Orange Bowl Reaction: Tigers, ACC embarrassed on national stage

This wasn’t supposed to happen, yet somehow it was.

Clemson was supposed to complete its best season in three decades with a win over West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. Instead, the Tigers let the Mountaineers score more points than any team in the history of bowl games. It will ultimately go down as one of the most embarrassing performances in school history, if it hasn’t already taken the cake. The worst part is, somehow I’m only half-surprised.

Perhaps no team in college football has been more inconsistent from one part of the season to another over the last decade than Clemson. In 2007, they started 4-0, and finished 9-4. In 2006, a 7-1 start fizzled into an 8-5 final record. In 2004, they stumbled to a 1-4 start before winning five of their final six games to finish 6-5. This season, a memorable 8-0 start brought national title aspirations along with it. A 2-4 finish, culminating in the debacle in Miami Wednesday night.

As predictable as the Tigers’ no-show was, nobody could have imagined it being that horrific. In the Mountaineers’ 49-point outburst in the first half, they averaged 7.4 yards per play. What was the biggest shock of all? West Virginia punted twice in that half.

West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin was the star of the night. He scored four touchdowns along with 280 all-purpose yards. He embarrassed the Tigers in every way short of walking over and spitting in Dabo Swinney’s face.

The last time we saw Clemson, they were polishing off a thorough beatdown of their own at the expense of Virginia Tech. Despite entering the game losers in three of their last four, the Tigers reverted back to their early-season dominance against the Hokies, and it looked liked they had straightened everything out. Um…guess not.

This is an extremely bitter pill to swallow for the ACC. Once again, the frontrunners of the league failed to come through under the brightest lights. A night after the Hokies gift-wrapped the Sugar Bowl for Michigan, Clemson choked so hard it coughed up both lungs. That makes the league 2-13 all-time in BCS bowl games. For comparison’s sake, West Virginia has won three BCS bowls on its own.

This is the type of performance that has historically cost defensive coordinators their job. Kevin Steele is going to face the fire in the wake of this embarrassment. Even throughout Clemson’s explosive start this season, the defense was always a liability. It wasn’t for lack of talent, either. With the likes of Andre Branch, Corico Hawkins and others, the Tigers had one of the most athletic defenses in the ACC. That didn’t stop them from allowing 29.3 points per game, 10th most in the league ahead of only Duke and Maryland. Most of the defensive lapses were masked by the prolific offensive displays that took place week after week under the direction of Chad Morris.

The hiring of Morris was a brilliant one, and it quite likely saved Swinney his job. Morris brought his spread offensive attack from Tulsa and turned untested sophomore Tajh Boyd into a first-team all-conference quarterback. Morris’ schemes fit perfectly with the Clemson’s personnel, which included speedsters Andre Ellington, DeAndre Hopkins and super-freshman Sammy Watkins. When healthy, the Tigers’ offense was a scoring factory.

Fans saw the benefits of shaking up the staff on one side of the ball this season. That will only make it harder on Swinney to keep Steele and the rest of the defensive staff around. The obvious breaking point will have been the Orange Bowl, but dig a little deeper and it’s clear that Steele’s unit underachieved all season.

Clemson is on the verge of becoming a great program again, but there are some gaping holes that must be covered before the Tigers can get there. It’s a shame it took getting their face spit on in front of a national audience for them to realize it.

Clemson 38, Virginia Tech 10 — Recap & Analysis

It’s not often one team is favored in a game against another team it lost to by 20 points at home earlier that season. That’s the situation was Virginia Tech was in against Clemson in Saturday’s ACC Championship Game, and the Tigers didn’t take too kindly to such disrespect.

The Tigers looked nothing like the slumping squad it had become in the final month of the season in a 38-10 drubbing of the Hokies. The game broke wide open in the third quarter after it was tied at 10 at halftime.

So how did Clemson do it?

D-Line Domination

The tone was set on the Hokies’ first offensive play. Freshman linebacker Stephone Anthony came on a blitz and pressured Logan Thomas, forcing him to tuck the ball in the backfield. Thomas lost the ball before hitting the ground, and the Tigers recovered. Dwayne Allen scored three plays later to provide the Tigers’ only touchdown of the first half.

The Hokies had absolutely no room to run the ball. Clemson held Tech to a season-low 56 yards on the ground. David Wilson was visibly frustrated he wasn’t getting more touches (just 11 carries for the game), but the Tigers made it a priority to not allow Wilson to be a factor.

In what seems to be a recurring theme in Virginia Tech losses, the Hokies’ offensive line was manhandled from start to finish. Logan Thomas reverted back to his early-season form with accuracy struggles and questionable decision-making, but a lot of those problems stemmed from being under constant duress most of the night.

Hokies’ depleted secondary

All-American defensive back Jayron Hosley left the game in the first quarter with a neck stinger and did not return. His absence paved the way for Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins to have a field day against an extremely young secondary. The pair combined for 12 catches, 172 yards and a touchdown. Watkins’ touchdown came on a blown coverage when Cris Hill bit hard towards the sideline on a double-move, leaving the freshman sensation wide open for the score. Kyshoen Jarrett and Detrick Bonner, both freshmen, had to play significant roles against the Tigers’ spread attack. It was Clemson’s biggest advantage of the game.

Discipline

Virginia Tech was penalized a whopping nine times. Clemson was flagged five times, but Virginia Tech’s were far more costly. Case and point, Jarrett Boykin…four-year starter Jarrett Boykin…made an impressive 29-yard reception along the sideline on third down. He was subsequently flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after spiking the ball and running his mouth for several seconds following the catch. The Hokies lost their composure after a couple calls did not go their way and as the deficit continued to grow. Instead of stopping the bleeding, the Hokies’ effort went down the tubes. There was no Tyrod Taylor, Andre smith or Darren Evans to rally the troops and keep playing hard. It was mildly reminiscent of last season’s second-half meltdown against Stanford in the Orange Bowl.

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It was hard to believe the Clemson team that took the field Saturday was the same group that had its doors blown off against NC State and South Carolina (not to mention beating Wake Forest on a last-second field goal). The Tigers were fired up for this game. I’m sure they heard all week about how hot Virginia Tech was and how poorly the Tigers had been playing. They felt disrespected as five-point underdogs to a Hokie team that they beat by 20 in Blacksburg.

From start to finish, Clemson was the best team in the ACC this season. They pulled it together when it mattered most. Credit Dabo Swinney for keeping his team focused and putting on a dominating performance on the league’s biggest stage. The Tigers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I’m Baaaackkkk…plus an ACC Championship Game Preview

Guess who’s back?

It’s been a while, but the old dog can’t learn new tricks. I know you missed this poor little blog.

‘Cause it’d be so empty without me.

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Now, on to the important stuff. Virginia Tech and Clemson will descend upon Charlotte this Saturday to battle for the ACC Championship. The Tigers spanked the Hokies in Blacksburg on Oct. 1, but the teams couldn’t come into this game headed in more opposite directions.

Tech is fresh off its most impressive win of the season, a 38-0 drubbing over in-state rival Virginia. Clemson has lost two straight games by a combined score of 71-26. Its only win in the last four games came on a last-second field goal against Wake Forest at home.

Regardless, there’s no doubt the two teams that should be playing for the ACC championship will in fact do so. The same can not be said in the SEC (Alabama’s sitting at home) or the Pac-12 (USC is too).

Offensive Breakdown

Sammy Watkins was one of the best players in America until suffering a late-season shoulder injury

Under first-year coordinator Chad Morris, the Tigers’ offense was a machine during the team’s 8-0 start. During that span, the Tigers scored 40.6 points per game. Tajh Boyd was a resounding success in his first season as a starting quarterback. Sammy Watkins was generating Heisman Trophy buzz as a true freshman wide receiver. When Watkins went down with a shoulder injury late in the Wake Forest game, it put the brakes on the unit.

Even with the late-season slide, the Tigers’ second-worst offensive output of the season came against the Hokies. Boyd completed just 13 of 32 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and interception apiece. The Tigers relied on tremendous field position and a handful of big plays to beat the Hokies, rather than sustaining long drives.

This is where it could get interesting Saturday. The Tigers are third in the ACC in third down conversions at 44.7 percent. Tech’s defense is tops in the league and ninth in the nation at stopping its opponents on third down, allowing a conversion just 31.5 percent of the time. Clemson must move the ball more consistently this time around, what with Virginia Tech’s offense playing much better now than it was two months ago.

Which brings us to the Hokies. Much has changed since that three-point output in Blacksburg. Those changes begin and and with Logan Thomas. A 15-of-27, zero-touchdown effort against the Tigers had some Tech fans (irrationally) questioning whether or not Thomas was fit for the starting job. He only responded with a 23-of-25 performance against Miami in which he ran for the game-winning touchdown in the final minute. Since the Clemson loss, Thomas has completed 68.4 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing for nine touchdowns. The Hokies are 7-0 in those games.

David Wilson was named the ACC’s Player of the Year on Wednesday after leading the league with 1,595 yards. Between Wilson and Thomas, the Hokies have a dual-headed monster on the ground that is extremely tough to stop. Clemson is the only team to keep the Hokies’ running game out of the end zone this season.

With Thomas’ improvement in the passing game over the second half of the season, the Hokies’ offense has become one of the more efficient in the country.

To put it bluntly, the bottom has fallen out of the Tigers offense, while the Hokies are getting better by the week.

Advantage: Virginia Tech

Defensive Breakdown

James Gayle leads the Hokies with seven sacks this season

The fact that Bud Foster was left off the list of finalists for the Broyles Award (given to the nation’s top assistant coach) makes no sense. Despite losing four starters for the season and using nine different starting lineups in 12 games, Foster’s defense finished the season ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (15.5 ppg) and 12th in total defense (302 ypg). Freshmen defensive linemen  Luther Maddy and Corey Marshall have filled in and outperformed expectations, as has Detrick Bonner in the secondary. The unit is full of sophomores and a few juniors, but is playing like a seasoned veteran group now.

The experience of Bonner will be tested against Clemson’s spread offense attack. The key for the Hokies is getting pressure with their front four, especially James Gayle and J.R. Collins, and not allow the Tigers’ receivers time to separate in the secondary. Clemson made most of its damage last time on deeper throws.

For Clemson, it’s been a long season defensively — especially lately. In its last six games, the Clemson defense has allowed 35.3 points per game. That’s…really bad. As a matter of fact, the Tigers fielded the second worst rushing defense in the ACC this season. That’s not the best news heading into a matchup against the two must difficult runners to bring down in the entire conference.

If Clemson is going to slow down the Hokies, it’s going to need to put the Hokies into second down and long situations. Tech’s offense is at its best when its able to dictate the flow of the game by gaining 4-5 yards or more on first down. If the Tigers can force Thomas into passing situations, they can pressure him into mistakes. Andre Branch racked up four sacks in the first matchup of these teams. Expect the Hokies to use a heavy dose of the running game to try and wear down the Tigers’ front four.

Advantage: Virginia Tech

Special Teams Breakdown

For the season, Virginia Tech has been the worst punting team in the ACC, averaging just 35.7 yards per boot. That is a deceiving figure thanks to wide receiver…er…punter Danny Coale. The senior started at punter last week at Virginia and only averaged, oh, 47.5 yards per punt. It’s more than likely he will start again on Saturday. Having a reliable option in that spot is a huge boost for the Hokies.

Dawson Zimmerman, meanwhile, is fourth in the ACC with a 42 yard average on his punts this season. His eight punts against Virginia Tech was a season high. He’s also a reliable option for the Tigers.

Sammy Watkins and David Wilson are both dynamite kick returners who can change the momentum of the game with one big run-back.

Cody Journell and Chandler Catanzaro are both solid field goal kickers. Journell leads the ACC by connecting on 81 percent of his field goals.

Advantage: Push

Intangibles

The Hokies are out for revenge this weekend. The sour taste of the 20-point drubbing on their home turf is still fresh in their minds, especially considering it may have cost them a shot at the national championship game. Clemson could not be playing much worse over the last month of the season, while the Hokies seem to be peaking at the right time. Both teams are very young, but the experience of playing in last year’s title game will only benefit Tech. The championship experience amongst the Tech coaching staff is also a critical asset.

Advantage: Virginia Tech

Prediction

If Clemson can get off to a fast start, we are going to be in for a great game. The Tigers are hurting for confidence at this point, and if they get behind by a couple scores in the early going, it could get ugly. Virginia Tech is on a mission right now. Even at worst, the Hokies won’t lay an egg like they did in the first match-up. These are two entirely different teams than the pair that met up in early October, and it will show on the field in Saturday.

Virginia Tech 31, Clemson 17

Clemson, Boston College hope new offensive coordinators pan out

Dabo Swinney and Frank Spaziani both hired new offensive coordinators this off-season in hopes it would spark a run at the ACC championship.

At Clemson, Swinney plucked Chad Morris away from Tulsa to run the spread offense that is the flavor of the month in college football.

Kevin Rogers comes to Boston College by way of the Minnesota Vikings

Spaziani hired longtime coaching veteran and quarterback guru Kevin Rogers to replace Gary Tranquill at Boston College.

Both moves were made with high and immediate expectations. Ironically, the pair couldn’t be much less alike.

Morris is a full-bred Texan with a fiery personality. The 42-year-old chugs a Red Bull Energy Drink before every practice (he refrains during games), and has only one year of coaching experience at the collegiate level. His lightning quick rise from high school to the AQ-BCS ranks draws many comparisons to 2010 Broyles Award winner Gus Malzahn.

Rogers, meanwhile, is a proven commodity at both the college and professional level. His most recent stint was in Minnesota, where he took credit for revitalizing the ageless Brett Favre’s career. His most notable tutelage collegiately came in the mid-90’s at Syracuse, where he turned Donovan McNabb into the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He also spent time at Notre Dame and Virginia Tech in the past decade as their respective quarterbacks’ coach.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds, both come to their new jobs with enough pieces in place to succeed immediately.

Both have future NFL running backs. Andre Ellington (Clemson) and Montel Harris (Boston College) are workhorse backs who would make any coordinator’s job easier.

Rogers has the more experienced quarterback, however. Chase Rettig started the last eight games of the 2010 season, completing 100 of 195 passes (51.3 percent) with six touchdowns and nine interceptions. Pedestrian numbers, even for a freshman, but he played behind a disappointing offensive line and a terrible collection of receivers.

With Rogers’ experience grooming young quarterbacks, and the hopeful growth of the receiving unit, Rettig’s numbers should be much prettier in 2011. If Rettig progresses as the Eagles hope he will, it will make the Eagles’ offense that much more potent, because it won’t allow opponents to crowd the line of scrimmage to swallow up Harris.

Meanwhile, Morris has to bring redshirt sophomore Tajh Boyd up to speed in his complex, fast-paced scheme. Boyd has most of the tools to run the system effectively: a strong arm, a physical frame, and decent speed. However, it was apparent this spring that his footwork left much to be desired, as did his accuracy. Morris cannot afford to be too patient with Boyd entering fall camp. Without a quarterback in total control of the offense, the Tigers are more likely to sputter than skyrocket.

Chad Morris was 169-38 with three state championships in 16 seasons in as a high school head coach in Texas.

Most of the preseason analysis so far this summer has rated Clemson ahead of Boston College. While the Morris/Malzahn comparisons are entirely fair, nobody should expect Morris to have that level of an impact at Clemson, especially that quickly.

So, who will prove to be the better hire? Will it be the proven commodity Rogers? Or the rising star Morris?

The safer bet is that Rogers. He’s got a talented protégé in Rettig and is on a more stable coaching staff. Dabo Swinney’s seat is warming up at Clemson, and some people think Morris could be next in line.

If Clemson struggles early – not a far-fetched assumption with games against Auburn and Florida State in September – it could create some internal strife if not a lack of faith in the new schemes. The Eagles’ opening stretch of Northwestern, UCF, Duke and UMass is much less daunting, and could create a lot momentum heading into the thick of the ACC schedule.

Both Rogers and Morris were welcomed with open arms by their respective fan bases. While I give the slight edge to Rogers, both are in a position to thrive in their new jobs.

Ranking the ACC’s Backup QB’s

You’re always just one play away.

Backup quarterbacks hear that phrase on a daily basis. It’s so commonplace now that it could be difficult to truly grasp its magnitude.

Just ask Stephen Morris, or EJ Manuel how quickly your responsibility goes from signaling in the play-call to having to dissect a cover-2 defense up close and personal.

The starting quarterback is the most important player on a football team, but the backup is not far behind. There are plenty of teams over the years that have had their seasons derailed after losing their top gunner.

The ACC is breaking in seven new full-time starting quarterbacks in 2011. In the world of college football today, where the best recruits go where they can play as soon as possible, it’s difficult to build quality depth at quarterback. It’s hard enough bring in one big-time prospect every three or four years. Which makes developing depth at the position an art at the collegiate level.

Let’s take a look at who’s in good shape with their backup quarterback situation, and who will be crossing their fingers this season.

1.     Miami

Morris and incumbent starter Jacory Harris are neck-and-neck for the starting spot this fall. While both have their flaws, either one will be a tremendous backup to the other. They figure to split time early in the season, but Miami is definitely in better shape than most of the country if its signal caller goes down.

2.     Boston College

David Shinskie was a major flop in his year and a half as the starter, but any time you have a guy with that much starting experience standing on the sideline, you can breathe a little easier. Shinskie completed only 48 percent of his passes in 2011, with five touchdowns and six interceptions. With Montel Harris capable of shouldering a heavy load at running back, Shinskie would be perfectly capable of managing the game in Chase Rettig’s absence.

3.     North Carolina

The Tar Heels have three guys fighting for the right to back up Bryn Renner. Braden Hanson is a former Under Armour All-American, and he may have the inside track to the spot. Blue, a sophomore, and Williams, a freshman, make up in athleticism what they lack in experience. It’s often beneficial to throw a young quarterback in the fire when he’s able to make big plays out of seemingly nothing. That gives Blue or Wiliams a leg up on Hanson. Either way, the Heels will have a backup quarterback who can handle the pressure.

4.     Duke

Brandon Connette has game experience, which is more than can be said for the rest of the teams on this list. He’s a significant running threat whom David Cutcliffe used in red zone situations in a Tim Tebow-esque role. While Connette only attempted 22 passes last season, he ran for eight touchdowns on 78 carries, second-most on the team. The Blue Devils will have to shift around their playing style if Connette has to take the reins for an extended amount of time, but he won’t be fazed by the opportunity.

5.     Georgia Tech

Tevin Washington, who took over after Joshua Nesbitt’s season-ending broken arm last season, is trying to fend off freshman Synjyn Days for the starting job. Washington was solid, not spectacular last year. He averaged 4.43 yards per carry (Nesbitt averaged 4.44) and ran for four touchdowns. He does not have a very strong arm, which is important for the Jackets who rely on the occasional vertical passing threat to keep defenses from loading the box to stop the run. Days is pushing hard for the job and is a more natural fit for the job. It’s likely Days will take over at some point this season. For now, Days has a lot of potential as the second-string guy.

6.     Virginia 

After a four-way battle ensued all spring, it seems like Mike London has settled on either Ross Metheny or Michael Strauss as his starting quarterback. Neither are going to take the Cavaliers to the Orange Bowl, but again, at least you know there’s not a big drop-off from the No. 1 to No. 2 guy.

7.     Florida State

Unfortunately for Jimbo Fisher, he doesn’t have a future high draft pick waiting in the wings any more. The EJ Manuel era has begun, and backing him up will be redshirt freshman Clint Trickett. According to Tomahawk Nation, Trickett is “competent, knows the scheme, grew up around Jimbo and the program.” Trickett’s father Rick is the team’s offensive line coach. He’s a former three-star recruit who can handle a large chunk of the playbook if called upon. He’s got plenty of weapons to work with, that’s for sure.

8.     Wake Forest

The Deacs are actually in pretty decent shape at quarterback, which is more than can be said for the rest of the roster. Ted Stachitas missed the second half of last season with a back injury, but returned with a strong effort this spring. He won’t beat out Tanner Price for the starting spot, but he’s definitely good enough to keep Price working to hold onto the job. Stachitas originally won the starting job last year before giving way to Price early on.

9.     Virginia Tech

Ju-Ju Clayton seemed firmly entrenched as Logan Thomas’ back-up, until redshirt freshman Mark Leal closed out spring practice very strong. Leal looked like a very…very poor man’s Tyrod Taylor during public scrimmages, but he already seems to be a better decision maker and clearly a better natural athlete than Clayton. If Leal can add some strength and further grasp the playbook, he’ll beat out Clayton in fall camp, that much seems clear. That said, Leal is not ready to hold down the ship in Thomas’ absence. It’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff balances Thomas and Leal’s playing time in potential early-season blowouts against Appalachian State, Marshall and Arkansas State.

10.  Maryland

C.J. Brown broke his collarbone in week two last season, costing him precious practice time as a redshirt freshman. With the recent transfer of Tyler Smith, Brown is all of a sudden the unquestioned backup for Danny O’Brien. He was a three-star dual-threat recruit out of Pennsylvania in 2009, and has a good frame at 6-foot-3. Still, there’s quite a drop-off from O’Brien to Brown, and that’s something Maryland fans hope this is the most they read about Brown all year.

11.  NC State

Tyler Brosius is an intriguing prospect who could’ve easily used another year as the third-string quarterback behind Russell Wilson and Mike Glennon. With Wilson out of the fold, Brosius has to be ready to play now if need be. He seems competent, as evidenced by an 11-of-17 effort for 95 yards in the spring game. O’Brien likely will add someone in the upcoming recruiting class to compete with Brosius in two years when Glennon has departed, but Brosius seems to have starting-QB potential down the line.

12.  Clemson

Behind Tajh Boyd, it’s basically a mess for the Tigers. True freshman Cole Stoudt was in for spring practice and should be the back-up come September. He’s an extremely raw product who was just 6-of-22 passing in the spring game (of course, Boyd was only 8-of-24). Boyd has plenty of room for progress in his own right, but there’s no question he’s got to be on the field for Clemson to have any hope of competing for an ACC championship.

Post-Spring Power Rankings

1. Florida State

The Seminoles return 18 starters off a team that looked very, very good the last time we saw them. They beat the SEC East Champs South Carolina 26-17 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I’m as high as anyone on EJ Manuel’s potential. The MVP of the ‘Noles past two bowl wins is a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. He’s got weapons like Bert Reed, Taiwan Easterling, and Chris Thompson to give the offense plenty of firepower. Brandon Jenkins anchors a defensive that should remind people of Seminole defenses of old.

2.     Virginia Tech

The Hokies’ biggest concern – literally – was answered this spring when 6-6, 250-pound quarterback Logan Thomas looked ready to assume the starting job. He has the most experienced receiving corps in the conference to help him out, including Marcus Davis, who looks like the next breakout star for the league. Bud Foster won’t allow another mediocre season defensively like 2010. The Hokies are deeper on that side of the ball, led by a dynamic secondary.

3.     Boston College

I have Boston College higher than most anywhere else I’ve seen. The Eagles are my pick to surprise everyone this year with a nine or so-win season. Chase Rettig got a big help when Frank Spaziani hired Kevin Rogers, whose former pupils include Brett Favre, Bryan Randall and Donovan McNabb, to coach the quarterbacks. He’ll be much more prepared to succeed as a sophomore. Luke Kuechly is still a tackling machine, and he’s going to be the leader of a young defense with a lot of potential. The Eagles aren’t going to be truly tested until an Oct. 8 trip to Clemson, meaning they should have five important wins under their belt out of the gate.

4.     North Carolina

The Tar Heels lost nine players to the NFL, yet somehow still seem chock full of future pros this upcoming season. Donte Paige-Moss is another prodigy at defensive end, as is Quinton Coples. The defense will be the fastest in the league. The question for Carolina is how long it takes Bryn Renner to be comfortable as a passer with a load of receiving talent. Thankfully, he has the conference’s best offensive line to protect him. There’s hardly any depth at running back, so it could be up to the Carolina defense to carry the burden, especially early in the season.

5.     Miami

Al Golden was successful this spring with integrating his philosophy into the program. He’s a gritty Midwesterner who instantly garnered the respect of his players. He’s got more talent now than he ever dreamed of dealing with at Temple, but there’s just one problem: he can’t pick a quarterback. Should it be the veteran but turnover-prone Jacory Harris, or the younger, less experienced Stephen Morris? Morris regressed during Miami’s embarrassing loss to Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl, and the battle this spring ended in a dead heat. Most think Harris will get the nod, but an inevitable game of musical chairs at QB will hold the Hurricanes back in Golden’s first season.

6.     Clemson

The Tigers will look completely new on offense this fall with Chad Morris calling the offense. Morris, the former Tulsa offensive coordinator comes from the Gus Malzahn school of spread offense, and will have the Tigers operating at a breakneck pace. Can new starting quarterback Tajh Boyd keep up? He was 8-of-24 in the Tigers’ spring game, which is not encouraging. The learning curve is steep in this offense, and Boyd must come back to fall camp with a better grasp of the playbook, or everything else won’t matter. The middle stretch of the Tigers’ schedule is absolutely brutal, despite four home games.

7.     Maryland

Danny O’Brien connected a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the Terps’ spring game. I’d say that’s picking up where the 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year left off. Maryland lost a helluva lot of talent on both sides of the ball, most notably RB Da’Rel Scott, WR Torrey Smith and LB Alex Wujciak. Kenny Tate was moved from safety to linebacker this spring in hopes that he can be even more of a playmaker. It’s working so far; he made 11 tackles in the spring game. The Terps won’t be an easy opponent for anyone, but there are just too many questions in important areas to rank them any higher right now.

8.     North Carolina State

I’m going to try to make it through this without mentioning Russell Wilson. Crap. Anyway, if Mike Glennon wasn’t ready for the big show, there’s no way Tom O’Brien would’ve been so comfortable shoving one of the most accomplished passers in ACC history out the door. Mustafa Greene showed a lot of potential as a freshman running back last year, and he must build on that in 2011. T.J. Graham is one of the fastest players in America at receiver. The passing defense was atrocious towards the end of last season, and lost its star in linebacker Nate Irving, who as a tremendous pass rusher. The ‘Pack are deeper across the board, but will still have to outscore teams again this season to win too many games.

9.     Duke

Nobody wants to admit it, but Duke is getting better. Last year its offense was one of the more powerful in the conference. Most every key part is back as well, including quarterback Sean Renfree and receivers Connor Vernon and Donovan Varner. The defense is what kept Duke at the bottom of the standings last year, but it showed improvement this spring and the Blue Devils are a capable foe for anyone – yes, anyone – they will face this season.

10.  Georgia Tech

A combination of issues derailed Georgia Tech’s season last year. Injuries of course, but also a lack of any threat to pass, and worst of all – the league is starting to figure out the triple option. Still, if executed at a high level, Paul Johnson’s offense can be successful. Tevin Washingon needs to make significant strides under center or he may lose the job to freshman Synjyn Days. Receiver Stephen Hill has to be more a downfield threat. The key to the Jackets’ 2009 ACC Title run was Demaryius Thomas’ big-play ability. Hill needs to fill that void. The defense is still adjusting to Al Groh’s 3-4 philosophy. It’s going to take another year or two to assemble the right personnel to have success.

11.  Wake Forest

The Deacons are still very young, but there is some reason to hope they’ll be better than the 3-9 outfit we saw in 2010. Tanner Price looks like the guy at quarterback, and he’ll look to have a more consistent sophomore season. Josh Harris is a track star who has 1,000-yard potential at running back if he can stay healthy. All four starters return in the secondary, and Kyle Wilber is back at defensive end after a six-sack campaign last season. The Deacons are still a year away from being in the mix for bowl eligibility again.

12.  Virginia

Plain and simple, it doesn’t matter what improvements the Wahoos make across the board if they don’t have a quarterback they’re confident in. Four players battled it out this spring for the starting job and no one stood out from the group. Ross Metheny or Michael Strauss will earn the starting job by all accounts, but it was clear during the Cavs’ spring game that it’s going to be difficult to move the ball. Mike London will have to put together a couple more 17^th-ranked recruiting classes before he pulls Virginia out of this mess.

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Disagree? Of course you do! Please leave a comment, or let me know on Twitter — @JoshParcell

Just how much does Kyle Parker mean to Clemson football?

The question anyone who pays attention to Clemson football has been asking since February- and maybe before- will soon be answered, when Kyle Parker announces his intentions to either turn pro in baseball or stay in school.

Head football coach Dabo Swinney has plenty of reasons to sweat out Parker’s decision. The Tigers have a talented team lined up for this fall, which returns seven offensive starters if you include Parker. Even C.J. Spiller, perhaps the greatest offensive player in school history and is now a member of the Buffalo Bills, has viable suitors to replace him.

Should Parker leave his coach and teammates high and dry for the fruits of a hefty payday, it would leave Clemson with not a single career passing yard on the roster.

Tajh Boyd, a redshirt freshman who redefined indecisiveness during his recruitment process, would inherit the starting role from Parker.

There were mixed signals from coaches, bloggers and fans unlike on where Boyd in terms of being prepared to lead the offense.

Starting a quarterback who lacks experience can be costly for many college teams. In 2009, BCS conference teams whose leading passer had never been a full-time starter prior to the year were a combined 218-186 (or a .540 winning percentage). On the other hand, teams who had an experienced signal caller were 250-160 (.610).

While that’s not a mind-blowing margin, the difference in 7-10 winning percentage points is one win over the course of a season. Well, the Atlantic Division has been decided by a game every season of its existence, and Clemson has been on the good or bad side of that each time.

Boyd has a strong arm and a solid frame. He’s a pocket passer with good mobility. Sounds like a worthy candidate to be an ACC quarterback. Clemson wouldn’t step off a cliff with Boyd, but with Parker they’d climb the mountain a bit higher.

Something that would make a Parker-less offense a little more comforting for Swinney is his four returning starters on the offensive line. Having a rookie quarterback behind a weak offensive line is the football equivalent of mixing baking soda with vinegar. The offense explodes all over itself.

The Atlantic in 2010 won’t blow anyone’s minds, but the competition within it is stiff. Florida State is the consensus favorite to win the division, but even they have plenty of question marks and a freshly minted coaching staff.

Boston College has issues of its own at quarterback among other uncertainties. NC State has weapons galore on offense, but a defense that has people wondering if it will ever hold the opponent out of the end zone.

What would a veteran quarterback- Parker- do for Clemson? It would give them an even balance of a solid offense and defense both. The Tigers wouldn’t score 40 points a game, but it would hardly struggle to score. The defense won’t shut people out, but it will keep offenses at bay.

For anyone with their doubts about Parker, all there is to say is he played his best games against the stiffest competition.

If Clemson has to break in a new quarterback for the second year in a row, the learning curve for him will have to be steep if the Tigers seek a repeat trip to the conference championship game. It’s probably a little too steep.

Quarterback issues dominate spring practices

There’s a fine line between holding the reins to the offense and holding a clipboard.

During spring practices across the ACC, the starting quarterback job, backup job, or both were up for grabs.

In reality, only three teams could guarantee before spring practice “(Player X) will be our guy next year.”

Injury concerns, the draw of another sport, or simply lack of production had some coaches worried entering the spring.

Three projected starters missed some or all of spring practice altogether.

Two-sport stars

The most prominent storylines concerning the guys under center revolved around the baseball field. North Carolina State’s Russell Wilson and Clemson’s Kyle Parker both have promising careers on the diamond.

While Wilson maintained his focus entirely on baseball, Parker did double duty.

It’s unknown whether Clemson coach Dabo Swinney spent more time in the office watching film or in Parker’a apartment begging him to not give up football.

Tajh Boyd is simply not close to ready to be the starter. He completed 8 of 25 passes in the spring game, and all the talk out of Clemson this spring was his lack of progress. Parker has NFL-caliber skills that the Tigers desperately need.

In Wilson’s absence at NC State, Mike Glennon got a chance to shine. He wrapped up an extremely productive spring with 423 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Glennon is a more prototypical Tom O’Brien quarterback – he’s drawn comparisons to Matt Ryan, whom O’Brien coached in Ryan’s early years at Boston College – but Wilson is an extremely accurate quarterback who puts up impressive numbers.

Though it’s not Wilson’s fault directly, it’s hard to avoid the fact that he has a losing record as a starter. O’Brien hasn’t been on the hot seat, but with a new athletic director entering the fold soon, you’d have to think the pressure on O’Brien to win more games just got a little higher.

Struggling starters

At Virginia, Marc Verica did little to prove that he can be a steady performer this season. In 2008, Verica completed nearly 64 percent of his passes, but also threw twice as many interceptions (16) as touchdowns (8). In the spring game, which barely lasted an hour in front of a crowd no larger than 3,000, Verica completed only 8 of 23 passes. Several of his incompletions were very poorly thrown balls. There were several miscommunication mistakes between him and the receivers, but it’s impossible to tell who to blame in those situations.

Meanwhile, Verica’s backups, freshmen Ross Metheny and Michael Strauss each threw a touchdown pass and moved the offense better than Verica.

The Cavaliers are already going to be putrid on offense this year, why shouldn’t Mike London start off his regime with a young quarterback and let him grow in the system?

There is a serious quarterback controversy in Chapel Hill. T.J. Yates continued his inconsistent performance of the last two years this spring, while redshirt freshman Bryn Renner did nothing but look like the best quarterback in Tar Heel blue. Renner has much more mobility than Yates and a stronger arm.

Renner also was a part-time baseball player, but his football workouts were so impressive that the coaches convinced him to give up the diamond. If that’s not a sign the coaches are seriously considering supplanting Yates as the starter with Renner, who knows what is.

Yates has a leg up experience-wise, which is crucial because North Carolina’s defense is going to be downright nasty this year. They may not need to take a risk on a young quarterback that has never seen game action before. That being said, Yates has not exactly played like the seasoned veteran he is.

It doesn’t seem to be a matter of who will earn the starting job by the season opener (against LSU in Atlanta), but how long Yates will hold off before giving way to the budding star.

In Maryland, Jamarr Robinson started a few games down the stretch for the Terps, and was in large part a glorified running back. He was a good one, though. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but also threw two touchdowns with no interceptions. He entered the spring as the consensus choice to be the starter.

Danny O’Brien made the decision a little harder, though. He showed he is a very intelligent and safe player, something something coach Ralph Friedgen loves,

but he might not have enough physical tools to take over for Robinson just yet. There were a few other competitors for the job including C.J. Brown, but it looks like Robinson has done just enough to earn the job.

Up north, David Shinskie had to convince the Boston College coaching staff that he can make huge strides in his second year as the Eagles’ quarterback. Shinskie was downright awful against the toughest opponents last year, but down the stretch of the season was playing fairly well.

The Raycom Sports BC blog had this to say about Shinskie and his competition in the spring game — After Shinskie, (Mike) Marscovetra came on and put on a show. I had my doubts about the sophomore from Oakland, NJ and his ability to lead this team, but all doubts flew out the window after a few drives he was able to produce. Most of his throws were on target and his pocket presence was near immaculate. Marscovetra could have vaulted himself into a great position to be the starter for the Eagles this fall.

Shinskie is a former minor league baseball player that showed his rust a year ago. Marscovetra is a sophomore who has done nothing but play well in limited action.

He has the look of a three-year starter in the garnet and gold.

Injury concerns

Injuries plagued Florida State, Duke and Miami. Christian Ponder admits he is still not 100 percent following spring practice. However, Ponder was good enough to put the rest the notion that backup E.J. Manuel is a threat to the starting job.

Sean Renfree missed all of spring practice while recovering from a torn ACL for Duke. Meanwhile, the guys behind him on the depth chart looked, well…awful. It was an unproductive spring in Durham while coach David Cutcliffe can only hope for a full recovery from Renfree.

Jacory Harris also missed spring practice with a thumb injury that was surgically repaired after the season. There is nothing unsafe about his job, but it was another example of an ACC quarterback missing practice.