Tag Archives: Jimbo Fisher

Final 2012 ACC Football Power Rankings

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Clemson's Big Upset Over LSU Was One of Several Wins to Help the ACC Save Face This Postseason

Clemson’s Big Upset Over LSU Was One of Several Wins to Help the ACC Save Face This Postseason

Well that was a pleasant surprise now, wasn’t it? After getting knocked around on and off the field all season, the ACC found itself when it counted — the postseason — and (including Pitt & SU) managed a 5-3 slate, it’s first winning bowl record since 2005. If you want to include Louisville (and I sure do, given their big Sugar Bowl win), that brings the league to 6-3, with wins over the SEC (LSU & Florida), Big 12 (West Virginia) and Pac-12 (pre-season no. 1 USC). But sure, keep laughing at this league. They proved themselves and more during this year’s bowl season, and hopefully it’s a building block for even more excellent football.

1. Florida State Seminoles (12-2) (7-1) (LW: 1): Knock FSU for their schedule, their two losses (why are we criticizing a 12-win team again?) or their lack of a chance at a national title this season. But at the end of the day, they’re exactly where they were slated to be. The ‘Noles will be back in that conversation again this decade. It just takes some time, and this — winning both the ACC and the Orange Bowl — was the first step. Jimbo Fisher’s team will need to get past several big losses going forward, most notably Bjoern Werner and EJ Manuel, but the foundation’s there for a bright future.

2. Clemson Tigers (11-2) (7-1) (LW: 2): Despite not making it to a BCS bowl game, I’d say the Tigers’ consolation prize was still well-worth the trouble, no? On a national stage, Clemson beat mighty SEC’s LSU Tigers, and in the process, ended up being part of the most-watched non-BCS college football game in ESPN’s history. Most stunning in Clemson’s 25-24 victory, however, was the oft-maligned defense. Down 11 points heading into the fourth, the Bayou Bengals could’ve just run the clock out throughout the final stanza. Instead, it was Clemson that stayed strong, shutting out LSU and setting up a defining win for the Dabo Swinney era.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) (5-3) (LW: 4): It’s tough to look at UNC’s 2012 season without imagining what could’ve been for a squad that seemed to finally turn the corner here in Larry Fedora’s first year. Knocking on the door of a division title for quite some time, the Heels finally put it all together, only to be ineligible for the postseason. So while it’s a disappointment for North Carolina fans to watch an eight-win season get laid to waste, it’s also built this program some street cred. Despite Giovani Bernard‘s departure to the NFL Draft, QB Bryn Renner will stick around for his senior year, meaning this team returns plenty of firepower; most of which this season only served as a preview for.

4. Syracuse Orange (8-5) (LW: 5): As if it was meant to be, Syracuse closed out their time in the Big East — the conference they built — by putting together its most impressive season in a decade. Up against one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules, and a top-heavy league to boot, the Orange still managed to win six of their final seven games. The exclamation point, however (on top of a split conference title), was their resounding victory over rival West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl. As someone who braved the cold to watch in-person, it was amazing to see this squad’s transformation from the season’s opening-week struggles to the machine-like execution against the Mountaineers.

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ACC Championship Game Preview & Prediction: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech

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EJ Manuel and Florida State Are Looking For Their First ACC Title Since 2005

The final ACC contest of the season pits Atlantic Division champion Florida State (10-2) (7-1) against Coastal Division champ Georgia Tech (6-6) (5-3). While FSU has sat atop the conference standings virtually all season, it’s been a long road back from the bottom for the Yellow Jackets, who arrive in Charlotte due to Miami and North Carolina‘s respective postseason ineligibility. These two teams have not faced each other since 2009, a 49-44 barnburner won by Tech. But trust that there’s no love lost here, and both are anxious to earn a trip to the Orange Bowl.

Offense

Florida State possesses more offensive weapons than any ACC team not named Clemson, and yet, their production has been sporadic all season. Yes, they put up 41.3 points per game, but keep in mind that number’s padded by two games against FCS opponents, too. Quarterback EJ Manuel also may have fallen off from his Heisman form earlier in the season, however, when he’s given the reigns to really run this offense (not always the case), he usually impresses. In a season full of positive growth and noted accuracy, last week’s four-turnover debacle must be quickly pushed out of his mind if FSU hopes to leave this game as ACC champs. The best way to beat Georgia Tech is putting them behind early, and with Manuel’s arm, the ‘Noles are more than capable of doing so.

On the Tech side, it’s all about involving the passing game. The biggest criticism with Paul Johnson’s offense has been predictability. Every defense knows they’re going to run the triple-option, so the game-plan hones in on it, and dismisses the pass. Neither Tevin Washington or Vad Lee have the best arms, either, which means they’ll have to pick their spots and throw when the defense gets too comfortable defending the run. As I’ve maintained before, efficiency when throwing the ball — even if it’s just 10-12 times per game — is what makes the triple-option most effective. The Wreck’s struggled with that concept all year, unfortunately, which doesn’t bode well for them here. Advantage: Florida State

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ACC Football Goat of the Week, Week 13: EJ Manuel, Florida State

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After Accounting for Four Turnovers Against Rival Florida, EJ Manuel is the ACC’s Goat of the Week for Week 13

No one enjoys piling on when things go wrong. But nonetheless, we’ve got to call out the ACC players who were counter-productive in helping their teams grab a victory this weekend. On the bright side for them, they can always get off this list next week. And for their sake, let’s hope they do.

ACC Goat of the Week, Week 13: EJ Manuel, QB/Florida State

All of the praise about his improved accuracy and decision-making this season? Apparently gone for EJ Manuel after his disastrous performance against Florida this past weekend. Called on as the Noles’ senior leader in their biggest game of the season to-date, Manuel literally dropped the ball, accounting for four turnovers on the day in a disappointing loss. Worst of all, the team’s “hero” had no choice but to own up to his faults immediately following the game, taking all the blame for a disastrous showing. At times, Jimbo Fisher’s been the target of scorn for his play-calling (you can certainly direct some criticism here as well), but it really was Manuel that should take the brunt of it here. When one of the worst games of your career (54.5-percent passing, 182 yards, one score, four turnovers) also happens to be one of your last, it’s just hard to avoid.

Honorable Mention:

Chase Rettig, QB/Boston College (16/45 passing, 123 yards, 3 INT)

Duke Blue Devils defense (allowed 52 points, 646 yards of offense)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defense (allowed 42 points, 379 yards of offense in just 20 minutes of possession)

Michael Rocco, QB/Virginia (14/29 passing, 177 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT — game-deciding pick with 3:21 remaining)

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ACC Football 2012 Week 11 Lessons: Florida State Very Lucky, Yet Still in Control

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Florida State Was All Smiles Last Week, But the ‘Noles Weren’t Too Far Away From a Loss Either

Each Monday morning, we compile our top five takeaways from the weekend’s action. Here’s what we got out of Week 11 of ACC football action:

1. Florida State still in the Atlantic driver’s seat… barely: While we’re happy to commend the Seminoles for pulling out their last-minute victory over Virginia Tech last Thursday, we must look at the other side of the coin, too. Despite their talent on both sides of the ball, FSU could’ve very well lost their second game to a double-digit underdog this year. And much of it is due to Jimbo Fisher’s overly-conservative play-calling, along with some luck that could have easily gone the other way. The late safety could’ve instead been a touchdown for Tech. EJ Manuel‘s late strike to Rashad Greene — had the Hokies taken proper pursuit angles, maybe they never see the end zone. Or Logan Thomas‘s deep ball to Demitri Knowles on the final drive may have been part of a game-winning drive, instead of an INT. So, yes, Florida State won. But they have work to do.

2. Does anyone want to win the Coastal division?: After this past weekend’s action, it sure doesn’t look like it. Virginia Tech just couldn’t seem to hang on against FSU on Thursday. Miami took its commanding lead and squandered it in a 41-40 upset to Virginia. And North Carolina — while ineligible to play for the league championship this season — gave up its shot at possessing the division’s best record by losing a barnburner to Georgia Tech, a team suddenly very much alive in the race again. No one in the division will have a record better than 8-4, and the champion very well may finish 7-5. Ugh.

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ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Nine

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Florida State Defeats Miami, Referee Issues and Remains Atop the Power Rankings

Yet another crazy weekend of ACC football, and we still find ourselves no closer to figuring out who’ll be playing in Charlotte for the league championship. The one thing we may be getting a handle on, though? Who is NOT playing in that game. And if eventually that list allows us to fill out the who IS list, then so be it (pray this isn’t what actually happens). Jimbo Fisher’s team deserves to be on top of these rankings, but I’m scared he’d have me suspended if that weren’t the case…

1. Florida State Seminoles (7-1) (4-1) (LW: 1): Never a good thing to hear your best running back is out for the season (again). But when you’re Florida State, you’ve got two more great options ready to go. Referees aside, the ‘Noles looked sloppy for a good portion of their Saturday night matchup with Miami — something that should concern them since the ‘Canes have no defense to speak of. It’s fine if EJ Manuel‘s taking more risks, but he must also keep the rest of the offense focused. Those fumbles were unforgivable, and could cause some real damage against a better team.

2. Clemson Tigers (6-1) (3-1) (LW: 2): The story of the game somehow ended up being the Tigers’ defense, which forced four turnovers and scored a touchdown of its own against Virginia Tech. So was this the turning point Brent Venables seemed to promise when he took over as defensive coordinator? Perhaps, though let’s give it a few more games. The Hokies’ offense has been putrid all season, and Clemson’s had their number these past two seasons. Still, it’s something they can potentially build off of.

3. NC State Wolfpack (5-2) (2-1) (LW: 4): State got very lucky at the end of this weekend’s game, due to a missed field goal — so don’t mistake their one-spot promotion as a ringing endorsement. But nonetheless, this is a Woflpack team that seems to know how to get the job done in crunch time. After their respective rocky starts, both Mike Glennon and David Amerson may have finally turned things around. The biggest issue now is how they’ll get by over the course of the season if they can’t run the ball.

4. Duke Blue Devils (6-2) (3-1) (LW: 7): Make no mistake about it, this Duke team is a legitimate threat to win the down-and-out Coastal division after their big comeback the other night. While there are certainly some kinks still to work out, this is a group that came into its own on that final 87-yard touchdown drive, and now look prepared for anything. That theory will be put to the test immediately against FSU this coming weekend. All eyes will be on Sean Renfree and how he reacts to the constant pressure the ‘Noles bring on D.

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ACC Football Player of the Week, Week 7: EJ Manuel, Florida State

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Florida State QB EJ Manuel is the ACC Player of the Week for Week 7

Each week, we’ll be identifying the best ACC player from that weekend’s games. As always, it’s a completely arbitrary award with no specific criteria beyond the vague concept of “excellence.” No, we don’t take write-ins.

ACC Player of the Week, Week Seven: EJ Manuel, QB/Florida State

Florida State bounced back nicely on Saturday, thoroughly beating Boston College by a final score of 51-7. Gone was the heavily criticized offensive strategy of just a week ago, and in its place was the high-powered attack that brought the ‘Noles all the way to number-three in the polls. Manuel, obviously the driving force behind that gameplan, was free to let loose in this contest, and the results were as positive as you’d expect. He finished the day 27-of-34 passing (79.4 percent), with 439 yards (a career-high) and four scores. Play-calling was aggressive for the entire game, and Manuel and head coach Jimbo Fisher refused to let up as they continued to pour it on. Hopefully for FSU, this offense — as opposed to the paltry one present for weeks five and six — is the one we see for the rest of the year.

Honorable Mention:

J.C. Coleman, RB/Virginia Tech (183 yards rushing, 2 TD)

Giovani Bernard, RB/North Carolina (203 total yards, 2 TD)

Stefon Diggs, WR/Maryland (239 all-purpose yards, 1 TD)

Darin Drakeford, LB/Maryland (7 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble)

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ACC Football 2012 Midseason Recap: Atlantic Division

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NC State’s Upset of FSU Steals the Headlines, But There’s Plenty More to Talk About From the ACC’s First Half

At the midway point in the 2012 season, little is decided in the ACC. Neither division has a clear frontrunner, no team is assured a trip to the postseason and no team has clinched a bowl spot either. Nonetheless, it’s been an entertaining season within the conference — something we’ll try to highlight here. Along with evaluations for each team, we’ll be providing additional predictions for the second half as well.

Below is the Atlantic division midseason evaluation. Also be sure to check out the Coastal division recap too, which is now live.

Boston College Eagles (1-5) (0-3): Doug Martin’s ability to revive the Boston College offensive attack is all that saves this team from an utter abyss (and even that statement’s pushing it) in Frank Spaziani’s lame-duck final season at the helm. Despite the leaps and bounds by which Chase Rettig has grown, it just doesn’t matter when your defense plays this terribly as a whole. On the bright side, the Eagles hopefully get one more season of Martin coaching Rettig and breakout receiver Alex Amidon under a different head coach in 2013. It would take a miracle for this squad to win six games at this point.

Clemson Tigers (5-1) (2-1): Clemson’s offense has been a sight to behold this season, putting up 41.3 points per game (11th in the country). Unfortunately, the defense has seen little improvement with Brent Venables’ arrival, allowing over 27 points over six games. Thus far, they’ve had little problem just running opponents off the field, but November dates against NC State and South Carolina loom large as potential stumbling blocks to end the year. With a better, fitter Tajh Boyd on the field, there’s hope they’ll avoid the same late stumbles from last season. The emergence of DeAndre Hopkins also helps, as we’re still unsure how Sammy Watkins will finish out the season. Orange Bowl’s the goal, but short of that, another BCS game wouldn’t be out of the question if they win out.

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