ACC Rankings after Week 3

The major disappointment of week one across the league had turned into some positives over the past few weeks, and you need look no further than the state of Florida for those good stories…

 

1) Miami.  The Canes proved themselves in a week one win over Florida State, but it was their defensive dominance over Georgia Tech last Thursday that really shocked people.  Jacory Harris’ name is already on some Heisman lists.

2) Virginia Tech.  The Hokies needed a miracle to pull off a win against Nebraska Saturday.  Really all they needed was Tyrod Taylor to start playing like a quarterback. 

3) Florida State.  The Noles looked lost a few weeks ago against Jacksonville State, but their beatdown of BYU Saturday showed that perhaps Papa Bowden hasn’t lost his touch.

4) North Carolina.  The Heels are getting it done defensively, holding opponents to 11 points a game.  A trip to Georgia Tech this weekend should really help us see just how real this team is.

5) Georgia Tech.  The Jackets tricky offense was held in check against Miami, gaining just 95 yards on the ground.  Paul Johnson knows how to coach, but he’s gonna have to find a plan B when those triple option plays stop working.

6) Clemson.  The Tigers D held Boston College to 59 yards of total offense Saturday, winning 25-7.  Problem is, the Tigers failed to score an offensive touchdown.  That must change quickly if the Tigers are gonna compete for the ACC Atlantic crown.

7)  Wake Forest.  Riley Skinner is solid at QB, and Jim Grobe is a solid coach.  Wake lacks big time playmakers, and that could hurt them the rest of the way. 

8)  Boston College.  The Eagles are in the top ten of the nation defensively, but much of that comes from 2 games against Northeastern and Kent State.  Offensively, things could be better.

9) NC State.  The Wolfpack’s Russell Wilson set the NCAA mark for passes without an interception Saturday against Gardner-Webb.  Looks like Tom O’Brien finally has his team playing offense, something we didn’t see in week 1 against South Carolina.

10) Duke.  The blowout against Kansas was expected, but finally Duke has a coach that isn’t content to just “field a team”.  David Cutcliffe has done well in recruiting and is gonna turn this team around in time.  Heck, at least they’re not last in the ACC.

11) Maryland.  In the first of our two ACC coaches that need to go segment, we question how Ralph Friedgen allowed MTSU to beat the Terps…again.  It took a last minute drive to win against James Madison a few weeks ago. 

12) Virginia.  How bad is Al Groh?  The Cavs can’t even hold on to a big lead against Southern Miss.  Losses to TCU and (gasp!) William and Mary should cement Groh’s fate.

NCAA Football Week One: Top Ten Games

10.  Western Michigan @ Michigan – Do or die time for Rich Rod and company.  Anything less than a 2 TD win here only darkens the cloud of his short tenure in Ann Arbor   Prediction: Michigan 35, W. Mich. 13

9.  Baylor @ Wake Forest -  This game was a lopsided affair last year in favor of Wake 41-13.  This year it should be much closer.  Two of the most underrated QB’s in action>  Robert Griffin (Baylor) and Riley Skinner (Wake).  Prediction: Baylor 27, Wake Forest 21

8. Cincinnati @ Rutgers-  Last year’s Big East champ meets one of this year’s favorites.  The Knights lose some big play makers, but a solid secondary should help them contain Bearcat QB Tony Pike.  Prediction:  Rutgers 23, Cincinnati 20

7.  South Carolina @ NC State-  The Wolfpack are much improved this year, starting with QB Russell Wilson.  The question will be can he lead this team past one of the SEC’s stingiest defenses?  Homefield advantage wins this one.  Prediction: NC State 24, S. Carolina 23

6.  Nevada @ Notre Dame- OK Irish fans, let’s hear it.  How great you’ll be this year, how you’re BCS bound, how 10 wins is a “worst case scenario”.  I don’t buy it yet.  Nevada had the 5th overall offense in the nation last year.  Hope Charlie Weis has his team focused.  Prediction:  Notre Dame 37, Nevada 31

5.  Miami @ Florida State- Who would’ve thought we’d see the day that this became an unappealing matchup of two “has beens”?  The Seminoles are creeping back to relevance, but they’re still a few years away.  Miami may be light years away.  Prediction: Florida St. 37, Miami 24

4.  Oklahoma vs. BYU- No doubt the Cougars will be ready for this game.  At a “neutral” site, BYU has the chance to play lead in a big upset.  Max Hall can throw the ball, and the Sooners porous pass D is bound to give up some yards.  Look for a shootout.  Prediction: Oklahoma 45, BYU 35

3.  Oregon @ Boise St.-  Is there anyone out there that doesn’t root for the team with the Blue Turf?  Boise State has managed to be one of the top college programs NOT from a BCS conference.  Should be fun to see their D try to contain Oregon’s potent offense.  Prediction: Boise State 31, Oregon 26

2.  Georgia @ Oklahoma St.- The Dawgs defense will have their hands full with a Cowboy offense that managed 40.8 PPG last year.  All their playmakers return, making this trip for Georgia a rough one.  Prediction: Oklahoma St. 39, Georgia 29

1.  Alabama vs. Virginia Tech-  The prime time special will feature two programs coming off BCS bowl appearances.  VT lost starting RB Darren Evans about a month ago, but the D is still in tact.  Look for a close, low scoring affair that goes down to the wire.  Prediction: Va. Tech 23, Alabama 20

Setting up the 2009-10 Bowl Matchups and Conference Winners

CONFERENCE WINNERS

SEC: FLORIDA over Alabama

BIG TEN: OHIO ST.

BIG 12: TEXAS over Kansas

ACC: VIRGINIA TECH over Florida St.

PAC-10: CALIFORNIA

BIG EAST: WEST VIRGINIA

MOUNTAIN WEST: TCU

CONF. USA: HOUSTON over East Carolina

WAC: BOISE ST.

MAC: CENTRAL MICHIGAN over Buffalo

SUN BELT: TROY

 

BCS BOWLS

TITLE GAME: Texas vs. Florida

ROSE: Ohio St. vs. California

SUGAR: Alabama vs. Boise St.

FIESTA: USC vs. Oklahoma St.

ORANGE: Va. Tech vs. W. Virginia

OTHER BOWLS

HUMANITARIAN: Colorado St. vs. Nevada

NEW MEXICO: Utah vs. La. Tech

POINSETTIA: BYU vs. Arizona

LAS VEGAS: TCU vs. UCLA

NEW ORLEANS: Southern Miss vs. Fla. Atlantic

ARMED FORCES: Tulsa vs. Air Force

HAWAII: East Carolina vs. Fresno St.

LIBERTY: Houston vs. South Carolina

MOTOR CITY: Michigan vs. Central Mich.

OUTBACK: Illinois vs. Georgia

CAPITAL ONE: Penn St. vs. Ole Miss

ST. PETERSBURG: Arkansas St. vs Marshall

PAPAJOHNS.COM: Cincinnati vs. MTSU

INTERNATIONAL: S. Florida vs. Bowling Green

TEXAS: Kansas St. vs. Navy

INDEPENDENCE: Nebraska vs. Kentucky

INSIGHT: Baylor vs. Northwestern

SUN: Colorado vs. Rutgers

ALAMO: Kansas vs. Iowa

HOLIDAY: Texas Tech vs. Oregon St.

COTTON: Oklahoma vs. LSU

GMAC: Wake Forest vs. Buffalo

EAGLE BANK: NC State vs. Memphis

EMERALD: Boston Coll. vs. Oregon

MEINIKE CAR CARE: Miami vs. Pittsburgh

MUSIC CITY: North Carolina vs. Auburn

CHAMPS SPORTS: Clemson vs. Michigan St.

GATOR: Ga. Tech vs. Notre Dame

CHIK-FIL-A: Tennessee vs. Florida St.

2009 ACC Football Preview

ACC PREVIEW

 

Each of my conference previews are determined in part by using a simple formula using certain nine variables to determine a teams ability to win games. These nine categories are as follows: Quarterback, RB/WR/TE, Offensive Line, DE/LB, Secondary, Coaching, Schedule Difficulty, Home Field Advantage, and Player Experience. Each team is ranked in descending order according to their strength in these areas. For example, the team in a conference with the best QB will be given a one, the second best rated team by QB will be given a 2, and on down through the remaining teams in that conference. This formula goes on for all categories. After all categories and teams are ranked, those rankings are added up to give the team’s a total score. The lower the score, the more likely a team will be successful this year and win more games than teams with higher overall scores. By no means is it an exact science, just my personal predictions for the upcoming season.)

 

 

The expansion of the ACC just a few years ago was supposed to bring a mediocre football conference into the realm of superiority. However, the opposite has happened. Florida State has fallen off from being a feared dynasty, Miami has embarrassed themselves on the field, and Clemson has yet to live up to lofty expectations. Can anyone in the ACC lay claim to national respect this year?

 

THREE BOLD PREDICTIONS

 

1. Half the league will finish with 8 or more wins. The league isn’t quite the caliber of the SEC, but it is turning out some programs who’s football prestige is growing. Most notably schools like Boston College, NC State, and North Carolina.

2. Another losing season will finally cost Al Groh his job. Can you remember a year where Groh wasn’t on the hot seat at Virginia? Last year, the Cavs finished 5-7, a year which included a few nice wins but more notably some really bad losses. Uva managed to lose to Connecticut and Duke by a combined 63 points. In this, Groh’s 9^th season, a winning record is more important than ever.

   

   Groh needs wins to avoid the axe. (Photo courtesy of weblogs.newsday.com)

3. Virginia Tech will finish ACC play undefeated. It’s certainly no surprise that the Hokies are ranked top of the conference, but they’ve got to end the ACC season with a clean slate. That could very easily happen this year, with the only real test coming on the road against Georgia Tech. If they do finish undefeated in conference play, it will be the fourth time in the five years of the ACC title game in which the Hokies have participated in the championship tilt.

 

THREE GUYS READY FOR DRAFT DAY

 

1. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson- With James Davis gone, Spiller is the Tigers’ featured back. His play making ability has led many college football talking heads to refer to him as the “Reggie Bush of the East Coast.” AS long as Spiller keeps things north-south and doesn’t try to dance too much (as has been his tendency), he’ll be a stud in the NFL.

   

   Is Spiller the most dynamic back in ACC history? (Photo courtesy of daylife.com)

2. Kam Chancellor, S, Va. Tech- The best defensive secondary in the ACC is led by the best DB in the league, Kam Chancellor. The senior DB has skills that set him apart, even though this is his first full season playing free safety. He’s got great range and can cover big spaces, which is exactly what you was a FS to do.

3. Dekoda Watson, LB, Florida St.- He’s got rushing abilities beyond most other Lbs in the league, and NFL scouts love him. He considered leaving early each of the last 2 seasons, and now as a senior, has a chance to fully polish his skills and look for a 1^st or 2^nd round draft spot.

 

THREE “CAN’T MISS GAMES”

 

1. Clemson at Georgia Tech, Sept. 10- Early season test between rivals. Can Dabo Swinney make his mark early in his first full season as the Tiger’s coach?

2. Va. Tech vs. Alabama, Sept. 3- Hokies fight for ACC respectability against tough Bama squad, who embarrassed Clemson in same game last year 34-10.

3. North Carolina at NC State, Nov. 28- Won’t be a decider in the ACC title hunt, but should be a great game to watch between two up and comers in the league. The Heels got trounced by the Pack last year 41-10.

 

 

THREE THINGS WE WON’T SEE THIS YEAR

 

1. Clemson in the ACC Title Game. Frustrations over Tommy Bowden’s ineptitude came to a head last season, and Bowden was politely asked to not let the door hit him on the backside on his way out of town. Dabo Swinney, a young Alabama kid takes over at the helm and did a decent enough job last season, guiding Clemson to wins in 5 of their last 7 games. However, they’re not at the level yet to be a title contender, at least not this season. Florida State will just edge them out for the Atlantic spot.

2. Duke making a bowl game. No question Dave Cutcliffe is making the Blue Devils into a recognizable program. It’s tough to climb out of the cellar after being there for years and years. Recruiting is improving, and students are starting to see that there is another sport other than basketball on campus. However, the Dukies aren’t quite there yet. Only 12 starters return, and a tough ACC slate won’t help break a 14 year bowl-less streak.

3. National respect for ACC football. It still is viewed as a basketball league, and nothing that takes place this year will change that. Even if VT stops Alabama in that season kickoff in Atlanta, most NCAA fans will refer to it as nothing more than an “old Big East team” knocking off a SEC team. For the ACC to climb back into national title discussions, teams like Clemson, Florida State, and Georgia Tech have to return to the programs they once were.

 

THREE REASONS TO WATCH THE BIG EAST

 

1. Tobacco Road: All 4 NC schools have shot at a bowl. Never in the history of college football have all 4 of the ACC schools from North Carolina been in bowl games in the same season. There’s a chance that could change this year. North Carolina and Wake Forest seem almost a lock in the pre-season to make bowls, and sleeper NC State has all the makings of a team destined for the post season as well. Duke, while unlikely to make a bowl, isn’t a definite lock to NOT make one. Could be interesting to see if all 4 can sneak into bowls in the same year.

2. Virginia Tech’s BCS Title run. If the schedule was completely flipped upside down, the big SEC/ACC clash between the Hokies and Crimson Tide would possibly be a de facto play-in game for a spot in the BCS title game. As it were, if VT can beat Saban’s Bama boys, Frank Beamer controls his own destiny.

   

   With 17 returning starters, the Hokies are looking BCS bound. (Photo courtesy of myspace.com/kennyowens)

3. To determine if Paul Johnson and his crazy run-the-ball-every-play system is for real. Georgia Tech was one of the strongest teams in the ACC last year, and it was all due to the fact that they dominated the running game. The Ramblin’ Wreck finished 4^th in the nation in rushing, thanks to Paul Johnson’s system and a young man named Jonathan Dwyer, picked by many as a Heisman dark horse this season. As good as the Jackets were as rushing, their passing game was equally as bad. Johnson will have to mix things up more, as he was exposed in an ugly Chik-fil-A Bowl loss to LSU 38-3.

 

BOWL QUALIFIERS

Clemson, Florida State, Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami