Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Friday, May 17, 2013

ACC’s John Swofford to ‘Protect’ Teams From FSU’s Title-Game Financial Woes (Orlando Sentinel)

ACC commissioner John Swofford wants Florida State to be the last school in his conference to struggle with finances coming out of the ACC’s football championship game. As part of a nearly 30-minute conversation with reporters Thursday morning at the conclusion of the ACC spring meetings, Swofford said he wanted to “protect” his member schools from experiencing the types of financial loses that FSU saw in December…

ACC Wraps Meetings With Eye on Future (ESPN’s ACC Blog)

The ACC spring meetings wrapped up quietly Thursday morning and with little fanfare. Commissioner John Swofford sure was happy about that. With little in the way of announcements or realignment drama, Swofford was able to look forward to the opportunities that await his league, now that the grant of rights has been signed and the full future 15-member contingent was in place here…

Florida State Coach: No Limits on Two-Sport Star (USA Today)

What Jameis Winston did this spring at Florida State was one thing. While competing for the starting quarterback position during spring football, Winston also played in a part-time capacity for the Seminoles’ eighth-ranked baseball team. FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher described it as, “testing the waters”…

The Countdown: 45 Days Until the ACC (Cardiac Hill)

SEC owns the ACC, recently and historically: Every year since 1958, the trio of Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson have battled against their SEC in-state rivals (Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, respectively). And it has been a mixed bag of results. While Clemson has for the most part owned South Carolina (65-41-4), these past four seasons notwithstanding, FSU (21-34-2) and GT (39-63-5) have not had such success…

5 Greatest Moments in Louisville Cardinal Football History (Athlon Sports)

5. Beating Memphis State (1990): In front of the largest crowd in Cardinal Stadium history, Louisville holds on to defeat Memphis State, 19-17, when sophomore free safety Ray Buchanan blocks a field goal with 1:31 remaining. The Cards had held a 19-7 lead but gave it up and then needed Buchanan’s heroics to overcome a Browning Nagle interception in the game’s waning moments…

2013: The Year of the Linebacker at Georgia Tech (From the Rumble Seat)

Going into last season, we knew that the secondary would be the major strength of Tech’s defense, and possibly the whole team. Having only lost one key member (Rod Sweeting) and returning the other 3 of their 4 starters (Thomas, Young, Johnson), it would follow that they’d be the best again this year, right? Wrong. Going into this fall, there’s a new sheriff in town for our defense — the linebackers…

Clifton Richardson to Leave Virginia Football Program (Washington Post)

One of the deepest positions on Virginia’s football roster suffered some attrition Thursday. Coach Mike London announced junior running back Clifton Richardson has been granted a release from his scholarship and will leave the program. Richardson had an injury-plagued sophomore campaign in 2012 but was in the mix for playing time in the backfield next season along with classmates Kevin Parks and Khalek Shepherd…

Today’s Featured Music Clip:

Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Expanded ACC Tackles Scheduling Issues (Tallahassee Democrat)

With the additions of Pittsburgh and Syracuse this year, Louisville in 2014 and Notre Dame in all sports besides football, the topic of scheduling is a little trickier than usual at the ACC’s annual spring meetings.In football, of course, those issues are compounded by the fact that every conference is trying to position itself best for the looming four-team college playoff…

How Commissioner John Swofford Brought Stability to the ACC (SI.com)

The man who started and finished the most chaotic reorganization in the history of major college sports lounged for just a moment in a squishy chair on Tuesday. But for his sport coat, John Swofford looked every bit like most of the vacationers who frequent this secluded beachside resort. Even though he’s working this week, he wore the ruddy-cheeked smile of a man who left his cares at home…

On-Field Results Don’t Come Close to Matching Potential for ACC (CBSSports.com)

he argument can be made: The ACC has never been healthier. Don’t snicker, smile or dismiss. The ACC’s power brokers certainly aren’t at the conference’s spring meetings. “[The ACC's] success going to be realized in the coming years,” Miami AD Blake James said. Not exactly propaganda, as Bob Stoops would put it, but there is a quiet confidence here that football will get better…

Notre Dame and AD Jack Swarbrick a Factor in Optimism at ACC Meetings (Orlando Sentinel)

The buzz is back at the ACC spring meetings. All indications are after a tumultuous stretch, all is well with the ACC. A recently agreed upon conference grant of rights media deal helps explain the laughter and apparent euphoria that has filled the Ritz-Carlton’s halls since ACC leaders gathered Monday morning. So has the presence of one particular school, it seems…

ACC Coaches Want Vote in College Football Playoff (AL.com)

ACC coaches – who are in Amelia Island, Fla., for the conference’s spring meetings - are for the coaches’ poll being part of process used by the selection committee to determine the four teams in the College Football Playoff. Duke coach David Cutcliffe told ESPN.com on Wednesday the group is also in favor of every coach having a vote and to make those votes public…

Florida State & Georgia May Face Off in 2016 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game (FBSchedules.com)

The Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Bulldogs could face off in the 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, according to a report by The Orlando Sentinel. FSU athletics director Randy Spetman first revealed that he was talking with Georgia about a future football match-up at FSU’s Spring game in April…

Big Ten’s Delany on Realignment: “Schools on the Perimeter Haven’t Held Together” (Mr. SEC)

With the Big Ten holding meetings in Chicago this week, microphones and cameras have been thrust into the face of commissioner Jim Delany.  Matt Hayes of The Sporting News relates Delany’s reaction to the question of why it’s been important for the Big Ten to add schools located in contiguous states: “You look at those on the outside (of conferences), and things don’t always hold together. Schools on the perimeter haven’t held together…

Today’s Featured Music Clip:

Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Different Vibe at This Year’s ACC Meetings (ESPN’s ACC Blog)

A year ago today, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was asked exactly zero questions about his football team when facing the media contingent at ACC media days. All anybody cared about was whether the Seminoles were joining the Big 12. His athletic director, Randy Spetman, did not even stop to talk with reporters, walking — nay, sprinting — to the tune of a no comment…

ACC Bowl Lineup: Russell Athletic Bowl Favorite to Land ACC #2 (BC Interruption)

According to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, the Russell Athletic Bowl is now the leading candidate to get the ACC’s second team in the new bowl lineup beginning in 2014. With the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl set to join the new College Football Playoff semifinal rotation, the ACC will lose its slot in that game beginning in 2014…

ACC Network: Sooner Rather Than Later (Cardiac Hill)

The ACC meetings are underway and commissioner John Swofford has had his hands full over the year. But according to him at the meetings, he’s going to be pretty busy trying to set up an ACC Network. And judging my his comments, that time seems like it will be sooner rather than later: “We don’t want to let any grass grow, and I don’t think ESPN does either”…

UVa, Virginia Tech Attempt to Balance Competitive, Business Concerns in Football Scheduling (Daily Press)

Bold non-conference schedules will serve Virginia Tech, Virginia and the ACC well as college football drives toward the playoff era. The challenge is in balancing that ambition with business and competitive concerns. Strength-of-schedule has long been a key component for the NCAA basketball tournament selection committee…

Boston Tragedy Hits Close to Home for Boston College’s Steve Addazio (Orlando Sentinel)

It’s one of the reasons he chose to leave Temple and take over the head coaching job at Boston College this off-season. It’s also why the events of April 15^th touched him so deeply. It was on that day – Patriots’ Day – in Boston that two suspects allegedly set off two pressure cooker bombs that killed three people and injured more than 250 people during the Boston Marathon…

Should Kentucky Keep Louisville? (ESPN’s SEC Blog)

The slow days of spring and summer that precede the college football season can bring some interesting topics to bat around in your brain. Well, that very thing happened this week when John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader brought up the notion of potentially ending the Kentucky-Louisville football series. He dove into the subject because of a tweet from J. Rowland stating that he didn’t believe Kentucky had anything to gain…

Pitt Coach Chryst Holds Players to High Standards On, Off Field (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

When Pitt players are arrested, break team rules or get frustrated enough to leave school, coach Paul Chryst’s emotions boil over into anger, disappointment and confusion. Some of those feelings are directed at the student-athletes. Some of it he fires back upon himself and his coaching staff. Chryst took a break from the ACC spring meetings Tuesday to answer questions about some recent indiscretions by his players…

Today’s Featured Music Clip:

Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Quest for Best: Tajh Boyd’s in Range for Multiple ACC Records (Orange and White)

It’s easy to get lost in the numbers Tajh Boyd is putting up, going into a season where he’s sure to a Heisman candidate. The Hampton, Va. native has led the ACC in total offense back-to-back seasons, compiling 8,456 yards in two seasons as a starter – 1,836 more than the next conference QB in that span (Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas). Going into 2013, Boyd is the fourth among the active FBS career leaders in total offense (8,818)…

Happy Birthday #goacc (SB Nation)

My how the time flies. It seems like only yesterday #goacc was just a crazy mistake of a fever dream manifested through life changes and stress. I thought it would go away in an instant, just run its course and disappear like most things I do. But it is a year old, and I couldn’t be prouder. It isn’t really because of me, and that’s the best part…

How Many Games Will Florida State Win in 2013? (Athlon Sports)

Despite a revamped coaching staff and a handful of new starters, hopes are high in Tallahassee for the Seminoles to win 10 games in 2013. New quarterback Jameis Winston turned in a terrific performance this spring and appears to be headed for a breakout year in his first season as a starter. In addition to Winston, Florida State’s offense returns a solid one-two punch at running back with James Wilder Jr. and Devonta Freeman…

Hard Ball: Jimbo Fisher Can’t Let Matthew Thomas Walk Without Consequence (Sporting News)

There’s no winner in this thing, and that’s the only certainty. It’s a textbook, step-by-step, point-by-point painful and shameful explanation of the ills of college football recruiting: Mother wants son to go to a specific school. Son wants to play for a different school, but doesn’t want to disappoint and sides with his mother’s choice. Months later, son wants out of his letter of intent to sign with the school he wanted to play for all along…

NC State’s Watson Has a Heart to Help Others (ESPN’s ACC Blog)

Asa Watson says he has always had the heart to help people. In quite a twist, it was his bad heart that got him started on one of his first mission trips at NC State. It was 2011, the year Watson had his first heart surgery to correct a rapid heartbeat. Coaches told him he would have to redshirt. Watson decided he wanted to do something big…

Video: Maryland WR Stefon Diggs Stars in 5-Hour Energy Spoof (CBSSports.com)

Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs is a versatile player. As a freshman in 2012, Diggs averaged 15.7 yards per touch as he recorded 848 receiving yards, 114 rushing yards and 934 yards returning kicks and punts for the Terrapins. But did you know how productive the star wide receiver can be in ONE HOUR?…

Louisville Reportedly in the Mix for Two Quarterbacks (Card Chronicle)

Though we’d all love for him to stick around for one (or 25) more year(s), the biggest question surrounding Louisville football after this season is more than likely going to be which quarterback is going to replace Teddy Bridgewater and lead the Cardinals into the first year of the ACC era…

Today’s Featured Music Clip: