sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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ACC News
Ranking the ACC Rosters for 2015 (athlonsports.com; Gall)
Rankings made based on recruiting ratings. Syracuse finished 12th
Recruiting rankings matter.
They are not a guarantee of future success but they are the foundation every national championship has been built upon. It takes great coaching, development and luck to win a title, but having better players is the only way to start.
In fact, the data backing up the value of recruiting rankings is impenetrable. For example, look at last year’s rosters. According to the rankings, three of the four best rosters in America belonged to Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State.
These rankings do not take into account attrition but that should be a constant for all teams and conferences equally. So strictly based on recruiting evaluations from 247Sports, here is how the rosters in the ACC rank.
Ranking College Football's Rosters in 2015:
...
2015 ACC Oscars (espn.com; Shanker)
Congratulations to “Birdman” and all of the winners from Sunday night’s Oscars, and thank you for the intriguing undercard leading up to this afternoon. That is when we release the highly anticipated ACC Oscars, which pays homage to the greatest films and on-field thespians from the 2014 football season.
So as not to overlap with the end-of-the-season ACC awards, these ACC Oscars categories are, for the most part, based on single-game performances. So, while Pittsburgh’s James Connerplayed the lead role in the league from August to November, it doesn’t guarantee he will go home with any hardware Monday.
Without further ado, let’s open the envelopes.
Actor: Florida State QB Jameis Winstonvs. Georgia Tech
Coming off one of his worst performances of his career, there was talk of whether Winston would be able to lift the Seminoles past 10-2 Georgia Tech in the ACC title game and into the inaugural College Football Playoff. The week prior, Winston tossed four interceptions against Florida and had an 87.92 rating. He had arguably his best game of the season against the Yellow Jackets, though, in a bounce-back performance. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns in a two-point win. Every toss was on target, and the Seminoles had the right momentum heading into the playoff.
Supporting actor: Louisville safety Gerod Holliman vs. Boston College
Holliman wasn’t a nationally known name among college football fans, which puts him in the supporting actor category. As far as defensive backs, however, Holliman did not play second fiddle to anyone in the ACC. He showed why against the Eagles. He picked off Tyler Murphy on the first play of the game, and he hauled in two more errant Murphy throws in the fourth quarter as the Eagles tried a comeback.
Director: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables vs. Oklahoma
If there were still any doubters about the Clemson defense before the bowl game, Venables converted them against Oklahoma. The Tigers’ defense was pitching a shutout until late in the fourth quarter, and the unit kept Oklahoma to just 275 yards of total offense in a 40-6 blowout. That performance sparked the Tigers to the No. 1 total defense unit in 2014, and it really was not all that close.
...
ACC Morning Links (espns.com; Shanker)
Over the last five NFL drafts, the ACC has the second-most picks (169), second only to the SEC. Based on the showings of several players from the ACC at the NFL combine over the weekend, the conference has a chance at a half-dozen first-round picks in 2015, if not more.
Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was the most anticipated combine participant from the ACC since, well, last year. The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner opened his news conference with reporters admitting he made mistakes at FSU, but he reportedly impressed several teams during his interviews -- with both his answers to questions about his past and his football intellect in whiteboard sessions. It's hardly a surprise Winston excelled, as he has lost a public speaking engagement about as often as he lost games.
Winston was spectacular as a passer
and left no doubt his skill set translates well to the NFL.
While Winston stole the headlines, there were several other former ACC stars who improved their draft stocks as well. Former Clemson defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley was the big winner Sunday, putting together one of the best performances for a linebacker. There has been talk that Beasley is a fringe NFL defensive end and fringe NFL linebacker. Beasley added weight and measured at 246 pounds, but he did it while keeping his athleticism and speed. He ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and benched 225 pounds 35 times, which were tops among both defensive linemen and linebackers. According to Clemson's athletic department, no linebacker has done that since NFL.com began listing combine results in 2006.
Former Virginia defensive end Eli Harold, like Beasley, is looked at as a hybrid, too. He posted a 4.60 in the 40-yard dash. Mario Edwards Jr., formerly of Florida State, showed he could also play two positions: defensive end and defensive tackle.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound DeVante Parker, formerly of Louisville, made a case to be the top receiver taken with a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash.
Once again, Apr. 30 could be a solid showing for the ACC.
...
LSU HC Les Miles
Biggest Out of Conference Games for the ACC in 2015 (acc.sportswar.com; Quintero)
10. LSU @ Syracuse (September 26th)
On paper this contest doesn’t look like much, but it could be a stepping stone for head coach Scott Shafer and the Orange. Shafer has compiled a 10-15 record in his two seasons at Syracuse, and needs to begin building something sooner than later after finishing 3-9 a season ago. The Orange will play Rhode Island, Wake Forest and Central Michigan before hosing the Tigers, and could potentially enter the game with a win total that matches their 2014 total. They may not be able to pull the upset against LSU, but a solid effort against a traditional SEC power could go a long way to getting the Orange back on the road to respectability.
9. Virginia @ UCLA (September 5th)
For the second consecutive season Virginia will kick off their season against UCLA. Last year the Cavaliers surprised some by hanging in the game against the Bruins, before finally falling 28-20. Many thought the close contest was due to a subpar effort from UCLA, who went on to finish 10-3, and not a strong showing from the Cavaliers, who stumbled to a 5-7 mark. Regardless of the reason, Virginia put a scare into the Bruins thanks to a solid defensive effort, and will look to take the next step this season as the game shifts to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
8. Boise State @ Virginia (September 25th)
20 days after facing UCLA the Cavaliers will host Boise State for a Friday night tilt at Scott Stadium. The Broncos finished 12-2 in 2014 under first year coach Bryan Harsin, and knocked off Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, making this the biggest game on Virginia’s slate in 2015. The game also has an interesting subplot for a Boise State side which seems to always be chasing respectability in a college football world dominated by national powers.
The ACC reportedly decided recently to consider the BYU Cougars a non-conference Power 5 school — not Boise State, despite the Broncos stellar run of nearly a decade (and a MNC in 1984). The ACC must have at least one Power 5 opponent a year, and Boise State already has match ups scheduled against Virginia and Florida State, making the decision curious to say the least. This will also give the Broncos plenty to play for when they travel to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers.
...
Ranking the ACC Rosters for 2015 (athlonsports.com; Gall)
Rankings made based on recruiting ratings. Syracuse finished 12th
Recruiting rankings matter.
They are not a guarantee of future success but they are the foundation every national championship has been built upon. It takes great coaching, development and luck to win a title, but having better players is the only way to start.
In fact, the data backing up the value of recruiting rankings is impenetrable. For example, look at last year’s rosters. According to the rankings, three of the four best rosters in America belonged to Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State.
These rankings do not take into account attrition but that should be a constant for all teams and conferences equally. So strictly based on recruiting evaluations from 247Sports, here is how the rosters in the ACC rank.
Ranking College Football's Rosters in 2015:
...
2015 ACC Oscars (espn.com; Shanker)
Congratulations to “Birdman” and all of the winners from Sunday night’s Oscars, and thank you for the intriguing undercard leading up to this afternoon. That is when we release the highly anticipated ACC Oscars, which pays homage to the greatest films and on-field thespians from the 2014 football season.
So as not to overlap with the end-of-the-season ACC awards, these ACC Oscars categories are, for the most part, based on single-game performances. So, while Pittsburgh’s James Connerplayed the lead role in the league from August to November, it doesn’t guarantee he will go home with any hardware Monday.
Without further ado, let’s open the envelopes.
Actor: Florida State QB Jameis Winstonvs. Georgia Tech
Coming off one of his worst performances of his career, there was talk of whether Winston would be able to lift the Seminoles past 10-2 Georgia Tech in the ACC title game and into the inaugural College Football Playoff. The week prior, Winston tossed four interceptions against Florida and had an 87.92 rating. He had arguably his best game of the season against the Yellow Jackets, though, in a bounce-back performance. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns in a two-point win. Every toss was on target, and the Seminoles had the right momentum heading into the playoff.
Supporting actor: Louisville safety Gerod Holliman vs. Boston College
Holliman wasn’t a nationally known name among college football fans, which puts him in the supporting actor category. As far as defensive backs, however, Holliman did not play second fiddle to anyone in the ACC. He showed why against the Eagles. He picked off Tyler Murphy on the first play of the game, and he hauled in two more errant Murphy throws in the fourth quarter as the Eagles tried a comeback.
Director: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables vs. Oklahoma
If there were still any doubters about the Clemson defense before the bowl game, Venables converted them against Oklahoma. The Tigers’ defense was pitching a shutout until late in the fourth quarter, and the unit kept Oklahoma to just 275 yards of total offense in a 40-6 blowout. That performance sparked the Tigers to the No. 1 total defense unit in 2014, and it really was not all that close.
...
ACC Morning Links (espns.com; Shanker)
Over the last five NFL drafts, the ACC has the second-most picks (169), second only to the SEC. Based on the showings of several players from the ACC at the NFL combine over the weekend, the conference has a chance at a half-dozen first-round picks in 2015, if not more.
Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was the most anticipated combine participant from the ACC since, well, last year. The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner opened his news conference with reporters admitting he made mistakes at FSU, but he reportedly impressed several teams during his interviews -- with both his answers to questions about his past and his football intellect in whiteboard sessions. It's hardly a surprise Winston excelled, as he has lost a public speaking engagement about as often as he lost games.
Winston was spectacular as a passer
While Winston stole the headlines, there were several other former ACC stars who improved their draft stocks as well. Former Clemson defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley was the big winner Sunday, putting together one of the best performances for a linebacker. There has been talk that Beasley is a fringe NFL defensive end and fringe NFL linebacker. Beasley added weight and measured at 246 pounds, but he did it while keeping his athleticism and speed. He ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and benched 225 pounds 35 times, which were tops among both defensive linemen and linebackers. According to Clemson's athletic department, no linebacker has done that since NFL.com began listing combine results in 2006.
Former Virginia defensive end Eli Harold, like Beasley, is looked at as a hybrid, too. He posted a 4.60 in the 40-yard dash. Mario Edwards Jr., formerly of Florida State, showed he could also play two positions: defensive end and defensive tackle.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound DeVante Parker, formerly of Louisville, made a case to be the top receiver taken with a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash.
Once again, Apr. 30 could be a solid showing for the ACC.
...
LSU HC Les Miles
Biggest Out of Conference Games for the ACC in 2015 (acc.sportswar.com; Quintero)
10. LSU @ Syracuse (September 26th)
On paper this contest doesn’t look like much, but it could be a stepping stone for head coach Scott Shafer and the Orange. Shafer has compiled a 10-15 record in his two seasons at Syracuse, and needs to begin building something sooner than later after finishing 3-9 a season ago. The Orange will play Rhode Island, Wake Forest and Central Michigan before hosing the Tigers, and could potentially enter the game with a win total that matches their 2014 total. They may not be able to pull the upset against LSU, but a solid effort against a traditional SEC power could go a long way to getting the Orange back on the road to respectability.
9. Virginia @ UCLA (September 5th)
For the second consecutive season Virginia will kick off their season against UCLA. Last year the Cavaliers surprised some by hanging in the game against the Bruins, before finally falling 28-20. Many thought the close contest was due to a subpar effort from UCLA, who went on to finish 10-3, and not a strong showing from the Cavaliers, who stumbled to a 5-7 mark. Regardless of the reason, Virginia put a scare into the Bruins thanks to a solid defensive effort, and will look to take the next step this season as the game shifts to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
8. Boise State @ Virginia (September 25th)
20 days after facing UCLA the Cavaliers will host Boise State for a Friday night tilt at Scott Stadium. The Broncos finished 12-2 in 2014 under first year coach Bryan Harsin, and knocked off Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, making this the biggest game on Virginia’s slate in 2015. The game also has an interesting subplot for a Boise State side which seems to always be chasing respectability in a college football world dominated by national powers.
The ACC reportedly decided recently to consider the BYU Cougars a non-conference Power 5 school — not Boise State, despite the Broncos stellar run of nearly a decade (and a MNC in 1984). The ACC must have at least one Power 5 opponent a year, and Boise State already has match ups scheduled against Virginia and Florida State, making the decision curious to say the least. This will also give the Broncos plenty to play for when they travel to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers.
...
