AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > July > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFive things to expect in the ACC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The ACC and SEC preseason meetings are over and next week the players start reporting to camp. After sitting down with all of the coaches and a bunch of players last week, here are five new things that I think I know about the ACC as we get ready to start preseason practice. Come back Sunday and I’ll give you five new things I think I know about the SEC.
1. Florida State is going to run the football. No, really. This time the Seminoles really, really mean it. FSU hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Warrick Dunn in 1996 and in the past few years that has cost the Seminoles, especially when the quarterback play dropped off the table after Chris Weinke. You can’t have mediocre quarterback play and a bad running game and hope to win a lot of games. There is only one problem. We hear new offensive line coach Rick Trickett was shocked by the lack of toughness in the group of big guys he inherited. There is no excuse for Florida State having a bad offensive line.
2. Taylor Bennett is going to get tested early. The word around the league is that when you play Georgia Tech this season, you can’t let running back Tashard Choice and that big offensive line beat you. Teams are going to load up on defense and stop the run and challenge Bennett to pass them out of it with a group of receivers that is good, but not great. Opponents were impressed by what Bennett did in the Gator Bowl (326 yards passing). But they also note that the West Virginia pass defense, which was ranked 109 out of 119 in Division I-A, was not very good. They also noted that Calvin Johnson caught a lot of jump balls in that game.
3. Miami is going to leave the Orange Bowl. The powers that be at Miami, namely athletics director Paul Dee and president Donna Shalala, are giving the city every chance to come up with a plan to renovate the Orange Bowl and keep the Hurricanes there. But the financial numbers just don’t add up. The Miami athletics program is not exactly swimming in money so they need the financial boost that Dolphins Stadium can give them. The Orange Bowl has a lot of history but that’s all it is — history. It will be a tough decision and in many areas an unpopular decision. But it is the right decision.
4. Sean Glennon is going to bounce back. The Virginia Tech quarterback suffered a severe meltdown in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and is considered by the “experts” to be the weak link on the Hokies team this fall. But not long after the 31-24 loss to Georgia Glennon met with his teammates and asked them to have confidence in him. They do. “Sean took that loss all on himself and he shouldn’t have,” offensive tackle Duane Brown said. “We’ve got his back.” If Glennon plays well — or if he just plays OK — the Hokies are going to be hard to beat.
5. Florida State athletics director Dave Hart will retire/resign after the football season. Hart has two years left on his contract, but FSU President T.K. Wetherell has informed Hart that his contract will not be renewed. The fact that it was made public makes Hart, who has been at Florida State for 13 years, pretty much a lame duck. Now it is just a matter of getting the lawyers together and hammering out a settlement that satisfies both sides. It’s a raw deal for a guy who has built an impressive program at Florida State. But Wetherell and Hart have been clashing off and on for the past three years. Everyone close to the program saw this coming. They just never thought it would be this public.
Comments
By Jeff
July 28, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
Umm. Paul Dee is not a power to be. He was forced to resign. It’s not called Dolphins Stadium. It was renamed Dolphin Stadium.
By jeff
July 28, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
UVa will crush everyone this year. The Fighting Cavaliers are a football machine that will produce shock and awe. When UVA comes to town, yeller jackets lose their stingers and Terps morph into turds. When UVa comes to town Tar Heels lose their stride and Hokies gobble no more. We’d schedule the Bulldogs but they’ve avoided us ever since we crushed them in the Peach Bowl. This is the year Football justice is restored; Charlottesville once again reigns as the center of the College Football universe.
By Wes
July 28, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this
I remember the good ol times when Virginia was at the center of the fotball universe. It was awesome.
By Burdell's Brother
July 28, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
Jeff,
What is that smell coming from your dorm room on Charlottesville? Have you been smoking again??
Bennett will get tested early, and I think he will be fine. Outside of size, and stonger arm, and being taller, this kid has a brain and knows how to use it, unlike our last QB for the last 4 years.
And by the way, load up the box, put 12 or 13 in the middle, Choice still runs for 1500 yards this year, the guys is that damn good
By Stinger
July 28, 2007 4:44 PM | Link to this
Jeff,
What are you smoking? Taylor Bennett is not a proven QB. He looked good against West Virginia because they have NO defense (as Tony aptly stated) and he had Calvin Johnson (nothing more needs to be said here). Furthermore, once Choice gets hurt, you may want to call up your buddy, Reuben “Weed” Houston, to get some of his 94 lbs of pot to keep your high.
By ClemsonDude
July 28, 2007 5:12 PM | Link to this
Clemson is flying under everybody’s radar this season for a good reason. Given their recent past history of winning 6-8 games, the Tigers are somewhat loaded. Breaking in a new Quarterback(s) is their biggest concern and of coarse their sorry kicking game will need to improve alot. Clemson will be the surprise of the ACC this season and will make it to the ACC Championship game…You heard it here first. Death Valley will rock on Labor Day night!!! Go TIGERS! Spot the damn ball!
By Richard A.
July 28, 2007 6:17 PM | Link to this
Taylor Bennett would not start for 90% of BCS schools. He started against a defense that ranked 109th in the nation in passing defense w/ CJ. Tech fans are setting themselves up for a huge letdown if they think this guy is a good QB. Across the country, the ACC is now considered the 5th best conference.
By ClemsonMania
July 28, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this
We will be in the title game this year!! Tech will win 6-7 games with the MIGHTY HAYLIE BENNETT! We are shaking in our boots across the ACC. Your running back would probably be a nice 3rd down back for us or third string. GO TIGERS!!!!
By Wes Durham
July 28, 2007 6:57 PM | Link to this
Taylor will be fine. His only problem will be overcoming his role in the Tickle Pile controversy. He should have stayed away!!
By WVU
July 28, 2007 7:28 PM | Link to this
We will have a better defense this year! Supposedly, that was the best Tech team in years last year….I wasn’t very impressed! ACC=weak conference.
By shady
July 28, 2007 7:30 PM | Link to this
I look for UM and FSU to meet in the title game. I think overall the ACC will be down again this year. UM will have another good D and plays in a leauge division with not too many powerful offenses. FSU will edge Clemson.
By heeldawg
July 28, 2007 8:41 PM | Link to this
Uh, Jeff?
During the hour or so that Virginia was felt to be a good football team (right before Georgia Tech beat them in Charlottesville in 1990), the planets were aligned in a peculiar formation that has never been seen before or since. Word has it that Thomas Jefferson had something to do with it. But he used up all of his heavenly credit (he was an agnostic, after all), and that was it for U.Va. football.
And, by the way, the last two times the Cavs played Georgia the Dawgs whipped the Cavs (Aloha Bowl and Peach Bowl). So I don’t know what game you’re thinking of, but it was a while back, not recent history.
By midatlantech
July 28, 2007 9:44 PM | Link to this
Hey WVU, Congrats on your season. You had your best team in a decade and second best in your history and you really slaughtered us by a few points. Congrats. He he he.
Bennett certainly has to prove himself worthy but if we can get through the first few games I see him getting stronger and stronger. Let’s hope, because Tech, while hampered by a partial scholarship roster for years, has been finishing poorly of late.
I just don’t think he’s going to play poorly every other game however and that will be an improvement.
By wes
July 29, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this
Hey Tony, you don’t start out a game throwing 8 for 8 winging a bunch of “jump balls”.
Tater Bennett can flat out play.
By Jeff
July 29, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this
Little did Mr. Jefferson know - back in 1819 - that not only was he founding the pre-eminent public university in the world, but that UVA would become the school of choice for the finest college football players in America. Pigskin prognosticators who miss this point do so at the risk of their professional credibility.
By Noleman1943
July 29, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
FSU will run the ball, much, much better than the last 10 years. Antoine Smith is much like Warrick Dunn, only stronger, not quite as shifty, but has break away speed. I would not surprise anyone who knows the ‘Noles to see him run for 800-900 yards, dare I say 1,000?!! Now, if Fisher will put “Xman” Lee at the helm as QB we’ll see the next Charlie Ward and REALLY light it up. Gonna be a hellava season for FSU. I think I’ll go ahead and order my tickets for Jacksonville! Go Noles!! Noleman
By elijah
July 29, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Yall critics need to watch and study football before you make judgement. I know Taylor will miss Calvin, but like the man said he was 8 for 8 starting and the whole recieving core put up some good numbers for that game, not just Calvin. I went to the spring game, unlike you critics, and he actually looked better than he did in the bowl game, and he was against Techs first string defense which will be a top 20 defense this year. FSU will be back this year with the coaching changes. They will beat AL and LSU will go down to VT. The ACC will get there respect back this year as maybe the #1 or #2 conference. VT’s QB will never be good cause his arm is not strong enough. To much hang time for fast defenses.
By Not Disappointed
July 29, 2007 5:34 PM | Link to this
I look forward to College Football Period!!! In reference to Taylor Bennet, I too look forward to watching him play. He was awesome during the Spring Game. Come on September!!!!
By Taylor
July 29, 2007 10:48 PM | Link to this
All you Tech fans look out because I am telling you right now tech is going to be really good this year. They will win the ACC and make it to a BCS game this year. Just as I told my georgia Bulldogs employer. I am going to take that dog and shove it
By Taylor
July 29, 2007 10:49 PM | Link to this
All you Tech fans look out because I am telling you right now tech is going to be really good this year. They will win the ACC and make it to a BCS game this year. Just as I told my georgia Bulldogs employer. I am going to take that dog and shove it
By Taylor
July 29, 2007 10:49 PM | Link to this
All you Tech fans look out because I am telling you right now tech is going to be really good this year. They will win the ACC and make it to a BCS game this year. Just as I told my georgia Bulldogs employer. I am going to take that dog and shove it
By Darrell
July 30, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this
FSU: Wetherell is becoming a dictator in Tallahassee; his unyielding sense of business is callous and remarkably unintelligent. As an alum ‘82, I will not give a dime until this monarch is gone. He has no class.
By Easy Ed
July 30, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this
FSU should lure Lee Fowler away from NC State while they have the chance. The man is an up and coming AD and will be a hot commodity within a year or two.
By Chris Rix
July 30, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this
Drew Weatherford is a God.
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By ron
August 1, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this
Dave Hart did not build the program…if anything, by allowing Jeff Bowden to be name the offensive coordinator was just the biggest of many things he has done to contribute to its demise.
By treznor
August 1, 2007 5:52 PM | Link to this
Easy Ed, NCSU could only wish that Lee Foulup gets lured away to somewhere, anywhere other than NCSU. I’m sure there are many NCSU alumni that would gladly donate to a fund somewhere to pay FSU to take him off our hands. We certainly ended up with two good coaches in Lowe and O’Brien, but both were in spite of Foulup, not because of him.