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Archive for the category “Football”

11 Feb 2013
6 Comments

Jimbo Fisher will win a National Championship at Florida State

Before we discuss Florida State’s recruiting class, I’d like to give you some context:

  • Mark Stoops, Defensive Coordinator, left to be Head Coach at Kentucky.
  • DJ Eliot, Defensive Line Coach, left to be Defensive Coordinator at Kentucky.
  • Eddie Gran, Running Backs Coach, left to be Offensive Coordinator at Cincinatti.
  • Dameyune Craig, Quarterbacks Coach, left to be Offensive Coordinator at Auburn.
  • Greg Hudson, Linebackers Coach, left to be Defensive Coordinator at Purdue.
  • James Coley, Offensive Coordinator, left to be (real) Offensive Coordinator at Miami.

A typical college football coaching staff has approximately 10 coaches.  Head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, and position coaches (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, secondary).  The list above represents the coaches Florida State lost in one off-season; the most recent defection to a rival, two weeks from signing day, hurt the most.  As soon as Jimbo Fisher hires his last assistant, I will follow-up with profiles on each of the new coaches.

But let that last point sink in some—Jimbo didn’t just finalize this class without an assistant coach, but that assistant coach happened to be his best recruiter who recruits the Miami territory.  And as he admitted in his post-signing day press conference, Jimbo found himself doing the grunt work for the home stretch.

After all the dust settled, Florida State signed another top 10 class.  Many insiders are a touch disappointed because it could have been better.  There were a few that got away, like Denver Kirkland (OL) and Stacy Coley (WR).  More reason for concern is the lack of offensive line depth.  Florida State easily expected to sign 5-6 offensive lineman and only came away with 3 true offensive lineman and, potentially, a tight-end turned tackle in a few years time.  The rest of the class, however, is absolutely stacked.

The three best players in this class are on defense: Demarcus Walker (DE), Matthew Thomas (LB), and Jalen Ramsey (CB).  All are blue chips and considered top 5 at their position.  Meanwhile, Florida State’s seemingly singular focus on offense was speed.  And a lot of it.  For the second consecutive year, Florida State may have signed the fastest player in the country (last year it was Marvin Bracy, this year it is Kermit Whitfield).  Bracy and Whitfield have broken all types of track records.  Bracy is most known for his performance in this race.  And for the naysayers, yes, he’s fast in pads, too.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also show you Kermit Whitfield’s speed as well.  Jimbo’s strategy seems simple: a big, punishing, suffocating defense and burning speed on offense.  The SEC is awaiting a challenger to their style of smash mouth football but I think Jimbo is building the blueprint to challenge and break the paradigm.

And it all ties to the types of players Jimbo signs.  Athletes.  Smart kids with character.  Some blue chippers, some with chips on their shoulder.  This class will not go down as heralded as others, but these are handpicked players by Jimbo.  They fit the blueprint to a T.  This class also seems awfully reminiscent of FSU’s class of 2009 and 2010 — classes that are sending 13 players to the NFL combine.  It was this group that finally turned the corner for the program.  And each and every year, Jimbo just keeps adding to that foundation.

Lastly, looking around the rest of the ACC, and I’m sure my colleagues will correct me, it seems the top third of the conference is doing just fine in football performance.  However, the bottom two-thirds of the conference turned in weak performances.  I’m a little concerned by this.  The ACC will get better contracts for having a solid top-to-bottom slate.  The ACC is not capable of offering that right now, but then again, if you take away the SEC’s championship caliber teams, they aren’t all that different from the other conferences.

Posted by Duke in Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , , , ,
08 Feb 2013
10 Comments

Notre Dame Unlikely to Play ACC Hoops in 2013-2014

Not much to comment about here… the reports are that Notre Dame is unlikely to get out of the Big East in time for the 2013-2014 season.  At least part of the issue is what is going on with the so-called “Catholic 7” and their formation of a new league.  Notre Dame certainly does not want to be in a hoops conference with the leftovers from the Big East.  But if the Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, and DePaul group is still around for 2013-2014, the urgency to leave is reduced substantially.

We can expect the anti-ACC (i.e. West Virginia bloggers) to say that this is “proof” that the ACC is about to be raided and/or that Notre Dame is getting cold feet.  If that is true, it will only be dumb luck for those bloggers.  Even a broken clock is right twice a day.  If you throw out rumors every week, you will be bound to get a few right over a long enough period of time.

On another note, Frank the Tank has an interesting update on the Catholic 7 and the Big 10’s possible interest in Johns Hopkins for lacrosse only.  The Confidential continues to ponder whether the ACC should consider Navy for football only.  Another partner for Notre Dame.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment, Football, Lacrosse and tagged , , , ,
07 Feb 2013
7 Comments

Reviewing Signing Day 2013: How Did The ACC Do?

Well, another signing day has come and gone for college football.  Your question, naturally, is how did the ACC do?  Actually, your real question is how YOUR team did.  But you’ll have to settle for this broad analysis for now.

Our friends over at ESPN have taken the time to rank the recruiting classes.  The ACC did quite well.  Future partial member Notre Dame was deemed to have the #4 class.  Florida State cracked the top 10 at #9.  Clemson was not far behind at #13.  We’ll have to see whether the Confidential correspondents agree with that order.  Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami finished from #19 through #21.

So that is 5 of the top 21 teams being current ACC, with Notre Dame being a 6th team.  By comparison, the Big 10 had two teams in the top 21, with Ohio State and Michigan in the top 6.  Nebraska and Penn State at least finished at #24.  The Pac-12 had 3, with UCLA, USC, and Washington all slotting between #12 and #18.  The Big XII had two, with Texas and Oklahoma finishing #15 and #16.  The rest of the top 21 was SEC… meaning 8 of the top 21 teams were SEC.

All 14 SEC teams finished in the top 38, which is simply amazing.  Indeed, where the ACC struggles is with the second tier.  Only Virginia cracked the top 40.  See this:

SEC               10 in top 25                    14 in top 40

ACC               5 in top 25 (+ ND)        6 in top 40 (+ ND)

Pac-12           3 in top 25                      7 in top 25

Big 10            4 in top 25                      6 in top 25 (+ Rutgers)

Big XII          2 in top 25                      5 in top 25

Really, none of this is surprising.  The biggest problem with the ACC is that the lower-echelon teams are not given enough credit–fairly or unfairly.  But the ACC has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of at the top.  It is as strong as anyone–it just needs to win more BCS games and get more titles to prove it.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Opinion, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
06 Feb 2013

Why Debbie Yow was right

I know this is a controversial subject, at least among Wolfpack fans, but I believe that Debbie Yow was right to let Tom O’Brien go. To support my position, let’s take a look at O’Brien’s tenure at State:

2007 – After 3 straight 9-3 seasons and eight straight bowl apperances at Boston College, TOB announces that he will be taking his talents to South Beach…er, NC State.  Most State fans, including yours truly, are pretty ecstatic.  His reason for what most view as a lateral move is the fan support he saw when BC visited Raleigh; State seems to be to him as Notre Dame is to Lou Holtz, a destination rather than a stepping-stone (like the Pack was for the aforementioned Holtz).  But an instant miracle is not in the cards; State finishes 5-7 and does not go bowling.

2008 – Fair enough, Coach needs some time to recruit. The team starts slow but provides a feel-good ending with 4 straight wins including a thrashing of UNC that leaves them bowl-eligible. They lose to Rutgers in the PapaJohns.com bowl, but it’s a start.

2009 – This one qualifies as a lost season.  Only a season-ending win vs the Heels that knocks them out of bowl eligibility gives State fans anything to cheer about.  The low point for Coach had to be the 52-20 drubbing the Pack took at BC.  Let the grumbling begin…

2010 – The high point, the one O’Brien will point to when he tells the story of his time at State.  He calms his critics with an 8-4 mark followed by a rout of West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl, 23-7.  This is the TOBPack we dreamed of.

2011 – State falls back to 7-5.  There is good news, with a last-game rout of Maryland 56-41, a powerful defensive performance vs UNC 13-0, and a thrilling Belk Bowl win against Louisville 31-24.  But after the 2010 season this really felt like somewhat of a step back. And there would be more of the same in…

2012 – Really? 6-6? Had to beat BC in the final game to get to a bowl again?  Then they lost to Vandy, though that one was on Dana Bible as our Yow had already pulled the trigger and frankly, the team looked a bit lost in this one.

Now, does the body of work mandate a firing?  No.  Is Tom O’Brien a bad coach? No.  I wish him all sucess in his new post as Associate Head Coach at Virginia and feel that he will return to the HC ranks at some point if he so desires.

But here’s the point: O’Brien had taken State about as far as he was likely to.  Yes, we went bowling four times in his six seasons, but we were almost always just this side of mediocre.   Sometimes it is just time, and this was one of those cases.

Will Dave Doeren do better? I don’t have a crystal ball, but he did take a team from a non-BCS conference to the Orange Bowl, a place State has yet to go.  Admittedly this is a completely different challenge than facing the likes of Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech on a regular basis, not to mention the newcomers about to change the face of the ACC.  But I look forward to finding out.

As for Yow, I am still pretty psyched about that basketball coach she chose. So let’s give this thing a chance.

Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Football, NC State Correspondent, Opinion and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
05 Feb 2013

The Mysterious Case of Marquise Williams

While the Tar Heels have an important game against Wake Forest tonight, and a few obstacles to get through to come away with a victory (a team-wide flu epidemic and the absence of PJ Hairston), I thought I would do a spotlight on the UNC football team with signing day almost upon us.

On Monday, numerous media outlets reported that UNC back-up quarterback Marquise Williams was not enrolled in Carolina this semester. That led to a flurry of speculation surrounding his future with the Tar Heels. On Tuesday, the school sought to quiet these rumors by stating that Williams is indeed still on the team and is planning to enroll in summer school and play this fall. That still hasn’t been enough to bury the issue.  Many message boards are still convinced that he’s transferring.

So why is Williams not in school this semester? It could be for a number of reasons. He could be having academic difficulties, or might be dealing with an important issue at home. Everyone goes through something from time to time and it’s not fair for fans to jump to conclusions. But it brings up another interesting point. If he IS transferring, what impact will it have on the Tar Heel football program?

Williams came in as one of the top dual-threat quarterback prospects in the Class of 2011. After redshirting his freshman season, he played in nine games this year as Bryn Renner’s backup, running for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 10 of 17 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but with scholarship restrictions depth becomes an issue. Last year, UNC brought in two-star QB Kanler Coker from Georgia and has already seen this year’s Mr. Football from the State of Ohio, Mitch Trubisky (this year’s #7 dual-threat QB), enroll early. So it would seem that UNC has enough strength at the position to withstand the loss of Williams, right?

Wrong. Williams is arguably one of the most talented QBs on the roster and is the second most experienced player at the position. If Renner goes down, that leaves Larry Fedora’s promising second-year offense in the hands of a completely unproven starter. No Tar Heel fan wants to see that because we have high hopes for this season and for the future. Perhaps, Williams has similar hopes for his own future and doesn’t feel that it’s at Carolina. Fair enough. After all, he will be eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft and won’t have any significant snaps under his belt if Renner stays healthy.

But is the number of UNC QBs leaving the program an indicator of the times, or an epidemic? In 2009, part-time UNC starter Cam Sexton transferred to Division II Catawba College for a better chance at the NFL. He posted average numbers and ended up signing with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders. He was released in April of last year. Another backup QB, Braden Hanson, transferred to the University of North Dakota in early 2012 and set the team’s single season passing record with 660 yards in a game against Montana in October. That worked out well for him, but he is not expected to be drafted this April. Even worse for the Tar Heels, two QBs backed out of their commitments to Carolina, Vanderbilt’s Patton Robinette and Notre Dame’s Everett Golson (recognize that name), before even playing  a down.

So no matter what the reason, or even the perceived depth at UNC’s QB position with a solid starter and multiple backups, a loss of Williams would be huge for the Tar Heels and would continue the turmoil that just hasn’t stopped since Marvin Austin tweeted about being in Club LIV. Fortunately for Marvin, he got a Super Bowl ring last year, despite not playing. Michael McAdoo (not James Michael), a member of the Baltimore Raven’s injured reserve squad, continued the tradition this year. Butch Davis must be so proud.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Football, UNC Correspondent and tagged ,
04 Feb 2013
2 Comments

Recruiting rankings matter, but so does depth

National Signing Day is mere days away.  For all intents and purposes, this is college footballs “free agency and draft” all rolled into one.  Your roster is set, the foundation for the next few seasons has been laid.  For an elite program, a few missed recruits can mean the difference between playing for crystal and playing for sugar or oranges… or worse, tires [take your pick of the lot of subpar bowl games].

If you believe what you read on FSU message boards, the sky is falling and football may not be played in September.  That may only be a half-truth; the sky seems to be falling but football will certainly be played at Doak Campbell Stadium come September.

So, why’s the sky falling in Tallahassee?  Florida State is on the verge of a recruiting misstep; one that might cost Jimbo Fisher his job.  According to the major recruiting services, FSU has finished with top 10 classes in the past few cycles.  However, when you look a bit deeper you notice a glaring issue.  Sure, there are five and four star skill players abound, but where are the offensive lineman?  Of the offensive lineman Florida State recruited last year, neither of them are on the team.  Granted, both were junior college transfers, but that means that Jimbo and Co. are playing with fire.  Not having depth at any position can cost you, but not having depth at offensive line can severely limit your potency on offense.  Many Florida State insiders refer to the loss against North Carolina State as an example of this; our NFL-bound right tackle, Menelik Watson, missed that game.  It turned out to be the Seminoles worst offensive performance of the year – the offense looked pedestrian at times and failed to convert on many third and shorts that could have clinched the game for the Seminoles.

Going back several years, recruiting offensive line has been an issue at Florida State.  Frankly, it doesn’t make sense.  Florida State has all of the other pieces on offense: a great offensive mind in Jimbo Fisher and blue chip quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers. A strong offensive line should be part of that equation but it has truly been anything but.  The rumor is that five and four star offensive linemen aren’t terribly receptive to Rick Trickett’s allegedly abusive coaching style.  So, maybe he thrives on “project” type players that are willing to work a little harder and be subjected to his coaching style.  However, it’s not just the quality of recruits, but the quantity.  Remember, Florida State did not retain either of the lineman it recruited last year.  During this year’s cycle, while much is expected to occur between now and Wednesday, Florida State has 2 confirmed offensive line commitments and one tight end that will likely transition to tackle.  What may hurt the most is that a long-time offensive line commitment, Austin Golson, decommitted just barely a week before signing day.

Of course, the irony of the situation is that the first string quarterback is Clint Trickett, the offensive line coach’s son.  Clint is not the most mobile of quarterbacks and is more of a pocket passer.  If his dad, Rick, doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, he may actually wind up costing his son the opportunity to be the quarterback at Florida State.

Florida State is aggressively recruiting two offensive lineman, 4-star Denver Kirkland and 3-star Wilson Bell, and both are very likely to join Florida State on Wednesday.  However, if they don’t, I wouldn’t  be surprised by Florida State’s struggles in the future.  It’s like having a donut (spare tire) on a Ferrari; amazing potential, but perilously limited by a lack of quality and depth on the offensive line.

Posted by Duke in ACC only, Football, FSU Correspondent, Opinion, Recruiting and tagged , , , , ,
01 Feb 2013
15 Comments

A Doomsday Scenario For the ACC–MrSEC Provides One

In the blogosphere, Mr. SEC is not someone to throw stuff at the walls.  And it is not happening here.  But the blog does have an article about how the Big XII and SEC could work together to kill off the ACC as a viable 5th big conference.

Part of the premise is that if the Big XII took Florida State, Louisville, Clemson, and Georgia Tech (along with say Miami and ND as a partial member for football), it could engage the SEC with a scheduling agreement.  That way the Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Georgia schools would continue playing each other, while Missouri-Kansas, Texas-A&M, etc., could be renewed.  The question that begs is who that helps?  The in-state rivalry games are going to happen.  The difference between calling them “out-of-conference” and “out-of-conference, but part of the scheduling agreement” is minimal.  That still only leaves a certain number of games for other opponents.  In the meantime, we’d never get to see Florida-Texas or LSU-Florida State, because Florida-FSU would be playing every year in the “alliance game.”

This is not to say that the Big 10, Big XII, and SEC could not figure out a number of ways to divide up the ACC.  The bottom line is that being Syracuse and Wake Forest right now is not fun.  Not much room for private schools in the top 4 conferences.  So a viable ACC is needed to sit at the adults table.  At least BC and Pitt occasionally show up elsewhere in some doomsday scenarios.

Really, unless the ACC moves to a Grant of Rights, the expansion issue is going to loom.  Otherwise, the Big XII has a relative strength advantage over the ACC.  And that makes the ACC a target.

What is your opinion?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment, Football and tagged , , , , , , ,
31 Jan 2013
8 Comments

Signing Day, One Week Away… Predictions

We’re getting so close to “the big day”. If you’re a true college football fan, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That’s right, the day your team signs its new recruiting class and fills team needs is approaching. Most of these high school signees, recruits, or soon to be local campus celebrities (whatever you want to call them) will represent your school on and off the football field for the next several years, so pay attention. As we head into next Wednesday, February 6th, also known to many as National Signing Day, we’ll peak at an early prediction to see how the current ACC’s top classes should stack up. Loads of blue-chip recruits are making final decisions next Wednesday. Let’s shake the magic eight ball and see what happens…

2013 ACC Recruiting Class Predictions:

1. Clemson (Currently 18 verbals, should make major noise on NSD. 3 of the top 5 recruiting battles left include the Tigers. Still in the running for blue chippers in DT Adams, DE Lawson, OT Crowder, and CB Alexander. Dabo has aces in the hole as usual; I’m calling it a top 10 class when the smoke clears. The Tigers like it near the top, may stay for a while with this class.)

2. Florida State (Currently 18 verbals, with stellar recruits on the line. While the Noles had a few recruits part ways over the last few days, they should easily make up ground with blue chip OLB Thomas, WR Cunningham, and possibly DT Bryant among others. Jimbo will make it happen once again, bank on a top 10 class.)

3. Miami (Currently 13 verbals, also in the running with many studs. While the class is currently small, they pack a nasty punch. Still in it until the end for OLB Thomas, DT Bryant, RB Collins, and WR Coley all from the South FL football hotbed. Despite rough times with the NCAA, they’re making it happen. We’ll call it a U top 20-15 class)

4. North Carolina (Currently 18 verbals, looking to throw more on the pile. While most of their guys are already locked in, the biggest battle will be against Tennessee for WR North. North stays close to home, and UNC lands the big fish. They also have a shot at TE McNeil and ATH Summers to name a few. We’ll see Tarheel blue in the top 25 next Wed.)

5. Virginia Tech (Currently 22 verbals, already almost close to a full signing class before the fax flood gates open up. All of the current commits are 3 and 4 stars. Still heavy favorites for ATH Parker and possibly DE Bellamy. The Hokies will be on the cusp of reeling in a top 25 class).

Best of the rest:

6. Pitt
7. UVA
8. NC State
9. Syracuse
10. GT
11. Wake
12. Maryland
13. BC
14. Duke

If your personal rankings stack up a little different, leave a comment below and tell us why.

Posted by JBCoop in ACC only, Clemson correspondent, Conference News, Football, Opinion, Predictions, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
31 Jan 2013
1 Comment

The Rare Shout-Out to Other Blogs

The Confidential’s two favorite general blogs on the Internet, other than this one, are Frank the Tank and ACC Football Rx.  They should be part of any ACC fan’s regular reading.

ACC Football Rx is ACC-focused, which is great.  With a focus on football and expansion, the primary author, Hokie Mark, does a great job of picking subjects, accumulating data, and being realistic/positive about the ACC.  Really, there are far too many good articles over there to point out just one.  Add it your list.

Frank the Tank is expansion-based and Big 10 centric (to say the least), but there are a fair share of commentators who hold an allegiance outside the Big 10.  And the author is quite-evenhanded in discussing other conferences.  The commentariat is a little less reasoned, but are a great source for expansion ideas.

That blog’s latest entry discusses the Big XII and the ACC, the alliance discussed here last week, and other topics.  As always, the blog is quick to note that the assumption that the ACC in jeopardy is more fantasy than reality right now:

So, that’s where I see the threats of the ACC becoming completely coming apart end up failing.  UNC, in particular, has Texas-esque influence (even if it’s more perceived than real) in the ACC, and the actions of Deloss Dodds and the Longhorns have shown that power and big dog status can be even more important as making the most TV money from a conference.  (Notre Dame feels the same way.)  As a result, the thought that UNC and UVA are going to bolt because they are scared that the ACC will collapse doesn’t hold water with me.  Those 2 schools can keep the ACC together alone and they have enough powerful alums with massive pocketbooks and politicians backing them where getting more TV revenue isn’t going to carry the same weight with them as it did with Maryland.

That’s some good stuff too. And it really underscores why the ACC’s biggest problem is worrying about what the rest of the conference schools might be thinking.

If you care about the ACC, expansion matters.  These two blogs are two more to add to your required reading list.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Opinion and tagged , , , , ,
30 Jan 2013
3 Comments

SU Football starts the transition

There is never a good time for a good college football coach to leave.  Just when Orange fans see the program turning the corner with Doug Marrone, next thing you know he is the HC of the Buffalo Bills.

New Head Coach Scott Shafer has been quite busy building a new staff and trying to keep recruits.  The Orange lost top QB recruit Zach Allen to TCU just two days before he was supposed to enroll at Syracuse.  The Orange also lost a few other players in transition. Long time SU fans remember Ray Rice decommitted when Paul Pasqualoni was let go – think both teams fortunes changed for a decade after that one?  However, the new staff has already attracted a few new recruits with the recently patched together staff including dual threat QB Mitch KImble from Illinois and WR Corey Cooper out of Raleigh, NC.  The latter was being recruited by new OC George McDonald who is being counted on to not just lead the offense but to recruit in ACC territory having been with Miami last season.

As part of the move to the ACC the Orange was hoping to go into some new recruiting territoy and now has someone with ties in the conference’s footprint.  However, Syracuse has to still recruit the 250 mile radius around its campus successfully.  In the 80’s and 90’s they owned the NJ/NYC area – then Greg Schiano and Randy Edsall came along and the Orange have struggled regularly since.  Doug Marrone was just making some inroads into the NYC area and had a few asst. coaches who new the area well, but they went with him to the Bills.  I’m very encouraged with how the new staff has held things together.  The staff isn’t completely filled yet, but as of yet, they don’t have anyone with ties to the metropolitan area and only two verbal commits so far are from NYC and none from NJ.  If the ‘Cuse is going to continue the recent upswing as they enter the ACC, they will have to somehow get back into their base recruiting area.  Otherwise, it could be a rough start in the ACC next year.

Posted by tjcuseacc in ACC only, Football, Syracuse correspondent and tagged , ,

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