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30 ACC Questions in 2010
July 22, 2010
Matt Barber
30 Questions for the ACC in 2010
30. What player has the most pressure in 2010?
A. Kyle Parker QB Clemson- Parker has decided to stay in college to play football. The question now becomes will the Colorado Rockies still sign him to a contract. Either way Parker has had to deal with this offseason distraction. Parker no longer has Spiller and Boyd on offense and will have to work with a new set of weapons. While many NCAA QBs have been working out with their team during the offseason, Parker has been negotiating a MLB contract.
29. What coach has the most pressure in 2010?
A. Ralph Friedgen Maryland- Last season was the worst in Maryland history as Fridge's Terps went 2-10. After starting his career 31-8, Friedgen is only 35-38 since. Maryland has to go bowling this year in order for Fridge to save his job, especially when you consider that both Duke and Virginia come on the schedule from the ACC's Coastal Division.
28. Who's the most underrated player in the ACC?
A. Montel Harris RB Boston College- It's easy to get lost in Boston when you have the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots grabbing all the attention. So far in his 2 year BC career Harris has 2357 yards rushing. If he matches last year's total of 1,457 yds rushing he will become BC's alltime leading rusher in just 3 years!
27. Is Georgia Tech going to be able to defend its 2009 ACC Title?
A. No- The Jackets are in the toughest division in the ACC with Miami, VT, and North Carolina all being stronger than the top team in the Atlantic Division. Tech will still be a very good team, but won't survive a Thursday Night game in Blacksburg on November 4.
26. Who is the ACC's best assistant coach?
A. Bud Foster DC Virginia Tech- It's hard to argue with the only 4 time Broyles Award Finalist in CFB history. Foster's defenses have allowed 16 or less points per game on average 6 straight seasons.
25. Who has the toughest schedule in 2010?
A. Miami- Once again The Canes are playing a very difficult schedule. For games 2-4 they play at Ohio State, at Pittsburgh(Thursday Night game), and at Clemson. After that insane stretch they get to host Florida State at home. Miami plays another tough out of conference game on November 27 against a solid South Florida team that would love to knock off the "U"
24. Who has the easiest schedule in 2010?
A. Boston College- The Eagles play 3 "should wins" out of conference with Weber State, Kent, and Syracuse. Their toughest OOC game is at home against Notre Dame, a team they've done well against recently. Boston College also draws Duke and Virginia out of the ACC Coastal
23. What is the best out of conference game for the ACC?
A. Miami at Ohio State- A rematch of the 2002 National Championship game which the Buckeyes won in 3 OTs. The game will feature 2 Heisman Candidates at QB, with the winner possibly coming out as the early 2010 favorite.
22. What is the worst out of conference game for the ACC?
A. Presbyterian at Clemson- Presbyterian College should've never moved up to the FCS. This is a school with less than 2,000 students who was never a power as a member of the NCAA's Division 2 South Atlantic Conference, but chose to move up anyways. The Blue Hose get to take the quick trip from Clinton, SC to Clemson, SC and get beat by 50+. Presbyterian chose to take a large paycheck from Clemson for a loss, instead of playing a great rival in Newberry College. Oh well, at least PC has 2 Waffle House's off the same exit in Clinton to visit after the game.
21. What would prevent ACC members Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, or Miami from joining the SEC?
A. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina- The 3 will not allow any of the 4 above in. All 3 SEC schools see being in the SEC as a competetive advantage over the ACC schools and wouldn't dare give that up.
20. Who is the ACC's best pro prospect?
A. Marvin Austin DT North Carolina- Austin seems to be a lock top 10 NFL draft pick in 2011. He has the size(6'3 305) and power that helps anchor the UNC defensive line , but will he play in 2010? . Austin chose to stay his senior year and help the Heels win the ACC Championship, but now there are some concerns about his involvement with an agent and he could be ineligible to play this year.
19. What true freshman will have the biggest impact in 2010?
A. Seantrel Henderson OT Miami- One of the few weaknesses for the Hurricanes in 2010 will be the offensive line. 1st team All ACC LT Jason Fox is gone as is Matt Pipho and AJ Trump. Henderson originally signed with Southern Cal, but was granted a release and should be able to make an impact right away with Miami. Also, don't be shocked to see Mustafa Greene at NC State to make an impact for the Wolfpack in 2010.
18. What will be the best story to follow in 2010?
A. Mark Herzlich's return to college football- The Senior Boston College linebacker has beaten cancer and now he will try and return Boston College to the ACC Championship Game. Herzlich was named to the Lott and Butkus awards watchlists in 2009 and was a first team all American in 2008. Herzlich will join Luke Kuechly to form one of the best linebacker groups in the country.
17. Will Duke make its first bowl game since 1994?
A. No- While the Blue Devils do return 15 starters off a 5-7 team it will be touch for Duke to go bowling. Out of conference games at Navy and against Alabama look to be losses, and it's going to be hard to find 4 wins in the ACC.
16. Where does the ACC rank among the other BCS Conferences?
A. 4th in 2010- This is a slight improvement from the past few seasons. The ACC still trails the SEC, Big 10, and Big XII but the conference looks like it is improving and could be as high as #2 by 2011. The big football names FSU and Miami look like they are improving. Clemson finally broke through and made a ACC Championship game last season, but still needs to break its 19 year streak of no ACC title. Georgia Tech took a big step last season and Virginia Tech continues to be a solid top tier program.
15. On a scale of 1-10(10 being best) how good of a hire was Mike London for Virginia?
A. 4- London took over as the Richmond Spiders head coach in 2008, a year after they went to the semifinals of the FCS Tournament. London did have a 24-5 record(2008 FCS Champs) with Richmond, but at Virginia he isn't going to take over a solid foundation like he did with the Spiders. London will have to build a program from scratch, something he has never done. London was an assistant on 3 Virginia teams. These 3 teams combined for a record of 19-19. Virginia will remain mediocre under London.
14. Who will prevent Ryan Williams from being invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy?
A. Darren Evans- Last season Ryan Williams ran for 1,655 yard and scored 21 touchdowns, amazing numbers for a freshman. The problem is that in 2010 he isn't likely to get 293 carries. Darren Evans returns and will get enough carries to keep Evans numbers down. In 2008 Evans broke the ACC freshman rushing record with 1,265 yards(Williams broke this record in 09). Tech's rushing attack is without a doubt one of the top 3 in the country, if not the best.
13. How does Clemson replace C.J. Spiller?
A. With Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper- Spiller was the most exciting player in college football last season, but the Tigers might have a better running game in 2010 with Ellington and Harper. Ellington has the speed to make the big plays and Harper has the power for those 3rd and short situations. Last season the two combined for 899 yards rushing and 8 TDs. These numbers will double in 2010 and Ellington has a chance to be a 1,000 yard rusher. Roderick McDowell, a RS freshman from Sumter, is a player to keep an eye on.
12. Soooo...... What's Al Groh doing these days?
A. He's the Defensive Coordinator at Georgia Tech- Paul Johnson made a great hire after the 09 season by getting former Virginia coach Al Groh to become part of his staff. While things didn't work out for Groh as a head coach, he is a very good recruiter and has plenty of NFL experience on the defensive side of the ball. This is the first assistant job Groh has had on the college level since being the offensive coordinator for Joe Morrison's South Carolina Gamecocks in 1988. Groh will change Tech's defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in 2010.
11. Is Jimbo Fisher an improvement over Bobby Bowden?
A. Yes and No- Fisher isn't going to win 389 games like Bowden did, but the program is in much better shape now than it has been the last 6 seasons. After struggling on offense for several seasons under Jeff Bowden, Fisher's past 2 offenses average over 30 ppg. I'd expect FSU to return to glory under Fisher and make a run at the ACC Championship in his first 3 seasons. Mickey Andrews last defense at FSU was awful last season, an area that should improve under Mark Stoops(brother of Mike and Bob)
10. Why hasn't Tom O'Brien had a winning season at NC State?
A. Bad luck and injuries- O'Brien just hasn't caught any breaks. In only 3 seasons he has had 99 different starters hurt at some point! 6 of O'Brien's 21 losses have been by a touchdown or less. This year the luck will turn around and O'Brien will get the Pack into a bowl game
9. What does the ACC do too much of?
A. Playing games not on Saturday- This season the ACC will play a total of 8 games on either Monday or Thursday. Miami will play two Thursday Night games, very odd for an elite program. Even more strange is that the Canes open with Florida A&M on a Thursday Night. Why play a MEAC team for your opener when the headline game on September 2 is involving 2 other teams?
8. What will be the first upset of 2010 for the ACC?
A. Maryland will beat Navy in week 1- The 2 win Terps from last season get off to a get start and upset a Navy team that won 10 games last season. The game will be played on a Monday in Baltimore, MD. Navy will be able to run the ball effectively early, but Maryland will force the Midshipmen into some 3rd and long situations in the 2nd half. Da'Rel Scott will have a big day and the Terrapins win 31-21.
7. How does Jim Grobe get Wake Forest back to being bowl eligible?
A. With a much improved defense- Wake Forest had its worst defensive team since 2005 last year and it led to 7 losses. The Demon Deacons defense allowed 8 more points per game in 09 than in 08. 7 starters return on the defense, and 13 of the top 18 tacklers from 09 are back. Last year Wake Forest lost 5 games by 3 points or less(2 in OT). With an improved defense the Deacons will hold on late to win enough for bowl eligibility.
6. Alabama visits Duke in 2010.... What do these two programs have in common?
A. Wallace Wade- One of the best coaches in College Football History was a head coach at Alabama from 1923-1930. After winning 3 national championships with the Tide, Wade left to take the Duke job. From 1931-1950 Wade was the head coach for the Blue Devils. His biggest accomplishment at Duke was playing in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The game was moved from Pasadena, CA to Durham, NC because of concerns on the Pacific Coast at the start of World War II. Wallace Wade ended his career with a 171-49-10 record and of course has the stadium at Duke named after him.
5. Which is the best division in the ACC?
A. The Coastal- Miami, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech are all legit top 20 teams(if UNC doesn't lose players to the NCAA investigation). Duke and Virginia are weak, but any of the divisions top 4 would be ahead of anyone in the Atlantic Division. The Atlantic does have a better bottom with Wake, NC State, and Maryland but it's not enough to be the best.
4. Is the ACC Championship Game moving to Charlotte a good thing?
A. Yes!!- It should've been in Charlotte to begin with. The ACC was built on Tobacco Road and The State of North Carolina is where the championship game belongs. It's a more central location and is an easy trip for most every school. The league struggled to sell tickets in Jacksonville and Tampa. Depending on who makes it to Charlotte, you could see a sold out Bank of America Stadium on December 4, 2010.
3. What good news did every ACC school receive in 2010?
A. A new TV deal- A new 12 year deal will more than double the amount the ACC will earn in TV revenue. $155 million will be distributed annually to the ACC schools. ESPN, ABC, and Raycom will continue to be the home for ACC Sports.
2. What is Dixiefriedsports First Team All ACC Team?
A. Offense
QB- Christian Ponder Florida State
RB- Ryan Williams Virginia Tech
RB- Montel Harris Boston College
WR-Donovan Varner Duke
WR-Owen Spencer NC State
WR- Leonard Hankerson Miami
TE- Zack Pianalto North Carolina
OT- Anthony Castonzo Boston College
OT- Orlando Franklin Miami
OG- Rodney Hudson Florida State
OG- Thomas Claiborne Boston College
C- Sean Bedford Georgia Tech
FB- Lucas Cox Georgia Tech
Defense
DE Robert Quinn North Carolina
DE Da' Quan Bowers Clemson
DT Marvin Austin North Carolina
DT Marcus Fortson Miami
DT Jarvis Jenkins Clemson
LB Quan Sturdivant North Carolina
LB Bruce Carter North Carolina
LB Alex Wujciak Maryland
CB Kendric Burney North Carolina
CB Ras I Dowling Virginia
S DeAndre McDaniel Clemson
S DeAndre McDaniel Clemson
Special Teams
K Will Snyderwine Duke
P Matt Bosher Miami
PR Greg Reid Florida State
KR Torrey Smith Maryland
1. Who wins the ACC in 2010?
A. Virginia Tech- The Hokies will continue to play great on defense under Bud Foster and will have one of the top running games in the country. Tyrod Taylor will improve at QB with the help of 3 of his top WRs returning. On November 20, Tech and Miami will play for the ACC Coastal Division with the Hokies winning out. Over in the Atlantic, Boston College will win in similar fashion. The Eagles will run the ball well and play great defense. For the 3rd time in 4 years the Hokies will beat the Eagles in the ACC Championship game.
Coastal Division ACC OVR Bowl
1. Virginia Tech 7-1 12-1 Orange vs Oklahoma
2. Miami 6-2 9-3 Chick Fil A vs Auburn
3. North Carolina 5-3 8-4 Sun Bowl vs California
4. Georgia Tech 5-3 8-4 Independence Bowl vs Air Force
5. Duke 1-7 3-9
6. Virginia 1-7 3-9
Atlantic
1. Boston College 6-2 9-3 Music City vs Mississippi State
2. Clemson 5-3 7-5 Meineke Car Care Bowl vs West Virginia
3. Florida State 5-3 8-4 Champ Sports Bowl vs Notre Dame
4. NC State 3-5 6-6 Eagle Bank Bowl vs Marshall
5. Wake Forest 3-5 6-6
6. Maryland 2-6 5-7
30 Questions for the ACC in 201030 Questions for the ACC in 2010
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