ACC FOOTBALL PREVIEW*

The ACC hasn't been too impressive in recent years. ACC representatives were 3-4 in Bowl Games. The struggles of Miami and Florida State are partially to blame. But this year might be the beginning of a resurgence.

1. MIAMI HURRICANES

The U is back, ladies and gentlemen. Jacory Harris looks to build on an impressive yet inconsistent (17 INTs) season. He has 4 excellent receivers to distribute the ball to, and some solid runningbacks to carry the mail. The defensive line is ferocious and deep. The DBs are also solid. There are still rough edges, and this team will still find ways to tokenly screw things up, but they're in the ACC, so it won't matter. They host Virginia Tech in November, so i'm giving the Hurricanes the edge to win the Coastal Division, which is by far the superior grouping in the ACC.

Prediction: 10-2, ACC Coastal Division winner, ACC Championship winner

Key Games:
9/11 @ Ohio State
9/23 @ Pittsburgh
10/2 @ Clemson
10/9 vs. Florida State
11/13 @ Georgia Tech
11/20 vs. Virginia Tech

2. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

The Hokies return 7 offensive starters, including talented QB Tyrod Taylor, a talented stable of WRs, and last but not least: Ryan Williams, who ran for 1,655 yards in '09, scoring 21 TDs. Virginia Tech finally has an offense again. However, their defense only returns 3 starters, 1 each on the D-Line, at LB and in the defensive backfield. And the new faces aren't that impressive, either. Thankfully for Tech, they're in the ACC, and reloading years can still be quite successful.

Prediction: 10-2, 2nd in Coastal Division

Key Games:
9/6 vs. Boise State (in Landover, MD)
11/4 vs. Georgia Tech
11/20 @ Miami

3. GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

Don't forget that GT won the ACC last year. The Yellow Jackets averaged 295.4 rushing yards per game last year. They lost a few backs to graduation, but that's like taking a gallon of water out of the ocean, there's plenty more RBs where those came from. Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets have some big leaks. Their defense couldn't make stops, their QB was erratic, and their special teams were a liability. Hiring Al Groh as a defensive coordinator should help the defense. It'd be hard to make that worse. Tech will be good, just not good enough to beat Miami or Virginia Tech.

Prediction: 9-3, 3rd in Coastal Division

Key Games:
10/23 @ Clemson
11/4 @ Virginia Tech
11/13 vs. Miami
11/27 @ Georgia

4. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

Florida State will cruise to an Atlantic Division title. Because who can contend with them? BC? Clemson? HA! The Seminoles will feature an experienced, balanced offense led by QB Christian Ponder. Their defense was awful last year, allowing 21+ points in 12 of 13 games (they held Jacksonville State to 9). They've changed their defensive coaching staff, adding Mark Stoops as defensive coordinator. They play in a weak division, but have some tough non-conference opponents.

Prediction: 8-4, ACC Atlantic Division winner

Key Games:
9/11 @ Oklahoma
9/18 vs. BYU
10/9 @ Miami
11/13 vs. Clemson
11/27 vs. Florida

The rest of the conference is listed alphabetically...

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

BC has especially strong strengths, and especially weak weaknesses. RB Montel Harris returns after a 1,457 yard, 14 TD sophomore season. The Eagles also boast one of the best LB corps in the country with Mark Herzlich slated to return. However, their receivers are inadequate. They'll miss Rich Gunnell. And QB David Shinksie struggles against competent defenses.

Prediction: 7-5

CLEMSON TIGERS

No more CJ Spiller for Clemson. No Jacoby Ford either. The Tigers will not be able to replace the 32 TDs and 2,616 yards from scrimmage these two provided. They will have some decent RBs, but they need one of them to emerge as a true #1. They have almost no offense. Their defense is solid, with a superb D-Line, but it's not good enough to win games on its own.

Prediction: 7-5

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Duke has a solid passing game, but absolutely no rushing game whatsoever. The Blue Devils averaged 63.5 yards/game last year, and 2.3 per carry. Their defense is also quite bland. Then again, it's Duke. They're no longer utter pushovers, no longer guaranteed wins for opponents.

Prediction: 3-9

MARYLAND TERRAPINS

The Terps have some solid skill players on offense, but lack a line to protect their QB or make holes for their RBs. Their defense allows big plays, and gets a little too blitz-happy. Head coach Ralph Friedgen would be gone if not for a $4 million buyout that the athletic department didn't want to play. They're one of the worst teams in the country and didn't do much to improve. They were 2-10 in '09, with one of those wins coming against James Madison... in overtime.

Prediction: 4-8

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

People expect to see something from UNC this season, but not me. They return 9 starters from the 13th best scoring defense in the country. But they also return 9 starters from the 83rd ranked scoring offense. They have future NFL guys like DE Robert Quinn, who registered 11 sacks last year. But their offense is a joke. QB TJ Yates threw 14 TDs last season, along with 15 INTs. They'll compete, and could upset a big team in the Coastal Division, but don't expect them contending.

Prediction: 7-5

NC STATE WOLFPACK

NCSU scored a nice 30.7 points per game last year. But they allowed 31.2 per game. And 110 of their 368 total points came against Murray State and Gardner-Webb. So their offense isn't as good as it might seem. If QB Russell Wilson decides to play football (he was drafted by the Rockies), then NCSU might win some games. Otherwise, they're completely screwed.

Prediction: 5-7

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

New coach Mike London inherits Al Groh's mess. UVA are one of the worst programs in college football. They lost to William & Mary last year. They were 103rd in scoring offense, 68th in scoring defense. London will bring things back to basics, which should suit his players better. But he has absolutely no talent to work with at all. The November 13th meeting between Virginia and Maryland will be an abomination to the game of football, and should be boycotted.

Prediction: 4-8 (they play Richmond and VMI).

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

With the departure of Riley Skinner, there's a 4 way competition for the QB spot. The Deacons boast some good WRs and dependable backs, so they might select a speedy QB and go with an option offense. That wouldn't be a bad idea, and it could do well in the Atlantic Division. They have some defensive ends that can pressure opposing QBs, but they're weak up the middle on defense. Token ACC team here.

Prediction: 6-6

PROLONGING THE AGONY?

While a 2 of 3 series win against Toronto is nothing to be ashamed of, quite frankly, the Sox cannot afford to simply maintain the status quo. They need to gain ground. It's time to move. And they very nearly lost 2 of 3 in this series.

I'm not closing the book on them just yet. But the Sox need to gain about a game a week on Tampa Bay. They have 6 head-to-head games against the Rays, so there's still some hope.

There's slightly more hope that Clay Buchholz will win the Cy Young. He's not your typical Cy Young type of guy. He's a lanky 6' 3" 190 pounds, and isn't the dominant strikeout pitcher that usually wins that Award (79th in Majors in strikeouts). But his 2.26 ERA is best in the AL, and 4th in the Majors. Unfortunately, CC Sabathia has him beat with 17 wins, 151 strikeouts, and his ERA is at 3.02. But Clay's certainly been the MVP of Red Sox this season.

The Sox are 4-2 so far in their 9 game homestand against mediocre and poor quality teams. They host Seattle, and anything short of a sweep is an abject failure.

Lackey opposes Doug Fister tonight.

Photo Credit:
Canadian Press

PATRIOTS PASS SOME TESTS

It's preseason. That needs to be repeated every time you feel any emotion while watching one of these exhibition games. Any thrill at seeing Fred Taylor break a big run, any disappointment at a 14 yard gain yielded by the defense, needs to be tempered.

The Patriots tested two things in this game: Wes Welker and the running game. Brady threw at Welker three straight times, putting him in tough positions, and eventually getting him hit pretty hard. It was Welker's first appearance in preseason, and you can tell that the Pats want to appraise him before they rely on him.

The Pats ran the ball. A lot. And it caught the Falcons off guard. So the two rushing touchdowns, Taylor's 54 yards, and Morris' 52 yards shouldn't be taken at face value. Then again, Atlanta allowed the 10th fewest rushing yards, and 8th fewest yards per carry in the 2009 season.

This team doesn't need the ground attack to win games for them. But they do need other teams to respect it. They need it for short yardage, 3rd down, and red-zone/goal-line situations. They need it for play-action pass. They need it to slow down and wear out opposing pass rushes.

The biggest concern I have with the runningbacks is their age. Sure, Taylor, Morris, and Faulk looked great. But they played half the game. Half a game in August. Will they still be this good in November and December?

One very positive thing from this game was the play of Aaron Hernandez. He's not really a tight-end. I think he can be a challenging guy for opponents to cover, though. The Patriots haven't had a reliable pass-catching tight-end since Fauria. And Hernandez can present some real matchup problems for opposing defenses.

How will the defense be this year? Probably inconsistent. Matt Ryan was finding holes in the zone just before he was pulled. Give skilled coaches, QBs, and WRs 4 quarters to figure the Pats' defense out, and things will get difficult. I like Chung at safety. But I didn't like how the unit looked against a no-huddle offense.

So while a 28-10 win with rookie tight-ends catching touchdowns, and runningbacks amassing 120 yards on the ground is very pleasant, there are still some concerns that might not manifest themselves until snow starts falling.

Photo Credit:
Getty Images

ANOTHER BECKETT FAILURE

I'll eat my share of crow on this one. I liked the Red Sox' signing Beckett until 2014. Good pitching is hard to find, and $17 million per season seemed only a little above a good price. I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Since the end of 2007, Josh Beckett has a 4.40 ERA. That's fairly bad. That's not worth $17 million. He's not only been inconsistent, but when he's not on his A Game, it's an F performance. There's no middle grounds. He doesn't pitch his way through difficult games. He has no guile, little deception. He's a chucker.

Has it been a blessing in disguise that he's only made 14 starts this season? I think it is. 3-3, with an ERA at 6.67. That's the 2nd highest ERA in the Majors among pitchers with 60 innings or more. That's just garbage.

Dustin Pedroia was scratched from the lineup due to pain in his foot. I think the Sox should be extra careful with him. I'd like him to play in all 3 games against the Rays next weekend. But maybe he should only go every other day until then.

Honestly, risking further injury to Pedroia when the team is 6 out of the Wild Card doesn't seem worth it.

Toronto comes to town, and Brett Cecil opposes Jon Lester.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

SOX GRIND IT OUT

A very nice, solid, hard fought victory last night. The Sox never looked much better than the Angels until the late innings. Lackey was able to extend himself to pitch 7 innings, then Bard and Papelbon finished the job.

Lackey gave up a big 3 run homer in the 5th. But other than that, he did his job. Thankfully, the Sox bats woke up once they got Kazmir out of the game. Beltre had a vital 2 run homer in the bottom of the 5th to keep the Sox in it. He's hit 23, and knocked in 83. His offensive contributions, and not his defensive ones, have helped save this team.

Seeing Pedroia back in the lineup just makes things seem better. Even if he doesn't rekindle how well he was hitting before his injury. He was 1 for 3, stole a base, scored a run, drew a walk, and had a sacrifice bunt. Just seeing how much he veered into the infield grass on his sac-bunt, giving him 0.0001% more of a chance to reach 1st base on an error, was just refreshing to see.

But pitching is what will win or lose down the stretch. Lackey wasn't great, but he stayed out there until finishing 7. He had some nice efficient innings at the end of his outing that allowed Francona to keep him out there.

Speaking of pitching, and how important it is, the Sox will go for the sweep behind Josh Beckett tonight. He's opposed by Ervin Santana. I don't have a great feeling, as Santana shut down the Sox back in May. And Beckett's been a basketcase lately.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

BUCHHOLZ YOURSELF

Where would the Sox be without Clay Buchholz? I remember before the season, that Buchholz was supposed to be the 4th or 5th guy, that could be good. And any contribution from him would be a bonus. 14 Wins, 14 Quality Starts later, and he's the Ace of this staff. And arguably the MVP of the team.

Buchholz wasn't razor sharp, but he pitched out of trouble. That's something he struggled with when he first came up. But he doesn't get nervy anymore. He keeps the ball low, induces ground balls, and maintains control of the game.

The big hits of the night came off the bats of the #8 and #9 hitters. Darnell McDonald blasted a solo shot in the 3rd. Ryan Kalish hit his 2nd career homer, and first career Grand Slam in the 4th.

Dustin Pedroia returned, and was 0 for 4. But I have to believe that having a guy with his kind of fight and desire can only help this team. It's nice having players who want to play. And yes, that's a veiled criticism directed at Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Sox need to keep winning against teams like the Angels. Lackey opposes Scott Kazmir tonight. Lackey has done well against his former team. Kazmir has often baffled the Red Sox.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

REMINDER: THE JETS SUCK

They made the AFC Championship game. They have a budding young star at QB, the #1 defense in the NFL, an All-Pro cornerback, the #1 rush offense, so on and so forth.

But let's not forget that they were 9-7 last year. And one of those wins was against a Colts team that practically forfeited in Week 16. Peyton Manning played slightly more than a half in that game. And let's not forget that "The Sanchize" had a QB Rating of 63 last season. He threw 20 picks, to go along with his 12 TDs.

Oh, but they added LaDainian "I'm a classy guy" Tomlinson. Who will split carries with Greene and Washington. Then again, LT's ex-teammates went out of their way to criticize Tomlinson for bitching about a lack of carries. Maybe splitting carries isn't the best role for Mr. Classy.

The Jets also lost Thomas Jones, who was by far their best offensive weapon in '09. TJ ran the ball 331 times, for 1,402 yards. He scored 14 of the Jets' 37 TDs. He only fumbled twice.

But then again, they have Reality TV star Rex Ryan. Watching Hard Knocks this season, it's like that episode of Family Guy when Peter was the star of a reality TV show.



Rex Ryan is utterly obsessed with himself. He thinks everything he does is worthy of being nationally televised, then replayed, dissected and analyzed. He's a loudmouth jerk. He was praised for being such a phenomenal coach last year, turning the Jets around from a 9-7 team into a 9-7 team. But how hard is it to give Thomas Jones the ball 300+ times? How much thought goes into telling Darrelle Revis to intercept 6 passes (plus 2 more in the playoffs) and shutdown half the field?

Rex Ryan will be exposed as a fraud, either this year or the next.

OK, so maybe the Jets don't suck. But many out there seem to think a bit too highly of them.

WIN PREVENTION

"Run Prevention" was the phrase bandied about by the Sox' Front Office before the 2010 season. And while the supposedly excellent defense has been average (7th best fielding percentage in AL, 14th in MLB), it's been the bullpen that has been preventing wins instead of runs.

Friday night, the Red Sox inexcusably blew an 8-2 lead. Josh Beckett was the ringleader of the collapse, but it was an entire cast of relievers that kept pouring out of the bullpen like clowns out of a Volkswagen.

Sunday afternoon, Daisuke was the victim. He had a hard-luck loss after going 6.2 innings. I don't pity Matsuzaka. He got plenty of fortunate wins in '07. But the bullpen allowed Texas to pull away, just as the Sox' bats were coming to life. Delcarmen allowed a homerun, turning a 2-0 game to 5-0. The Sox promptly scored 3. Then Bowden let the Rangers score 2 more.

Injuries have plagued this edition of the Red Sox, but not nearly as much as their 2 man bullpen. And even the duo of Bard-Papelbon have been far from infallible. Bard blew his 5th save of the season on Friday, and Papelbon's blown a career high 6 already.

Building a bullpen is difficult. It helps to have starters go deep into games (this was only Daisuke's 4th longest start of the season). It helps to have an offense that can create big leads, so you can save your closer and top set-up guys. But honestly, there are 2 current bullpen members I'd like to see wearing a Sox uni in 2011. That's it.

The Sox end a 5-5 road trip on a sour note. They didn't lose much ground. But the clock is ticking, and they need to be gaining ground. They're now 5 behind Tampa Bay, 6 in the loss column. There's also the White Sox to worry about, only 1.5 behind the Red Sox.

A 9 game homestand begins Tuesday night, as the Angels, Jays, and Mariners come to town. These are 3 very beatable teams, and the Sox need to win 6 or 7 of these games.

Buchholz faces 11-7 Jered Weaver Tuesday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo