Column by Patrick Hite
patrick@accnation.com

ACC Nation will begin its in-depth (or at least as in-depth as we get) football previewsthe week of July 28. For the four weeks beginning on July 28, we’ll have three podcasts per week instead of just one. Each podcast will focus one one team. We’ll also have a preview and a feature story on each team on ACCNation.com.

We’ll also have lots of good stuff next week from the ACC Football Kickoff at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.

As for this week, not to be outdone by Will, I’d thought I’d give you my preseason predictions on how I see teams finishing this season. I’ll give a brief reason why I think each team will finish where I have them, and in parentheses you’ll see the date that we’ll post both the podcast and website preview for each team.

I’ve gone out on a limb on some of these, but what’s the fun in making predictions if you can’t go out on a limb now and again? I’m sure I’ll hear from some of you (especially Miami fans), so let me have it (and, when calling me names, be creative).

Coastal

1. Virginia Tech (Aug. 14)– 11-1, 7-1. I’m sure the Hokies could stumble at several places (ECU, at UNC, at Nebraska come to mind) on the schedule, but I see them losing only at FSU. Something tells me Frank Beamer and Bud Foster will surprise people with this VT team. I just believe Tech is one of those teams that can replace big-time players with big-time players.

2. Virginia (Aug. 13)- 7-5, 5-3 — I like the skill positions, especially running back. If the line can block and UVa. gets anything from the defense, I think the Cavaliers can manage this schedule. I love the linebackers and I like the secondary. The defensive line situation worries me, but not enough to think it will cause major problems.

3. North Carolina (Aug. 12) — 6-6, 4-4 — Can the young players deal with all the preseason hype? I’m not sure, plus I’m not sold that Greg Little is the answer at running back. He’ll have to show me more than just two games at the end of the year. The linebackers are young and T.J. Yates missed the spring. Better, but not as good as most everyone is predicting.

4. Georgia Tech (July 30)– 4-8, 2-6 — Paul Johnson will get the job done, but it’s a little too early to expect much this season. The offense has to learn a completely new system. The defense will also be learning, but I think you’ll see a more consistent unit with Dave Wommack replacing Jon Tenuta. Josh Nesbitt will carry a lot of responsibility and the faster he learns the better the Jackets will play.

5. Duke (July 29)– 4-8, 2-6 — I really like the hiring of David Cutcliffe, but don’t expect too much in his first season. That being said, I love Thaddeus Lewis and his receivers, including Eron Riley, and if the line can give them any time, the Blue Devils will score points this year. The defense will be better, especially up front. Count on it: Duke will win a conference game this year (I’m actually predicting two).

6. Miami (July 31) — 3-9, 1-7 — I worry about a team that can lose 48-0 in its last game ever at the Orange Bowl and a coaching staff that lets that happen. This team is young, there is no experience at quarterback and the Hurricanes have a brutal schedule. I know predicting Miami to finish behind Duke seems crazy, but call it a gut feeling.

Atlantic

1. Wake Forest (Aug. 21)– 11-1, 7-1 — This is the fastest, and may very well be the best, defense in the ACC. Wake will continue to force turnovers and put its offense in great position this season. You won’t see Riley Skinner throwing as much, with the offense relying on Josh Adams and the ground game. The O-line has some question marks. The schedule shapes up nicely with an early trip to Tallahassee before FSU has all of its players back from suspension and a Thursday night home game against Clemson.

2. Clemson (Aug. 6)– 10-2, 6-2 — There’s not a better set of skill players in the conference, although the offensive line has some holes. So does the defense, especially at linebacker. Clemson seems to be everyone’s pick to win the ACC and I think they have a shot, but look for the Tigers to stumble against some team that shouldn’t beat them (at UVa.?). Look, I like Clemson, just not as much as I like Wake.

3. Maryland (Aug. 19)– 9-3, 5-3 — This is my surprise team. I do wonder who will be the quarterback, but if the Terps can settle on one guy things will be just fine in College Park. Even with losses at running back, the Terps have talent, and the receivers are among the best in the conference. The defense could be a problem, although linebacker looks like a strength for Maryland.

4. Florida State (Aug. 7)– 6-6, 4-4 — A tough schedule and questions at quarterback worry me when it comes to FSU. The offensive line will also be a headache all season. The linebackers will be solid, but the Seminoles could struggle up front and in the secondary (again) on defense. If FSU stays healthy and proves it can score points, maybe things improve over recent years, but I don’t see it.

5. North Carolina State (Aug. 20)- 6-6, 4-4 — Like FSU and Maryland in this division, NC State needs to settle on a quarterback. If healthy (a big if) the running backs are very talented and may be the best part of this offense. I like the defensive line, but the rest of the defense could be a problem. Next year this team could contend for a division title, but not this season with Wake and Clemson leading the way.

6. Boston College (Aug. 5)– 5-7, 1-7 — Josh Haden will be very good at BC, but I’m not sure that will be the case this season for the true freshman. If Chris Crane is solid, he will have some weapons at receiver, but the offensive line is a concern again. And I don’t think Crane will win games late like Matt Ryan did last year. The defense is good enough, but has some questions, especially in the secondary. Last year was magical for the Eagles. This year, not so much.

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Phil Steele, who publishes and writes one of the most-respect college football preview magazines on the market, joins ACC Nation this week to talk ACC football. Visit Phil’s website for more information and to order the magazine.

We discuss all 12 ACC schools and Phil gives us his predictions on which two teams will meet in Tampa for the ACC Football Championship in December. We also ask Phil his thoughts on what the conference needs to do to gain more respect nationally.

Match-ups for the 10th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge have been determined with the event featuring top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The ACC has won each of the nine Big Ten/ACC Challenges played to date. For the fourth consecutive year, the event will feature 11 games (an increase from nine in the six previous years).

**The ACC has won each of the nine ACC-Big Ten Challenges played to date.

**ACC teams have won 56 of the 86 games played in the Challenge.

**Duke (9-0) and Boston College (2-0) are the only undefeated teams in Challenge play.

10th Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule

All Times Eastern

Mon., Dec. 1

7 p.m. ESPN2 Wisconsin at Virginia Tech

Tue., Dec. 2

7 p.m. ESPN Ohio State at Miami

7 p.m. ESPNU Iowa at Boston College

7:30 ESPN2 Clemson at Illinois

9 p.m. ESPN Duke at Purdue

9:30 ESPN2 Virginia at Minnesota

Wed., Dec. 3

7:15 ESPN Indiana at Wake Forest

7:30 ESPN2 Penn State at Georgia Tech

7:30 ESPNU Michigan at Maryland

9:15 ESPN North Carolina vs. Michigan State (from Ford Field)

9:30 ESPN2 Florida State at Northwestern

Column by Will Ojanen
will@accnation.com

Here we are with round two of my season projections. This week, I’ll take a look at some teams, and project some possible upsets. You’re more than welcome to call me crazy after reading this (my fiancee likes to do that a lot), but I’m going to go out on a limb on some of these.

Team most likely to lose to a FCS school: Duke vs. James Madison, Aug. 30. Let me emphasize that I’m not saying that this will happen, but it certainly could. Duke is entering with a new coach, and still has a lack of defense, while James Madison is regarded as one of the top FCS teams in the country, and return a lot of their team from last season’s team that nearly beat America’s darlings in Appalachian State.

I was reading some chatter on espn.com in regards to this game, and one person went as far as to say Duke would go 9-3 this season. Apparently David Cutcliffe posts on that site. But you can not overlook this game. This very well may be an upset, but either way, expect this game to be very close.

Team most likely to pull off a major upset: Virginia vs. USC, Aug. 30. Again, I’m not saying this will happen, and you can call me crazy and want to commit me, but I think USC is vastly overrated. They only return four starters on offense from what was a decent offense, and their starting quarterback was not very good last year when he did play. And I’m a little higher on UVa. than most people. I really like UVa.’s running game this year, and I think their offense will be just fine. If the Cavs can generate anything resembling a pass rush, they will be just fine. If there is one strength to the Cavs defense, it is the linebackers, and if they are able to play in coverage more, then they will be difficult to pass on, but if the linebackers have to spend more time rushing the quarterback, then teams will be able to throw all day.

Team most likely to be upset by a non-BCS school: Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina, Aug. 30. Last year’s meeting was a very tough one, with the Hokies winning, 17-7. It turns out ECU was every bit as good as we saw, as they went 8-5 and won a bowl game for Conference USA. But with most of Va. Tech’s starters gone, and ECU returning 16 starters, including nine from a very stingy defense, they will be primed and ready for round two. This game will be played on a neutral site, in Charlotte, NC.

Team most likely to take a step forward: North Carolina. In what is regarded as a weak Coastal Division, it is basically a three-team race for the division title, between the two Virginia schools and the Heels. A five-win season may have been a bit of a disappointment, but coach Butch Davis has stocked the cupboards full of highly touted recruits. Nearly everyone returns on offense from last season’s squad, and as long as TJ Yates learns to throw to players with the same colored jerseys as him, then this team will definitely be in the hunt to go to the ACC title game.

Team most likely to take a step backward: Virginia Tech. I’ve made it known that I’m not that high on the Hokies this season, although by their terms, a down season is eight or nine wins, which is in the ballpark of what I have them finishing this season. I’m always hesitant to be high on teams that don’t return a lot on a particular side of the ball, especially on defense. The Hokies only return five starters on defense from a defense ranked fifth nationally. I don’t expect this defense to be top five again, but they will still be pretty good. Offensively, the two quarterback system should work, but with nothing coming back from the skill positions, it will be interesting to see how much cohesion there will be amongst the offense.

For anyone who really cares they can hear my opinion of Billy Packer getting the heave-ho by CBS on the podcast.

I did stumble upon this fine little piece of work courtesy of the News & Observer found on YouTube and couldn’t contain my “evil smirk” after watching it.

Hope you’ll find it just as amusing.

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David Glenn of the ACC Area Sports Journal joins the guys to discuss football and the changes to his magazine. As for football, Glenn is on the Clemson bandwagon, but he’s stepping lightly, while the magazine will be featuring a few new contributors, including Jay Bilas and John Feinstein.

Also,

– Billy Packer is finished with broadcasting;

– Patrick begs for free stuff from the listeners;

– Has ACC expansion been a success in the first five years?;

– Did Patrick gush too much over David Glenn?

– We still want listeners to sign up and beat the bloggers, so if you think you can pick football games better than guys from Eagle in Atlanta, the Good Ol’ Blog, the Old Gold and Blog, D.C. Sports Bog and more, e-mail us at patrick@accnation.com or accnation@gmail.com.

We’ll have more on this on the podcast tonight, but the Miami Herald is reporting (hat tip to ACC Now) that Billy Packer, the longtime analyst for CBS’s coverage of the Final Four, will be replaced by Clark Kellogg, who has been part of the studio team for college basketball coverage at CBS.

There have been rumors since this spring that Packer would get the boot at CBS, but some reports I saw thought former Duke star Jay Bilas would get the nod to replace him and work the games with Jim Nantz. I would have rather seen Bilas get the job, but Kellogg isn’t a bad choice.

I assume Packer will continue working ACC games for Raycom, although I guess it’s possible Packer just decides to retire from broadcasting - UPDATE: This post on ACC Now indicates Packer will retire from broadcasting and won’t be doing ACC games this coming season.

Read more at Awful Announcing.

Column by Will Ojanen
will@accnation.com

With a little under two months to kick off, and the arrival of the dog days of summer (yes, we have summer here in Minnesota, despite the rumors), now is a good time to start thinking ahead to football season. This week, I’ll take a look at the coaches, and where I think they stand in my eyes.

Coach with the most to prove: Tommy Bowden, Clemson. This one was a little tough. You can make a case for a few coaches here (Randy Shannon, Butch Davis, and Bobby Bowden come to mind, among others), but Bowden’s team has already been ranked in the top 10 by a lot of sites that claim to know something about football. And we know how Clemson always has a letdown at some point during the season, and they have to avoid that for the sake of the fans, and Tommy Bowden’s health.

It seems like the hot seat is always on simmer with Clemson fans, and if there is a bad loss or two, fans will be heading to Death Valley with pitchforks and torches in hand. This is probably one of the best teams Clemson has had in the last 20 years, and anything short of an Orange Bowl appearance will be considered a down year.

Coach with the least to prove: Jim Grobe, Wake Forest. He’s done a lot to improve Wake Forest. Once considered fodder by others, playing Wake is almost considered a guaranteed loss nowadays. Grobe signed a 10-year contract back in 2007, and it would seem that his feet will be firmly implanted on the soil in Winston-Salem, considering his winning percentage is the highest since D.C. Walker coached the team back in the 1940s.

He has a team that once again is capable of winning the ACC this year. Grobe will rely on a strong running game and a strong defense, led by Alphonso Smith, who might be one of the most electrifying players in the conference, to win games, and he certainly has both. As long as Riley Skinner manages the game, and Sam Swank continues to be one of the best kickers in the country, this team will be in good shape. It will certainly help that the Deacs will have some key games at home this season, especially the Oct. 9 game against Clemson that may decide the ACC Atlantic Division.

Coach with the hottest seat: Bobby Bowden, Florida State. There aren’t a lot of coaches that fit the bill in my opinion, and it’s quite possible the elder Bowden has passed his prime in terms of coaching, and if his team doesn’t live up to normal Florida State standards, this year could be the swan song for Bobby. This isn’t the same coach that coached teams from 1987 to 2000 without having more than two losses, or a total of 19 losses in that span.

Since then, Bowden’s teams have lost 32 games. That’s almost 40 percent of his total losses at Florida State. But this season is going to be a tough one. He will be without up to 12 players for the first three games, including a pivotal game against Wake Forest in Tallahassee in late September. Keep in mind that Bowden will turn 79 in November, and he can’t coach forever. It might behoove him to go out sooner rather than later. Also look for the hot seat to get a little uncomfortable for Ralph Friedgen at Maryland. He’s a dark horse candidate for this as well.

Coach with the coldest seat: David Cutcliffe, Duke. It’s not just because he’s the new sheriff in town, but there’s no pressure on him to succeed right now. The only pressure he’ll have in his first year is finding a legitimate toilet at the stadium. Cutcliffe has had a knack for developing quarterbacks, and he has who I think might be the most underrated quarterback in Thaddeus Lewis, and a go-to receiver in Eron Riley, who averaged over 20 yards per reception.

Two wins for Duke will probably be a successful season for Duke, and I think they can get to that win total, and possibly exceed it. USA Today went out on a limb and predicted four wins for Duke this season, but I don’t know if they will get that far. I can certainly see three wins for Duke, but four might be pushing it. If the defense shows any signs of improvement from last season, this team will win a few games this season.

Most underrated coach: Tom O’Brien, North Carolina State. The guy won on a consistent level at Boston College, but O’Brien couldn’t get BC over the hump, and after leaving there to go to Raleigh, he took a team that wasn’t supposed to be very good and won five games with it, which doesn’t sound like much, but I thought they were going to barely be above Duke levels last season.

Year number two brings more promise for the Wolfpack faithful, and despite some difficult games against South Carolina and South Florida early on, this team will be in contention for a bowl, and if they can win at least half of their road games (two out of four isn’t too much to ask), they can get to six or seven wins and that bowl barrier with a team that probably would win four games under a lot of coaches.

Don’t be afraid to tell me what you think of your team. I’ll be throwing out some thoughts on teams and individual players in the coming weeks as we prepare for another football season, so tell me what you like and don’t like about your team. I know I look like a cross between Ethan Hawke and a serial killer, but I don’t bite. I promise. Either post a comment or e-mail me your thoughts.

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Mike Stevens of WDBJ TV 7 in Roanoke, Va., joins the guys to talk about Virginia Tech football as well as his last few days as sports director at the television station before he leaves for greener pastures. Mike also has a great story about Paula Deen and her undergarments.

Also this week:

– Patrick and Q go over their picks for the male and female athletes of the year in the ACC;

– N.C. State’s Farnold Degand and UNC’s Bobby Frasor are ready to return to action;

– Patrick cleans out the basement;

– Should college sporting venues sell alcoholic beverages?;

– The guys lay out the podcast schedule for the next few weeks as ACC Nation gets ready for football;

And more.

Column by Patrick Hite
patrick@accnation.com

We profiled the males in the running for ACC athlete of the year yesterday and asked for your input. Now it’s time for the females.

I briefly considered Amanda McDowell and Rachel Dawson, but in the end I don’t think I can go against Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher. She finished the year with a 0.63 ERA and 669 strikeouts, both tops in the nation.

She also went 38-10 this year. Nothing against the rest of the Hokies, but without Tincher, Virginia Tech wouldn’t have been in the NCAA Tournament, much less the Women’s College World Series. She was the single most dominant player on a team sport this season, men’s or women’s, and for that reason alone she gets my vote.

What do you think?

The nominees:

KASEY HILL, Boston College, senior, track and field

Placed seventh in the heptathlon with a new personal best and Boston College record of 5,666 points; earned her second All-America nomination with her NCAA performance; qualified for the Olympic Trials in and is ranked 13th nationally in the heptathlon; in the ACC Tournament, Hill won the heptathlon with 5,521 points, which was her second ACC individual championship.

ANI MIJACIKA, Clemson, sophomore, tennis

Earned All-America honors in singles and doubles; helped lead Clemson to the 2008 ACC Championship; was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for tennis; named to the 2008 All-ACC team; rose to the No. 1 singles ranking in the Feb. 20 poll, the first Clemson tennis player, man or woman, to earn the top ranking …spent every poll of the spring season in the top five.

AMANDA BLUMENHURST, Duke, junior, golf

2007-08 Golfweek and PING National Player of the Year; won the Golfstat Cup and the Dinah Shore Trophy; tied her own school record with a 71.00 stroke average; ACC Player of the Year; finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index for a third straight year.

MAMI YAMAGUCHI, Florida State, junior, soccer

Recipient of the 2007 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, presented to the top female player in NCAA Division I soccer; guided the Seminoles to their third straight College Cup appearance; led the country in points (66), while finishing second in both goals (24) and assists (18).

AMANDA MCDOWELL, Georgia Tech, sophomore, tennis

2008 NCAA Singles Champion; 2008 ITA National Player of the Year; All-ACC selection; led the Yellow Jackets to their second straight ITA National Team Indoor Title; set a new school record with 45 singles wins in 2008.

CRYSTAL LANGHORNE, Maryland, senior, basketball

Associated Press and USBWA All-American for the third-straight year, and WBCA All-American for the second-straight year; ACC Player of the Year; Maryland’s leading scorer (17.1 ppg) and rebounder (9.4 rpg), leading the Terps to a 33-4 record and a second NCAA Elite Eight appearance in three years.

KHADIJA TALLEY, Miami, senior, track and field

Named the NCAA Southeast Region Field Performer of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association; qualified for the NCAA National Championships in both the discus and the shot put; finished second at the NCAA East Regionals in the shot put with a career-best mark of 17.02 (55-10.25).

RACHEL DAWSON, North Carolina, senior, field hockey

2007 National Player of the Year and recipient of the Honda Award as the nation’s top field hockey player; first-team All-America; helped lead UNC to a 24-0 season and NCAA and ACC titles, voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year; while being recognized as the top player on the nation’s best defense, also led the country’s top offense in goals.

KHADIJAH WHITTINGTON, NC State, senior, basketball

Averaged a team-best 16.8 points per game and led the conference with 11.7 rebounds per contest; named first-team All-ACC and to the All-ACC Defensive Team; helped lead the Wolfpack to a 21-13 record.; she played in 129 games, never missing a contest in her four years.

BECKY SAUERBRUNN, Virginia, senior, soccer

2007 NSCAA First Team All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year; anchored a defense that led the nation with a 0.40 goals against average and posted a school-record 15 shutouts; helped lead Virginia to a 13-4-6 record and the NCAA Round of 16.

ANGELA TINCHER, Virginia Tech, senior, softball

USA Softball National Player of the Year; Honda Award National Softball Player of the Year; helped lead her team to its first-ever NCAA Women’s College World Series; led the nation in ERA and strikeouts; went 38-10 with a 0.63 ERA; helped lead the Hokies to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title and was named MVP of the tournament.

MICHELLE LOYD, Wake Forest, senior, track and tield

Loyd was Wake Forest’s only representative at the 2008 NCAA Track and Field championships after qualifying with a school record 58.06 performance at the Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla.; 2008 Outdoor All-Region selection; placed first among female collegiate competitors in the 400m hurdles at the Penn Relays with a 58.95 finish.