Week 1 Game Thread
If you want to talk about this week’s games… here is the place to be. Let us know your comments and questions regarding this week’s slate of games. See here for that slate. Good luck to all ACC teams…
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Week 1 ACC Preview
The first week of the football season is here. Check out our latest standings, and remember to get your first week’s entry in for our fantasy football contest. It is free… with prizes. Here are this week’s games:
Thursday, August 28, 2014:
Wake Forest @ Louisiana-Monroe, 7pm. Wake Forest opens their season at Louisiana-Monroe. That makes it tougher, but Wake Forest needs to win this game if it wants to get to bowl eligibility.
Friday, August 29, 2014:
Villanova @ Syracuse, 7pm. The Orange have gone to two straight bowl games. To get to a third, they need to win the winnable games. And no game is MORE winnable than a game against FCS-foe and basketball rival, Villanova.
Saturday, August 30, 2014:
Delaware @ Pittsburgh, Noon. Some are picking Pitt to win the Coastal, others are not nearly as confident. When is the last time you thought Pitt over-achieved???
#7 UCLA @ Virginia, Noon. This is likely a make-or-break year for Mike London. An opener hosting UCLA is time-zone friendly, but not talent friendly. But you never know.
Wofford @ Georgia Tech, 12:30 pm. Some think that there is a hot seat in Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets need to take care of Wofford handily and get off to a good start.
Georgia Southern @ North Carolina State, 12:30 pm. North Carolina State does not challenge itself OOC, but it does not have a ton of talent either. A win over Georgia Southern is key for bowl eligibility.
Boston College @ UMass, 3:00 pm. Like Wake Forest, Boston College opens on the road against a foe that rarely hosts major programs. If BC is to make another bowl this year, they need to beat their in-state opponent in Game 1.
William & Mary @ Virginia Tech, 3:30 pm. With the Braxton Miller injury, the Hokies might be looking ahead to Ohio State with a bit more eagerness. But they cannot look past Bill and Mary. Remember James Madison?
Rice @ #17 Notre Dame, 3:30 pm. The Fighting Irish have had off-field distractions of late, but they do get their QB back. Rice and Notre Dame match-up a lot better academically than they do on the gridiron.
#16 Clemson @ #12 Georgia, 5:30 pm. Clemson, like Florida State, does not shy away from playing the big boys out-of-conference. It works when you win, it can be a setback with a loss. The Tigers are an unknown this year. We will know a lot more Saturday evening.
Elon @ Duke, 6:00 pm. Duke has high expectations after last year’s double-digit wins, but they did not plan for this success and are not tested much OOC. Elon should be dispatched easily.
Liberty @ #23 North Carolina, 6:00 pm. While Duke had the big year last year, most figure UNC to be primed for a breakout under Larry Fedora. Makes you wonder… why did both schools schedule their games for the same, exact time?
#1 Florida State @ Oklahoma State (Dallas, technically), 8:00 pm. If Clemson-Georgia is not the biggest game of the weekend for the ACC, then FSU-OSU is. The Seminoles are defending their championship by taking on a solid Oklahoma State team in Texas–an away game masquerading as a neutral game. How can you not be looking forward to this one???
Monday, September 1, 2014:
Miami @ Louisville, 8:00 pm. The only ACC conference game on the slate is a good one–the Schnellenberger Bowl. Indeed, the Coach is in the Mount Rushmore for both schools (Louisville, Miami). Meanwhile, both of these schools could easily be top 4 schools in the ACC, along with Clemson and Florida State. One will start the season 0-1.
Pre-Season Confidential Poll: August 27, 2014
Kickoff is about 24 hours away. If you have not done so, get your fantasy football entries in for Week 1. We have a prize running for Weeks 1 through 4 that is in addition to the season-long prize. Returning to the poll… the elders here at the Confidential rank the ACC as follows:
- Florida State (50 points, 5 first place votes). The Seminoles are the team to beat in the ACC and nationwide. A tougher schedule makes a repeat quite a daunting task though.
- Clemson (44 points). The Tigers get Georgia in Week 1 and South Carolina to close the season. NC State… aren’t you embarrassed about your OOC schedule? Duke too!
- Miami (33 points). Some say Golden is on the hot seat. That is absurd. But Miami is long overdue for a great season.
- Louisville (31 points). The Parker injury dropped the Cardinals one point, but that is all.
- North Carolina (28 points). North Carolina is everyone’s sleeper in the Coastal. Maybe, by definition, they are no longer a sleeper?
- Duke (25 points). Cupcake city for Duke again this year on the gridiron. Where is Dick Vitale to point that out. Oh, probably watching Notre Dame football.
- Notre Dame (24 points). Speaking of the Fighting Irish, they are a tough team to figure out. The suspensions may be an issue also.
- Virginia Tech (19 points). Virginia Tech is the last school to be on all of the Confidential ballots. Virginia Tech can’t look ahead to a Braxton Miller-less Ohio State. All FCS teams are capable of pulling the upset.
- Syracuse (9 points). Anything can happen for the Orange this year. 4 wins to 9 wins…. is any of it a surprise.
- Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh (5 points). These Coastal teams are hard to separate. As they all are.
Others: Boston College (2 points). Wake Forest, Virginia, and North Carolina State did not receive any votes.
What do YOU think? What is your top 10?
Updated Prize: Week 1 of ACC Fantasy Football Contest
UPDATE: Most points week 1 through 4 = a $25.00 PayPal Gift! Get Your Week 1 Entry in ASAP!
It is the first week of the Confidential’s ACC Fantasy Football Contest. If you missed the lengthier rules, check it out here.
Otherwise, it is simple… pick six and try to win the week. Pick six? Yes, pick one QB, one RB, one WR, one more RB/WR/TE, one SCHOOL defense, and one coach. All must be from one of the 15 ACC Schools.
That’s it.
Enter your entry below.
Fine… One More Contest For ACC Fans & Others
The Confidential is pleased to be offering two different fantasy football options for fans of ACC schools… the survivor pool and the individual player game. Hopefully, all ACC fans choose to take part in these contests. But what about non-ACC fans? And college football in general. Well, fine… one more contest from the Confidential. This one is Pick the Playoffs! All you need to do to enter is comment on THIS page with your selections.
Louisville Football 2014- Answering the Questons
Cardinals fans are ready for ACC football. Its a new era for Louisville as 2014 ushers in a season like no other. The Cards welcome in a new conference, a new coaching staff and a new quarterback. Add all of this together and who knows what’s in store for this football team this season. I will break down their roster and schedule and hopefully come up with some answers.
The ACC Laff-a-Lympics
A favorite Saturday morning show growing up (before College football, natch) was Hannah-Barbera’s “Laff-a-Lympics” which featured a cadre of popular HB characters competing as teams in zany sporting competitions, races, and scavenger hunts.
The Confidential started to wonder…if the ACC were in the “Laff-a-lympics”, which characters would best represent the schools?
Here are just some of the matches that we could come up with: Read more…
Wolfpack Football 2014 – Better Days
Well it’s almost time, so your Uncle Mikey is going to share with you his thoughts on the NC State Wolfpack’s chances for 2014.
First a look back. Last year was not bad. It was horrible, devastating, a catastrophe, a waste, a pile of steaming filth of unknown substances. 3-9, including zero conference wins. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory vs UNC. Loathsome quarterback play, little or no defense, and a bunch of players trying desperately to adapt to a new coach’s system with no success.
So, not much to look forward to, right?
Wrong!!! Click through and I’ll tell you why there are plenty of reasons for optimism in the upcoming season! Read more…
Predicting the Orange
The football season will kick-off one week from today for the Syracuse Orange. And that means that for beat writers and bloggers around the country, it’s PREDICTION TIME! While there is reason for optimism in Syracuse (perhaps too much optimism among Syracuse fans/bloggers), the Confidential already analyzed Syracuse’s schedule, pointing out the likely wins, likely losses, and toss-ups and generally determined that this is a very unpredictable season. Syracuse’s floor is about 5 wins, while the ceiling is likely around 8 wins.
Here is what we know: Read more…
Remember: ACC Fantasy Football Contest 2014!
ACC Football Fans… here is our chance to show we have as much passion as those in the B1G and SEC. The Confidential is announcing a friendly (i.e. no prize) contest in a fantasy football style format. FANT-ACC Football! If you think you know ACC football, here is your chance to prove it.
All you really need to do is pick six ACC players each week. That’s it. What QB, RB, WR, Flex, Defense, and Coach do you think will have the best week? Write in a comment and we will do the rest.
But if you like rules, here they are:
Rule #1: Each week, we will post the week’s entry page.
Rule #2: Anyone desiring to enter that week must submit ONE (and only one) comment in that post announcing the following:
- One Quarterback from “an ACC school” (i.e. the 14 ACC schools, plus Notre Dame)
- One Running Back from an ACC school
- One Wide Receiver from an ACC school
- One more Running Back, Wide Receiver, or Tight End from an ACC school
- One defense for an ACC school.
- One coach for an ACC school
Example of a great entry: Jameis Winston (QB) FSU; Duke Williams (RB) Miami; Jamison Crowder (WR) Duke; Ryan Switzer (WR), UNC; Clemson Defense; and Coach Scott Shafer. Note the use of first names, positions, and schools. There are obviously more than one Williams in the ACC. Also, see Rule #6 regarding diversity in selecting your team.
Rule #3: The scoring is as follows for QBs, RBs, WR’s, and TE’s:
- 1 point for every 20 yards passing
- 1 point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving.
- 5 points for a touchdown of any variety (i.e. includes special teams)
- 2 points for participating in a 2-point conversion… i.e. passing, rushing, or receiving for one.
- For a QB only… 5 bonus points for winning a game in which he attempted at least 90% of the teams passes. Yes, if your QB only completes 88% of his teams passes because a backup comes in for the second half of a game against an terrible foe, no points are awarded. We are rewarding he defeating of a meritorious foe, not a cupcake.
Rule #4: The scoring is as follows for a Defense:
- Scoring formula = (30 MINUS the number of points the defense allows in regulation). Example, if your team allows 21 points, the defense gets 9 points. If your team allows 52 points, the defense gets -22 points. If the score is 30-30 in regulation, but 52-50 in overtime, the defense gets 0 points.
- 5 bonus points for winning the game, 2 bonus points for losing in overtime.
- 1 points for a recovered fumble, interception, or sack.
- -4 points for allowing 500 yards of offense, 400 yards of passing, and/or 300 yards of rushing.
Rule #5: The scoring is as follows for a Coach:
- 6 points for winning a game against an FBS opponent
- 3 points for winning a game against an FCS opponent.
- -6 points for losing a game against an FCS opponent.
- Bonus points for defeating a ranked team: 20 points for top 5, 15 points for #6-#15, 10 points for #16-#25. The poll will be the AP Poll until the College Football Playoff Standings is released, currently expected to be October 28, 2014. Example: If your coach defeats the #9 ranked team, he will get 15 bonus points; if he defeats a 16th ranked team, he will get 10 points).
Rule #6: Bonus points: If your entry uses players/coaches from six different ACC schools, you will receive 5 bonus points that week.
Rule #7: The entrant with the highest number of points will “WIN” the week. The winner will be congratulated in a post.
Rule #8: This is a contest for FUN. However, it is that much more FUN to be a winner and prove that you have superior college football knowledge. So we hope that everyone enjoys the friendly competition.
Rule #9: The contest will end with the conclusion of the regular season (i.e. there will be no entries the week of the ACC Championship Game). The Confidential will name an Overall Winner(s), if any, at the end of the contest in a congratulatory post. If no entrant records at least two WINS, then there will be no Overall Winner and the congratulatory post will be merely to recognize all of the participants that received one WIN. There may be multiple Overall Winners.
Rule #10: The source of the statistics will be the ESPN boxscore, as of the date that it is reviewed by the Confidential for tabulation. Once the Confidential reviews the ESPN boxscore, the scoring is final–even if ESPN is inaccurate or there is a change to the boxscore.
SO… let us repeat… are you willing to prove each week that you know ACC Football? Let us know if you plan to submit entries this year.
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