Talkin’ football with ESPN’s Bruce Feldman

ESPN.com’s Bruce Feldman was kind enough to make his second appearance at ACC Mania this week. This time around, we talked about the biggest news in the ACC this off-season, and started to look ahead to the 2011 season. Bruce is my favorite college football writer in the business, and a great guy to boot. His books, Meat Market and Cane Mutiny, are both great reads.

Here’s what he had to say:

ACC Mania – True or false, Butch Davis will be North Carolina’s head coach in 2012? Why or why not?
Bruce Feldman – False. I am skeptical UNC can keep the head of a program when his long-time close friend and righthand man acted as a runner for an agent. Davis also presided over a program with widespread agent issues with numerous players and where you had a rogue tutor who among other things spent four figures to pay parking tickets for players. Not knowing ANY of that I think will ultimately be too tough for UNC brass to stomach and no re-consider pushing the “reset” button in the face of huge NCAA sanctions.
The program had significantly built up its talent base in Davis first four seasons, although in fairness a lot of that was due to the efforts of John Blake. Still, Davis hasnt even had a winning season in ACC play yet, and now you’re looking at a future where it’s going to be even more challenging for this program to get much traction over the next five-plus years.

AM – We’ve been so eager to proclaim the resurgence of Florida State in recent years, yet this year it seems more within reach than before. What’s your stance on the future of the Seminoles under Jimbo Fisher?

BF – I’m on the bandwagon. I have FSU in the top six this season. I’d spent some time there this spring and noted how there has been impressive buy-in at all levels. Fisher’s staff is recruiting very well and with the staff he assembled I dont see that slowing down. It also helps that Fisher took over right as their two arch-rivals, Miami and UF were about to go through their own transitions.

AM – There was a plethora of restless Hokie fans after the team’s embarrassing Orange Bowl loss to Stanford in January. Frank Beamer made changes to his coaching staff the following month. Has Virginia Tech hit a wall, or can they break through to being a more serious national championship contender?

BF – Good question. I do think its very hard for any coaching regime to go someplace it hasn’t gone in the previous decade. The energy that comes with some new assistants can be very good, but for as good as Tech has been, I’m not sure they’ll push it to an even higher level.

AM – Did Tom O’Brien do the right thing in “benching” Russell Wilson, eventually leading to his departure?

I don’t know enough about what was really going on there behind the scenes. I’m curious how the majority of the guys in the locker room really feel about Wilson and how his departure was viewed there. (Mike) Glennon will be around longer, but given how productive Wilson was, it certainly has the potential to blow up in O’Brien’s face.

OBrien’s only 25-25 in four seasons there. If the offense really struggles and the Pack goes, say 5-7, while Wilson ends up leading Wisconsin to the Big Ten title it’s only going to inflame even more State fans.

AM – Georgia Tech struggled last season after winning the 2009 ACC Championship. They clearly lacked a receiving threat was Demaryius Thomas to keep defenses honest. Was that the biggest difference last season, or have teams begun to figure out how to defend that offense?

BF — I think teams in the league have got a better sense on how to handle that scheme. It doesn’t mean it’s not a big problem, but without some of the dimensions, it makes it that much more manageable.

AM – Clemson is a sleeping giant. Excellent facilities, fan base, and recruiting grounds. Why aren’t they more successful?

I’m not sure they have the right head coach. Lots of places can be transformed from underwhelming to powerhouse if they have the right guy pushing buttons at the top, setting the right tone. In the case of Dabo, it’s never easy for a first-time head coach to have a major college job the first time around.

AM – Who makes it to the conference championship game, and who comes out on top this year?

BF — I’ll say FSU over VT.

Randy Edsall’s hiring means more of the same at Maryland

Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson shot for the moon when he ousted Ralph Friedgen as head football coach. When he hired Randy Edsall on Sunday afternoon, he settled at stopping halfway.

Edsall spent 12 years guiding a Connecticut program through its transition from Division I-AA to I-A and into the Big East conference.

Less than 18 hours after leading the Huskies on the field in its first-ever BCS bowl game in Glendale, Ariz., Edsall was reportedly in College Park, Md. to accept the University of Maryland’s head coaching job.

Edsall did an admiral job of bringing the Huskies from college football abyss to Big East champions. However, since joining the conference in 2004, the Huskies are a mere 22-26 against league opponents. In fact, 2010 was just the second time in seven seasons that UConn finished with a winning record in Big East play. Edsall overcame too many obstacles to count just to bring the Huskies to where they are today.

His reputation as a program builder made him ideal an ideal candidate at larger schools in need of an overhaul. Ironically, he comes to Maryland as it comes off one of its more successful seasons in program history. The Terrapins came within one game of playing in the ACC Championship Game, led by ACC Rookie of the Year Danny O’Brien at quarterback. Since 2007, Maryland’s recruiting classes have been rated between fifth and eighth in the ACC. The Terrapins aren’t in crisis mode.

In fact, it couldn’t be a better time for the right coach to take Maryland to the next level.

When Anderson talked about the direction of the program, he said, “This was a good football team (last year)…I want it to be great.”

Is Edsall the guy to make it great? He’s not the transcendent hire that Mike Leach, with his Air-Raid offense and his pirate-like antics, would have been.

Leach would have excited a fan base that has gradually lost interest in the program. Not to mention he was buddy-buddy with the program’s most prominent booster, Under Armour CEO and Maryland alum Kevin Plank.

Maryland isn’t a program where you can hire a no-frails coach and expect to consistently contend for ACC titles. Leach was the Terrapins’ lone shot at landing a difference-maker.

Edsall does not have the resources at Maryland to elevate the program. His track record proves he’ll win often, but not necessarily win big. Especially when Jimbo Fisher appears ready to take off at Florida State and leave the rest of the division, if not the entire conference, behind.

Edsall is not a bad hire. In fact, bringing him to Maryland would have been much more impressive had it not appeared that Leach was a lock to be the guy instead.

Edsall will likely have equivalent success to what Friedgen had over the last decade, but Edsall is 11 years younger. Anderson could have taken a much worse route in choosing Friedgen’s successor.

When Maryland began this search, it hoped to make a “splash.”

In choosing Edsall, Anderson and his cohorts made barely a ripple.

Al Golden was the right choice at Miami

When word began to spread Sunday night that Miami had hired Al Golden to become its next football coach, it sent a simple message.

There is a new era at “The U”.

The school infamous for its off-field transgressions just canned its head coach despite a spotless disciplinary track record. Then they replaced him with someone of similar credentials.

Randy Shannon never proved he was a winner. Golden has.

School president Donna Shalala and Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt caught some flack for letting Shannon go despite the improbable strides he made in cleaning up the program. Hocutt called the decision to fire Shannon “the hardest I ever had to make.”

Miami brass pined hard for Jon Gruden and Mike Leach, two coaches who weren’t known for no-nonsense attitudes. But they would have signaled a push to return to the old Miami – a program that didn’t care what they did as long as they beat opponents to a pulp.

Golden will hold players to the same high moral standard that Shannon did, if not higher.

At Temple, he led the Owls through the greatest academic turnaround in the NCAA APR Reform Era. He makes sure his players read their textbooks just as much as they do their playbooks.

Don’t let his 26-32 career record fool you. He inherited one of the most abysmal programs in college football in the midst of a transition from a BCS conference to the unheralded Mid-American Conference.

He was in a recruiting hotbed, but if he wanted to compete for the best prospects, he had to do so against Penn State, Ohio State and Pitt, among others.

In the past two seasons, Temple went 17-8. For comparison, the Owls won three games in three seasons prior to his arrival.

By hiring Golden, Miami made it clear that they want results on the field in addition to a clean program.

In other words, they want to be Virginia Tech. The Hokies have been what Miami was supposed to be since joining the ACC in 2004, winning four conference titles including this year.

The biggest question about Golden is going to be if he is in it for the long haul. Miami coaches don’t have a track record of sticking around too long. The last time a Hurricanes’ coach lasted more than six years was Andy Gustafson, who coached from 1948-63.

It’s no secret that Golden was a virtual lock to succeed Joe Paterno at Penn State. He was a serious candidate for several high-profile vacancies over the last couple years (UCLA, Notre Dame, Tennessee), but it’s widely speculated that he didn’t pursue them as hard as he could have because he was holding out for the Nittany Lions.

Paterno is 84. It’s hard to believe, but he’s not going to last forever. Some might assume he’d leap at the chance to replace the sport’s all-time wins leader.

However, the assumption that Golden always had one eye on Happy Valley is probably overblown. Any good coach will tell you that you must always have both feet in your current job, and to never look down the road.

Golden put his heart and soul into making Temple a winner. He’ll undoubtedly do the same at Miami.

One thing that helps Golden is that nobody in Florida has a stranglehold on the state, a rarity throughout the history of college football. Jimbo Fisher has a slight head start at Florida State; he’s in the midst of his second straight top-five recruiting class and he just took Florida State to the ACC Championship Game in his first year at the helm.

Will Muschamp has yet to move into his office at Florida, nor has he ever been a head coach.

Golden’s Owls got jobbed out of a bowl bid this winter, which actually plays to his advantage now, because he can hit the road immediately to sell his new program.

He doesn’t have to re-invent the wheel. Shannon created a culture at Miami into which Golden can make a seamless transition. He’ll add his own “Philly-style” touch, of course, but he won’t have to make any radical moves to grab his players’ attention.

Miami didn’t upstage the Heisman Trophy Presentation or lure a “marquee” name to succeed Shannon.

Miami didn’t feel the need to grab the spotlight like in the days of old.

But by bringing in Golden, the ‘Canes are committed to find a new way to win.

On the Docket – Week One Preview

Two games on Monday: Boise St. – Va. Tech and Navy-Maryland, will be previewed later in the week.

Presbyterian at Wake Forest, Thursday 6:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: It really doesn’t. The Deacs will need a miracle to even dare competing for the ACC this year, and Presbyterian might need a bigger miracle to win this game. Presbyterian went winless in 2009 without playing a single FBS team. Wake Forest begins a year where they simply need an identity post-Riley Skinner.

Player to watch: Ted Stachitas, the redshirt sophomore dubbed Skinner’s replacement at quarterback. Stachitas won a four-way battle in August for the job. He’s a dual-threat option who led Nease High School from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. to three straight state championship appearances as a starter. The Deacs figure to operate mostly out of the shotgun in a spread option look. Expect to see Skylar Jones line up in the Wild Deacon formation some, too. This game is a good introductory level course in replacing a legend for Stachitas.

Who has the edge?

To call this a scrimmage might be insulting. The Deacs starters could play a game against the backups and third-stringers and it might be more competitive. This is simply a chance to give Stachitas as many reps as they can in a live situation and try and work out the kinks across the board.

Prediction: Wake Forest 41, Presbyterian 0

Florida A&M at No. 13 Miami, Thursday 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: Once again, this won’t be much of a contest. Like many of these creampuff season openers, this is a great chance for Miami to unleash some of its younger, unproven talent and see if anyone emerges. The Hurricanes are very deep across the board, and they can get those young backups some important reps in this game.

Player to watch: Sean Spence and Graig Cooper are two prominent players from who are recovering from injuries. Cooper’s is of a more serious nature (torn ACL), while Spence dealt with nagging injuries last season before missing three entire games late in the year. Cooper figures to get some carries at running back, but it will be interesting to see how much action he gets in a backfield loaded with talented ballcarriers.  Spence needs to be healthy this season and return to his stellar 2008 form at linebacker.

Who has the edge?

Miami will name the score in this game. ‘Nuff said.

Prediction: Miami 45, Florida A&M 10

Samford at No. 20 Florida State, Saturday 12:00 (ESPNU)

Why it matters: This will be the first time in 35 years that somebody not named Bobby Bowden will coach the Florida State football team. The Jimbo Fisher Era begins, and he hopes to bring a new energy to Doak Campbell Stadium. I’m looking to see what the environment is like for Fisher’s first game. If the fans come out hard for the Samford game, it will speak volumes for the support Fisher has from the fan base.

Player to watch: This could be a great way to pad the stats early for FSU quarterback Christian Ponder in his trek for the Heisman Trophy. He figures to play the first half, and maybe some of the third quarter, but that’s still enough time for close to 300 yards and three or four scores.

Who has the edge?

This won’t remind people of last year, when Florida State escaped a scare Jacksonville State at home. The ‘Noles will cruise as they try and smooth the wrinkles before traveling to Norman next week to face the Sooners.

Prediction: Florida State 52, Samford 7

Weber State at Boston College, Saturday 1:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: See player to watch

Player to watch: Mark Herzlich will play, and that’s the story in and of itself this week. Herzlich, whose story as the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year-turned-cancer survivor is well-read by now, was hobbled by a broken foot during August. Head coach Frank Spaziani said he wants to get Herzlich on the field this Saturday, and when he does trot between the white lines, I can’t wait to see what the reaction from the crowd is. A true miracle.

Who has the edge?

Boston College needs a crisp performance from David Shinskie, who battled inconsistency last year but managed to win the starting quarterback job again this past month. I expect to see him play most of this game no matter the score, unless he struggles. In that case, I’d be interested to see if Spaziani plugs in Marc Mascovetra to run the show.

Prediction: Boston College 35, Weber State 6

South Carolina State at No. 16 Georgia Tech, Saturday 1:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: The Yellow Jackets begin their defense of the ACC title with a cakewalk. However, they must do it without several key defensive stars from a year ago, most notably Derrick Morgan, now with the Tennessee Titans. I expect the offense to keep on chuggin’, despite the loss of former All-ACC performer Jonathan Dwyer.

Player to watch: Anthony Allen fills in for Dwyer at A-back, and I for one think Allen could have a big year. He’s a physical runner with breakaway speed (see: the first Clemson game last year). With Joshua Nesbitt under center, he will put the ball in the belly of the right runners, and I think Allen could have a sensational year because of that. He might touch 200 yards in this game.

Who has the edge?

Georgia Tech needs to sharpen its defense, which switched to a 3-4 this off-season under new coordinator Al Groh. The Jackets hit the road for the next two weeks after this Saturday to face Kansas and North Carolina. Both games will favor the Jackets, but they need the defense to be on top of its game heading into those contests. This is just a tune-up.

Prediction: Georgia Tech 49, South Carolina State 17

North Texas at Clemson, Saturday 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Why it matters: Clemson fans get to see Kyle Parker in a football jersey again, which at one point this summer seemed unlikely. Parker will quarterback the Tigers for this season and likely no more, but his return at least gives Clemson hope it can make another run at a division title in 2010.

Player to watch: Andre Ellington replaces C.J. Spiller at running back. Spiller was a legend, perhaps the greatest player to ever wear the Tigers’ uniform. However, Ellington is not too shabby himself. In 68 carries last year, Ellington averaged more than seven yards every time he had the ball. He won’t produce like Spiller, but I think he’ll be better than people expect.

Who has the edge?

At one point earlier in the decade, North Texas was a strong mid-major program (Name-drop: Patrick Cobbs). Now, they are one of the worst FBS programs in the country. Clemson cruises in this one.

Prediction: Clemson 31, North Texas 6

Richmond at Virginia, Saturday 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: Virginia breaks in new coach Mike London, against the team they pillaged for him – and also the one he led to an FCS national title two years ago. London built the foundation strong program in two years at Richmond, and it’s feasible that the Spiders are more talented at several positions than the Cavaliers. Virginia can not afford a second consecutive season-opening loss to an FCS opponent.

Player to watch: All eyes are on Marc Verica, who must cut down on his interceptions this season. He has thrown twice as many interceptions (17) as he has touchdowns (eight) in his career. He has a strong grip on the starting quarterback job, but if he struggles against an FCS team in week one, nobody’s job is safe.

Who has the edge? Virginia, but not by much. I’d say the Wahoos are maybe a three-point favorite. Richmond has a former USC Trojan under center in Aaron Corp, and Virginia really has in my opinion the least talented roster in the ACC. This will be the most competitive game of the day in the ACC.

Prediction: Virginia 23, Richmond 20

Western Carolina at NC State, Saturday 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: Not much does. The ‘Pack figure to be a non-factor in the ACC chase, and this game should be a snoozer. We’ll probably get a chance to see Mike Glennon, the backup quarterback for State who could probably start for 80% of college football teams.

Player to watch: Nate Irving, like Herzlich, also makes a miraculous comeback after nearly losing his life in a car accident last summer. Irving missed all of 2009 but will be in the starting lineup at middle linebacker for the Wolfpack on Saturday. Another example of a heroic human being. His return should severely help a defense that was downright awful in 2009.

Who has the edge?

The Wolfpack will score at will in this game. Russell Wilson could throw for a career-high number of yards. No chance of an upset here.

Prediction: NC State 48, Western Carolina 14

Elon at Duke, Saturday 7:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

Why it matters: Duke needs to make sure it wins the easy ones as it tries to make its first bowl game in a decade in a half. The Blue Devils are repairing a defense that was terrible last season. Holding Elon under 10 points would be a promising start. They need a dominating performance to build confidence heading into a key week two matchup with Wake Forest.

Player to watch: Sean Renfree has to overcome a repaired ACL and the legend of Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis set every major passing record at Duke, and Renfree tore his left ACL last November, prompting him to miss all of spring practice. Duke has plenty of options on offense, particularly at wide receiver, where Donovan Varner was the leading receiver in the ACC last year as a sophomore. Renfree was a highly touted recruit who has the potential to flourish under head coach/quarterback guru David Cutcliffe.

Who has the edge?

Duke should win handily, but a suspect defense could let in some scores early and make it closer than it should be early.

Prediction: Duke 34, Elon 13

LSU vs. North Carolina (in Atlanta), 8:00 p.m. (ABC)

Why it matters: This was supposed to be the breakthrough game for Butch Davis’ program at UNC. Now, this might be a measuring stick of just how fall the Tar Heels have fallen thanks to the infamous NCAA investigation into improper agent contact and academic fraud. LSU is in a state of flux as well, with questions at quarterback and a coach in hot water. Still, it’s likely that several key players for UNC will sit out the game. If they do, the Heels have no shot.

Player to watch: T.J. Yates enters his senior season as the maligned starting quarterback trying fend off redshirt freshman Bryn Renner. Renner is the more dynamic player, while Yates is the calmer and obviously more experienced prospect. Don’t be surprised to see Renner get some snaps if Yates struggles and/or the game gets out of hand. The coaches are waiting to give Renner his chance.

Who has the edge?

LSU. Even if North Carolina is at full strength, the distractions from the past month and a half must have taken a toll on the team’s focus and preparation. LSU feels the pressure to win this game and contend in the SEC. Speaking of the SEC, it has dominated the ACC in recent years. It won’t stop Saturday.

Prediction: LSU 34, UNC 10

Florida State’s season headed in wrong direction

Sometimes, you have to take a couple steps back before you can move forward.

Injuries and off-field incidents have made Jimbo Fisher's 2010 job much more difficult

Just two weeks ago, new Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher toted a Heisman Trophy contender along with him to Greensboro, where the ACC media picked his Florida State team to win its first Atlantic Division title since 2005.

It seems as if everything has gone wrong since then.

While in Greensboro, news broke that projected starting linebacker Nigel Carr was arrested on two counts of auto burglary, criminal mischief, credit card theft and fraud. Fisher suspended Carr indefinitely, leaving a gaping hole on an already suspect defense.

Then came the news earlier this week that Jarmon Fortson had been booted from the team, reportedly for failing multiple drug test. Fortson was expected to be a huge contributor at wide receiver. He started six games in 2009, catching 45 passes for 610 yards.

The loss of Fortson didn’t cripple the FSU offense; quarterback Christian Ponder still has several athletic options at that position, most notably Bert Reed. But Fortson has more experience than anyone else on the roster besides Reed, and that will be costly, especially with a road trip to Oklahoma in week two.

The rain became a torrential downpour when news broke over the weekend that starting defensive tackle Moses McCray and running back Tavares Pressley were both lost for the season with torn ACL injuries. McCray’s nine starts in 2009 were most among defensive tackles. Pressley was battling for the backup role behind Jermaine Thomas and Chris Thompson, but wasn’t expected to be much of a factor.

The most damaging losses by far are Pressley and Carr, who were to be key performers on a maligned defense looking to re-establish its reputation.

The defense was already under the microscope with the pressure of keeping opponents from out-shooting the ‘Noles’ offense. I was already dicey on my pick of Florida State to win the Atlantic, more so than most for several reasons.

Jarmon Fortson was supposed to be a vital piece of the FSU passing game in 2010. Instead, he's off the team.

First, it’s hard to succeed at the level FSU expects to succeed with so much staff turnover (despite already being on staff himself, Fisher replaced five assistant coaches when he took over) in the first year.

Second of all, the FSU defense was really, really bad last year. I mean realllllly bad. Mickey Andrews fielded dominant defenses year in and year out as defensive coordinator, and all of a sudden they stunk. It wasn’t a schematic problem, it was a personnel problem. No injection of energy from Fisher and new coordinator Mark Stoops could turn that defense around 180 degrees. They are still going to have issues, which has only become worse without McCray and Carr.

Also, Boston College has a much easier path to six conference wins than Florida State. The Seminoles face Miami on the road and North Carolina from the Coastal Division. The Eagles get Duke and Virginia, along with Virginia Tech – the only likely loss in that group. Florida State’s the more talented football team, but there is more continuity at B.C. and the path is smoother.

Fisher had to set the tone of his program with the suspension and expulsion of Carr and Fortson, respectively. For too many years, the Seminoles have had the reputation, warranted or not, of landing on the lenient end of the spectrum with regards to discipline.

He did the right thing in those two cases, and he’ll continue to do the right thing in the future. The light at the end of the tunnel is bright, and Florida State will be a power again very soon. But if Fisher wants that resurgence to take place this year, he and his staff have their work cut out for them.

It’s an uphill climb that might be just too steep on the first try.

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman Talks ACC Football

The landscape of sports journalism is littered with, more or less, nerds and geeks who have a lifelong passion for whatever sport they cover.

Not so for one distinguished character in the college football sector. Bruce Feldman was an art major in college, before a part-time job covering high school sports at the Miami Herald turned him onto journalism.

Fast-forward to 2010, and Feldman is a senior college football writer for ESPN the magazine and also has a daily blog on ESPN.com Insider.

He’s the author of two books, Cane Mutiny and Meat Market: Inside the Smashmouth World of College Football Recruiting. Over the course a week earlier this summer, I read Meat Market, which Feldman wrote after spending one year with all-inclusive access to the Ole Miss coaching staff in 2006 under recruiting guru Ed Orgeron.

Feldman basically took the Hubble Telescope and pointed it at the Rebels’ program, specifically the aspect of recruiting. What it showed was a coach who gave up an addiction to alcohol for an addiction to recruiting (and Red Bull Energy Drink), while also depicting just how time-consuming, complicated, and out-of-this-world stressful recruiting in the Deep South can be.

Feldman was kind enough to speak with ACC Mania one evening last week, and he had plenty to opine about the current environment within the conference.

ACC Maniac: Between Jacory Harris, Ryan Williams, Christian Ponder and Joshua Nesbitt, who has the best shot at the Heisman Trophy?

Feldman: I’d say it’s probably Ponder over Harris. I think Ponder is more consistent. Quarterbacks always have the best shot, especially when they can put up good passing numbers. I think Nesbitt is as tough a guy as there is in college football, but I’m not a guy on that bandwagon.

I’ve seen Miami this spring, and I was really impressed by how they look. I think Ponder has been more consistent, but at this point I’d say him, but it wouldn’t shock me if Harris were in the Heisman hunt.

ACC: Do you place any value in Heisman campaigns at places like Florida State?

Feldman: Those programs are so big. I think it would help if you were the Maryland quarterback, or another school that feels like more of a mid-major level.

I’ll use Carson Palmer as an example. Palmer had been a pretty inconsistent quarterback for most of his career. People knew his name, but until his senior year, he really didn’t get cranked up. He really didn’t get mentioned as a Heisman guy until really about Halloween (in 2002). It helped that guys said he had NFL size and an NFL arm. Having the NFL Draft guru approval certainly doesn’t hurt.

I have a feeling if Boise State beats Virginia Tech and Oregon State, people may talk about Kellen Moore. But there is going to be another side that’s going to ask “how good can this guy be?” He’ll be a free agent in the NFL one day, and whatever. I don’t think that helps a Heisman candidacy, but you can spend all the money you want on posters and pins and whatever, but if your guy doesn’t win big games it’s not going to matter.

If Ponder’s team wins the ACC and plays for the BCS title, people are going to find out about his story; they’ll know. He’ll be in enough big games where he’ll be talked about on College Gameday all the time and featured in magazines. People will constantly be talking about him, and why FSU – a program that had dropped – all of a sudden is back up and look who is the reason why.

There is no elaborate Heisman campaign that got everyone fired up about Mark Ingram. It was just about playing well in big games on national TV that does it.

You don’t beat out a guy because your Heisman campaign was better orchestrated than his. It might help you win a Butkus…it’s too scrutinized

ACC: You wrote a book on recruiting; who do you think is the best recruiter in the ACC?

Feldman: I’m tempted to say Eddie Gran, The running back coach at Florida State. He pulled a lot of kids out of south Florida when he was at Auburn and Tennessee and definitely did the same when he got to FSU. I think he is a really, really good recruiter. He’s a fairly low-key guy.

(UNC defensive line coach) John Blake has a big reputation as a recruiter, too, but I just don’t know. I think Graham might be a bit of an upset, but I’ll say him.

ACC: Virginia Tech just lost two huge recruits to UNC in Landon Turner and Marquise Williams. Tech needed Williams a lot more than UNC. Also, with Mike London raising UVA’s profile in-state, Tech is losing some ground in the state quickly. Williams was from North Carolina, but Turner was from Harrisonburg. Butch Davis is doing a good job.

Feldman: He’s a good evaluator. Let’s see how this NCAA probe may impact them. One of the little side cushions of the USC hit is that I wonder how much recruits will be gunshy when they hear “NCAA probe” than they were a while back.

ACC: What is the best stadium you’ve been to in the conference?

Feldman: I’m going to sound like I’m pandering, but I’m going to say Lane Stadium. I‘ve been there for a lot of games. I don’t like heavy metal or anything like that, but even when you just start hearing Enter Sandman that whole place rocks.

Every year, ESPN has a preseason seminar where everyone that works with college football comes in. One year they were playing the open to Virginia Tech-Miami in 2005. I remember just sitting there getting goosebumps. I remember being at that game. There is something there that is great.

It’s a really scenic part of the country. I’m kind of partial to that place. I have not been to Clemson for a game and I’ve heard great things about there. Otherwise I’ve been to pretty much every place in the ACC.

There is just something at Virginia Tech that I am in to.

ACC: Are you surprised that Tom O’Brien has not had more success at NC State?

Feldman: A little, given his track record. For as much as people take shots at the league, it’s not that easy to all of a sudden (improve). He has a good quarterback. Chuck Amato recruited pretty well, and he didn’t really win either. I’m not saying NC State is as tough as Duke to win at.

In a way, at Boston College you’re little more on an island and it has its charms to it. NC State is a little trickier spot. I’m not saying you can’t win there. I didn’t go in thinking oh he’s going to turn that place into the next Virginia Tech seasons. I expected 7-5 and the occasional 8-4 season. But I thought he’d be more along the lines of what Al Groh was able to do at Virginia.

I think people underestimate BC a little bit. They always have good offensive linemen. They also recruit New Jersey very well. New Jersey football is actually very good, and that is the Eagles’ lifeblood. As long as you have a really good line and mix in some other good players, you’re going to be good. It’s always been a well-coached program. They’ve never been bad. I don’t think you all of a sudden go to a different league and just fall apart.

ACC: Who is the best coach in the ACC?

Feldman: I think a lot of people would say Jim Grobe (at Wake Forest). Paul Johnson has done a lot at Georgia Tech. Beamer has obviously elevated Virginia Tech to an unthinkable level. I’d say it’s one of those three. I feel like Grobe probably gets the most out of the least, and Beamer takes it to another level. He’s had guys on his staff for a long time, there’s a lot of loyalty there.

ACC: Not a lot of people expected Paul Johnson’s offense to succeed in the ACC. I think a lot of his success predicates on how unique it is and how different it is to prepare for. When facing it, you have to completely change everything. Do you think Tech can maintain this, and do you think the triple option could show up at more schools in the future?

Feldman: I think they can maintain it. I don’t think it’s going to show up at so many other places, because coaches coach what they know. That is such a radical departure from places like the Big 12 where there are all these variations of the spread, but are pass-happy offenses.

Johnson is a good coach. Whatever system you run, it’s about how well you execute it. I just don’t think you’re all of a sudden going to see Norm Chow say, “I’m going to become an option guy,” or Mark Whipple or Jimbo Fisher either.

I think watching what Navy has done over the few years, what they’ve done is good. I just don’t think it’s going to be widespread, it’s not a part of other coaches’ DNA right now, offensively.

ACC: Who wins the ACC this year?

Feldman: There are four schools in the mix: Virginia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Florida State. The more this investigation talk starts to bubble up, it doesn’t help UNC. You worry about chemistry.

I think Virginia Tech is a proven commodity, which definitely helps them.

FSU and Miami are both similar to me. Both programs have been really good, and now are trying to get rebuilt under new leadership. They have a lot of firepower. I think Miami has more talent on defense.

I feel like it comes down to Virginia Tech having to go to Miami this year. I think that game is going to determine the best team in the league.

The five most important games for the ACC this year

In 2004, ACC Commissioner John Swofford offered up a half-century of basketball dominance as a sacrificial lamb in favor of the more financially rewarding football supreme conference. He never could have imagined that the very conference he pillaged for expansion (The Big East) would be viewed by some as a better football conference (and basketball, for that matter) today.

Whether or not you concur with opines like Brian Bennett’s (go figure, ESPN’s Big East blogger) or not, the fact that there is even a debate over whether or not the ACC is the worst of the BCS conferences is certifiably depressing.

In a league that boasts longtime powers Miami, Florida State as well as Virginia Tech, a newcomer to elite program status, the ACC should be at the forefront of college football.

Since expansion, the Hokies’ 2009 Orange Bowl win over Cincinnati (from the Big East, for what it’s worth) is the league’s only BCS bowl win since expanding – and only its second since the BCS’ inception in 1998.

Last year saw the ACC suffer embarrassing losses in the non-conference slate, as well as another group of good-but-not-great teams knock each other off week after week.

If you don’t include the Hokies, no ACC team has finished in the Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings since 2004 (the Hokies have four times). There have been 10 double-digit win totals between the teams since expansion. Compare that to the rest of the BCS conferences in that same time span:

CONFERENCE	DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN TEAMS SINCE 2004
SEC	18
BIG 12	15
BIG 10	14
PAC 10	13
ACC	10
BIG EAST*	9

*(It should be noted that in 2004 the Big East had Boston College, but had yet to add Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida – Louisville went 11-1 in 2004).

2010 is put up-or-shut up time for the ACC.

The Hokies have their best offense in a decade or more, Miami has its best combination of talent, experience and discipline under Randy Shannon, Florida State has a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, and Butch Davis has more future Pro Bowlers on its defense than the Carolina Panthers.

ACC backers are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. There are some heeeeeeyuge games throughout the year, and the conference needs to make a name for itself this year or risk earning the uncontested label as biggest underachieving conference in the nation.

Here’s a look at the five most important games for the ACC this year, where the very reputation of the league will hang most treacherously in the balance.

1. Florida at Florida State, November 27

Seminole fans need not be reminded that it has been seven years since they beat the mighty Gators (that even includes once in the Ron Zook era…yikes). In the past three seasons, the ‘Noles have been outscored by a combined 90 points.

This game used to be THE one to watch on the season’s final weekend. There was Michigan-Ohio State the week before in a top-10 clash, followed by the battle for supremacy in the Sunshine state. Quite frankly, this game hasn’t been a match of true titans in a decade.

Jimbo Fisher has a lot of pressure on him to return the program to greatness, and that consists of two not-so-simple tasks: winning the ACC and beating the Gators.

Make no mistake about it, Florida still has plenty of separation in terms of overall depth and talent, but the Seminoles are closing that gap.

It’s very likely this will be Florida State’s last tune-up before the ACC Championship Game. It will also definitely be Christian Ponder’s final game in Doak Campbell Stadium, and perhaps his best chance to cement his legacy in Tallahassee and his chances at the Heisman.

If Florida State is in fact still in the hunt for a BCS bowl heading into this game, a win over Urban Meyer and one of the giants of college football would be a huge step for a conference that has no marquee wins in November or later in years.

2. Miami at Ohio State, September 11

There are a few reasons why this game is more important for the ACC than the Virginia Tech-Boise State matchup five days earlier. For one, this is a road game for Miami, not to mention beating Ohio State has more cache than beating the Broncos. Also, despite its hot start last season, a win over the Buckeyes would be the biggest in the Randy Shannon era.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Ohio State, mainly because people believe it is finally quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s time to shine. The Hurricanes have the fastest defense Pryor will see all season.

This will also be the biggest road test of any team in the ACC this season (with a slight edge over Florida State at Oklahoma the same day). The league has not fared particularly well in that department recently, and this is a golden opportunity for Miami to stamp itself as a national contender. If Florida State also knocks off the Sooners, it will be a banner day for the ACC.

3. UNC vs. LSU (in Atlanta), September 4

This game became a lot less attractive once the news of the NCAA probe in Chapel Hill broke late last week. If the Tar Heels lose a couple starters and key back-ups for the year, especially on defense, the Tigers should take this game.

However, the SEC is the league against which all others are measured, and LSU should be a top-15 team this year. The Tigers have their fair share of concerns, primarily at quarterback, where Jordan Jefferson has been wildly inconsistent the past two years.

North Carolina has come out of nowhere to become the trendy pick to win the ACC (those dreams may fade depending on the NCAA findings), and Butch Davis’ program would explode if they knocked off LSU in Atlanta. The SEC has yet to lose in this Chick-fil-A kickoff game.

If the Tar Heels lose this game, it would take quite a bit of wind out of their sails very quickly. They follow that game up with a date with Georgia Tech two weeks later, and would be staring a 0-2 start right down the nose. The league could use another 10-win-caliber team.

Right now, the ACC’s calling card is depth, but the lack of a dominant team. The Heels may not be far from becoming one.

4. Florida State at Miami, October 9

This is without a doubt the best intraconference rivalry in the ACC. Even during the pair of once-dominant programs dark ages of late, the game has provided some memorable moments. Last year’s season opener on Labor Day came down to a Christian Ponder incompletion in the end zone on the final play giving Miami the win.

There is a very good chance both teams will be hovering around the top 10 when they meet, which would give the league its first marquee conference game with national implications in who knows how long.

If by god’s grace both teams are unbeaten when this game come around, make no mistake about it – Chris, Kirk, Lee, (sigh) Desmond and (YES!) Erin will be in South Beach for College GameDay. The eyes of America will be on a prime-time ACC showdown that will all but eliminate at least one team from the national title race. As far as the winner? They just might find themselves partying like it’s 2000, in the Top 5.

5. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, November 4 (Thursday night)

This is one of the best-kept secretly budding rivalries in college football. Hokie fans were afraid when Jeff Jagodzinski left Boston College that they no longer had an ACC coach to despise. Paul Johnson made the transition into that role seamlessly.

Johnson drew the ire of Hokie fans when, after Virginia Tech complained to ACC officials over what they believed were illegal chop blocks in the Jackets’ win over the Hokies last year, went public saying “they didn’t complain about this last year when they won”. There was more where that came from, too.

This game will take center stage on Thursday night in Blacksburg, which is an all-too-familiar stage to college football this decade. This begins a treacherous month for the Hokies, who should enter this game with at most one loss, therefore very highly ranked.

Georgia Tech will likely be a top 25 team as well at the very least, and it’s hard to believe this won’t be a tight game.

This will be a chance for the nation to see one of the league’s fiercest rivalries, not to mention some hard-hittin, slobber-knockin’ football under the lights at Lane Stadium. As long as this game doesn’t get away from either team, and fans are still tuned in during the fourth quarter, it will be a victory for the ACC.

So what do you think? There’s plenty of room for argument; this is just one man’s list. Keep in mind, these are the game I think will have the biggest impact on the ACC – not the best games, or most important for the teams, per se. Feel free to nit-pick away in the comments.

Talkin’ ACC football with Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel

It’s been 11 years since Stewart Mandel started covering college football for Sports Illustrated.

Nearly fresh out of college himself (Northwestern ’98) at that time, Mandel has been one of the most prominent writers in the sport over the last decade. His book, Bowls Polls and Tattered Souls, was published in 2007 (later updated in 2008), covered everything from the chaos of the Bowl Championship Series to the crapshoot that is the NFL combine.

It is a great book for both the avid college football die-hard and the casual fan that only follows his or her alma mater. It’s informative and precise, but written simply enough that just about anyone can follow.

I was scheduled to talk to Mandel on Wednesday afternoon – in the middle of what was expected to be a “slow week.” Turns out, Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson surprisingly retired, and our conversation was pushed back until Thursday.

We talked about his career as a journalist, which I humbly admire, and also much about his book.

At the end of the conversation, we started talking ACC football, and he had some very interesting thoughts on the upcoming season.

That conversation went as follows:

ACC Maniac: Who’s closer to being “back”, Florida State or Miami?

Mandel: Miami. They got a head start…both programs kind of went in the tank at the same time, (but) the difference was that Miami made a coaching change and brought in Randy Shannon, who’s had three years to install his system and recruit his players. Even though Jimbo Fisher was there on the staff, it really wasn’t his program until Bobby (Bowden) retired – or was forced to retire.

I may be wrong, but I don’t agree with these prognostications that say they are going to be a top 15 or 20 team. Their defense was just so bad last year. I think it will take them a couple years to get the talent level back up to where they need it to be, where as Miami seems to be right on the brink.

ACC: So you’re not on the (Newly hired FSU defensive coordinator) Mark Stoops bandwagon I guess?

Mandel: No I mean, I’m sure it will help, but Mickey Andrews was the old defensive coordinator, and they were great on defense every year until last year. I don’t think that can be attributed entirely to coaching.

ACC: Between Jacory Harris, Ryan Wiliams, Christian Ponder, and I’ll throw Joshua Nesbitt in the mix…who has the best chance at winning the Heisman?

Mandel: The Heisman is based as much on how your team does. If Miami competes for the national title, Harris will be in the mix. If Virginia Tech competes for the title, Ryan Williams will be in the mix. I do think Ponder will get a lot of acclaim because he’s considered a top NFL prospect, too.

So…I would go with Ryan Williams, with my only concern that with (Darren) Evans back maybe it will cut into Williams’ yardage. If he can put up another season like last year or better, and if Virginia Tech turns out another great season, he’s got the best chance.

ACC: I wrote a story last week about how Christian Ponder didn’t need his Heisman campaign website…

Mandel: People know how good he is. How you distinguish him from Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), Jake Locker (Washington)…any number of quarterbacks who will compete for it this year will depend on how their team does.

ACC: What do you think Mike London will do at Virginia over the long haul?

Mandel: It’s hard to say; I don’t know that much about him. I know he did very well when he got to Richmond. Having not really dealt with him, I don’t know what to predict, other than it seems like on paper he has great credentials. And Virginia is a sleeping giant. They should have done better under Al Groh and there is some history there. So there is no reason London can’t get them eventually competing for ACC titles.

ACC: London seems more likable than Groh, but looking at London’s first real recruiting class and Groh’s early classes…they are similar. But Groh couldn’t win, and the great recruiting classes stopped.

Mandel: In the recruiting chapter in my book, my theory about first-year coaches and their second recruiting class being their first full class is…almost always at a major school the class is highly ranked. That’s when the excitement is at its highest, because they haven’t played a game yet. New coach, full of energy…I’ve seen that story over and over again…you’ve got to start winning. Minnesota had a great class a few years ago (when Tim Brewster took over as head coach in 2007), but that’s not happening anymore.

ACC: Who is the best coach in the ACC?

Mandel: I’m going to go with Paul Johnson…no…Frank Beamer deserves it.

Johnson is the more recent guy. He might be the next best coach, but Beamer has done more overall over time. Beamer is probably under respected in that he’s not obviously talked about like Bob Stoops, Mack Brown or Urban Meyer because they’ve all won national titles.

Beamer has never done that, and obviously it’s been…gosh, 11 years since they played for one. But in time, he’s not at a school that’s expected to do that. Those guys are at programs with great history, where as Tech’s history started with Frank Beamer. The consistency he’s shown over the years…is a remarkable accomplishment.

ACC: What happens to Virginia Tech when he leaves? Can they sustain this success?

Mandel: It’s hard to say. One thing Tech has benefited from since they joined the ACC is the fact that FSU and Miami have been down. If those programs get back to what they were, it becomes a lot harder for Tech to stay at that level, with or without Beamer.

I think the ACC is becoming more competitive. It was kind of a laughing stock during the first few years of the 12-team league. You can see each year that Georgia Tech is now a factor, and UNC with Butch Davis is a factor.

Because of that, it’s going to be hard for Virginia Tech to sustain this level, and if you lose your coach it depends on who the next guy –whether it’s Bud Foster or somebody else – has the CEO skills. Tech has X’s and O’s down and they’ve kind of patented the defense/special teams mantra.

But can Foster, or whoever else, run a program? We’ll have to see.

ACC: I’ve seen first-hand what Foster has done, and he has as much respect from the fans, players, boosters, and fellow coaches as Beamer. I don’t know any other program where you see that.

Mandel: Yeah, it’s stunning that he hasn’t gotten a head-coaching job to this point. He might not have been appreciated as much outside Virginia Tech, but they are going to be a top 10 team this year despite losing so many big players on defense, now people just expect that they’ll reload and put out another great defense. But that’s what Bud Foster does.

ACC: What is your favorite stadium to visit in the ACC?

Mandel: I’ve never been to Clemson’s stadium, which I’ve heard is great. But of the ones I’ve been to, it’s Lane Stadium. It’s so loud. I just happened to see the other day that the capacity is 66,000 (Actually 66,203)?

It’s just as loud as an 80,000-seat stadium somewhere else. It’s a little hard to get to, but once you’re there it’s a great stadium.

ACC: I talked to Tom O’Brien when he was at Boston College, and he said that Lane Stadium blew Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 107,282) out of the water.

Mandel: It’s loud. I can name louder ones, like LSU, Florida and Oregon actually, but it’s up there. The Penn State thing is not entirely surprising to me. Penn State’s stadium looks cool. I went to a game where they did “White Out,” and it looked really cool. Then the game started, and it wasn’t that interesting to me.

ACC: Who wins the ACC this year?

Mandel: This is the most competitive that it has been. There are four teams in the same division (Coastal) that could win it. I like Virginia Tech. It’s not because of the defense for once, but the offense. It’s finally, after years of having to watch those struggles to move the ball; I think it’s going to be exciting this year.

I mentioned Ryan Williams (as a Heisman candidate), but I wonder if Tyrod Taylor will get himself in the mix, because people love those dual-threat quarterbacks, and he could put up big numbers this year.

I give Tech the slight edge over North Carolina, who I think will rise up this year and contend for the title, because they could have an epic season.

I’m confident to pick them to win the ACC, but I have no idea to pick the Boise State game. I’ll probably not know until the day of the game.

ACC: Were you at the game against USC (at FedEx Field) in 2004? Virginia Tech was in that game until the very end. I don’t think Boise State is 2004 USC and I think this Tech team is better than in 2004. I know it’s apples and oranges, but…

Mandel: The ’04 Tech team was a surprise. They weren’t picked to do much, and I was really surprised when they hung with USC. I don’t know if the crowd will be a factor; Boise State has won at places like Oregon and big bowl games. It’s more a question of how Boise handles the expectations of a 9-month build-up and how big this is for them.

Virginia Tech comes into the game knowing they can still win the ACC and even contend for the national title with a loss, but this is Boise’s season.

ACC: Both teams have a lot of pressure, though. Boise’s season is riding on this game, but Tech faces the pressure of finally winning an early season game against a big-time opponent. They’ve got to win one of these games.

Mandel: Tech will definitely feel some backlash, because they have gone out and lost these big opening games. The 2007 team, when all hell broke lose and they actually finished third in the BCS standings, I said there was no way they were the third best team in the country, I watched them get humiliated by LSU. They need to step up and win one of these big non-conference games.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tell it like it is, Stewart. So there you have it, he thinks Virginia Tech will win the ACC, and he loves coming to Lane Stadium (though he’s never been to Death Valley).

It sounds like he’s high on the Hokies this season, and he’ll be in Landover on Labor Day to watch the Boise State showdown.

It was a pleasure to talk to Mandel, and if the ACC eventually gets back to the forefront of college football like he thinks it might, fans all along the coast will surely be reading much more from one of the sport’s most distinguished journalists.