Great read here about the huge step back expected for ACC offenses, while defenses return elite talent.

ACC leads all conferences for Bednarik watchlist members. There's what, 4-5 established QBs in the league? That's if Dungy stays healthy, and the kid from NC State continues to develop?

Top four RBs are gone, and a slew of top receivers as well.

This is going to be nasty, ugly football this year. I predict a lot of griping from ACC fans who have gotten used to pretty offenses. I bet a lot of them are going to look broken this year.

Expect a lot of cracks from the national media I'm sure, but as long as the ACC can parlay those defenses into a decent OOC showing, it's alright. If the ACC is going to make the playoffs (which I tend to think they don't this year) they better make it in cleanly...I'm not expecting them to have style points on their side.

Why ACC football will look more like the SEC in 2017

(07-10-2017 10:56 AM)Lou_C Wrote:  Great read here about the huge step back expected for ACC offenses, while defenses return elite talent.

ACC leads all conferences for Bednarik watchlist members. There's what, 4-5 established QBs in the league? That's if Dungy stays healthy, and the kid from NC State continues to develop?

Top four RBs are gone, and a slew of top receivers as well.

This is going to be nasty, ugly football this year. I predict a lot of griping from ACC fans who have gotten used to pretty offenses. I bet a lot of them are going to look broken this year.

Expect a lot of cracks from the national media I'm sure, but as long as the ACC can parlay those defenses into a decent OOC showing, it's alright. If the ACC is going to make the playoffs (which I tend to think they don't this year) they better make it in cleanly...I'm not expecting them to have style points on their side.

Why ACC football will look more like the SEC in 2017

Agreed. Of course, a win by FSU over Alabama would go a LONG way towards getting the 'Noles in.

Should the Tide win, the next best thing would be to have a host of ugly, defense-oriented OOC wins:
NC State over S. Carolina
Va Tech over W. Virginia
Clemson over Auburn
Pitt over Penn State OR Oklahoma St (just don't lose both)
Louisville should beat Purdue easily.
Miami needs to beat Notre Dame at home (the other ND/ACC games may not matter).

Win those games and the Alabama/FSU game may not matter... but I doubt the Seminoles want to put their playoff fate in the hands of the other ACC teams!

I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

You have not been in the confernece long enough to know that it does not matter how much talent UNC has, or how much hype they get to start the season. It's been 70 years for UNC in football - 70 years. At no time in 70 years could they put a legitimate NFL QB on the field with their all americna running backs and defessive folks. I don't know why. In that same time period NC State has produced 5 NFL starting QB's, Gabrial, Kramer, Rivers, Wilson, and Glenon.

Put a blue uniform on them and UNC has it's SEC quality football program and the hardware to boot. Then again, give State UNC's defense and running game to those 5 and NC State has it's SEC quality football program.

Never expect anything from a North Carolina based football team. Never.

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

....and Syracuse is an obvious national champ favorite

(07-11-2017 01:38 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  ....and Syracuse is an obvious national champ favorite

Obviously!!!

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

I wish I could be that confident about the Cards chances in 2017. But I can't help but think that optimism is based on a perception about 2016 that may be misleading. Other than an early season win over FSU, who did they beat last year? By my count, their W's came against Charlotte, Syracuse, Marshall, Duke, NC State, Virginia, BC and Wake Forest. That's not exactly Murderer's Row.

They lost their last 3 games. Maybe it's because opponents figured out how to contain Jackson, or maybe it's just that Houston (9-4), Kentucky (7-6) and LSU (8-4) were a step up in quality that exposed them. 25-13 over the last 3 years is respectable, but not yet IMO enough to give them a presumption of being a contender.

(07-11-2017 12:43 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

You have not been in the confernece long enough to know that it does not matter how much talent UNC has, or how much hype they get to start the season. It's been 70 years for UNC in football - 70 years. At no time in 70 years could they put a legitimate NFL QB on the field with their all americna running backs and defessive folks. I don't know why. In that same time period NC State has produced 5 NFL starting QB's, Gabrial, Kramer, Rivers, Wilson, and Glenon.

Put a blue uniform on them and UNC has it's SEC quality football program and the hardware to boot. Then again, give State UNC's defense and running game to those 5 and NC State has it's SEC quality football program.

Never expect anything from a North Carolina based football team. Never.

He didn't say **** about UNC or NCSU.

Sent from my SM-J700T using CSNbbs mobile app

(07-11-2017 05:07 PM)Hood-rich Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:43 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

You have not been in the confernece long enough to know that it does not matter how much talent UNC has, or how much hype they get to start the season. It's been 70 years for UNC in football - 70 years. At no time in 70 years could they put a legitimate NFL QB on the field with their all americna running backs and defessive folks. I don't know why. In that same time period NC State has produced 5 NFL starting QB's, Gabrial, Kramer, Rivers, Wilson, and Glenon.

Put a blue uniform on them and UNC has it's SEC quality football program and the hardware to boot. Then again, give State UNC's defense and running game to those 5 and NC State has it's SEC quality football program.

Never expect anything from a North Carolina based football team. Never.

He didn't say **** about UNC or NCSU.

Sent from my SM-J700T using CSNbbs mobile app

Who is NC if not Carolina?

(07-11-2017 12:43 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

You have not been in the confernece long enough to know that it does not matter how much talent UNC has, or how much hype they get to start the season. It's been 70 years for UNC in football - 70 years. At no time in 70 years could they put a legitimate NFL QB on the field with their all americna running backs and defessive folks. I don't know why. In that same time period NC State has produced 5 NFL starting QB's, Gabrial, Kramer, Rivers, Wilson, and Glenon.

Put a blue uniform on them and UNC has it's SEC quality football program and the hardware to boot. Then again, give State UNC's defense and running game to those 5 and NC State has it's SEC quality football program.

Never expect anything from a North Carolina based football team. Never.

It's the curse of the tick.

(07-12-2017 08:55 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:43 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

You have not been in the confernece long enough to know that it does not matter how much talent UNC has, or how much hype they get to start the season. It's been 70 years for UNC in football - 70 years. At no time in 70 years could they put a legitimate NFL QB on the field with their all americna running backs and defessive folks. I don't know why. In that same time period NC State has produced 5 NFL starting QB's, Gabrial, Kramer, Rivers, Wilson, and Glenon.

Put a blue uniform on them and UNC has it's SEC quality football program and the hardware to boot. Then again, give State UNC's defense and running game to those 5 and NC State has it's SEC quality football program.

Never expect anything from a North Carolina based football team. Never.

It's the curse of the tick.

Yeah, that was a bad way to go.

But no one made you hire Hickey in his place.

(07-11-2017 05:00 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

I wish I could be that confident about the Cards chances in 2017. But I can't help but think that optimism is based on a perception about 2016 that may be misleading. Other than an early season win over FSU, who did they beat last year? By my count, their W's came against Charlotte, Syracuse, Marshall, Duke, NC State, Virginia, BC and Wake Forest. That's not exactly Murderer's Row.

They lost their last 3 games. Maybe it's because opponents figured out how to contain Jackson, or maybe it's just that Houston (9-4), Kentucky (7-6) and LSU (8-4) were a step up in quality that exposed them. 25-13 over the last 3 years is respectable, but not yet IMO enough to give them a presumption of being a contender.

Our offense line was so awful the end of the year. Losing to UK was an embarrassment, no two ways about it. Houston was always going to be a toss-up game. Against LSU we were playing without a number of defensive players due to injury, including a few starters.

Petrino made one of his best hires in getting back Mike Summers to coach the OLine. I think we will see huge improvement in that area

(07-13-2017 05:42 AM)rednblackattack Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 05:00 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 12:03 PM)Lenvillecards Wrote:  I don't see the ACC being left out of the CFP this year. The SEC built their reputation off of defense. FSU, Clemson & Louisville will all be top 25, top 10 teams. Miami, NC & VT all have a chance to be as well. I wouldn't sleep on Pittsburgh either.

Louisville JR quarterback Lamar Jackson made the Maxwell Award Watch List. Cornerback Jaire Alexander made the Chuck Bednarik watch list.

I wish I could be that confident about the Cards chances in 2017. But I can't help but think that optimism is based on a perception about 2016 that may be misleading. Other than an early season win over FSU, who did they beat last year? By my count, their W's came against Charlotte, Syracuse, Marshall, Duke, NC State, Virginia, BC and Wake Forest. That's not exactly Murderer's Row.

They lost their last 3 games. Maybe it's because opponents figured out how to contain Jackson, or maybe it's just that Houston (9-4), Kentucky (7-6) and LSU (8-4) were a step up in quality that exposed them. 25-13 over the last 3 years is respectable, but not yet IMO enough to give them a presumption of being a contender.

Our offense line was so awful the end of the year. Losing to UK was an embarrassment, no two ways about it. Houston was always going to be a toss-up game. Against LSU we were playing without a number of defensive players due to injury, including a few starters.

Petrino made one of his best hires in getting back Mike Summers to coach the OLine. I think we will see huge improvement in that area

There were times throughout the season that the defense looked confused. Sirmon is simplifying the defense & bringing back the 4-3. While Summers was a great hire for the OL, the OL will still be young with Fr starting at C & LG. Despite that, with Summers leadership, the line should be a better cohesive group. The last time he was here, the Cards run game was hard to stop. Open up holes for Bonnafon, now at RB, & he will have the speed for some big gains.