE (0-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 6pm ET - Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Series Record: Florida State leads 2-0; the Seminoles won the last meeting 50-10 in 1985
Storyline: Christian Ponder makes his first start at quarterback for the Noles.
Brief Overview: Despite the suspension of several starters and backups for last season's academic scandal - along with the suspension of star wideout Preston Parker for pesky law enforcement matter in the spring - the Seminoles open their 2008 campaign in the best shape they've been in since ACC expansion. And based on last weekend's crapfest, the Noles all of a sudden have the look of a legit conference favorite without having yet played a down. Normally I'd blast FSU for scheduling someone like the Catamounts, but given the circumstances, it's a smart move. And if they can't roll up and down the field in this game, then we know things really haven't changed all that much from the last few years.
Prediction: If only for a day, you'll think it's the 1990s again in Tallahassee. Florida State 49, Western Carolina 7
WILLIAM & MARY (0-0) at N.C. STATE (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 6pm ET - Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Series Record: N.C. State leads 11-8; the Wolfpack won the last meeting 38-9 in 1999
Storyline: Nine quarters and counting...the Wolfpack's scoreless streak will certainly come to an end this Saturday. Right?
Brief Overview: The best news all week in Raleigh was the return of Russell Wilson to active duty after last Thursday's frightening concussion. But that's about the only good news in Pack circles these days, as Daniel Evans is still the starting QB, the injuries keep piling up, and their horrific impersonation of a football team last week against South Carolina was further degraded by the Cocks' loss yesterday to Vanderbilt. State has been outscored 81-0 over the last nine quarters (to USC-east, and then Maryland in last season's finale and the fourth quarter against Wake the week prior), and a clunky outing on Saturday against the Tribe will only get the natives unbearably restless just 14 games into Tom O'Brien's tenure. I have no expectation that the State offense will do anything impressive, so a stellar outing by the defense on Saturday would go a long way in stopping the bleeding from the program's gouged reputation. Oh by the way, Tropical Storm Hanna is forecast to be off the Carolina coast just before kickoff.
Prediction: The shutout streak ends, but the Pack will sweat this one out until the final minute, thanks to the wet and windy conditions and their general ineptitude. N.C. State 17, William & Mary 10
NORTHWESTERN (1-0) at DUKE (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 7pm ET - Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
Series Record: Duke leads 8-7; the Blue Devils won last year's meeting 20-14
Storyline: The Wildcats look to avenge last year's upset in Evanston.
Brief Overview: Don't laugh when I say how impressed I was with Duke's blowout victory over James Madison last week. On a day when Maryland, North Carolina, and Arkansas were taken to the wire by 1-AA opposition, the Blue Devils ran away from JMU in the second half of David Cutcliffe's Durham debut. Northwestern is coming off a 30-10 win over Syracuse last week, although the Orange may be a lesser opponent than JMU at this point. The Wildcats finished 6-6 last year and out of the bowls, largely because of that loss to the Dukies. They haven't forgotten that, but these Blue Devils are significantly better than the ones who beat them a year ago.
Prediction: Cutcliffe takes the early lead in the ACC Coach of the Year sweepstakes (how depressing is that?). Duke 27, Northwestern 24
MARYLAND (1-0) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 7pm ET - Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, TN
Series Record: Maryland leads 2-0; the Terrapins won the last meeting 24-10 in 2006
Storyline: Can the Terps manage to not look like crap for once in a non conference game?
Brief Overview: So Chris Turner is back as the starting quarterback after the poor and totally unsurprising performance by Jordan Steffy last week in the 14-7 victory over Delaware. And apparently he's only back because of Steffy's thumb injury, as Turner didn't exactly light it up when he took snaps in the 4th quarter against the Blue Hens. Turner will probably get a quick hook if he stinks it up early in favor of el chico de mama Josh Portis. Middle Tennessee is coming off an unimpressive showing against Troy in which they gave up over 5yds a carry. The safest thing the Turtles can do is give the ball to Da'Rel Scott, let the OL open up Friedgen-sized holes and grind the Blue Raider defense into exhaustion.
Prediction: The Terps take my advice; Scott rolls up 200+ yards on the ground and Turner has a solid if unspectacular day under center. Maryland 31, Middle Tennessee 13
MIAMI (1-0) at FLORIDA (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 8pm ET - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
Series Record: Miami leads 28-25; the Canes won the last meeting 27-10 in the 2004 Peach Bowl
Storyline: Just how far apart are these two Sunshine State powers in the whole scheme of things?
Brief Overview: In the six meetings between these two programs since 1985, the Hurricanes emerged victorious in each contest, winning by an average margin of 17 points. It's only been 4 short years since that last meeting in the '04 Peach Bowl but the trajectory of each program since couldn't be more different. The unfortunate aspect of this matchup is that the Gators' weakness on defense - pass coverage - is negated by the, well, zero experience of starting QB Robert Marve, who sat out last week's victory over Charleston Southern. What the Hurricanes can do well - rushing the ball - is countered by the Gators' solid front seven. And the matchups between the UF offense and Miami defense are irrelevant - the Canes haven't seen anything like the attack Tim Tebow and Co. will unleash. This has the potential to be a repeat of the Oklahoma-Miami disaster from last season, but the pride factor in this rarely-played rivalry will probably keep things from getting ridiculously out of hand.
Prediction: Florida's waited 23 years for a victory over the Canes and they'll finally get it. The SEC notches it's third blowout of an ACC team in the last two weeks. Dammit. Florida 45, Miami 17
That's all for this week, folks.
Saturday, 9/6/08, 6pm ET - Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Series Record: Florida State leads 2-0; the Seminoles won the last meeting 50-10 in 1985
Storyline: Christian Ponder makes his first start at quarterback for the Noles.
Brief Overview: Despite the suspension of several starters and backups for last season's academic scandal - along with the suspension of star wideout Preston Parker for pesky law enforcement matter in the spring - the Seminoles open their 2008 campaign in the best shape they've been in since ACC expansion. And based on last weekend's crapfest, the Noles all of a sudden have the look of a legit conference favorite without having yet played a down. Normally I'd blast FSU for scheduling someone like the Catamounts, but given the circumstances, it's a smart move. And if they can't roll up and down the field in this game, then we know things really haven't changed all that much from the last few years.
Prediction: If only for a day, you'll think it's the 1990s again in Tallahassee. Florida State 49, Western Carolina 7
WILLIAM & MARY (0-0) at N.C. STATE (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 6pm ET - Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Series Record: N.C. State leads 11-8; the Wolfpack won the last meeting 38-9 in 1999
Storyline: Nine quarters and counting...the Wolfpack's scoreless streak will certainly come to an end this Saturday. Right?
Brief Overview: The best news all week in Raleigh was the return of Russell Wilson to active duty after last Thursday's frightening concussion. But that's about the only good news in Pack circles these days, as Daniel Evans is still the starting QB, the injuries keep piling up, and their horrific impersonation of a football team last week against South Carolina was further degraded by the Cocks' loss yesterday to Vanderbilt. State has been outscored 81-0 over the last nine quarters (to USC-east, and then Maryland in last season's finale and the fourth quarter against Wake the week prior), and a clunky outing on Saturday against the Tribe will only get the natives unbearably restless just 14 games into Tom O'Brien's tenure. I have no expectation that the State offense will do anything impressive, so a stellar outing by the defense on Saturday would go a long way in stopping the bleeding from the program's gouged reputation. Oh by the way, Tropical Storm Hanna is forecast to be off the Carolina coast just before kickoff.
Prediction: The shutout streak ends, but the Pack will sweat this one out until the final minute, thanks to the wet and windy conditions and their general ineptitude. N.C. State 17, William & Mary 10
NORTHWESTERN (1-0) at DUKE (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 7pm ET - Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
Series Record: Duke leads 8-7; the Blue Devils won last year's meeting 20-14
Storyline: The Wildcats look to avenge last year's upset in Evanston.
Brief Overview: Don't laugh when I say how impressed I was with Duke's blowout victory over James Madison last week. On a day when Maryland, North Carolina, and Arkansas were taken to the wire by 1-AA opposition, the Blue Devils ran away from JMU in the second half of David Cutcliffe's Durham debut. Northwestern is coming off a 30-10 win over Syracuse last week, although the Orange may be a lesser opponent than JMU at this point. The Wildcats finished 6-6 last year and out of the bowls, largely because of that loss to the Dukies. They haven't forgotten that, but these Blue Devils are significantly better than the ones who beat them a year ago.
Prediction: Cutcliffe takes the early lead in the ACC Coach of the Year sweepstakes (how depressing is that?). Duke 27, Northwestern 24
MARYLAND (1-0) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 7pm ET - Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, TN
Series Record: Maryland leads 2-0; the Terrapins won the last meeting 24-10 in 2006
Storyline: Can the Terps manage to not look like crap for once in a non conference game?
Brief Overview: So Chris Turner is back as the starting quarterback after the poor and totally unsurprising performance by Jordan Steffy last week in the 14-7 victory over Delaware. And apparently he's only back because of Steffy's thumb injury, as Turner didn't exactly light it up when he took snaps in the 4th quarter against the Blue Hens. Turner will probably get a quick hook if he stinks it up early in favor of el chico de mama Josh Portis. Middle Tennessee is coming off an unimpressive showing against Troy in which they gave up over 5yds a carry. The safest thing the Turtles can do is give the ball to Da'Rel Scott, let the OL open up Friedgen-sized holes and grind the Blue Raider defense into exhaustion.
Prediction: The Terps take my advice; Scott rolls up 200+ yards on the ground and Turner has a solid if unspectacular day under center. Maryland 31, Middle Tennessee 13
MIAMI (1-0) at FLORIDA (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 8pm ET - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
Series Record: Miami leads 28-25; the Canes won the last meeting 27-10 in the 2004 Peach Bowl
Storyline: Just how far apart are these two Sunshine State powers in the whole scheme of things?
Brief Overview: In the six meetings between these two programs since 1985, the Hurricanes emerged victorious in each contest, winning by an average margin of 17 points. It's only been 4 short years since that last meeting in the '04 Peach Bowl but the trajectory of each program since couldn't be more different. The unfortunate aspect of this matchup is that the Gators' weakness on defense - pass coverage - is negated by the, well, zero experience of starting QB Robert Marve, who sat out last week's victory over Charleston Southern. What the Hurricanes can do well - rushing the ball - is countered by the Gators' solid front seven. And the matchups between the UF offense and Miami defense are irrelevant - the Canes haven't seen anything like the attack Tim Tebow and Co. will unleash. This has the potential to be a repeat of the Oklahoma-Miami disaster from last season, but the pride factor in this rarely-played rivalry will probably keep things from getting ridiculously out of hand.
Prediction: Florida's waited 23 years for a victory over the Canes and they'll finally get it. The SEC notches it's third blowout of an ACC team in the last two weeks. Dammit. Florida 45, Miami 17
That's all for this week, folks.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Week 2 Preview, Part I: Post-Apocalypse
The one bright spot that can be gleaned from last weekend's catastrophe is that anyone outside of NC State, Virginia and Duke has a chance at winning the conference this season if things fall into place. That makes the intra-conference games much more interesting, however all non-conference match-ups have become quite worrisome. We just gotta see how things play out....
GEORGIA TECH (1-0) at BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, noon ET - Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
Series Record: Georgia Tech leads 4-2; the Eagles won last year's meeting 24-10
Storyline: Paul Johnson's offense gets it's first major test in ACC play.
Brief Overview: The Jackets and the Eagles were one of the few ACC clubs last week that actually looked like they understood basic concepts of football, so of course they face off in week two, thereby knocking one of them from Top 25 consideration for awhile. The Jackets were able to gouge 1-AA Jacksonville State on the ground last week while the Eagles kept Kent State in check and off the scoreboard. It's too early to really get a good feel on this one as this is Johnson's second game at Tech and Jeff Jagodzinski is still breaking in new offensive personnel.
Prediction: Since I don't have much of a feel on this one, I'll go with the home team and the more proven defense. Boston College 20, Georgia Tech 16
FURMAN (1-0) at VIRGINIA TECH (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 1:30pm ET - Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Series Record: Virginia Tech leads 4-0; the Hokies won the last meeting 20-6 in 1947
Storyline: Tyrod Taylor ditches his redshirt for a second straight season; will the Hokies make it worth his while?
Brief Overview: After Sean Glennon once again proved that he's more of a liability than asset at QB in last week's loss to East Carolina, the Hokie coaching staff corrected their massive error from two weeks ago and decided not to redshirt QB Tyrod Taylor after all. With a dearth of experience at the skill positions and a work-in-progress O-line, a playmaker and X-factor at quarterback is a must and Taylor fits the bill. I saw it and Hokie fans saw it prior to the ECU debacle....why didn't Frank Beamer or OC Bryan Stinespring?
Prediction: Taylor wins the starting QB job and the Hokies are rejuvenated at least for one weekend. Virginia Tech 34, Furman 7
OLE MISS (1-0) at WAKE FOREST (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:30pm ET - BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC
Series Record: Wake Forest leads 1-0; the Deacons won 27-3 in the only previous meeting in 2006
Storyline: Can the ACC's only remaining ranked team hold serve this weekend?
Brief Overview: Wake is coming off an easy dispatching of another BCS-conference bottom feeder in Baylor, and now they turn to the SEC's 2005-07 doormat in Ole Miss. The Rebels should certainly be improved this season under Houston Nutt and this Saturday's matchup at Wake will tell us how far along the Nutt Project really is. Wake was very efficient and crisp on offense last week at Baylor while the Rebels were gouged for 453 yards in their win over Memphis. But God help us all if the new ACC favorite is taken out at home by last year's worst SEC club.
Prediction: Jim Grobe is the brightest beacon of hope in this dismal ACC, and with great power comes great responsibility. He won't let us down. Wake Forest 35, Ole Miss 17
THE CITADEL (1-0) at CLEMSON (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:30pm ET - Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Series Record: Clemson leads 29-5-1; the Tigers won the last meeting 38-0 in 2000
Storyline: Clemson gets off the canvas after the Alabama KO; are they still wobbly?
Brief Overview: The destruction of the Tiger offensive and defensive lines against the Tide last Saturday was certainly the biggest X-and-O reason for the loss and the lines will be an issue as the season plays out. But the woeful mental preparation and subsequent shell-shock are entirely the fault of Tommy Bowden and staff and that is something that will only be cured by a coaching change. Clemson won't lose this game but it will be very interesting to see how the first half plays out.
Prediction: The Tigers will be flatter than a Huddle House pancake in the first half, but they'll come out roaring the third and fourth quarters. Clemson 41, The Citadel 14
RICHMOND (1-0) at VIRGINIA (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:45pm ET - Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
Series Record: Virginia leads 24-2-2; the Cavaliers won the last meeting 17-16 in 2001
Storyline: The Cavaliers helped vault USC to #1 in the 1-A polls; could they possibly do the same for Richmond in the 1-AA rankings?
Brief Overview: The Cavaliers face off against former defensive coordinator Mike London who enters his second game as head coach for the Spiders - and he's looking to put his former boss in the firing line. And Richmond is a deadly serious opponent for the Hoos - they have a potent offense, they know who they are and what they can and cannot do. Virginia has no identity and they have no real idea of what they can and can't do well after their decimation by the Trojans. Still, the Spiders were penalized 10 times last week against Elon, so that indicates a lack of discipline and focus and that will probably be too big of an obstacle to overcome.
Prediction: The Cavaliers will win, but no one will be particularly happy about it. Virginia 27, Richmond 21
Week 2 Preview, Part II will be up tomorrow
GEORGIA TECH (1-0) at BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, noon ET - Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
Series Record: Georgia Tech leads 4-2; the Eagles won last year's meeting 24-10
Storyline: Paul Johnson's offense gets it's first major test in ACC play.
Brief Overview: The Jackets and the Eagles were one of the few ACC clubs last week that actually looked like they understood basic concepts of football, so of course they face off in week two, thereby knocking one of them from Top 25 consideration for awhile. The Jackets were able to gouge 1-AA Jacksonville State on the ground last week while the Eagles kept Kent State in check and off the scoreboard. It's too early to really get a good feel on this one as this is Johnson's second game at Tech and Jeff Jagodzinski is still breaking in new offensive personnel.
Prediction: Since I don't have much of a feel on this one, I'll go with the home team and the more proven defense. Boston College 20, Georgia Tech 16
FURMAN (1-0) at VIRGINIA TECH (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 1:30pm ET - Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Series Record: Virginia Tech leads 4-0; the Hokies won the last meeting 20-6 in 1947
Storyline: Tyrod Taylor ditches his redshirt for a second straight season; will the Hokies make it worth his while?
Brief Overview: After Sean Glennon once again proved that he's more of a liability than asset at QB in last week's loss to East Carolina, the Hokie coaching staff corrected their massive error from two weeks ago and decided not to redshirt QB Tyrod Taylor after all. With a dearth of experience at the skill positions and a work-in-progress O-line, a playmaker and X-factor at quarterback is a must and Taylor fits the bill. I saw it and Hokie fans saw it prior to the ECU debacle....why didn't Frank Beamer or OC Bryan Stinespring?
Prediction: Taylor wins the starting QB job and the Hokies are rejuvenated at least for one weekend. Virginia Tech 34, Furman 7
OLE MISS (1-0) at WAKE FOREST (1-0)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:30pm ET - BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC
Series Record: Wake Forest leads 1-0; the Deacons won 27-3 in the only previous meeting in 2006
Storyline: Can the ACC's only remaining ranked team hold serve this weekend?
Brief Overview: Wake is coming off an easy dispatching of another BCS-conference bottom feeder in Baylor, and now they turn to the SEC's 2005-07 doormat in Ole Miss. The Rebels should certainly be improved this season under Houston Nutt and this Saturday's matchup at Wake will tell us how far along the Nutt Project really is. Wake was very efficient and crisp on offense last week at Baylor while the Rebels were gouged for 453 yards in their win over Memphis. But God help us all if the new ACC favorite is taken out at home by last year's worst SEC club.
Prediction: Jim Grobe is the brightest beacon of hope in this dismal ACC, and with great power comes great responsibility. He won't let us down. Wake Forest 35, Ole Miss 17
THE CITADEL (1-0) at CLEMSON (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:30pm ET - Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Series Record: Clemson leads 29-5-1; the Tigers won the last meeting 38-0 in 2000
Storyline: Clemson gets off the canvas after the Alabama KO; are they still wobbly?
Brief Overview: The destruction of the Tiger offensive and defensive lines against the Tide last Saturday was certainly the biggest X-and-O reason for the loss and the lines will be an issue as the season plays out. But the woeful mental preparation and subsequent shell-shock are entirely the fault of Tommy Bowden and staff and that is something that will only be cured by a coaching change. Clemson won't lose this game but it will be very interesting to see how the first half plays out.
Prediction: The Tigers will be flatter than a Huddle House pancake in the first half, but they'll come out roaring the third and fourth quarters. Clemson 41, The Citadel 14
RICHMOND (1-0) at VIRGINIA (0-1)
Saturday, 9/6/08, 3:45pm ET - Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
Series Record: Virginia leads 24-2-2; the Cavaliers won the last meeting 17-16 in 2001
Storyline: The Cavaliers helped vault USC to #1 in the 1-A polls; could they possibly do the same for Richmond in the 1-AA rankings?
Brief Overview: The Cavaliers face off against former defensive coordinator Mike London who enters his second game as head coach for the Spiders - and he's looking to put his former boss in the firing line. And Richmond is a deadly serious opponent for the Hoos - they have a potent offense, they know who they are and what they can and cannot do. Virginia has no identity and they have no real idea of what they can and can't do well after their decimation by the Trojans. Still, the Spiders were penalized 10 times last week against Elon, so that indicates a lack of discipline and focus and that will probably be too big of an obstacle to overcome.
Prediction: The Cavaliers will win, but no one will be particularly happy about it. Virginia 27, Richmond 21
Week 2 Preview, Part II will be up tomorrow
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
About Armageddon Saturday...
Just about every aspect of the ACC's 2008 demise this past Saturday has already been touched upon around the blogosphere and in media circles. That it took just three sorry performances for such a collapse to occur (NC State's loss to South Carolina on Thursday was not helpful to perception but was not all that unexpected) speaks volumes as to the fragile foundation on which ACC football lies. A few thoughts about that:
OFFENSIVE ON OFFENSE
In the four highly visible non-conference defeats, the ACC's offensive production was pathetic...
--NC State (138 total yards, 4 turnovers, 0 points)
--Virginia (187 total yards, 4 turnovers, 7 points)
--Clemson (188 total yards, 2 turnovers, 3 points*)
--Virginia Tech (243 total yards, 2 turnovers, 13 points**)
*Clemson's lone TD was a kickoff return
**Nine of the Hokies' points were scored by defense or special teams
In the four biggest games of the weekend, offense was a no-show. It's bad enough to lose those four, but it's worse when each team ranged from criminally bad (the Wolfpack) to merely inept (the Hokies) when attacking the opposing defense. And it's not like these four teams hadn't had issues before. Clemson's underachieved with all that talent for years, NC State hasn't had a pulse on offense since Phillip Rivers left 5 years ago and Virginia Tech amazingly keeps putting Sean Glennon on the field. At least Virginia can say their QB and OL are young and inexperienced. Still, these are old and known problems that should have been fixed by now.
1-AA SCARES
Miami and Georgia Tech dropped the hammer on their lower division foes Thursday night. Maryland and North Carolina had fourth quarter dogfights with FCS opposition that further deepened the atomic crater of last Saturday....
-Maryland 14, Delaware 7
-North Carolina 35, McNeese State 27
As predicted by anybody with two eyes and the experience of watching Maryland football a handful of times the last few years, Jordan Steffy was once again ineffective at QB and was replaced by both Chris Turner and Josh Portis. The fact that the Terps O-line and RB Da'Rel Scott looked fantastic is totally obscured by that final score. When a league is perceived as bad, 14-7 escapes over 1-AA foes only solidify that perception.
North Carolina did not help matters at all by trailing McNeese in the third quarter, and by giving up nearly 400 yards and 27 points to the Cowboys they did little to dispel the bumfuzzlement of the hiring of Everett Withers as their new defensive coordinator. For those unaware, Mr. Withers was Minnesota's DC last year. Minnesota finished 119th - dead last - in total defense last year. So of course he gets hired at an ACC program.
CHOKERS AT THE TOP
Since ACC title favorite Clemson was so thoroughly violated by the collectively regarded 4th or 5th best SEC squad, any achievement that could be regarded as repairing the league's image as the season plays out will be tempered by that loathsome factoid. That Coastal Division favorite Virginia Tech was beaten straight up - and at their own game - by the 2nd or 3rd best Conference USA team will further squash any potential improvement in perception for awhile as well. On opening weekend, the two division favorites were beaten on neutral fields by unranked non-conference opponents. That is P.R. death.
EXPOSURE
Miami, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College and Duke all posted nice wins on Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately, those games were watched by a total of about 82 people nationwide. Thankfully, the Maryland and UNC struggles were limited to about the same viewing audience. The big problem is that the four big losses were all nationally televised. NC State-South Carolina was ESPN's Thursday night kickoff game. Virginia Tech-ECU was ESPN's kickoff game at noon on Saturday. Clemson-Bama was the much publicized night game on ABC. USC-Virginia was the 3:30pm ABC game that covered 80% of the country. The ACC got pounded on the field and in a lot of living rooms and sports bars this weekend. The perception game is already lost. First impressions are hard to overcome and the ACC left an impression of enormous suckitude for millions.
So the ACC has been pummeled in early season action once again. We're used to this position. It's frustrating, it's maddening and it's getting all the more sickening each year when you consider how much money has been invested at improving the product. And the yapping each year about how the league is finally turning a corner....just stop it already. That goes for me, the media and especially for the overpaid coaches and underperforming players.
OFFENSIVE ON OFFENSE
In the four highly visible non-conference defeats, the ACC's offensive production was pathetic...
--NC State (138 total yards, 4 turnovers, 0 points)
--Virginia (187 total yards, 4 turnovers, 7 points)
--Clemson (188 total yards, 2 turnovers, 3 points*)
--Virginia Tech (243 total yards, 2 turnovers, 13 points**)
*Clemson's lone TD was a kickoff return
**Nine of the Hokies' points were scored by defense or special teams
In the four biggest games of the weekend, offense was a no-show. It's bad enough to lose those four, but it's worse when each team ranged from criminally bad (the Wolfpack) to merely inept (the Hokies) when attacking the opposing defense. And it's not like these four teams hadn't had issues before. Clemson's underachieved with all that talent for years, NC State hasn't had a pulse on offense since Phillip Rivers left 5 years ago and Virginia Tech amazingly keeps putting Sean Glennon on the field. At least Virginia can say their QB and OL are young and inexperienced. Still, these are old and known problems that should have been fixed by now.
1-AA SCARES
Miami and Georgia Tech dropped the hammer on their lower division foes Thursday night. Maryland and North Carolina had fourth quarter dogfights with FCS opposition that further deepened the atomic crater of last Saturday....
-Maryland 14, Delaware 7
-North Carolina 35, McNeese State 27
As predicted by anybody with two eyes and the experience of watching Maryland football a handful of times the last few years, Jordan Steffy was once again ineffective at QB and was replaced by both Chris Turner and Josh Portis. The fact that the Terps O-line and RB Da'Rel Scott looked fantastic is totally obscured by that final score. When a league is perceived as bad, 14-7 escapes over 1-AA foes only solidify that perception.
North Carolina did not help matters at all by trailing McNeese in the third quarter, and by giving up nearly 400 yards and 27 points to the Cowboys they did little to dispel the bumfuzzlement of the hiring of Everett Withers as their new defensive coordinator. For those unaware, Mr. Withers was Minnesota's DC last year. Minnesota finished 119th - dead last - in total defense last year. So of course he gets hired at an ACC program.
CHOKERS AT THE TOP
Since ACC title favorite Clemson was so thoroughly violated by the collectively regarded 4th or 5th best SEC squad, any achievement that could be regarded as repairing the league's image as the season plays out will be tempered by that loathsome factoid. That Coastal Division favorite Virginia Tech was beaten straight up - and at their own game - by the 2nd or 3rd best Conference USA team will further squash any potential improvement in perception for awhile as well. On opening weekend, the two division favorites were beaten on neutral fields by unranked non-conference opponents. That is P.R. death.
EXPOSURE
Miami, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College and Duke all posted nice wins on Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately, those games were watched by a total of about 82 people nationwide. Thankfully, the Maryland and UNC struggles were limited to about the same viewing audience. The big problem is that the four big losses were all nationally televised. NC State-South Carolina was ESPN's Thursday night kickoff game. Virginia Tech-ECU was ESPN's kickoff game at noon on Saturday. Clemson-Bama was the much publicized night game on ABC. USC-Virginia was the 3:30pm ABC game that covered 80% of the country. The ACC got pounded on the field and in a lot of living rooms and sports bars this weekend. The perception game is already lost. First impressions are hard to overcome and the ACC left an impression of enormous suckitude for millions.
So the ACC has been pummeled in early season action once again. We're used to this position. It's frustrating, it's maddening and it's getting all the more sickening each year when you consider how much money has been invested at improving the product. And the yapping each year about how the league is finally turning a corner....just stop it already. That goes for me, the media and especially for the overpaid coaches and underperforming players.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Blog Poll Ballot, Post Week 1
| Rank | Team | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | -- |
| 2 | Oklahoma | -- |
| 3 | Southern Cal | -- |
| 4 | Florida | -- |
| 5 | Missouri | -- |
| 6 | Georgia | -- |
| 7 | Texas | -- |
| 8 | West Virginia | -- |
| 9 | LSU |  1 |
| 10 | Auburn |  1 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 1 |
| 12 | Alabama | 14 |
| 13 | Wake Forest | 1 |
| 14 | Oregon | 1 |
| 15 | South Florida | 1 |
| 16 | Penn State | 5 |
| 17 | Brigham Young | 4 |
| 18 | Texas Tech | 1 |
| 19 | Kansas | -- |
| 20 | Utah | 3 |
| 21 | Arizona State | 3 |
| 22 | Boston College | 4 |
| 23 | Clemson | 12 |
| 24 | Illinois | -- |
| 25 | California | 1 |
Dropped Out: Virginia Tech (#20), Tennessee (#22), North Carolina (#25)
No comments this week. Still kinda pissed.
No comments this week. Still kinda pissed.
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