What the Jackets learned in first game

A look at what we learned about Georgia Tech and the ACC and its race to respectability in the BCS. This after seeing the two teams picked by most to land in the conference title game — Clemson and Virginia Tech — get bombed and upset this weekend.

1. YOU CAN’T WIN WITHOUT A RUSHING YARD.

You read that right. Clemson had zero rushing yards in a 34-10 loss to Alabama in the Georgia Dome Saturday. The Crimson Tide gave the SEC early bragging rights over the ACC (again) even before No. 5 Florida gets a shot at Miami next week.

“We got whipped about every way you can get whipped,” said Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, whose team has been whipped in consecutive games in the Dome by the SEC’s Alabama representatives after losing to Auburn in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last year.

That 96-yard kickoff return by C.J. Spiller to start the second half was really nice. Would have been nice to see he and James Davis run the ball from scrimmage a little bit, too. Tough to do that when quarterback Cullen Harper is throwing 34 passes (or getting sacked.) Spiller’s big return closed the score to 23-10 in favor of Alabama.

The Tigers were never close in the game, in which Spiller carried the ball two times. “We are a two-back system, we didn’t have the ball in the first half and we couldn’t move the ball in the second half,” Bowden said. “That’s not a good combination for anybody.”

Correct, sir.

2. IGNORE THE CALLIGRAPHY AND

You can write all the wonderful prose you want about Virginia Tech and coach Frank Beamer. But what’s in the pen writing those stories? The Hokies have 72 underclassmen on their roster, so why, just why, did everybody peg them for such success?

The mere fact that Tech won the ACC title last season should not have been reason enough for so many people to predict that the Hokies would wind up in that game again.

Bottom line, when more than half your starting lineup has used up its eligibility, your fine running back (Brandon Ore) gets kicked out of school in the spring, your most talented defensive player (cornerback Macho Harris) is out injured and you play eight true freshman, no wonder you fall 25-22 in Charlotte.

Another question: wonder if Beamer is going to stick with the plan of redshirting sophomore quarterback Tyrrod Taylor?

3. NEW GEORGIA TECH COACH PAUL JOHNSON

The Yellow Jackets had no significant issues in a 43-14 win over Jacksonville State.

Johnson has issues with several players, riffing with Dan Voss, Bret White, Embry Peeples, Zach Krish — at minimum — as they came to the sideline after, er, mistakes.

“He’s a my-way-or-the-highway kind of guy,” Tech All-ACC offensive tackle Andrew Gardner has said.

4. WAKE FOREST IS PROBABLY

The Demon Deacons were a huge upset winner two years ago when they won the ACC title. Coach Jim Grobe proved it wasn’t a fluke when his squad was a pain in the rear for several teams last season.

WFU crushed Baylor 41-13 Saturday, and although Baylor is not recognized as a traditional football power — sound familiar, Deacon fans? — the Bears were expected by many to be decent this season.

5. OF THE TWO ACC TEAMS THAT WERE CRUSHED LAST WEEKEND, ONLY ONE IS REALLY, REALLY BAD.

And that’s N.C. State.

Southern California is good; really, really, really good. So the Trojan’s 52-7 win at Virginia was not quite as indicative of the Cavaliers’ prospects as N.C. State’s 34-0 loss to South Carolina.

If the Wolfpack loses to William & Mary on Saturday, coach Tom O’Brien may have to hide.