ACC FB 2017 - Week 1

[BigWayne]

ACC football kicks off tonight with Presbyterian at Wake.
Most interesting matchups are neutral site games:

FSU & Alabama at the new Falcons stadium in Atlanta where Duke will take on the tide in 2019.
State at South Carolina in the Panthers stadium.
West Va and VT at the Redskins stadium.

7610

[budwom]

ACC football kicks off tonight with Presbyterian at Wake.
Most interesting matchups are neutral site games:

FSU & Alabama at the new Falcons stadium in Atlanta where Duke will take on the tide in 2019.
State at South Carolina in the Panthers stadium.
West Va and VT at the Redskins stadium.

7610

Presbyterians vs. Baptists, always a donnybrook when these two great faiths bang foreheads on the gridiron.

[devildeac]

Go Golden Bears.

[Olympic Fan]

I think the big theme for the opening weeks -- and I can't believe ESPN is not pushing it -- is the ACC's challenge to the SEC as the nation's best conference.

After almost a decade of dominance by the SEC, the ACC very clearly proved itself the nation's top conference in 2016 -- by almost any measure. Not only did the ACC win the national title, it had the best bowl record (by far), the best regular season non-conference record and the best record against the other P5 conferences, including a significant head-to-head winning record vs. the SEC.

The ACC was best for one season. It's indisputable. Does that make the ACC the nation's best conference or was it a one-season fluke?

That's what we should be looking at as the 2017 season opens. The new year offers quite a few major ACC-SEC tests right off the bat, starting with Florida State vs. Alabama in a battle between the two conference favorites. We also have opening week matchups between South Carolina and NC State and Tennessee-Georgia Tech .. all three are on neutral fields (the UT-GT game is in Atlanta, but not at Grant Field). Clemson meets Auburn (probably the No. 2 preseason team in each league) in week two.

The first week offers some other significant ACC vs. P5 action -- Cal at UNC, West Virginia-Virginia Tech; Louisville at Purdue. Plus, Boston College has a Friday night game at Northern Illinois, a mid-major power than has made a habit of beating mid and lower level Big Ten teams in recent years. In week two, we get Pitt vs. Penn State, Duke-Northwestern, Virginia-Indiana.

Those two weeks should give us a decent idea of how the ACC stands vs. the other P5 conferences (especially the SEC). Of course, the debate can't be settled up late in the season -- the ACC and SEC finish with a bunch of traditional rivalries (FSU-Florida; Clemson-South Carolina; Georgia-Georgia Tech; Louisville-Kentucky). And even that is trumped by the bowl games.

If the ACC is superior for a second year in a row, I would be comfortable anointing the ACC as the nation's best conference.

[PackMan97]

A great chance to see where the ACC stands. Two games vs the B1G and three vs the SEC...all appear to be winnable games.

The only game I see as a must win is Cal vs UNC. Every game against UNC is a must win for their opponent :)

[wilson]

I think the big theme for the opening weeks -- and I can't believe ESPN is not pushing it -- is the ACC's challenge to the SEC as the nation's best conference.

After almost a decade of dominance by the SEC, the ACC very clearly proved itself the nation's top conference in 2016 -- by almost any measure. Not only did the ACC win the national title, it had the best bowl record (by far), the best regular season non-conference record and the best record against the other P5 conferences, including a significant head-to-head winning record vs. the SEC.

The ACC was best for one season. It's indisputable. Does that make the ACC the nation's best conference or was it a one-season fluke?

That's what we should be looking at as the 2017 season opens. The new year offers quite a few major ACC-SEC tests right off the bat, starting with Florida State vs. Alabama in a battle between the two conference favorites. We also have opening week matchups between South Carolina and NC State and Tennessee-Georgia Tech .. all three are on neutral fields (the UT-GT game is in Atlanta, but not at Grant Field). Clemson meets Auburn (probably the No. 2 preseason team in each league) in week two.

The first week offers some other significant ACC vs. P5 action -- Cal at UNC, West Virginia-Virginia Tech; Louisville at Purdue. Plus, Boston College has a Friday night game at Northern Illinois, a mid-major power than has made a habit of beating mid and lower level Big Ten teams in recent years. In week two, we get Pitt vs. Penn State, Duke-Northwestern, Virginia-Indiana.

Those two weeks should give us a decent idea of how the ACC stands vs. the other P5 conferences (especially the SEC). Of course, the debate can't be settled up late in the season -- the ACC and SEC finish with a bunch of traditional rivalries (FSU-Florida; Clemson-South Carolina; Georgia-Georgia Tech; Louisville-Kentucky). And even that is trumped by the bowl games.

If the ACC is superior for a second year in a row, I would be comfortable anointing the ACC as the nation's best conference.Can't currently spork you, OF, but this is an outstanding post. Living in Atlanta, I have committed your pretty unimpeachable litany of facts in your opening statement to memory, so as to appropriately counter SEC homers who still can't read the writing on the wall.
I don't pretend to know how things will shake out this season, but even if one wants to dismiss last season's results as a one-year aberration, I think the SEC is nowhere near as far ahead of everyone else as it was, say 6-10 years ago.

[Bob Green]

End of 1st Quarter: Wake Forest 16, Presbyterian 0.

A missed extra point is the only thing that has gone wrong for the Demon Deacons so far. John Wolford has thrown two TD passes to TE Cam Serigne.

[Bob Green]

Wake Forest 30, Presbyterian 0. I can't watch anymore.

[Olympic Fan]

Wake Forest 30, Presbyterian 0. I can't watch anymore.

37-0 at the half

[BigWayne]

Wake Forest 30, Presbyterian 0. I can't watch anymore.

Check out Holy Cross whupping up on UConn. 20-7 at the half.

[Olympic Fan]

Pretty terrible Week One for the ACC, despite an 8-3 record so far.

The problem is that the ACC was 1-3 against other P5 teams, including 0-2 against the SEC. We've still got VPI-WVU tonight and Tennessee-Georgia Tech Monday night, but unless we sweep those, the first week is pretty much a wipeout.

The FSU-Alabama game was a disaster. Not so much the loss -- FSU could recover from that and still be a playoff team -- but the fact that the 'Noles lost QB Deondre Francis with an injury. If he's out any length of time ...

The two SEC losses were almost totally due to special teams breakdowns. NC State gave up a TD on the opening kickoff return, missed a short field goal, and gave up great field position to set up what proved to be the winning TD after a long punt return. FSU was in the game with Bama when they had a punt blocked, setting up a Bama field goal, then fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. That broke the game open.

Throw in UNC's homefield loss to the team picked dead last in the Pac 12 and another black eye for the ACC. (Although I admit that it was fun to watch the Heels melt down in the final minute -- frustrated by Cal's intentional holds, the UNC guys started two fights. LOVED their frustration). To me, the interesting thing about this game was their offensive, devastated by graduation, was not too bad with Chaz Surault (the kid who first committed to Duke) at quarterback, but that their veteran defense was absolutely shredded.

A couple of other ACC wins were less than impressive. Pitt blew a 21-0 lead and had to go into overtime against Youngstown State. I saw the end of that one an the OT and the announcers were saying that new QB Max Broome was terrible -- but it wasn't all his fault because he got no protection. The small part of the game I saw, it looked like Youngstown was winning on both sides of the line. That's a bad omen for Pitt going forward. I mean, FSU's offensive line getting kicked by Bama's defensive front in one thing, but getting kicked up front by Youngstown State? Plus, their new kicker missed two short field goals in the final minute -- the second one on the last play of regulation was like a 25-yard kick right in front of the goal post.

Louisville didn't look great against Purdue, a Big Ten also-ran. BC had to g o OT to beat Northern Illinois.

But Clemson looked great ... while Duke, Miami and Wake Forest absolutely destroyed outmatched opponents.

Hopefully VPI can give the ACC something to cheer about tonight.

PS Not ACC, but interesting that our next two opponents struggled Saturday. Northwestern rallied from a fourth quarter deficit to beat Nevada and Baylor opened with a 48-45 home loss to Liberty. I know that guarantees nothing (Northwestern was 0-2 when we lost to them a year ago), still, good to see them struggle.

[OldPhiKap]

"Breaking: #FSU QB Deondre Francois suffers season-ending knee injury"

Per Tallahassee paper

[richardjackson199]

"Breaking: #FSU QB Deondre Francois suffers season-ending knee injury"

Per Tallahassee paper

Injuries are the worst part of sports. I don't know if a torn patellar tendon is better or worse than an ACL. But lost for the season on the first game sucks. I hope he can make a full recovery and have a good NFL career.

[Olympic Fan]

Well, the ACC finally got a quality win Sunday night as No. 21 Virginia Tech edged No. 22 West Virginia in Landover, Md.

That's the league's first win over a ranked team. It improves the ACC to 9-3 overall and 2-3 against P5 opponents.

If Georgia Tech can beat No. 25 Tennessee tonight, it would salvage a decent weekend for the ACC ... although GSU losing Francis, which probably knocks them out of national title consideration, was a blow.

Just a way-to-early guess, but if Auburn upsets Clemson this week, the ACC won't have a team in the playoffs.

[dukelifer]

"Breaking: #FSU QB Deondre Francois suffers season-ending knee injury"

Per Tallahassee paper

And with it FSUs shot at a championship

[Olympic Fan]

So the ACC comes up short again as Georgia Tech -- which dominated most of the game -- loses to Tennessee in 2OT, coming up short on a two-point try to win.

Once again (as in FSU-Bama and NC State-South Carolina), special teams were decisive. Georgia Tech missed two field goals -- either of which wins the game in regulation, plus Tennessee's first TD was set up by a long kickoff return.

The ACC finishes the first week 9-4 ... 2-4 vs. P5 opponents and 0-3 against the SEC.

It's going to be tough to be the nation's best conference for a second year in a row.

[JetpackJesus]

Pretty terrible Week One for the ACC, despite an 8-3 record so far.

I watched Duke win and saw that UNC lost, so this was a pretty spectacular week 1 for the ACC (and humanity) in my book.

[Indoor66]

I watched Duke win and saw that UNC lost, so this was a pretty spectacular week 1 for the ACC (and humanity) in my book.

The ABSOLUTE humanity of the results! A great week of football. I need no more that for this week to have the same outcome.

[OldPhiKap]

I watched Duke win and saw that UNC lost, so this was a pretty spectacular week 1 for the ACC (and humanity) in my book.

Living in SEC country, I have a general existential desire for the ACC to do well.

But Duke won, Carolina lost. Everything else is secondary.

[devildeac]

The ABSOLUTE humanity of the results! A great week of football. I need no more that for this week to have the same outcome.

Louisville visits kenan this Saturday. Go Cards!

[OldPhiKap]

Louisville visits kenan this Saturday. Go Cards!

Cards about a TD favorite I think.

I don't often root for Louisville. But when I do, it's against the Heels.

[wilson]

Louisville visits kenan this Saturday. Go Cards!


Cards about a TD favorite I think.

I don't often root for Louisville. But when I do, it's against the Heels.There is one thing and one thing only that will get me to root for Bobby Petrino.

[Dukehky]

Austin Proehl tripped a kid...

https://twitter.com/thebenswain/status/904774760176988161

No outrage. Huh?

Note: I don't care that he tripped someone. If he got a penalty, good, if not, he probably should have.

[PackMan97]

Louisville visits kenan this Saturday. Go Cards!

UNC is planning to honor Michael Jordan for his contributions to UNC football during this game. His accomplishments for this year include:

Motto: "The Ceiling is the Roof" as seen on the players tunnel at Kennan.
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/hnesc4/picture170420902/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1140/CEILING

Logo: Nothing says football excellence quite like dunking a basketball
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/z0c7LiqRGUib-MnUy2G16UB1fpA=/0x0:2402x1678/1200x800/filters:focal(900x396:1284x780)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56086931/Screen_Shot_2017_08_07_at_1.00.05_PM.0.png

So, let's all give a hearty thanks to UNC football great, Michael Jordan!
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/4b/31/d04b317cc317d1c0347b20c13cd32390.jpg

[devildeac]

Cards about a TD favorite I think.

I don't often root for Louisville. But when I do, it's against the Heels.


There is one thing and one thing only that will get me to root for Bobby Petrino.

Ahh, more posters of my own persuasion. :cool:

[devildeac]

UNC is planning to honor Michael Jordan for his contributions to UNC football during this game. His accomplishments for this year include:

Motto: "The Ceiling is the Roof" as seen on the players tunnel at Kennan.
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/hnesc4/picture170420902/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1140/CEILING

Logo: Nothing says football excellence quite like dunking a basketball
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/z0c7LiqRGUib-MnUy2G16UB1fpA=/0x0:2402x1678/1200x800/filters:focal(900x396:1284x780)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56086931/Screen_Shot_2017_08_07_at_1.00.05_PM.0.png

So, let's all give a hearty thanks to UNC football great, Michael Jordan!
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/4b/31/d04b317cc317d1c0347b20c13cd32390.jpg

Words fail me. Well, maybe not:

Go to hell, c*rolina, go to hell.

[PackMan97]

Words fail me. Well, maybe not.

I missed an item....he's an honorary captain for the Louisville game!

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article171184407.html

It always amazes me that any football recruit or coach is willing to go to Chapel Hill. Football will ALWAYS be a very distant second to basketball...as evidence by their own actions.

[PDDuke85]

I missed an item...he's an honorary captain for the Louisville game!

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article171184407.html

It always amazes me that any football recruit or coach is willing to go to Chapel Hill. Football will ALWAYS be a very distant second to basketball...as evidence by their own actions.

But the lack of anything remotely construed as academic distraction is a strong selling point to those seeking the Carolina way

[sandinmyshoes]

Louisville visits kenan this Saturday. Go Cards!

The Hall of Shame bowl.

[sandinmyshoes]

I missed an item...he's an honorary captain for the Louisville game!

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article171184407.html

It always amazes me that any football recruit or coach is willing to go to Chapel Hill. Football will ALWAYS be a very distant second to basketball...as evidence by their own actions.

I's always amazed that anyone in just about any sport goes to NCSU given the long, dismal record of failure and fan-base inflicted cannibalism.

[PackMan97]

I's always amazed that anyone in just about any sport goes to NCSU given the long, dismal record of failure and fan-base inflicted cannibalism.

Huh? Am I missing something...was Jeffrey Dahmer a State fan or something?

[budwom]

Loved that Paul Johnson lost a game it looked like he had won. Buttface.

[rasputin]

I wish there had been a warning label on those posts with pictures.

[PDDuke85]

Loved that Paul Johnson lost a game it looked like he had won. Buttface.

Can't stand the guy. Even when winning, looks terribly constipated. Is it true Duke pursued him after Roof and before getting Cut?
How much fun would that have been, even if he delivered wins?

[OldPhiKap]

Loved that Paul Johnson lost a game it looked like he had won. Buttface.

I know a ton of GT alum and boosters. None of them like Johnson. I mean, NONE.

[Reilly]

PJ is sour, no doubt. I think of the joy, inspiration, and good humor that Cut has provided us these 10 seasons and shudder to think of what it would've been like if we had gotten our first choice of PJ in December 2007.

That said, I like how Johnson really is a self-made guy, not even playing CFB, and how he calls his own plays without a play sheet --just knows it all. Saw a video of him recently in a piece about GT's punter who left the program to enter the seminary to study to become a Catholic priest. PJ said when he was told, he just tried to be supportive, b/c (paraphrase) "who am I to argue with a higher being." It was a good line -- and the short video is worth watching.

[PackMan97]

As a long suffering State fan, if the coach wins and plays by the rules...I don't give a flip about the rest.

I have long wished PJ were hired at State, not that I had issues with hiring O'Brien or Doeren...I just want someone to win here.

[jv001]

I's always amazed that anyone in just about any sport goes to NCSU given the long, dismal record of failure and fan-base inflicted cannibalism.

It wasn't always that way. Especially in basketball. Everette Case helped bring college basketball to our state. For some unknown reason, the Pack has been unable to find another Valvano. GoDuke!

[Indoor66]

It wasn't always that way. Especially in basketball. Everette Case helped bring college basketball to our state. For some unknown reason, the Pack has been unable to find another Valvano. GoDuke!

Finding Jewels is difficult and is often lightening in a bottle. Duke was luck with both Bubas (a Case product) and with K (a Knight product).

When that doesn't work listen to Jewel and think of Alaska.

[budwom]

Can't stand the guy. Even when winning, looks terribly constipated. Is it true Duke pursued him after Roof and before getting Cut?
How much fun would that have been, even if he delivered wins?

When I was in Hotlanta for the Chicken Bowl, I did get an earful about Paul Johnson from the locals...as far as Duke pursuing him, that's one of the reasons I don't like him (among many). Duke basically
went after him hard, and he got essentially everything he wanted from Duke....then used it to leverage his deal with GT. I don't mind a guy going for his best deal, but he used Duke pure and simple.

It is interesting that locals don't like him...he seems to win eight games every year....and he runs his system incredibly well. The problem is, they always seem to have a definite (fairly high) ceiling...when they
play teams that are stout vs the run (or understand his system) they're in trouble.

Of course there was that horrid Calvin Johnson game vs Duke where he had something like eight receptions for 230 yards. Ack.

[OldPhiKap]

When I was in Hotlanta for the Chicken Bowl, I did get an earful about Paul Johnson from the locals...as far as Duke pursuing him, that's one of the reasons I don't like him (among many). Duke basically
went after him hard, and he got essentially everything he wanted from Duke...then used it to leverage his deal with GT. I don't mind a guy going for his best deal, but he used Duke pure and simple.

It is interesting that locals don't like him...he seems to win eight games every year...and he runs his system incredibly well. The problem is, they always seem to have a definite (fairly high) ceiling...when they
play teams that are stout vs the run (or understand his system) they're in trouble.

Of course there was that horrid Calvin Johnson game vs Duke where he had something like eight receptions for 230 yards. Ack.

Absolutely agree about him using Duke. We ended up with the better deal in Cutcliffe, by far.

The three criticisms I hear again and again:

1. He's a jerk
2. The option hurts recruiting, because great QB's and WRs don't want to play in that system.
2. He's an unbearable jerk.

[NSDukeFan]

Absolutely agree about him using Duke. We ended up with the better deal in Cutcliffe, by far.

The three criticisms I hear again and again:

1. He's a jerk
2. The option hurts recruiting, because great QB's and WRs don't want to play in that system.
2. He's an unbearable jerk.

But what's he like as a person.

[OldPhiKap]

But what's he like as a person.

;-)

The word I often hear is "prickly" to be precise. Or sometimes, a shortened version of that word when described as a noun.

[wilson]

I live in Atlanta too, and I cosign the above sentiments about Paul Johnson, that people he is a jerk and that his system, while well-executed, hamstrings recruiting efforts. I also still can't help but feel that the option system is simply unattractive. I don't like watching it at all, and I have a sense that its niche feel only exacerbates Georgia Tech's perennial also-ran status vis-à-vis UGA within the state of Georgia (even though the Jackets have been successful vs. the Dawgs recently and have won a more recent national championship...).

[arnie]

Absolutely agree about him using Duke. We ended up with the better deal in Cutcliffe, by far.

The three criticisms I hear again and again:

1. He's a jerk
2. The option hurts recruiting, because great QB's and WRs don't want to play in that system.
2. He's an unbearable jerk.

This all may be true, but I suspect if he averaged 8 wins a year, won 4 Coastal titles, one ACC championship and appeared in 8 bowls in 9 years at Duke, we'd be huge fans of Mr. Johnson.

[Papa John]

Of course there was that horrid Calvin Johnson game vs Duke where he had something like eight receptions for 230 yards. Ack.

Of course, Calvin Johnson played under Chan Gailey at Tech... if Paul Johnson had been coaching there, there's no way in Hades Calvin would have been a yellow jacket.

[English]

Of course, Calvin Johnson played under Chan Gailey at Tech... if Paul Johnson had been coaching there, there's no way in Hades Calvin would have been a yellow jacket.

To add that that, Demaryius Thomas was already a Yellow Jacket when PJ was hired, and he considered transferring, ultimately deciding to stick it out. Of course, he would subsequently put up a 9-for-230 against Duke, which would account for second-most in GaTech history.

[53n206]

I live in Atlanta too, and I cosign the above sentiments about Paul Johnson, that people he is a jerk and that his system, while well-executed, hamstrings recruiting efforts. I also still can't help but feel that the option system is simply unattractive. I don't like watching it at all, and I have a sense that its niche feel only exacerbates Georgia Tech's perennial also-ran status vis-à-vis UGA within the state of Georgia (even though the Jackets have been successful vs. the Dawgs recently and have won a more recent national championship...).

If you lived in Oklahoma during the 1970s and watch Oklahoma run the wishbone I think you might have a different opinion about whether the system is attractive or not. Oklahoma was special on offense. Then came teams with faster corner backs, bigger and faster. That was the end of the wishbone. But it was glorious and exciting in its prime

[wilson]

If you lived in Oklahoma during the 1970s and watch Oklahoma run the wishbone I think you might have a different opinion about whether the system is attractive or not. Oklahoma was special on offense. Then came teams with faster corner backs, bigger and faster. That was the end of the wishbone. But it was glorious and exciting in its primeI didn't live anywhere during the 1970s, and it's not 45 years ago. I hate watching option football.

[Bob Green]

I hate watching option football.

Different strokes for different folks. I enjoyed watching Navy quarterback Zach Abey run for 235 yards against Florida Atlantic last week.