2008 ACC Discussion

[BB73]

Atlantic

Will BC have a large dropoff without Matt Ryan?

Will Clemson, with Spiller and Davis running behind underrated QB Cullen Harper, finally make it to a BCS game?

Will a depleted-by-suspensions FSU be able to get past their early tests against Western Carolina and Chattanooga?

Will Maryland be able to fill the holes in the middle of their defense without putting the head coach on the field?

Will N.C. State improve under 2nd-year coach Tom O'Brien?

Can Jim Grobe keep Wake Forest near the top of the league standings?

Coastal

Can David Cutcliffe have any success like Steve Spurrier did long ago at Duke?

Will Paul Johnson's option attack be effective at Georgia Tech?

Can Miami bounce back quickly after getting a strong recruiting class?

Can North Carolina contend under Butch Davis?

Can Virginia win so many close games without Chris Long?

Will "Beamer Ball" continue to be effective with so many losses on defense?

cfn

2008 Early ACC Lookaheads

With James Davis reversing field and choosing to come back for his senior season, Clemson is loaded with top skill players in what should be a stronger year for the ACC. Here's an early look-ahead at each ACC team with what needs working on and why to be excited and grouchy.

 

[NFBuck]

If Clemson can't get to a BCS bowl this year, Bowden needs to be out on his ass. Of course, I said that last year as well.

 

[HailToMichigan]

Atlantic

Will BC have a large dropoff without Matt Ryan?

- Not a large dropoff. Matt Ryan wasn't as talented as the hype.

Will Clemson, with Spiller and Davis running behind underrated QB Cullen Harper, finally make it to a BCS game?

- Only if that O-line, which sucked magic balls last year and lost half their players, becomes the miracle story of the year.

Will a depleted-by-suspensions FSU be able to get past their early tests against Western Carolina and Chattanooga?

- In Half-Ass-U fashion, they'll run up the score and win by fifty to "prove" that they are unaffected. They'll then muddle their way to the E*****d Bowl.

Will Maryland be able to fill the holes in the middle of their defense without putting the head coach on the field?

- They might be at risk of a 12-man penalty even with 11 heads in the huddle.

Will N.C. State improve under 2nd-year coach Tom O'Brien?

- Yes.

Can Jim Grobe keep Wake Forest near the top of the league standings?

- Traditionally for Wake Forest, "near the top" is the same as "not last". So yes.

Coastal

Can David Cutcliffe have any success like Steve Spurrier did long ago at Duke?

- Not this year.

Will Paul Johnson's option attack be effective at Georgia Tech?

- Probably not against the tougher competition in the ACC. He's not playing Army and Notre Dame any more.

Can Miami bounce back quickly after getting a strong recruiting class?

- Miami signed a 33-man class. Let's first find out which 8 recruits are unable to qualify at that bastion of high-powered academics, Da Yoo.

Can North Carolina contend under Butch Davis?

Maybe if Davis changes his name to "Mack Brown."

Can Virginia win so many close games without Chris Long?

- Don't need to. They'll be blowout wins this time

Will "Beamer Ball" continue to be effective with so many losses on defense?

- "Beamer Ball" means blocking a kick about as often as everyone else does then having the announcers gush and exclaim "that's the hallmark of a Frank Beamer team!!!" So yes, it will be just as effective, because it will continue to annoy the piss out of me just as often as before. Fuck Tech.

 

[HailToMichigan]

Now that I've had a chance to look at our schedule, here's what I think about the upcoming year. First, rrrrggggghhhhhhhh. We've lost Jameel Sewell and CB Chris Cook to academic issues, and will probably lose DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald as well. Losing Sewell leaves us with bonus baby Peter Lalich at QB. Lalich was the #2 pro-style QB recruit behind Ryan "Chuck Norris" Mallett, so he's got the skills, but when Sewell went down to injury on occasion last year, Lalich was useless. Hopefully a year under his belt will prepare him for the job because we have no choice. Next on the depth chart is clipboard stand Scott Deke, who hasn't taken a snap ever. As for Cook, he's probably the best CB on the roster but he's been hurt every year, so we can cover that loss. Fitzgerald was all set to be our new holy terror with Chris Long gone, and losing him means the entire DL will be new next year. The O-line also loses most of its best players.

That aside, we have a lot of continuity elsewhere. All safeties, RBs, and WR's return, almost all LB's, and with Kevin Ogletree coming back from injury we finally have a receiver who can get open.

Still, going to be a tough year. The ACC schedule gets tougher by adding Clemson and subtracting NC State. Pencil in Richmond, UConn, Duke, ECU, and UNC as likely wins that could still bite us in the ass. Pencil in USC and VT ($%&@) as probable losses. That leaves Md, GT, Miami, Wake, and Clemson We're not likely to contend for the ACC title this year, unless Lalich realizes all of his potential all of a sudden. D-line not as big an issue in the 3-4, they just need to eat up OLs and let the very veteran LB's make plays.

As for the whole ACC, I think it's up for grabs. We contend if Lalich plays like the recruit he was. Clemson looks kinda scary but their O-line is nonexistent. VT loses quite a lot of their defense. There's definitely room for a new player in the Orange Bowl this year. Could be Clemson, could be BC, could even be Maryland or Wake.

 

[MD Buckeye]

ESPN - Coaching changes, position battles add spice to ACC spring practices - College Football

Coaching changes, position battles add spice to ACC spring practices

With new head coaches at Duke and Georgia Tech and several new assistants entering the league, a few ACC teams' playbooks will get some revisions this spring. Half the league is in the market for a new quarterback and last season's top teams -- Virginia Tech and Boston College -- have significant holes to fill.
As usual at this time of year, there are far more questions than there are answers. Here's a quick look at some of the key position battles, coaching changes and what else to pay attention to during spring practices around the ACC:

Cont'd.....

 

[MD Buckeye]

ESPN - Experienced Tigers expected to rise above the pack - College Football

Experienced Tigers expected to rise above the pack

When ranking the ACC teams, three tiers are easily distinguishable. Clemson clearly leads the group. The middle of the pack must expand to accommodate 10 of the 12 teams. And then there's Duke, which remains, well, Duke.

The Tigers have, arguably, the most pieces in place to reach the ACC title game in Tampa and win it -- so long as they figure out how to come through in the fourth quarter of close games. Defending league champ Virginia Tech had a mass exodus of talented seniors and "little" Wake Forest is quietly becoming one of the conference's most consistent teams. Meanwhile, Miami and Florida State are pushing to regain respect. Here's an early preview of how the jumbled ACC might eventually shake out:

Cont'd....

 

[HailToMichigan]

What we know: Chris Long is gone.
What we don't know: Who the quarterback will be.
How the Cavaliers can get to Tampa: A lot of last year's luck.

Uh....
Good thing that's not an Insider article. I'd hate to have paid for that cutting and exclusive insight that's only 2/3 right. Because I think it's funny how they think there'll be a quarterback battle in camp. There's Peter Lalich and six chumps who've never thrown a collegiate pass, only one of which is more experienced than "sophomore".

 

[MD Buckeye]

Rivals.com College Football - Work begins anew across country

Gives dates of spring practice & Spring Games. Also current buzz

 

[BB73]

Spring preview by Richard Cirminiello.

cfn

With James Davis returning for his senior season, Clemson is loaded, but what does it need to do to finally get over the top in the Tommy Bowden era? Just as spring ball gets underway, here are the big questions, the most important positions and more for each ACC team in the CFN Spring Preview.

Cont'd ...

 

[MD Buckeye]

ESPN - Virginia loses another: DE Fitzgerald leaves school - College Football

Virginia loses another: DE Fitzgerald leaves school

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald is not enrolled in classes this semester.

Sports information director Jim Daves confirmed Monday the sophomore from Richmond, who is been expected to take over as the team's top pass-rusher with the departure of Chris Long to the NFL, is no longer a student but declined to comment further, citing privacy issues.

The 6-foot-3, 279-pound Fitzgerald was a two-year starter who had 11? tackles for a loss and seven sacks last season. He also had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

The loss of Fitzgerald only adds to what has been a difficult offseason for the Cavaliers, who have also lost two-year starting quarterback Jameel Sewell, starting cornerback Chris Cook and two others for at least a year because of academic issues.

 

[BB73]

cfn

Five teams that could be this year's Missouri and go from good to special ...

- Clemson
Has any program generated as much buzz and done exactly squat over the last few years? Finally, this should be the season Tommy Bowden's team puts it all together with eight starters returning on both sides of the ball led by one of the nation's top backfields. QB Cullen Harper and RBs James Davis and C.J. Spiller should be fantastic, while the defense that finished ninth in the nation should be devastating. If the team really is as good as expected, a road slate against Wake Forest, Boston College, Florida State and Virginia, along with a date with Alabama in Atlanta, should be manageable.

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

An AP article quoting a facebook entry. Journalism is changing.

usatoday

Ore will not play for Virginia Tech next year

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) ? Star running back Branden Ore will not play for Virginia Tech next year, a decision reached after meetings with coach Frank Beamer.

Ore would have been a redshirt senior. On his Facebook profile he said he was "making life decisions right now."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/acc/vatech.htm

"We have decided that it would be best for Branden to pursue other opportunities," Beamer said in a statement Wednesday. "Branden has had many great moments here at Virginia Tech, and we wish him well."

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

si.com

Johnson: First GT practice is ragged

ATLANTA (AP) -- Paul Johnson said his first practice as Georgia Tech's coach was "ragged," and he said that's just as he expected.

Georgia Tech opened spring practice Monday with its new coach, and the two-hour session confirmed the players have much to learn.

"It was about what you would expect with so much being new to the players," Johnson said.

"When you are in shorts and helmets, you don't get the pace I'd like to see. But that will come."

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

si.com

Clemson's Davis out for rest of spring

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- Clemson running back James Davis will be sidelined for the rest of spring practice with a shoulder injury.

Coach Tommy Bowden said Monday that Davis, the team's leading rusher last season, was injured March 13 in the Tigers' last practice before spring break.

Bowden said the injury is not serious but doctors determined Monday Davis should sit out a few more weeks.

Cont'd ...

 

[IronBuckI]

Georgia Tech just has train wreck written all over it this year, and I'm not sure if those people have the patience to allow Johnson to get his system in place when it's not the flashier shotgun version that other schools are going to.