ACC Best of the Blogs: Week 9

BOSTON COLLEGE

BC All Access: No love for the running game
"So let's say we did turn heavily to the run against UNC. Take away 28 pass attempts from Crane and give those 28 plays to Haden and Harris. If the both kept their yard per carry averages (and obviously there would be fluctuations if this really occurred) Haden would have had 20 carries for 84 yards while Harris would have 20 carries for 80 yards. A combined 40 carries for 164 yards. The yardage is off the charts by any stretch of the imagination but i would have loved to see them on Sunday. This would have significantly cut down on Crane's workload and taken control of the game. Now I'm not saying that we would be this affective if we did run the ball 40 times, but we should have at least tried to get a running game going. Chris Crane throwing the ball 42 times in one game (especially against a defense that is known for turnovers) is simply unacceptable in my mind. I'd say its about time we get our own thunder and lightning going against Clemson next week."

BC Interruption: Toss Up: Boston College-Clemson
"Brian: I’m going with Boston College here. We’ve already been to 1 more ACC Championship Game than Clemson has already, and Clemson has to go through Boston College to win the Atlantic (something they haven’t been able to do in their last three tries). The Tigers have failed to win the Atlantic the last three years despite having the Atlantic all but served up to them on a platter – Florida State has been down, little Wake Forest has bubbled up, and Maryland has one winning season in their last four seasons. Besides, it’s downright comical to hear Tigers fans at the beginning of the season because they think their team is always ACC Championship and BCS National Championship Game bound. A lot of fans still living off of 1981."

Eagle in Atlanta: Talking through the QB situation Part 2
"Bringing this tangent back to Chris Crane...you cannot start him on the idea that he is "due" or that he has gotten the turnovers out of his system or that he is highly unlikely to cough up the ball that many times again. He not due. No one is truly due. If due were probability, then he is just as due for another three INT day."

CLEMSON

Block-C: Places to check out in Boston
"For those of you actually going up to Boston to catch the game, we’ve put together a list of some things to check out as Willy Mac went up there back in 2006. If you haven’t gone up to Boston for the game you should check it out sometime. Since there are a bunch of Tiger fans staying near or at Copley Square, most of the items we’ve put on this list are located close by there."

DUKE

Dudespin: The Bowl Breakdown
"I realize it's premature to do this, but being much more superstitious about the election, I figured it can't hurt to peek ahead to whether Duke really has a chance at a bowl game, and if so, where. At 4-3, with winnable games left against Clemson, State, and Wake, and an outside chance against UNC, the path to 6-6 isn't unrealistic. But would Duke be selected for a bowl game at 6-6, since "bowl eligible" doesn't mean you get invited? And being a smaller school with not exactly a rich football history doesn't guarantee a large turnout, which perhaps is the most important factor to bowl game hosts."

FLORIDA STATE

Chant Rant: Don't expect the same old Bobby Dodd Stadium
""What'll ya have!" Maybe the best thing about the stadium is its neighbor across the freeway, The Varsity (the glowing neon lights at the lower left of the photo). For a pre-game meal -- and, what the hell, post-game pig out -- hit the "World's Largest Drive-In." It may be fast food, but it's light years from anything you'll get from a drive-thru window (it's worth a trip for the onion rings alone)."

Scalp 'Em: Belief In FSU Football?
"How many times has FSU done this in the past 6-7 years? They start off great, only to get to a point in the season where they blow up. Looking at the schedule, GT, Clemson, BC, Maryland and Florida… it’s as easy to go 4-1 as it is 1-4. So am I believer in FSU football? Not yet, I need more proof that the character of this team can hold up."

Tomahawk Nation: My opening thoughts on FSU's Hokie Knockout
"Yet, there is a serious problem. Ponder is taking a beating. 4 sacks on 19 pass attempts is a SEVENTEEN percent sack rate. That is pathetic. I like Trickett a lot, and it angers me that the cupboard was left so bare by the previous administration. It's pretty obvious that our offensive line recruits are not as talented as the young kids at UGA or UF. If you're going to start young kids, they need to be studs. We look like we have 6 tight ends playing at once. These guys looked slow out there, and we can't afford to have waifish linemen play slow."

GEORGIA TECH

The Legacy x4: UVA and Season Thoughts
"For the rest of the year we are playing with house money. No one expected us to be where we are today. We are gaining respect and our players are gaining experience. Remember, we are the youngest team in the ACC."

MARYLAND

Turtle Soup: Survival! Terps Now 6-2!
"Not sure what was wrong with the defense today. It’s hard to believe a defense can play that great last week and then stink it up one week later, but they did come up big late and gave the offense a chance to win it, and they came through."

Turtle Waxing: Terps run between the rain drops
"The conditions were probably the worst Maryland will see all year on Saturday but they managed with the help of some key plays and a little luck to overcome the upset bid by N.C. State. I thought a quarterback like Russell Wilson would give the defense all kinds of problems because he has good mobility and can throw the ball with skill. Wilson isn't just a scrambler and if Tom O'Brien can assemble more talent around him Wilson could be an elite ACC quarterback for the next few years. A scary thought for Maryland fans."

MIAMI

All Canes: Ojomo: Under the radar three-star making plays
"Instead, Canes coaches are focusing on finding Miami-style kids and athletes who are a good fit for the program, instead of someone highly touted simply because a few websites say so. Shannon and staff are looking for diamond in the rough-types and kids with that intangible not measured by recruiting websites looking to make a buck and stir the pot."

Hall of Canes: Marve-lous
"But just as clearly, both are young, inexperienced on the college level and understandably inconsistent. I agree with Coach Randy Shannon's plan to play them both and get them ready, even if I disagreed with taking a hot Marve out of Saturday's win over Wake Forest with 5 minutes left and the Canes leading by only 6 points."

NORTH CAROLINA

Carolina March: UNC 45, Boston College 24
"After a scary start, where Cam Sexton lost the ball to a pash rush on the second play of scrimmage to put the Eagles up 10-0, Carolina's defense posted three straight three-and-outs before beginning the interception party, giving the offense short fields for three scoring drives and then the lead. And when BC struck back to tie with 54 seconds left in the half, Sexton drove the team downfield with three passes to wrench the lead back - Carolina never trailed again, and the Eagles wouldn't score until the garbage time of the fourth quarter."

Tar Heel Fan: Make Of This What You Will
"I think Sexton is the guy unless he screws up in which case Yates, if healthy, will be the guy. Or he is going to use the hot hand whoever that might be. This is also a great position to be in since most teams have a drop off from one QB to the next. If Yates returns to form, that will not be the case at UNC."

Tar Heel Mania: FEI is My New Favorite Poll
"Even more interesting than UNC’s #3 ranking here is their #1 ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency. What this means is that the Tar Heels do a better job of disrupting the efficiency of opposing offenses better than any other defense in the nation. And this is in spite of an apparent allergy to blitzes and the frustrating 2-minute defense. That, my friends, is impressive."

NC STATE

Section Six: Looking Ahead To Duke
"In raw terms, it certainly appears as though the Blue Devils a lot better this season: from 117th in total offense last year to 98th in 2008, from 92nd in total defense to 52nd. And there's the winning record thing. Their performance on a per-play basis, however, tells a different story."

StateFans Nation: Next year’s 12th football game
"At the risk of over-stating the obvious - next year is a very important year for the NC State Football program and every single leader with any type of influence over the direction of the football program. Unless the Wolfpack can string together four consecutive wins to close out the 2008 season, the program is heading for a 4th losing season in the last five years - all under the ‘leadership’ of Athletics Director, Lee Fowler."

Yet Another...: College football should only be played on Thursdays and Saturdays
"Here's my feeling on the matter: College football should go back to 99% of its games being played on Saturday, with one game played on Thursday night. That's it. When you cram a week full of college football, the appeal of the sport is kind of lost. College football is a weekend event, something to look forward to. Your team plays and you keep an eye and ear out for how the other teams are faring throughout Saturday. And if your team is lucky enough to play on Thursday night, then by God it's a big deal, because there truly isn't any other team out there playing."

VIRGINIA

Good Ol' Blog: Questionable officiating went both ways?
"There were other examples provided, but I’ll stop there. I’m not going to argue that the officiating didn’t benefit Virginia in some key spots. Let’s just not pretend that Georgia Tech didn’t get some of their own breaks too on that front. I mean, it’s not every day that a coach gets a freakin’ penalty during the other team’s attempt to driving down the field for a game tying score."

From Old Virginia: On the Desirability of College Football Playoffs
"This argument waters down as the playoffs get larger and larger. By the time you get to the three-loss teams and the weaker two-loss teams, it's easy to say, "Shut up, you're pretty clearly not national-title caliber." But, the larger the playoff, the easier it is to get in and the more watered-down the regular season becomes."

VIRGINIA TECH

College Game Balls: What’s Your Coach Going to be for Halloween?
"Joe Pa looks a little too much like a vampire right? That’s because its not a costume. How else can you explain his longevity and energy at 80, I mean 8000, years old."

Fire Bryan Stinespring: 7th Worst NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Offense
"As of Saturday morning, Virginia Tech's wide receivers had not caught a touchdown pass. That trend continued yesterday afternoon in our ten-point loss to the Florida State University Seminoles. That is pathetic. Let's be clear; we did not lose this game because of a rookie mistake by Eddie Whitley. We lost momentum, but we did not lose the game because of Whitley's play. And we did lose two quarterbacks in this game. Third-string QB Cory Holt was not quite ready to play at first, but threw a nice touchdown pass to tight-end Andre Smith."

Tech Sideline: Your FSU Eye in the Sky
The last two games have not been epic. But I for one am proud of how this team has scrapped the last 8 quarters. Not a moral victory mind you; those are reserved for all the worlds silver-medalists. That disclaimer issued, these last 8 quarters of Hokie football remind me of one of my favorite books. George Orwell of Animal Farm put it best when he once opined….”All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” So true.

Virginia Tech Fan: The Joy of Watching The Hokie Defense
"Football is an aggressive sport. It rewards teams that take the game to the opponent. Good teams are physical, fast, furious, and complex. Bud Foster regularly puts a defense on the field that is aggressive. Its also physical, fast, furious, and complex. I love the emphasis on speed, the tenacity of getting to the quarterback, the ‘8 men in the box’ mentality, the scheme that includes a rover and a whip. The Hokies on defense don’t want to control the opponent, they want to demolish. They want to confuse you, intimidate you, shock you, and demoralize you. I love that."

WAKE FOREST

Old Gold and Blog: Bandwagon
"Smith summed it up as best as it can be. You either believe in 9-3, or “see ya.” Hopefully you will take this to heart. Sure, I expect some criticism for writing this, but I wouldn't write it if I didn't truly believe in this team. We've been there with this group of guys through the good times, now it's time to be there in the hard times."