http://www.yardbarker.com/content/school/33 Recent Yardbarker Articles: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets en-us Raycom has released their televised games for the 2008-09 game, and then subsequently pulled the schedule, but SCACC Hoops has it! Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:24:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302337 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302337 The preseason Coaches poll is out and surprise, surprise -- Georgia is No. 1. Actually its not that big of a surprise. Most expected Georgia to be ranked in the top 2. What I do find somewhat surprising is Ohio State is No. 3. Is there an anti-Buckeyes movement among the coaches? Or is there just a love for USC. I'm sure the community users have an un-biased answer. Not that it really matters because the Buckeyes will play No. 2 USC on Sept. 13. I'm pretty sure the winner will by No. 1 or No. 2 after that game and all this preseason nonsense will mean nothing. The defending national champions check in at No. 6, right behind Oklahoma (No. 4) and Florida (No. 5). That makes three SEC teams in the Top 6. The biggest surprise to me is Clemson at No. 9 -- that's pretty high for a team that has high expectations every year, but always falls short. The Tigers are pretty stacked this year, especially at running back, so I'm sure the coaches see them as the class of the ACC. BYU checks in at No. 17, which is pretty good for them to make a run at that BCS bowl. They won't have far to go to get into that top 12 if they finish the season undefeated. A few teams with losing records last year, got votes in the preseason poll -- Nebraska (5-7) got 17 votes and Notre Dame (3-9) got 5 votes. Arizona (5-7) and Colorado (6-7) each got one vote. Potential BCS Bowl Predictions (based solely on the Preseason Poll, which we know means nothing, but it sure is fun): BCS Title -- Georgia vs. USC Rose: Ohio State vs. Arizona State Orange: Clemson vs. West Virginia Sugar: Florida vs. Missouri Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. BYU Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:53:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301329 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301329 1. Clemson Just about any coach in the league will admit these guys are loaded. There's no excuse for Tommy Bowden not to win the program's first ACC title since 1991. If they don't, it's only because they couldn't handle the hype. 2. VT Frank Beamer is going to have to have one of his better seasons coaching if the Hokies are going to wind up winning the Coastal Division again. The only reason the Hokies are ranked above Wake Forest is because they should be playing for the ACC title. If those two teams played each other this season -- which they don't -- Wake would be No. 2. 3. Wake Forest Riley Skinner has already led the Demon Deacons to an ACC title, and he can hand off to 2007 Rookie of the Year Josh Adams while they try to find a replacement for Kenny Moore. Wake Forest also has a veteran defense with a knack for turning turnovers into touchdowns. Any deficiencies these guys have will be compensated for by the coaching staff. 4. Maryland The Terps could be this year's darkhorse, as Ralph Friedgen made a smart off-season hire in offensive coordinator James Franklin and has playmakers with the potential to flourish in the West Coast offense. The key will be how he uses -- not appeases -- his quarterbacks. 5. NC Butch Davis has both the schedule and a watered down Coastal Division working in his favor for a premature rise to the top. The Tar Heels don't have to play Clemson, Wake Forest or Florida State. That's not to overlook the talent on his roster. Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks are among the best receivers in the league. 6. FSU Suspensions, plus a baby-faced offensive line make the Seminoles a second-half-of the season kind of team. There is still uncertainty surrounding Drew Weatherford and Seminoles fans are already pushing for Christian Ponder. 7. Miami As talented as they might be, they're still freshmen. They will make freshmen mistakes. The fact that there is no preseason depth chart for this team further asserts the number of question marks. 8. BC The front seven on defense will have to carry this team until Chris Crane gets comfortable and freshman running back Josh Haden plays in his first few football games. We'll find out how good of a coach Jeff Jagodzinski is without Tom O'Brien's premier group of seniors. 9. Georgia Tech They've got A-back and B-backs, but will they get a bowl back? Probably not. Paul Johnson is giving his players the summer to learn the triple option, but odds are it's going to take a few games to work out the timing and the kinks. Don't be fooled, though. These guys are going to throw the ball. Just not a lot. 10. NC State Five options at quarterback and not one answer there is the main reason for this ranking, plus an almost entirely new defense. The Wolfpack will benefit greatly from the return of tight end Anthony Hill and its plethora of experienced running backs. 11. Virginia Numerous offseason academic and legal incidents affected the Cavaliers at key positions -- namely quarterback -- and they've got to introduce the new lineup to USC in the season opener. Do college athletes make mistakes? Sure, but all it takes is a few players to throw off the chemistry of an entire team. And again, the Cavaliers failed to beat Virginia Tech or play in the ACC championship game WITH Branden Albert and Chris Long. 12. Duke First-year coach David Cutcliffe has already revived the energy in this program, but until he resuscitates its record, the Blue Devils stay at or near the bottom. With talented players like receiver Eron Riley and Vince Oghobasse, Duke has a legitimate chance to improve upon last year's lone win. Maybe even triple it. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:11:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301306 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301306 It's the conference that gave us Burt Reynolds, The Bowden Bowl and the Dean of Obese Coaches, Ralph Friedgen and like every league, the ACC has its share of burning questions. Here's five queries that have The Señior reaching for Tinactin. 1) Is this the year the ACC returns to prominence? Since the league expanded into two divisions, it hasn't earned an at-large BCS bid and in those guaranteed games, the ACC is 0-3. But there's a real possibility that could change this season. Clemson enters the season with a wealth of talent and enormous expectations. Behind quarterback Cullen Harper and the Thunder and Lightning tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller at running back, Tommy Bowden's boys are as close to a near-lock to win the ACC title as you're going to get. So who could give the ACC that elusive at-large bid? Virginia Tech. Granted, the Hokies aren't as star-studded as last year but the schedule is oh-so kind to Frank Beamer in '08. Virginia Tech should be 4-0 going into Nebraska, which is a bit of an enigma under Bo Pelini. Besides that, a trip to Florida State and Miami and Maryland, which has to go to Virginia Tech on a Thursday night, where the Hokies are 10-2 all-time. There's a real chance they could be unbeaten going into the ACC title game vs. Clemson, making a BCS berth highly likely. 2) Clemson's the runaway favorite. So will it fold as usual? In 2006, the Tigers were 7-1 and ranked 10th before a 1-4 collapse ended any thoughts of an ACC title. Last season, Clemson seemed poised for a trip to Jacksonville before Matt Ryan led Boston College to a come-from-behind win. Why will this year be any different? For one, the Atlantic Division will be a cakewalk. If the Tigers don't take the division it will be the biggest disappointment of the Bowden Era. But it won't happen because there's just too much talent on both sides of the ball (Harper, Davis, Spiller, WRs Jacoby Ford and Aaron Kelly, safeties Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons and defensive ends Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers) to let it happen again. If they can get an inexperienced offensive line to gel before that season-opening game with Alabama in the Georgia Dome, pencil Clemson in for a spot in the ACC title game. 3) Can Georgia Tech succeed running Paul Johnson's triple-option? Not this season. Johnson does have a quarterback who has shown he can run in Josh Nesbitt, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a freshman, but Johnson needs time to be able to bring in guys more adept at his style of play. Johnson admittedly won't be bringing any receivers to Atlanta looking to pull down 100 catches but where he will win is with quarterbacks who are being recruited to switch to running back with other programs and backs who want to run in a system proven to get them yards. If you don't believe he can win with this offense in the ACC, just wait. 4) Will Florida State's Jimbo Fisher-led offense improve in Year 2? There's two two place you'll always find "talent" in Tallahassee: 1) Among the student body and 2) On the football field. Despite averaging just 23.3 points per game last season, there's a lot to like about the Seminoles offense. Drew Weatherford showed vast improvement last year in his decision making as he threw a career-low three picks in a 2,049-yard, nine-touchdown season, Antone Smith showed why he was so sought after in high school in running ofr 819 yards and three scores and Preston Parker established himself as a nightmare for defenses on the field (and one for himself off it). What's not to like is a big, big problem. The offensive line returns just two starters after tackle Daron Rose transferred and guard Evan Bellamy was lost for the year with a blood clot. Aside from the two sophomore starters, the 'Noles' two-deep has just one player that isn't either a redshirt freshman or a true freshman. It's a recipe for disaster. 5) What effect will David Cutcliffe have on Duke? So far, tons. He already stole four-star running back Desmond Scott from Rutgers. The Durham, N.C., native is a monumental grab for Cutcliffe considering the Blue Devils landed just one in-state Top-25 player from the 2003-08 recruiting classes. Three three-star commits have also given their nods to Cutcliffe for '09. As far as this season, expect a change in attitude more than anything. Cutcliffe inherits a team that hasn't won more than four games in a season since 1994 and despite his offensive ingenuity, it's hard to imagine four-plus wins out of this group. Still, look for the Blue Devils to give teams more of a game than they did during the Ted Roof experiment. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:42:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300997 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300997 Today we finish our Preseason All America Team with the big uglies on Defense. There are some definite high caliber players that will be playing on Sundays very shortly. Once again leave a message if you agree or disagree with the team. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:58:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300563 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300563 There are a lot of great story lines heading into the 2008 college football season, but the best one involving X's and O's is whether Georgia Tech can be successful running a one-dimensional triple option running attack at the BCS level. New head coach Paul Johnson will implement the same offense that brought him so much success at Navy and Division I-AA Georgia Southern. Unlike a shotgun spread attack utilized by such teams as Oregon, West Virginia and Florida where the option to pass the ball as well as run is a threat on every play, at Georgia Tech the options will be whether the QB hands off up the middle, keeps the ball off tackle or pitches it to the outside. I'm not saying the option to pass won't be there at all, but, like Oklahoma and Alabama in the 70's and 80's, the more successful the offense is, the less passes they will throw. Navy threw the ball less than 10 times in more than half of its games last year and the more the Midshipmen were in control of the game, the less they threw the ball. Only once did they throw the ball over 15 times. Many compare Johnson's offense to that of Mike Leach at Texas Tech, and that is true to the extent they are the exact opposites. Each of these two teams represent the truest – and most successful – form of one-dimensional offense in football's top division. If you look at last year's NCAA statistics, Navy was first in rushing with 349 yards per game and last in passing with 93. On the other hand, Texas Tech was first in passing with 470 yards per game and last in rushing with 59. CALVIN JOHNSON IS LUCKY HE GOT OUT BEFORE THIS GUY CAME BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE NO USE : ( CLICK LINK FOR THE REST Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:44:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297178 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297178 Good read in today's Washington Times highlighting coach Paul Johnson's Triple Option offense that he brings to Tech after using it to post a 107-39 record at Georgia Southern and Navy. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:09:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295427 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295427 Welcome to the beginning of the hype, where each and every type of poll will come out to find out who is the best in one conference or another. Yes, this is the beginning of we fans/bloggers/lovers of the college gridiron begin to come out of the summer shell and develop that good feeling about our football team once again. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:56:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 There is not much of a buzz at the ACC Football Kickoff this year. The chances an ACC team will be in the BCS Championship Game is remote which tones down the hype but the big buzz kill is lack of star power. The most recognized quarterbacks here are Drew Weatherford of Florida State and Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon - QB's like the economy right now, up and down with rumors of recession. (More about ACC Football Kick-off, Day One...) Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:43:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 College Football season begins this weekend for me. Sunday the ACC Football Kickoff begins and the College Football pre-season hype goes full speed. I am heading over to Reynolds Plantation in Georgia, which is hosting the ACC media event to get my share of coach speak and over used cliches. I'm sure they all going to play as a team and take it one game at a time, blah, blah, blah. Same ole' well, you know what I mean. This is an interesting year for the ACC because 5 years after expanding the league really hasn't made an impression on the national scene. The ACC finds itself 5th or 6th when the BCS leagues are ranked. I don't think I have all the answers but here are a few issues the ACC has... (more...) Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 Welcome back to part two of Walker-Sports ACC preview. In this section we will take a look at the Coastal Division. Of the two divisions the Costal is without a doubt the tightest, and will prove to be the most competitive. It could also make for some interesting results come November once all these teams have tangled and a couple upsets go down. ACC Preseason Coastal Division Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have been a terror to the ACC since the day they arrived in the league. They have played in 3 out of 4 ACC Championships. There is no doubt the ACC made the right move bringing these guys in. This year the Hokies are likely the only legitimate threat to the Clemson Tigers if the two can meet in the ACC Championship game. However, this year will take a little more effort than Beamer and company are used to. The Hokies lost several key players on both sides of the ball including star running back Brandon Ore and linebackers Xavier Adibi. The Hokies will also continue their battle at quarterback that began last season between Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor. Lucky for the Hokies they have the best of both worlds with these guys, Glennon being a scrambler and Taylor a drop back passer. No matter who is at the helm at QB you can bank that Virginia Tech will play solid defense and great special teams. That will make them a top contender in the ACC and a possible factor in the BCS. Record: 10-2 Key Games: East Carolina, Nebraska, Florida State Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Change was the theme of the off-season for the Yellow Jackets. Paul Johnson's option offense scared off a couple players, but they will be stronger because of it. Josh Nesbitt will be charged with running the offensive this season, and he has the tools to make it happen, if he stays healthy, a groin injury has sidelined him for much of the spring. What the Rambling Wreck will do very well this year, is attack opposing offenses. The Yellow Jackets have one of the top ends and one of the top tackles in the league, Michael Johnson and Vance Walker will test any offensive line. The D-Line alone will keep the Yellow Jackets in most any game they play this season. Record: 7-5 Key Games: Florida State, Mississippi State, Georgia Miami Hurricanes: Don't go crazy with this one, the 'Canes fell into this spot by accident, not because they have done anything special. Miami will be pretty much all freshmen or first year players. Lucky for them their freshmen tend to be better than an average teams seniors. The Hurricanes are moving in the right direction, and they appear to be doing it the right way. That meant getting rid of a lot of players and coaches. That will lead to disappointment in the short term, but if the Alumni can hang in there and just trust in their coach, they will find themselves back on track, especially with this talented group of freshmen. Record: 7-5 Key Games: UCf, Virginia, Texas A&M Virginia Cavaliers: Al Groh must go, was the chant heard round Charlottesville after an embarrassing opening lost on the road to Wyoming. However, a 9-4 campaign seemed to make many Cavalier fans forget Groh's shortcomings and he even received a contract extension. However, after a meltdown in the Gator Bowl and an embarrassing off season that saw seven players kicked out of school perhaps Groh's job should still be on the line. Despite all the setbacks the Cavaliers are looking to employ a more wide open attack and actually toss the ball downfield some this year, Combine a revamped passing game with the return of Cedric Peermen and Mikell Simpson at running back and the Cav's could have a decent offense, but don't hold your breath. Seven wins this season would be a phenomenal achievement. Record 6-6 Key Games: Miami, East Carolina, Clemson North Carolina Tar Heels: Butch Davis is entering his second year as head coach in Chapel Hill, and while that does mean something, Davis alone is not enough to put the Tar Heels back on the winning track. The Heels will be much better than their 4-8 mark of their last year, however due to a tough schedule; the improvement may not be seen in the win column. Out of conference games against Rutgers, Notre Dame and UConn can mean trouble for the Heels. The bulk of their success will depend on how their backfield gels together. Greg Little is the sophomore who moved to tailback from receiver late last year and he will carry the load this season. T.J. Yates is supposed to be the starter at QB comes August, but he has not thrown much at all since shoulder surgery in December. If he is unable to go the Tar Heels will depend on backups Paulus and Sexton to step up and run the offense. Record: 5-7 Key Games: UConn, Boston College, North Carolina State Duke Blue Devils: I won't lie this is just hard to do because, I don't want to be too tongue and cheek, and Walker-Sports is not about sugar coat anything, so sorry Blue Devil fans. David Cuttcliffe has challenged his team to improve their fitness, and their team speed. To this point the team has responded well. However, Duke simply does not have the athletes to compete at the high levels of the ACC. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils will be an improved team. Record: 2-10 Key Games, James Madison, Northwestern ACC Championship Game: Clemson vs. Virginia Tech Clemson wins ACC Title and Tommy Bowden goes to the Orange Bowl where the ACC can hopefully regain some respect on the national level. That's it for me, hope you enjoyed the preview feel free to drop a line with your comments. This is going to be a special year in college football, there's a lot of variables out there, and a lot of new faces on the scene so buckle up and get ready for what will be a hellUVA a ride. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:00:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290157 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290157 As I begin to prepare for the all out football preview that I'm going to do for the Tar Heels, I figured I would start by talking about the head coaches in the conference and tell all of you who I think is the top of the list and who is on the bottom. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:33:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286976 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286976 The ACC isn't deep in fantasy options for 2008, but fantasy owners should be able to find solid starting options at the top of each position. AthlonSports.com kicks off the college fantasy conference previews with a look quarterback battles, sleepers and freshmen to watch. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:27:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286461 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286461 Jerrard Tarrant has been formally charged with rape and he's been suspended from the football team. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:28:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284407 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284407 The ACC isn't a deep conference for fantasy options, but Clemson owns four solid options - including receiver Aaron Kelly. Kelly had a solid 2007 season, and the return of Cullen Harper at quarterback should give him a chance to post career-best numbers. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:57:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280978 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280978