ACC Best of the Blogs: Week 3

Aside from UVa, all seems to be well in the ACC after the Week 1 meltdown. On to the blogs ...

Boston College

BC Interruption: Oddsmakers: Central Florida Visits Chestnut Hill
"Jeff: I think the Eagles will fairly easily win 8 games and go to a very winnable bowl game. That would mean that the Pats would basically have to miss the playoffs. Their is a slight chance that the Eagles win 10, 11, or 12 games this year but the Patriots still play a 16-game regular season plus the playoffs so the odds are fairly low. 15%."

Eagle in Atlanta: Crane's comfort level: where does he work best?
"This was our standard offense on Saturday. Crane was at his best when he would get the snap take a few quick steps and fire a short out to the flats. Georgia Tech was playing off the receivers, so this was an easy completion. However, the challenge with this style of attack is that our receivers are not game breakers. If they catch a short pass in the flats, they are unlikely to turn it into a big play. But pocket passing was not foolproof. Crane struggled from the same formation and progression when trying to make throws across the field. His timing was off or his throws were off or he was releasing too low and getting tipped. Also, his fundamentals went out the window as the game wore on."

Clemson

Sporting Gnomes: Let's Eat 'Em
"Let’s be honest, the campus is filled with thousands of predators. They’re called students. With a few traps and some BB guns in the hands of some good ol’ boys, I’m pretty sure this problem can be controlled at a yearly cost of 4 cases of Busch beer."

Duke

DudeSpin: Ka-Ching!
"I am pleased to announce that we were reunited with Crazy Sweaty Guy. While the afternoon heat and lack of pre-game tailgaiting time clearly hindered his performance, he did have one special move up his sleeve (well, if he wore sleeves). For the traditional key rattling during kickoffs, he pulls out a gigantic ring of easily 100 keys. What’s the one thing that makes Crazy Sweaty Guy scarier than he already is? Knowing that he can get into your dorm room at night."

Florida State

Scalp 'Em: Watch Out Wake Preston Parker Is Back
"DEBUTING AT DOAK CAMPBELL STADIUM… THE ALL NEW 2008 Preston Parker! Preston Parker is more aerodynamic than ever… he’s shaved his head. In other news he’s also added a Super Pursuit Mode, in case he needs to play defense."

Tomahawk Nation: What makes this Wake game different?
"This should cause problems to a Wake Forest defense, who in the past, loaded up against the run and dared FSU to pass. If they choose this option this year, they have a much better chance of being burned because of the talent level of the options at QB this year."

Georgia Tech

The Legacy x4: Paul Johnson don’t take no crap from nobody
"Paul Johnson is a borderline cocky smartass who is also a freakin’ badass. We all know that. We all love that. He’ll argue and defend his offense until he’s blue in the face. He’ll take a deep breath and then rip you to shreds."

GT Sports: Football: Jackets Lose @ VaTech
"Really, you can stop at this one and have your answer. Dwyer fumbles at the end of the 1st half with a little over a minute to go and the result is 7 points for Virginia Tech. When you lose by 3, that's the difference. Throw in a Josh Nesbitt fumble in the 1st half at the Virginia Tech 33 and you've killed another potential scoring drive. Then you have a Nesbitt INT in the 2nd half that led to a Field Goal."

Maryland

Turtle Waxing: Sometimes you get the bear
"In all it was a nice win but nothing to get overly carried away with. Once Riley got settled the Cal offense was going through Maryland's defense like crap through a goose. Riley had over 200 yards passing the 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter alone. For the game Maryland was out gained 461 to 297 total yards by Cal. That is not a formula for winning very often. If Cal wasn't so horrible on third down (2/11) or had about 10 more minutes the game probably would have been very different. Maryland jumped on the Bears early and it took them three quarters to shake off some bad penalties, questionable coaching decisions and spotty quarterback play to erase a 21 point deficit."

Miami

All Canes: Miami @ Texas A&M - Random Thoughts
"Does this team have the grit to build on a semi-close game at Florida? How will 1-2 impact their mindset going into ACC play starting next Saturday should the Canes lose to the Aggies? More importantly, where are Jermaine McKenzie and Arthur Brown?"

North Carolina

Tar Heel Fan: Joe Ovies Tapped To Oversee Fan Bases
"Along with his duties as chief enforcer of the local rivalries, Ovies will also be using his acerbic wit to take critical shots at the prominent coaches and players to stir the passions of the respective fan bases further. Easley said that having fans in North Carolina frothing at the mouth over their respective schools will lead to increases sales for local business specializing in team paraphernalia as well as an uptick in business for sports bars and ticket sales for home games."

Tar Heel Mania: The Game Circled On My Calender
"How much does a win mean for the Tar Heels? It means they’ll be 3-0 for the first time since 1997. It means they’ll win their conference opener for the first time since 2001, the 41-9 drubbing of Florida State that still makes me smile whenever it comes to mind. It means that both team and fan morale will be sky-high for the first time Julius Peppers graced our campus. This is the first game that will truly tell us where we stand in the college football universe. Most importantly, it means that we will have a season-long advantage over our biggest conference contender. If you’re not pumped about this game, I don’t know what to tell you."

NC State

Section Six: Hide The Women And Goalposts -- The Improved ECU Pirates Are Comin' To Town
"Last year's win over ECU brought about the kind of bewildered joy that occurs rarely, especially over these last few years. I can't really explain it, but you probably know what I mean--when the team treats you to a huge pleasant surprise of a performance, something you never saw coming. Watching it unfold, I was transformed into the guy from those Bud Light commercials. Dude! Dude? Duuuuuuude. The high point of the season for me."

StateFans Nation: Saturday’s Inevitable Purple Tide
"As we have have said many times, this is ECU’s Super Bowl, every year. This is especially true when the Pirates are favored, and even more so when favored and playing in their favorite place to riot, Carter Finley Stadium. Nine out of ten NC State fans don’t give a rat’s ass about the game, other than a little schadenfreude when the hillbillies go home disappointed. We don’t remember any Wolfpack tears shed when then-AD Jim Valvano cancelled the series and pledged never to renew it. You see, Valavano - like most thinking people - didn’t see the logic in scheduling games that mean the world to your opponent, and nothing to your own institution (other than the significant chance of serious property damage)."

Virginia

From Old Virginia: Booted
"I call bullshit. I don't believe for a minute that this has the support of Al Groh. If Littlepage had said, "This is my decision and it has the support of head football coach Al Groh, who really likes his job and realizes that I have the power to change his employment status," then yes, I'd believe it. But - hell - I don't even believe 100% that this is Littlepage's decision. If it is, shame on him. If not, shame on whoever made the call, and more so for making Littlepage take the heat.
"

Virginia Tech

College Game Balls: We Beat Georgia Tech but Our Offense Still Sucks
"We are learning how to win close games. Learning how to overcome adversity and win close is a huge boost to the psyche of the Hokies. Playing through these types of games now will really help the young Hokies grow up fast. If we do get things turned around I will feel a lot better about our chances if we are down a score late in the ACC Championship and so will the team."

TSL Blogs: Your Gah.Tech Eye in the Sky!
"Aristotle once taught that there are six parts to a play. Then hexa or closing part is the “Spectacle.” Saturday’s game was that and then some as our Hokies won in spectacular fashion. We won by three points, Gah.Tech had three turnovers, two missed big plays and one key injury. So how did we win while being outgained at home by 140 yards???"

Virginia Tech Fan: Running Back U.
"For me, VT has always been about featuring premier running backs. While not always household names, Ken Oxendine, Shirone Stith, Kevin Jones, and my favorite Hokie Lee Suggs defined the rise of the Hokie program. These were combo backs, who could pound you inside, break outside with speed, open the game with a big play, and get the short yards when needed. What I loved about Suggs was his nose for the end zone. Remember the year (I believe it was 2002 but I could be wrong), when Suggs was ‘money’ inside the 10 yard line? You could just count on him to get the ball in the end zone."

Wild Turkey CFR: Stinespring's brilliant play calling leads Hokies to victory
"The Hokies survived the Orange curse! You know why? I wore maroon. You're welcome."

Wake Forest

Old Gold and Blog: 5 Good Questions: Florida State
"For this week's installment I had the pleasure of exchanging questions with Jerry Scott from Nole Spear It (clever, eh?). His answers to my questions appear below, and my answers to his questions are here on Nole Spear It."