Taylor unstoppable as Hokies claim fourth ACC championship

This blog post originally appeared on my other site for Hokie football – http://representacc.com/blogs/vt/2010/12/06/taylor-unstoppable-in-hokies-championship-run/

Tyrod Taylor has been tied to some lofty comparisons while at Virginia Tech.

It’s a common sight on the Blacksburg campus to find a student wearing a maroon and orange Superman t-shirt with Taylor’s jersey number, five, superimposed over the letter “S”.

Taylor fit the bill on Saturday night, leaving no doubt he was the best player in the ACC this season with a legendary championship game performance, as Virginia Tech beat Florida State 44-33 in Charlotte.

“He gives you a chance to win every Saturday,” head coach Frank Beamer said, “We’re fortunate to have Tyrod.”

If the Hokies didn’t, they wouldn’t have been the first team to go undefeated in league play in a decade, or win three conference titles in four years. His stat line – 18-of-28 passing, 263 yards, four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) – does not come close to justifying the zone he was in all night.

On his first touchdown pass of the game, he spun away from the Florida State pass rush, turning his back to the end zone before finding Jarrett Boykin for a 19-yard touchdown pass. And that was only a snapshot of what Taylor was about to do.

He spent most of the third quarter twisting around the maze of Seminole defenders in the backfield, leaving a wake of garnet and gold jerseys as he led the Hokies on two scoring drives to put them ahead 35-24 at the end of the period.

Despite Taylor’s efforts, Florida State never truly faded from the game until late. With 11:29 left in the fourth quarter, the Hokies faced a third-and-goal from the five-yard line. Taylor took a shotgun snap and rolled to his right but found no one to throw to. He reversed directions and darted for the left side of the end zone. Two Seminole defenders appeared to have him dead in his tracks, when Taylor juked back to the right once again and literally walked across the goal line.

“Sometimes I’m running and I don’t even know where I’m going. I trust my feet,” Taylor said.

The difference between Taylor circa 2010, and Taylor circa 2007-2009, is there were times when not only did he trust his feet, but he unnecessarily relied on them. He rarely seemed comfortable as a dropback passer, and he was quick to tuck the ball and run for his life.

This year, Taylor was as complete of a quarterback as the Hokies have ever had. His 23 touchdown passes were three more than he threw in his first three seasons combined.

“He’s been a lot more accurate this year and he trusts us a lot more when we go up for passes. That makes us a whole lot more confident,” Boykin said.

At Tech, the standard for quarterbacks will always be Michael Vick and what he accomplished in 1999-2000. His highlight package runs longer than “Titanic,” and despite an illustrious career, Taylor was never truly out of Vick’s shadow.

There was nothing to separate Taylor on Saturday night from Vick at any point in his career.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some great quarterbacks at Virginia Tech, and Tyrod is right there,” Beamer said.

If the Hokies didn’t lose to FCS foe James Madison on Sept. 11, it’s not crazy to think that Taylor would be in New York next week for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

The notoriety that would have come with playing quarterback on a top-10 team would have been far greater than being unranked for several weeks in the middle of the season. Taylor’s name would have been mentioned in the same breath as Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Boise State’s Kellen Moore. Instead, it’s only now that the country is realizing just how good Taylor’s been this season.

“(Taylor)’s meant a lot to Virginia Tech, there’s no question about that,” Beamer said.

Taylor has one game left – the Orange Bowl against No. 4 Stanford on Jan. 3 – to cement his legacy as having arguably the greatest career of any Tech quarterback.

This season’s loss to James Madison and Vick’s trip to the national championship game are clearly the pair’s biggest points of difference, but as for an overall career, it’s hard to knock Taylor for what he’s done.

With three conference titles and the all-time school passing record, Taylor’s legacy should lock arms with Vick’s ‘til kingdom come.

“I hope they don’t forget about me,” Taylor said.

Unless Clark Kent makes a verbal commitment, no Hokies’ fan ever will.

Football weekend wrap-up: November 20

One division title was decided on Saturday, while the other saw its race whittled down to two teams.

Virginia Tech overcame a slow start to dominate Miami in the second half, winning 31-17 on the road. It was the Hokies’ ninth straight win; their longest streak since 1999.

With the Coastal Division in hand, they will face Virginia next Saturday for a chance to become the first team to run the table in the ACC since 2000.

Ryan Williams said his hamstring wouldn’t be 100 percent until he could rest it after the season. Whatever percent it is now, it’s still better than just about anyone else. Williams showed the explosiveness that made him a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate with a 142-yard, two-touchdown output.

The day kicked off with a thrilling rivalry game between North Carolina and NC State. The Wolfpack trailed 19-10 in the third quarter, but came back to win 29-25. They had to hold on late when North Carolina scored to come within two points, but a failed two-point conversion try left NC State standing.

The win moved the Wolfpack to 5-2 in ACC play, tied with Florida State for the time being.

The Seminoles edged Maryland in a tough environment, 30-16. The Terps were knocking on the door in the final minute down a touchdown, but Nick Moody intercepted a Danny O’Brien pass and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown.

Banged-up FSU quarterback Christian Ponder completed 16-of-26 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. It was the Seminoles’ defense, however, that won the game. Mark Stoops’ unit forced four turnovers despite giving up 432 yards of total offense.

Maryland’s hopes for an improbable ACC title run were shattered with the loss, while Florida State now must hope the Terrapins can play spoiler next week against the Wolfpack. If NC State beats Maryland, the ‘Pack will play in their first ever conference championship game. If not, the Seminoles will face the Hokies on Dec. 4 in Charlotte.

Granted, there’s still a week left, but you’ve got to hand it to the Tar Heels. Despite all the turmoil, not to mention severe attrition of key players, they’ve been competitive every week. Of their five losses, three have come by six points or less. It’s a bit of a backhanded compliment, but Butch Davis was pretty darn good at keeping his team afloat despite the chaos surrounding his team.

The ACC Player of the Year appeared to be locked up a few weeks ago; and it would belong to Tyrod Taylor. Over the past three weeks, Taylor has cooled off significantly. In that span, he’s completed 35-of-67 passes (52%) with four touchdowns. He’s also only rushed for 62 yards in that time. He’s still the front-runner because of the plays he makes that don’t show up in the stat book.

Headed in the opposite direction, however, is Boston College’s Montel Harris, who continued his streak of 100-yard rushing games in the Eagles’ 17-13 win over Virginia.

Through five games, Harris averaged just 77 yards per game. Since then, he’s gained 142.6 yards per game and scored seven touchdowns. He’s the reason Boston College has won four straight games and is bowl eligible for the 13^th straight season. Linebacker Luke Kuechly may bring home more hardware this winter, but if it weren’t for Harris, the Eagles would never have been 6-5 today.

ACC Stock Report – Week 5

As I noted Sunday morning, there was a lot of re-shuffling in the ACC this weekend. There is finally a large enough sample size for these teams that we can begin forming theories rather than hypotheses about them.

So who is rising, and who is falling as we enter the thick of the ACC race?

Stock rising –

VIRGINIA TECH (3-2, 2-0)

Left for dead as far as two quarters into their third game, the Hokies have completely avenged the most disastrous start in the Frank Beamer era.

Bud Foster’s young defense is finally figuring out how to play like Tech defenses of old. It intercepted Russell Wilson three times (he had thrown only one in his first four games) in the comeback win on Saturday.

The offensive line is also opening holes for the running game to take shape. Darren Evans and Tyrod Taylor both became the first 100-yard rushers of the season for the Hokies against NC State.

The rest of October is pretty easy for the Hokies, so there is a return of good spirits in Blacksburg.

MARYLAND (4-1, 2-0)

Any chance I get to remind folks that my surprise team of the year was this very Maryland team, which has already doubled its win total from 2009.

One great sign of a good football team is one that can win with style just as much as they can without it.

Maryland has done that, shutting down Navy on the goal-line in the final moments to win the season opener.

Then, this past Saturday the Terps had a trying time beating the hapless Duke Blue Devils.

After trailing 9-0, Maryland raced back to beat Duke 21-16, despite being outgained by 100 yards.

Maryland is confident right now, and there isn’t a team in the Atlantic Division that the Terps aren’t capable of beating.

FLORIDA STATE (4-1, 2-0)

It’s still hard to believe the Seminoles laid an ostrich-sized egg in Norman, Okla. last month.

Outside of that 47-17 beatdown defeat, Florida State’s defense is allowing fewer than eight points per game.

They haven’t looked any more impressive than the first half against Virginia, where the running game overpowered the Cavaliers.

If that aspect of the ‘Noles offense proves volatile, Christian Ponder can take care of the rest.

Don’t look now, but Florida State is playing without a glaring weakness.

Just in time for a trip to Miami, no less.

Stock Falling –

GEORGIA TECH (3-2, 2-1)

Whatever happened to the Yellow Jackets being the epitome of consistency? Common thought among the ACC (and the nation, for that matter) was that Paul Johnson had his peers trumped on a week-to-week basis.

Turns out, opposing teams have figured out the Yellow Jackets.

Wake Forest – yes, that Wake Forest – should have handed Tech its second conference loss in a row on Saturday. Instead, the Deacons couldn’t handle the pressure of a 17-6 lead and lost on a last-minute touchdown pass.

The defending ACC champions should never have to hold their breath against the perennial bottom-feeder of the conference.

It doesn’t help their case that Kansas, which beat the Jackets 28-25 in week two, just lost to Baylor 55-7. In fact, the Jayhawks are averaging 10.5 points per game besides the win over the Jackets.

There is turmoil on defense, and there is a lack of leadership on offense. Georgia Tech is all but an afterthought in the ACC race.

MIAMI (3-1, 1-0)

Despite outscoring their past two opponents 61-24, the Hurricanes have done so in the least impressive fashion possible.

Miami’s defense is top-notch, make no mistake about it.

It forced Kyle Parker to throw three interceptions, as well as recovering three fumbles in the 30-21 win at Clemson.

However, Jacory Harris has been wildly inconsistent, throwing eight interceptions in three games.

Miami is probably the best team in the league right now, but the gap between the next closest challengers is narrowing.

If you want to assume the top of the mountain, you have to do so convincingly. Until Miami does that, they can not be the undisputed leader of the pack in the conference.

NC STATE (4-1, 1-1)

The Wolfpack finally ran into a team playing halfway decent football and couldn’t finish the deal.

It seems the title “Undefeated NC State” was quite overrated.

Wins over Cincinnati (1-3) and the aforementioned struggling Georgia Tech do not carry much weight at this point, not to mention a mere seven-point margin of victory over Central Florida (2-2).

The Wolfpack jumped out early on Virginia Tech, but so did East Carolina. What matters is that Russell Wilson looked merely mortal facing the Tech blitzing package, throwing three costly interceptions.

Wilson won’t play so poorly every week, but it was the defense’s poor tackling that should be more alarming.

Tyrod Taylor and an assortment of Hokies broke through arm tackles on a play-by-play basis in the second half, paving the way for the come-from-behind win.

The Wolfpack’s run defense has holes the size of downtown Raleigh, and that’s not a good formula heading into a game against Montel Harris and Boston College.

Christian Ponder launches Heisman Trophy campaign website

At exactly 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder’s Heisman Trophy campaign website launched across the world.

The site itself is flashy and professional. It features an “About Christian” link, which emphasizes his remarkable feat of earning his undergraduate degree in 2.5 years.

There is also a “Media Gallery” section, which features several videos, including one of Ponder and Seminole punter Shawn Powell horsing around on a golf course. There is also a link to the latest news articles across the country about Ponder.

The site is impressive for sure, but count me in as someone who thinks it’s hardly necessary.

No Heisman winner in the history of the award had his own official pre-season campaign.

Some of the more notable campaigns in recent history included Eric Berry and C.J. Spiller (2009), Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell (2008). Washington quarterback Jake Locker has also begun his own personal appeal to the east coast media to be named a Heisman favorite.

This stuff is stupid. While the exposure might help a guy from a team that doesn’t normally get much, like Joey Harrington at Oregon in 2001, it’s not going to make you win (Harrington finished fourth).

The only way someone is going to win the Heisman Trophy is by having the best year. The biggest bias in the awarding the trophy belongs to quarterbacks and running backs anyway, so if Ponder has the numbers to win, he’ll win. The website is just for glitz.

The Heisman Pundit blog created a list of the 10 Heismandments in 2004, and it is spot on. None of them mention an official campaign (to be fair, Hesimandment No. 4 states the winner must have prior name recognition, but Ponder fits that bill without the new website).

When push comes to shove, if the freaking quarterback for freaking Florida State has a huge year and the Seminoles win at least 9 games, he’ll be in New York with as good a chance as anyone to win.

Think about it: if Florida State’s “return to glory” season turns out to be 2010, with Ponder as the posterboy, every Heisman voter in the country will be riding his jock harder than anyone since Reggie Bush.

If Ponder were a Florida Atlantic Owl, the site would merit more attention. The fact of the matter is, he’s a Florida State Seminole, and he’s a darn good quarterback. There’s your campaign right there.

When is make-or-break time for ACC’s contenders?

There comes a time for every college football team that defines their season. It can be a brutal non-conference slate in September or a string of games against divisional rivals that will dictate where that team will finish in the standings.

The ACC has ramped up its non-conference schedule for 2010. Combining that with the fact that as many as eight teams have a legitimate shot at making it to Charlotte for the conference title game, nobody has an easy road to glory this year.

I’ve taken a look at each of those eight teams’ schedules and circled a three or four-game stretch for each as the key to their season. Some teams have more than one monstrous stretch, while a couple lucky teams managed to find their toughest games spread throughout the year.

Boston College

Sept. 25 – Virginia Tech

Oct. 2 – Notre Dame

Oct. 9 – at NC State

Oct. 16 – at FSU

After a couple yawn-inducing tune-ups against Weber State and Kent State, the Eagles hit the meat of their schedule quickly. Head coach Frank Spaziani better have his quarterback situation straightened out by then, because the Hokies’ defense will show no mercy on whoever’s in the pocket.

Notre Dame is a pivotal rivalry game that will have plenty riding upon it. The Irish will be looking to springboard themselves to a resurgent season, while the Eagles will be looking to carry some momentum into a huge two-game Atlantic Division stretch.

The road game against the Wolfpack is tricky, and I believe to be the single most important game on the Eagles’ schedule. Right now the Atlantic appears to be Florida State’s to lose, with Clemson, NC State and Boston College vying to be the Noles’ top challenger. Whoever loses that Oct. 9 game can probably kiss its conference hopes goodbye.

If Boston College escapes Raleigh with a win, they’ll need to pull off the upset in Tallahassee, a location where the Eagles have yet to lose since joining the ACC. We’ll know a lot about both teams by the time of that game, and it could either be a signature game in the division race, or just your average mid-October matchup.

Clemson

Sept. 18 – at Auburn

Oct. 2 – Miami

Oct. 9 – at North Carolina

The Tigers won’t truly be tested until the third week of the season, when they head on down to Jordan-Hare stadium for what will be a frenetic environment. It’s a damn good thing they’ve got a couple warm-up test, too, because coach Dabo Swinney will likely have to prep new quarterback Tajh Boyd during that time.

Auburn will be the first time we’ll find out what Clemson is really all about this year. If it is indeed Boyd under center, and he struggles, it could foreshadow a long, depressing autumn in Clemson. If he somehow leads Clemson to a huge road win, it could spark the Tigers on a good run.

Two weeks later, Miami pays Clemson a visit in a rematch of last year’s 40-37 overtime thriller that went the way of the Tigers. The Hurricanes haven’t forgotten that loss, so they will bring the fire to Clemson all night long if they can. The speed of Miami’s defense will make Auburn’s look like an electric football outfit.

Finally, the trip to North Carolina will make or break Clemson’s season. It’s feasible to think the Tigers could be on a two-game losing streak heading into this affair, making it imperative that Clemson doesn’t fall to 2-3 and 0-2 in the ACC. This game will either be to save a season on the brink, or to propel the Tigers at an Atlantic Division chase.

Florida State

Oct. 9 – at Miami

Oct. 16 – Boston College

Oct. 28 – at NC State (Thurs.)

I flirted with picking the opening month of the season for the Seminoles, who travel to Oklahoma a week before taking on BYU at home. However, those games are sandwiched between lock wins against Samford and Wake Forest, and I’ll be shocked if BYU comes into Tallahassee with a true freshman quarterback and beats Christian Ponder and Co.

I picked these three games because quite honestly, it looks like a trap for Jimbo Fisher’s team. The road game with Miami is obviously huge, but Boston College’s success at Florida State has already been noted, and the Wolfpack have a good enough offense to challenge the Seminoles to an old fashioned shootout – not to mention the advantage of a Thursday night home game.

The ‘Noles schedule is not too destructive. Their three toughest contests are in three separate months. While it’s good not to face a string of giants in a row, it could also lull the Seminoles and their rookie coaching staff to sleep, and if they do, you can bet the Eagles and the ‘Pack will be waiting.

Georgia Tech

Oct. 23 – at Clemson

Nov. 4 – at Virginia Tech (Thurs.)

Nov. 13 – Miami

As you’ll see below, the end of October and month of November is the deciding stretch of the season in the Coastal Division race. Of the top four contenders in the division, only Georgia Tech and North Carolina will have already met before October 23.

The Jackets need to make sure they don’t slip up on the road to Clemson, because they could conceivably make it to November with a perfect record intact.

Assuming they have zero or one loss in the ACC heading into November, the Jackets will control their own destiny entering consecutive games against the Hokies and Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech has not stopped the rushing attack of Georgia Tech since Paul Johnson took over, and the Hokies’ seemingly unflappable mentality on Thursday nights has wilted in recent years. That said, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Georgia Tech to stop the only team in the league with a better platoon of running backs than itself.

The Miami game will be a tough end to that stretch, and could possibly be for Tech’s conference title lives. The ‘Canes still have a game with Virginia Tech the following week, so a lot will be on the line November 13 as we try to figure out just who’s going to win the Coastal.

Miami

Sept. 11 – at Ohio State

Sept. 23 – at Pittsburgh (Thurs.)

Oct. 2 – at Clemson

Oct. 9 – Florida State

Remember this? Miami wishes it didn't.

Just like a year ago, Miami can waste not afford an early-season funk. The Ohio State and Pittsburgh games could both be the biggest of the week across the country. The Buckeyes are a consensus top-five team, while Pittsburgh boasts one of the best running backs in the country (sophomore Dion Lewis) and is the preseason favorite to win the Big East.

The ‘Canes started very strong a year ago, going 3-1 against four straight ranked opponents to begin the season, which head coach Randy Shannon will definitely remind his players about to give them confidence again. This is the most talented team Miami has had since it joined the ACC, but it hasn’t proved to be the most focused one.

Inconsistency plagued the Hurricanes in 2009, and usually one poor outing led to another or two. It’s not crazy to think Miami could start the year 1-3, but they could just the same go 4-0. I’d expect about the same results as last season, where a 3-1 start would have people anointing the ‘Canes as a national title darkhorse.

North Carolina

Sept. 4 – LSU (in Atlanta)

Sept. 18 – Georgia Tech

Sept. 25 – at Rutgers

The season opener against the Tigers is the most highly anticipated Tar Heel football game in more than a decade. With a win, it could also serve as the most beneficial. Butch Davis has his Tar Heels on the brink of a special run as a program, starting with this season and his NFL look-alike defense. The Heels should eat erratic LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson for lunch, the only problem is they might get something similar in return.

Carolina has no idea if T.J. Yates can run the show this year or not, and despite the fan’s urging to start the future now with super freshman Bryn Renner, a season opening game against an SEC team is not the best play to trot a rookie out under center.

With all of the hype surrounding this Carolina football team, it could quickly evaporate if the Heels don’t show up to play in September. Georgia Tech would love nothing more than to start the Heels’ ACC season on the wrong foot and derail the hopes of their fans very quickly.

Rutgers is the sleeper team in the Big East, and a tough team to beat on the road. Ever heard of Tom Savage? If you answered no, you’ll know him soon enough. The sophomore quarterback for the Scarlet Knights is a star in the making, and his best target is a sophomore standout, too. Mohamed Sanu has the potential to be an All-American sooner rather than later. They’ll put that star-studded UNC defense to the test.

North Carolina State

Sept. 16 – Cincinnati

Sept. 25 – at Georgia Tech

Oct. 2 – Virginia Tech

Oct. 9 – Boston College

The Wolfpack are by no means the favorite to make it to Charlotte in December, but they could also surprise some people if their defense shows marked improvement. If they can emerge as a threat for the Atlantic title, they’d have to somehow make it through this four-game gauntlet alive.

Cincinnati comes to Raleigh for a Thursday night affair, but the ‘Pack will be coming off a game just five days prior. That’s not a lot of time to prepare for Bearcats’ quarterback Zach Collaros and his high-octane attack. This is not the same Cincinnati team as the past couple of years, but the Bearcats still have enough juice in the tank to make that game a high-scoring battle.

Between the next three games, the Wolfpack have to win at least one and probably two of those to have any hope of contending in the Atlantic Division. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech pose a tough issue for a depleted NC State defense with their dominant rushing attacks. An upset between those two games is necessary.

Boston College visits Raleigh in a game that will likely eliminate one team from the Atlantic race.

It’s been a slower than expected rebuilding process for Tom O’Brien at NC State, but it does seem like he’s beginning to turn a corner. He’s running out of time, though, and this early season slate sets up for a potential catastrophe.

Virginia Tech

Nov. 4 – Georgia Tech (Thurs.)

Nov. 13 – at North Carolina

Nov. 20 – at Miami

A lot of folks are pointing to the Hokies’ season opener against Boise State at FedEx Field as the pivotal point in the year. It’s a fair assumption, given the magnitude of such early season showdowns the Hokies have played in recent memory. However, if Virginia Tech wants to play for a national title, it will have to manage the most difficult three-game stretch in the ACC this season.

The three teams in this stretch are arguably the best in the ACC, besides the Hokies. Georgia Tech comes to Blacksburg on a Thursday night, when the Hokies usually dominate. However, the visiting team has won two of the last three Thursday night games in Blacksburg. Beating the Yellow Jackets will be a difficult task to kick off the month of death for the Hokies.

North Carolina stole the game against the Hokies last season, thanks to a Ryan Williams fumble and Casey Barth last-second field goal. This year, the Hokies won’t forget the empty feeling of that night. Oddly enough, this year’s Tar Heel bunch strongly resembles the typical Virginia Tech outfit: shaky offense, speedy and ferocious defense. I like the Hokies in this game, but who knows what I’ll think when both teams have nine games under their belt.

The Miami game has a chance to be a de facto ACC semifinal game, if the two teams control their own conference destiny. It’s the Hurricanes’ final conference game, and the Hokies have downtrodden Virginia at home the following week. Neither team has a gentle path to this date, but on the outset it has the potential for a monumental showdown like the games from the early 2000’s in this series.

How the ACC fits into expansion

As the storm that is the conference expansion saga rages outside, the ACC has locked itself in the basement and is holding the doors shut with all its might.

The balls of conference expansion seem to be in Nebraska and Notre Dame's court

The league in large part has escaped the discussion of which teams will up and leave their current conference, but it won’t be that way forever.

Wide-ranging speculation predicts that a Notre Dame jump to the Big Ten would end the madness before it could really catch wind. I have a strong suspicion that’s not going to happen. Nebraska and Missouri have already alienated themselves from the Big 12, and thanks to Bob Stoops, Oklahoma seems ready to jump ship on the league as well.

The dominoes are wobbling violently and are on the very brink of toppling over altogether. Once they start to fall, not even Chip Brown will be able to know when they will stop.

Extreme Makeover: College Football Edition could possibly find its way into the realm of the ACC. Assuming nothing mind-boggling happens, the league can breathe somewhat easily that it won’t be reduced to rubble.

Any defections from the ACC would be a direct result of the SEC deciding to expand, which league commissioner Mike Slive has not ruled out entirely, but the chances of such a coup are slim.

If the league does make a pillage for four more teams, it would only come should the Big Ten and Pac-10 both grow to include 16 schools.

Should that happen, Texas would be in the Pac-10 (or the Sun-West Conference?), meaning any SEC expansion would not move westward. That puts Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Virginia Tech squarely in the SEC’s line of fire.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive doesn't appear to be in the hunt to add schools to his league...for now.

Any school the SEC chooses to seek would be almost purely for its football riches. If that’s the case, Florida State and Miami carry the most national branding power and tradition, but Virginia Tech has the best program in the present. Clemson and Georgia Tech are both strong, and would only make the league even more concentrated in the deep south.

The natural thought for who the SEC would look at first is Miami and Florida State, because of the tradition. However, that makes little sense for the league, which already boasts the premier program in the Sunshine State, and controls the market in Florida. Also, the Seminoles would probably dislike the idea of playing second fiddle to the Gators.

Florida State’s best chance of rebuilding a dominant program lies in staying put with the ACC. They are the least likely of the five schools to accept an invitation. However, if it looks like a chunk of the league is ready to bolt at any point, the ‘Noles would surely change their tune. As Nebraska, Notre Dame, and just about everyone else has found out, there’s more than one school holding a bomb, it’s just a matter of who detonates theirs first.

Miami would be more inclined to join the football kingdom that is the SEC, not having as strong ties to UF. Still, Miami’s financial situation is perfectly fine, and the revenue boost that would come by joining an 16-team SEC would be minute (reportedly between $1-2 more per year in TV revenue). The SEC should be more interested in Miami than FSU, because it would at least draw in the south Florida market, even if Miami’s fan base is all in all, pathetic.  The ‘Canes would be interested in jumping ship if a mass defection seemed imminent.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that Slive’s number one target could very well be Virginia Tech, because of the Washington D.C. fan base the Hokies boast. Tech just barely fits in geographically to the league. The distance from Blacksburg to Miami is 908 miles; from Blacksburg to Fayetteville, Ark. is 942.  There would be more trips of longer distance, but the SEC would assuredly have divisions that actually make geographical sense, unlike the Hokies’ current league.

Future SEC East showdown? Not without some help.

As tasty as the SEC sounds to a program like Virginia Tech, which is less than 25 years removed from being an independent school, the ACC is a perfect fit. There is nothing Tech loves more than winning conference titles in football, which would become few and far between in the SEC. The Hokies’ also have improved their basketball program thanks to the ACC, something Miami and Boston College can’t say. Even under a mass exodus, it’s conceivable that the Hokies say thanks, but no thanks, to Slive and his cohorts.

Clemson and Georgia Tech, as mentioned before, make the most sense as far as the physical landscape of the league. If two of the three “big boys” – Virginia Tech, FSU and Miami – happened to become intent on diving into the SEC’s waters, the Tigers and Yellow Jackets would be right there. That being said, the SEC isn’t going to put Clemson or Georgia Tech at the top of its wish list if it decides to expand, so the only way those two schools come along is if other schools go first.

There’s no telling where the renovation of the conference makeup will stop. If anyone from the Big 12 – namely Nebraska, or Missouri – leaves the conference, chaos will follow. The Big 12 will be in ruins, and other conferences will be jostling to scoop up the remnants of a once-proud league. If leagues start moving towards including 16 teams, that’s when the ACC can start to sweat, because the SEC may not sit so quietly.

Until then, the ACC will just brace itself with both hands firmly holding those storm doors shut.

Florida State’s slide continues with loss to Miami

If you flip through enough pages in the archives of national rankings, you’ll eventually come across a week that included Florida State in the top five.

Those days are a distant memory  now.

The Seminoles, who began the season ranked in the top 10 by most major services, laid an egg in their first game of the ACC Tournament, losing 9-3 to Miami.

It was the fourth straight loss for Florida State, who relinquished the Atlantic Division title when they were swept by Clemson last week.

The Hurricanes, on the other hand, opened with a strong offensive performance. In the early going, it was the latter part of the Miami batting order that shouldered the load. Nathan Melendres and Michael Broad, who combined to hit seven home runs all season, connected for back-to-back homers in the second inning to put the Hurricanes ahead 3-0.

Florida State responded with two runs in the top of the third; only one of those runs was earned after an errant throw from Miami right fielder Chris Pelaez allowed Jayce Boyd to score from third base.

In the fourth inning, it was more of the same for Miami, with Melendres and Broad each driving in a run from the seventh and eighth spot in the lineup, respectively.

At that point, it seemed as if Miami could really pull away if the heart of its order could put something together.

In the fifth inning, it finally did. Yasmani Grandal reached base for the first time in the game on a walk, putting runners on first and third base. Harold Martinez stepped to the plate next and launched a home run just over the right field fence, putting the Hurricanes ahead 8-3.

They added another run for good measure in the seventh inning, when Grandal hit a ground rule double down the right field line.

The win for Miami means tomorrow’s game against Boston College at noon means very little. Even with a loss, they could beat Virginia on Saturday and have the tiebreaker with the ‘Hoos. That is, unless Boston College turned around and beat Florida State too, which is not likely.

Florida State, on the other hand, is in a free fall with no signs of stopping. Tomorrow’s game against Virginia could get ugly.

With the crushing loss today, the ‘Noles likely must win the last two games of pool play for a shot at hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional.

Pool A Standings after Day 1

(1) Virginia: 1-0

(4) Miami: 1-0

(5) Florida State: 0-1

(8) Boston College: 0-1

ACC Baseball Tournament Preview

The ACC Baseball Tournament gets under way Wednesday at noon with Virginia vs. Boston College

It’s finally here!

The ACC Baseball Tournament is ready to go Wednesday, where as many as six teams have a legitimate shot at winning the title.

Last season, Virginia came from the sixth seed to win the conference, and turned that into a College World Series berth.

The league is as strong as it’s ever been. Clemson, which is the top seed in Division B, is the lowest ranked of the six ACC teams in Baseball America’s Top 25.

It’s going to be hard to confidently project the results of the week, but I’m sure as hell gonna try.

Division A

#1 Virginia

The Cavaliers virtually went wire-to-wire during the ACC season as the best team in the conference. They are ranked first in the country by Baseball America and are a lock to be one of eight top seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

They open the tournament Wednesday at noon against eighth seed Boston College. The Cavaliers swept the Eagles during the regular season.

UVA coach –and ACC Coach of the Year – Brian O’Connor said he would start Cody Winiarski on the mound in this game. Winiarski went 5-0 with a 4.23 ERA this season.

The Cavaliers will then face Florida State at 4 p.m. Thursday. The two teams met in the first conference series of the season in early March, with Virginia taking two of three from the Seminoles.

Phil Gosselin is the star of Virginia’s offense. He was named first team All-ACC, the only position player on the Cavs’ roster to earn such honors. Gosselin was very impressive, especially towards the end of the regular season. He batted .379 with seven home runs, 21 doubles and 49 RBI. He also stole 15 bases.

Danny Hultzen will rest the first two games, and unless Virginia is in a must-win situation against Miami on Saturday, he will pitch in the championship game. The ACC Pitcher of the Year finished with a 2.08 ERA – nearly a full point better than the next best pitcher in the league.

#4 Miami

The Hurricanes are a team carried by a small group of players. The most important player for Miami is catcher Yasmani Grandal. He earned ACC Player of the Year honors by leading the league with a .428 batting average, 13 home runs and 54 RBI. Grandal is far and away the most complete hitter in the conference.

Miami has a lot to play for this weekend. They are slated to host an NCAA Regional, according to ESPN, but that would evade the ‘Canes grasp with a poor showing in Greensboro.

They could surely use that home-field advantage. They had an 18-game home winning streak snapped in the second game of their series with Virginia last week.

It’s going to be a tough opener for the ‘Canes. Freshman pitcher Chris Whaley will make his second career start against the Seminoles on Wednesday. In 26 appearances this year, Whaley is 4-1 with a 4.58 ERA. He has plenty of innings of worked, but putting him up against Florida State with so much on the line is risky.

Miami doesn’t have much choice, though. Eric Erickson, a usual starter, will miss the tournament with an elbow injury.

Chris Hernandez, a first team all-conference pitcher, will start against Boston College on Thursday. That should be enough for Miami to feel comfortable about that game. Which leaves the all-important game Saturday against Virginia.

Miami lost the series to Virginia last week, and the one game it won was in extra innings. For a team that doesn’t play nearly as well away from home, it will need a magical performance to emerge from the division on top.

#5 Florida State

The Seminoles have to be careful not to let a late-season slide carry over into Greensboro. A week ago, Florida State expected to be the top seed in Division B as champions of the Atlantic Division. Instead, the ‘Noles went to Clemson and got whipped by the Tigers.

Three straight losses relegated Florida State to this division, where two of the three teams will be top seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

That being said, the Seminoles went 5-4 during the regular season against the other teams in the division. They lost twice to Virginia, but took two of three from Miami and Boston College.

However, Miami led in 25 of the 27 innings against Florida State this year, and the Hurricanes are hungry to prove their worth. It’s going to be a grind-it-out kind of weekend for the Seminoles.

Florida State bats .296 as a team, virtually the same as Boston College and Miami, who bat .295 each. Virginia is light years ahead of all three at .335.

The Seminoles have a good chance to beat Miami using a young pitcher. However, the ‘Noles pitching staff posted a horrid 13.09 ERA against Clemson, killing any momentum the team could have had.

Boston College could be tricky, because the Eagles are on the NCAA bubble (I thought I wouldn’t have to use that word for 10 more months dammit!).

If the Seminoles can slide past Miami on Wednesday, they have a chance to make the finals. If they have a poor showing for the fourth straight game, count them out.

#8 Boston College

As mentioned before, the Eagles will be fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives this week. ESPN pegs them as one of the final five at-large teams that will make the field.

The Eagles went 1-8 against the other teams in the division, not a convincing statistic.

They are only in the tournament after the third tiebreaker ruled them ahead of North Carolina for the final seed in the tournament.

The Eagles’ team ERA is the second worst in the league at 6.58. Thankfully for them, they avoided the more offensively potent division which includes Georgia Tech and Clemson, but there is still little proof their pitching staff can contain the likes of Virginia, Miami and Florida State.

Not only is the defense suspect, but the Eagles’ bats are in the bottom half of the league in nearly every significant category. They scored the least amount of runs of any team in the tournament, which kind of makes you wonder how they made it this far.

Off the hate train now, but at best the Eagles will win one game this weekend, and that’s if Florida State is in the dumps.

DIVISION B

#2 Clemson

There’s no better feeling in sports than to be red-hot heading into the postseason. That’s exactly what the Tigers are, coming off an emotional sweep of Florida State at home to clinch the Atlantic Division.

On a side note, Clemson became the first school in the expansion era of the ACC to win its division in both football and baseball.

While we’re on the subject of the two sports, Kyle Parker is not only the leader on the gridiron, but on the diamond as well.

Parker tied for the conference lead with 18 home runs. He also batted at a .373 clip and drove in 56 runs, which was third on the team.

Jeff Schaus led the league with 71 RBI, and John Hinson was seventh with 60.

Needless to say, the Tigers can score runs in bunches.

They avoid facing Deck McGuire, the Georgia Tech ace, and will face Matthew Price, the third best starter for Virginia Tech.

I really like Clemson right now. They scored the third most runs in the league, and they are playing very well. This division is chock full of offensive prowess, and Clemson is well equipped for some slugfests.

If it comes down to pitching, Clemson is in a bit of trouble. The Tigers’ staff is only average, and when they faced Georgia Tech earlier this year, the Jackets scored 23 runs in three games, all won by Tech.

Expect the Tigers to be in some high-scoring affairs every day.

#3 Georgia Tech

Talent-wise, Georgia Tech has the best chance outside of Virginia to win this tournament. The Jackets are absolutely loaded offensively and have a couple knockout pitchers on their side.

The problem with Tech is inconsistency.

The Yellow Jackets dropped a series at home to Virginia Tech during the regular season and did the same at North Carolina State, but they did sweep Clemson.

You just never know which Georgia Tech ball club will show up. The Yellow Jackets have won nine of their last 11 games, though.

Tony Plagman is a monster at first base. He tied with Parker for the league lead in home rusn, and bats clean-up for a lineup that produced 111 home runs in 55 games.

That’s a two-home run per game average. They won’t have any trouble getting people across the plate.

Deck McGuire is going to take the mound in game one on Thursday night against Virginia Tech. McGuire is rated as the best pro prospect in the ACC, and has the best control of perhaps any pitcher in the country.

If Georgia Tech puts together a solid weekend of baseball, they should expect to be playing on Sunday. That’s a big if.

#6 Virginia Tech

The Hokies are the only team coming into the tournament from this division not on a hot streak. Tech dropped its last four games to end the season, including a sweep at the hands of North Carolina.

To be fair, the Heels were playing for their postseason lives, and are much more talented than just about any team sitting at home already.

Still, there are several question marks surrounding the Hokies entering Greensboro.

Jesse Hahn, the usual Sunday starting pitcher, has struggled since returning from an elbow injury. He has started in two of the last four losses for Tech, and coach Pete Hughes wants to rest him until a potential championship game appearance.

Hahn will be ready to pitch Saturday against N.C. State if it is necessary.

Tech has a strong lineup, fitting in well with the rest of the division. The pitching staff is also fairly deep, as noted by strong play in the month without Hahn.

There is probably not a more balanced team in the league in terms of good hitting and good pitching, with the exception of Virginia.

Austin Wates and Steve Domecus are the leaders on offense. They are both near the top of the conference in terms of batting average and runs batted in.

The Hokies might have the best bench of any team in the league, which could prove vital in tight ball games when situational hitting is crucial.

The Hokies were swept by Clemson early in the year, but did win the series against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

The injury to Hahn is tough, but the Hokies’ two best pitchers left will face Georgia Tech and Clemson. While they could win both of those, a realistic scenario is a split of those two games and a chance to clinch the division against the Wolfpack on Saturday night.

#7 North Carolina State

Despite being seeded low, the Wolfpack scored more runs than anyone else in the ACC this year with 532. The number wouldn’t have been as high had they not slammed LaSalle for 65 runs in three games to open the season.

In all seriousness, though, they have a good enough offense to make a run this week.

They were the only team to beat Virginia in a series this season, winning 6-5 in 11 innings on Friday, then 7-6 on Sunday, April 4 in the rubber match.

They also took two of three from Georgia Tech late in the year, which was the beginning of a stretch where the ‘Pack won 10 of 13 games to end the regular season.

Just like Georgia Tech and Clemson, the Wolfpack are playing well at the right time.

Outfielder Drew Poulk is the offensive star for a powerful lineup. He batted .367 on the year with 13 home runs and 67 RBI.

The Wolfpack have the look of a team that could surprise some people this weekend, as they have on several occasions this season. They play their best baseball against their toughest competition, which means the rest of their division will be in for a battle.

If they can get consistent pitching for their second and third starters, there’s no reason the Wolfpack can’t sneak up and win a wide-open division.

Here are my predictions for how the weekend will unfold:

DIV. A	UVA	MIAMI	FSU	BC	Total
UVA		Virginia	Virginia	Virginia	3-0
MIAMI	Virginia		Florida St.	Miami	1-2
FSU	Virginia	Florida St.		Florida St	2-1
BC	Virginia	Miami	Florida St.		0-3
Total	3-0	1-2	2-1	0-3

DIV. B	CLEM	GT	VT	NC ST	Total
CLEM.		Clemson	Va. Tech	Clemson	2-1
GT	Clemson		Ga. Tech	NC State	1-2
VT	Va Tech	Ga Tech		Va Tech	2-1
NC ST	Clemson	NC State	Va Tech		1-2
Total	2-1	1-2	2-1	1-2

Finals: VIRGINIA over Virginia Tech

Crucial games across the board in baseball’s final weekend

It all comes down to this.

The ACC baseball regular season concludes on Saturday, and nobody really knows much about how things are going to end up.

No team has locked up a certain position for next week’s conference tournament, and nine teams are still eligible for the final eight spots.

The top two teams in the standings are going to battle, and two of the three teams that have already been eliminated from postseason play are meeting up, meaning that eight of the nine teams still with a chance to make the tournament are playing each other.

That should make for an interesting weekend.

Virginia (43-9, 21-6) at Miami (38-13, 19-8)

Thursday’s probable starters – UVA: Danny Hultzen (7-1, 1.98 ERA); Miami: Jason Santana (5-3, 5.86 ERA)

Friday’s probable starters – UVA: Robert Morey (8-2, 3.30 ERA); Miami: Chris Hernandez (8-2, 3.04 ERA)

Saturday’s probable staters – UVA: Cody Winiarski (5-0, 4.30 ERA); Miami: Eric Erickson (4-1, 2.52 ERA)

The Cavaliers enter Miami needing only one victory to clinch the regular season conference championship. This series pits the teams with the two best earned run averages in the league. Hultzen is the most dominant pitcher the conference has to offer, and Morey is coming off a complete game three-h

itter against North Carolina last weekend. The Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 1 in the country according to Baseball America, have a great offense top-to-bottom, led by second baseman Phil Gosselin. Gosselin is second in the league with a. 386 batting average; he has also stolen 15 bases.

There’s a very good chance Virginia will take at least one game in this series, despite playing in a tough environment on the road. The Miami fans are notoriously ruthless, but that won’t bother the Cavs, who are one of the favorites to win the national championship.

Virginia Tech (36-16, 16-11) at North Carolina (33-20, 11-16)

Thursday’s probables – VT: Justin Wright (7-3, 3.14 ERA); UNC: Matt Harvey (6-3, 2.72 ERA)

Friday’s probables – VT: Matthew Price (7-3, 4.74 ERA); UNC: Chris Munnelly (2-2, 5.06 ERA)

Saturday’s probables – VT: Jesse Hahn (5-3, 3.06 ERA); UNC: Patrick Johnson (5-3, 3.53 ERA)

This series has the most impact of any taking place this weekend in the conference. North Carolina is one game behind NC State for the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament, while Virginia Tech has a chance to move up to as high as third place in the league by Saturday.

The Tar Heels’ biggest concern is the fact that the Wolfpack are playing Duke, one of the three teams with no shot at the conference tournament. The ‘Pack likely won’t lose that series, so the Heels need a sweep of the Hokies realistically to have a chance at the postseason.

Virginia Tech on the other hand, trails Miami and Georgia Tech by three games in the standings. The Hurricanes could possibly be swept by Virginia (though not likely if Virginia clinches the conference by winning the first or second game). Georgia Tech is on the road against Boston College, a team the Hokies swept at the end of April. Right on the Hokies’ heels is Clemson, which is one game back from fifth place. If Tech falters in Chapel Hill, the Tigers could jump up to fifth place – they earn the tiebreaker between the Hokies.

North Carolina is coming off an emotional series at Virginia. The Cavaliers swept the Heels in three low-scoring affairs. Two of those games ended in walk-off hits. Harvey pitches with great command and is very good at getting batters out. He can get himself out of trouble and make it look easy.

Tech catcher Steve Domecus was named co-player of the week in the ACC this past weekend for his play against Duke. Domecus had at least three hits in every game against the Blue Devils, including four RBI in an 18-8 win on Saturday.

This series is crucial to both teams entering Thursday, and depending on how other games around the league turn out, it could change the landscape of this matchup as the weekend unfolds.

Other notable games

Georgia Tech (42-10, 19-8) at Boston College (28-24, 13-14)

There’s one statistic that speaks volumes about how explosive the Georgia Tech offense is. The Yellow Jackets have hit more home runs this season than Duke, North Carolina and Maryland combined. Tech is one of the more up-and-down teams in the league, and that inconsistency will surely plague them if it carries over into the postseason. However, Boston College’s pitching is less than stellar, and it’s hard to imagine them containing the powerful Tech lineup.

Player to watch: Deck McGuire, SP Georgia Tech

McGuire is the Yellow Jackets’ ace, with a 7-3 record and a 2.91 ERA. He is a projected first-round pick in next month’s MLB draft. When he’s on the mound, it’s hard to beat Georgia Tech. He was on the hill last weekend when Tech thumped Miami 14-3.

If Miami can sweep Virginia and Tech takes all three from Boston College, the Jackets would earn the top seed in the conference tournament. A strong start to the series would be ideal, and McGuire usually does a good job of that.

Florida State (39-13, 18-9) at Clemson (34-19, 15-12)

The top two teams in the Atlantic Division (which literally means nothing) meet up with Clemson needing a sweep to take the top seed in Division B for next week’s tournament.

Both teams are right in the middle of the league in terms of offense, and Florida State has better pitching. The Seminoles are a much better team at home than on the road, and Clemson is not an easy place to get road wins.

Keep an eye on the Tigers’ Kyle Parker, who is tied for the league lead with 18 home runs. He is the heart of the Clemson lineup, and the most powerful hitter in the ACC. How he finishes the season this week and in the postseason will go a long way in determining his pro baseball draft status, which will ultimately determine whether he returns to the football field next fall.

It’s going to be a great weekend to follow ACC baseball, and it’s very possible the standings will look nothing on Saturday night like they do Thursday morning. Hopefully a weekend of exciting baseball will be a precursor to next week in Greensboro.

Post-spring football wrap-up disguised as power rankings

1. Virginia Tech

The Hokies’ biggest issue coming out of spring is an injury-plagued offensive line. Two projected starters missed a majority of the spring with injury, and several others missed practices.

With an offense loaded with experience and talent at the skill positions, all Tech needs is an adequate offensive line and it should score points in bunches.

Most of the starting positions on a revamped defense have been solidified, with a few lingering question marks at free safety and defensive end. It was a productive spring for a defense replacing seven starters.

2.Miami

Quarterback Jacory Harris sat out spring practice while recovering from a thumb injury, which hurts Miami because of the lackluster fashion in which he finished last season. He will be completely healthy by the fall, but he could have used three weeks of practice to work out the kinks from the end of 2009.

The offensive line struggled in the first couple scrimmages before having its strongest performance of the spring in the spring game. Much of the talk surround the Hurricanes is their speed on the outside. Some people say this is the fastest Miami team in nearly a decade.

Miami fans might worry about their team’s defense after the final score of the spring games was 58-53. That’s a bunch of points for a shortened game. However, most people around the program aren’t putting much stock into that number, and the defense should be one of the best in the conference.

3. Georgia Tech

I refuse to put Georgia Tech any lower than this; no matter how much NFL talent it lost. Paul Johnson proved the past few years that his teams can beat anyone.

Roddy Jones and Anthony Allen will be a force in the backfield despite the loss of Jonathan Dwyer.

Josh Nesbitt will be back for his third year in Johnson’s offense, which just means he will operate it even better than before. There’s much to learn about this offense that there is always room for improvement, and having a third-year starting quarterback running the show will make Tech very tough.

4. North Carolina

The story of the spring in Chapel Hill was the uncertainty at quarterback. Incumbent starter T.J. Yates has seemingly regressed since a promising freshman season, and this might be the year he loses his job.

Bryn Renner made a favorable impression on both the coaching staff and the fan base with an exceptional spring. Renner was the talk of the spring game, completing 15 of 21 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions. His mobility inside and outside of the pocket is a huge advantage over Yates.

If the Tar Heels can settle on one quarterback – preferably the right one – and solidify the running game, the defense will win them most of their games.

The UNC defense is loaded with first-round NFL talent. No less than five players are expected to go very, very early in next year’s draft. It’s hard to imagine any team running the football with any semblance of success. The UNC-Virginia Tech game will be quite the clash.

5. Florida State

The biggest concern in Tallahassee is rebuilding a defense that ranked among the worst in the country in 2009. Mark Stoops has been brought in to fix that, and it sounds like the group made decent strides this spring.

The best news for the Seminoles is Christian Ponder looks great after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last year. He entered spring practice facing questions about his job security, with E.J. Manuel performing well in replacement duty in 2009. It sounds like Ponder put those questions to rest and the ‘Noles expect a huge year from the senior field general.

There is a lot of unproven talent around Ponder. Two receivers had a big impact in the spring game, Rodney Smith and Bert Reed. Both had long receptions and seem ready to break out as playmakers this fall.

The uncertainty around Ponder and the work needed on defense makes me uncomfortable rating the ‘Noles any higher than this. Although if you notice, the four teams ahead of them are all from the other division. A weak Atlantic Division this year will definitely aid the Seminoles.

6. Clemson

The will-he-or-won’t-he play college football question surround quarterback Kyle Parker intensified this spring, as Parker is in the midst of a spectacular baseball season. Coach Dabo Swinney made it clear he believes Parker’s best opportunity to make millions is in the NFL, but MLB scouts surely think otherwise.

Parker completed 7-of-15 passes for 79 yards in the spring game.

It’s no secret why Swinney has been so public about his optimistic future for Parker. Parker’s backup, Tajh Boyd, disappointed most of the spring, and finished the spring game 8-of-25 passing for 132 yards.

The defense is solid, especially up front with DaQuan Bowers, who might be the best defensive end in the country in the Mario Williams mold. The secondary also had a good spring (of course that might be overstated thanks to the lack of good quarterback play), but Clemson simply has more questions than answers at this point, none more pivotal than the pending decision by Parker.

7. Boston College

Mark Herzlich’s return to the field overshadowed a spring session that was very focused on developing a lackluster offense. Last year’s starting quarterback David Shinskie entered under extreme pressure to keep his job. He battled sophomore Michael Marscovetra and freshman Chase Rettig to retain the starting spot, and by all accounts it sounds like he did just that.

Marscovetra put up more impressive numbers (13-16, 156 yards, TD) than Shinskie (6-12, 50 yards) in the spring game, but the coaching staff insists that Shinskie has a firm grip on his job right now.

The Eagles also have no running back behind starter Montel Harris that they have any confidence in. this is a problem, because the diminutive Harris will never be a 25 carry per-game guy.

The offensive line returns four starters, including Anthony Castonzo, who many people believe is the best left tackle in America.

The defense will be stout as always, despite losing several key starters. Word around Chesnut Hill is virtually 100 percent focused on the offense.

8. NC State

Just like Clemson, the Wolfpack have a huge concern surrounding their star quarterback and the baseball diamond. Russell Wilson is in the midst of a solid baseball season, but coach Tom O’Bren has insisted Wilson will return to the football field this fall. Wilson did not practice at all with the football team in the spring.

Backup quarterback and once highly touted recruit Mike Glennon had a very good spring, however. In the spring game, he completed 21 of 38 passes for 423 yards with three touchdowns and only one interception.

Before Wilson’s emergence two years ago, Glennon was supposed to be to Tom O’Brien what Philip Rivers was to Chuck Amato. Instead, Glennon is still on the bench, but with a performance like this spring’s, O’Brien might not beg Wilson to return to the team a la Dabo Swinney.

Redshirt freshman running back Travis Leggett looked very good this spring. He finished with 129 yards and 21 carries in the spring game.

Middle linebacker Nate Irving returned from a devastating car accident this spring and seems good to go for next year.

Less than half of the team’s scholarship players participated in the spring game, however, which means they are behind the pack (no pun intended…ok pun intended) in terms of grooming their young talent.

9. Maryland

The offensive line will be the strength of a unit that has very little else to boast offensively. Jamarr Robinson is as fleet-footed as they come at the quarterback position, and he’s going to have to accumulate much of the yards himself in 2010.

D.J. Adams might have taken a lead in the race for starting running back, but none of the kids at that position are very dangerous.

Defensive coordinator Don Brown said the Terps ran mostly basic schemes this spring, and with a young defense that is still trying to learn second-year coach Brown’s system, it might take a while for it to get up to speed.

10. Duke

The Blue Devils left a winter early spring practice still in search of answers at quarterback. Sean Schroeder sucked struggled in the spring game, completing only 4 of 20 passes for 23 yards. Brandon Connette was a little better; completing 8 of 19 passes for 67 yards and carrying the ball 13 times for 91 yards.

The loss of Thaddeus Lewis hurts big time, and even with coach David Cutcliffe’s prowess at developing quarterbacks, this year will be a step back for a steadily improving program.

11. Wake Forest

Skylar Jones looks like he will replace Demon Deacons’ legend Riley Skinner at quarterback. Besides Jones, there was little else to talk about from spring practice out of Winston-Salem. This will be a serious rebuilding year for coach Jim Grobe.

12. Virginia

It’s hard to figure out where to begin about how awful the Cavaliers’ spring game was. Marc Verica completed less than half of his passes, and lost all accuracy inside the red zone. He was probably outplayed by both backups, Michael Strauss and Ross Metheny. The running backs popped a run or two of more than ten yards, but there is hardly any firepower on offense.

New coach Mike London and his offensive staff have changed the scheme from last year’s spread under Gregg Brandon, but Verica simply never looked comfortable.

The defense doesn’t look very impressive either, outside of Ras-I Dowling, who may be the nation’s best cornerback. The front seven is undersized but doesn’t’ blow anyone away with its speed either. London should be able to get the defense to play over its head this year, however.

Virginia will have a very hard time scoring points, and the defense isn’t good enough to keep them in a lot of low-scoring affairs.

Mike London has the program on the right track, but he’s going to start at rock bottom.