Tag Archives: Kentucky

2012 ACC Football Season Recap: Florida State Seminoles

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If 2012 Proved Anything, It's That Florida State is Officially "Back" As an Elite Football Program

If 2012 Proved Anything, It’s That Florida State is Officially “Back” As an Elite Football Program

Team: Florida State Seminoles

W-L: 12-2 (7-1)

Postseason: 31-10 Discover Orange Bowl win over Northern Illinois

Top Offensive Performer: EJ Manuel, QB

Top Defensive Performer: Bjoern Werner, DE

Florida State had a checklist prior to this season. The ‘Noles were determined to win 10 games (check, and then some), the ACC Championship Game (check) and the Orange Bowl (check). So why do most accounts of this season seem to view it as a bit of a failure? It might just be a product of Jimbo Fisher succeeding in bringing FSU back to prominence.

Expectations were high for Florida State’s defense, but it was the offense that really needed to deliver if the Seminoles hoped to climb all the way back to the top. With some help of a manageable schedule (just one opponent ended the year ranked), they’d do just that, to the tune of 39.3 points per game (10th in the FBS). FSU outscored their opponents by an average of over 24 points per game, and managed to rank top-40 in both passing and rushing yards per game. For stretches during the season, it seemed as if the offense — led by senior passer EJ Manuel — was absolutely unstoppable, scoring more than 40 points seven different times. In prior years, what alluded. Manuel was consistency, but that was not the case in 2012. His completions, accuracy, yards, touchdowns and passer rating all went up in comparison to last year, as he showed a newfound poise and leadership whether in the pocket or on the run. Despite his own proficiency running the football (he amassed 310 yards and four scores this year), he was still largely helped by efficient play from his running backs. The Seminoles’ 40 rushing touchdowns ranked ninth in the country, made even more impressive by the distribution of the seven scorers, respectively. Devonta Freeman, James Wilder and Lonnie Pryor each scored eight or more times,  while Manuel, leading rusher Chris Thompson and Debrale Smiley each had between three and five. The constant change kept defenses off-balance and provided Manuel with the balanced attack he needed to run this group at optimum efficiency.

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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 Recruiting Class of 2013 Update (July 11)

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Clemson Commit Robert Nkemdiche is One of Many Big Gets for the ACC’s Class of 2013

We’ll be taking a look at recruiting in more detail throughout the 2012 season and into the offseason, but given all the recent fuss over recent Clemson commit Robert Nkemdiche, this figured to be as good a time as any to start the discussion on the class of 2013.

Included below are the Rivals.com rankings for all 14 ACC schools. The number to the left is each program’s national rank. Obviously, these figures can and will change over time, since these commitments are still tentative. Additional thoughts are also below.

ACC Football 2013 Recruiting Rankings (July 11)

11. Florida State (17 commits; 3.41 average)

19. Virginia (15 commits; 3.14 average)

21. Clemson (12 commits; 3.27 average)

27. Maryland (15 commits; 2.86 average)

28. Virginia Tech (12 commits; 3.17 average)

34. North Carolina (11 commits; 3.33 average)

36. Georgia Tech (10 commits; 3.10 average)

43. NC State (16 commits; 2.91 average)

46. Miami (FL) (8 commits; 3.50 average)

51. Pittsburgh (13 commits; 2.78 average)

53. Wake Forest (11 commits; 2.60 average)

56. Duke (12 commits; 2.56 average)

57. Boston College (11 commits; 2.88 average)

65. Syracuse (8 commits; 2.83 average) Continue reading →

Phil Steele’s 2012 ACC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings

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Miami Has One of the ACC’s Strongest Schedules in 2012, Which Includes a Matchup with Notre Dame in Chicago

As part of his annual college football preview, Phil Steele‘s put together an overall ranking of every FBS team’s strength of schedule this year. Since we’re doing a little preview of our own over here for the 2012 ACC football season, it only seemed right that we took a look at the overall rankings for all 14 conference schools. First, your top 10:

1. Notre Dame

2. Mississippi

3. Iowa State

4. Michigan

5. Florida

6. Washington

7. Baylor

8. Texas A&M

9. Miami (FL)

10. Kentucky

So for every team that ends up on this list due to being mediocre team in a great conference (Ole Miss, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Kentucky), there’s an equal amount that simply scheduled tougher, namely independent Notre Dame. It’s something to keep in mind as conference realignment talk continues to swirl, too. If they’re invited to the playoff party (they will be), it’s a tough sell to give up four games against top-15 opponents, and all 12 matchups on national television, too. Also in favor of the Irish remaining independent: just one ACC team in the top 10 (and one Miami’s opponents is Notre Dame). Continue reading →

ACC Expansion Thoughts: Kentucky Wildcats

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Would the Kentucky Wildcats Ever Be Tempted to Leave the SEC for the ACC?

Let’s pretend for a minute that college football doesn’t completely drive the train when it comes to college athletics revenues. Maybe we pretend too, that a league founded on college basketball (like the Big East once was) could still exist in today’s landscape.

What if the ACC added the University of Kentucky?

And is it really that far-fetched a possibility, even in our reality rooted in gridiron dollars? I’m not one to suggest the ACC abandon football at all. I think the league has a strong tradition, but one that happens to be based on the relative strengths of just a few choice programs, rather than the collective sum of a prestigious collection of teams. But let’s also be fair — no team outside of maybe Florida State is going to be given enough media credit to play for a title right now. So, given that, and the fact that the league’s most valuable property year-over-year is basketball, why not make another move to strengthen that brand?

Why not add Kentucky?

The ACC made it clear when they added Syracuse and Pittsburgh that they wanted to emphasize basketball, while keeping the football league as a top-heavy entity with a ton of solid teams in the middle. They’ve already got three of the most successful basketball teams in NCAA history: SU, North Carolina and Duke. Imagine if they convinced the Wildcats to come on board, giving them a power top-four contingent of schools that could smother what any other league had to offer. With the rabid fan bases of those institutions, plus the rest of Tobacco Road, Maryland and Pittsburgh, you’re already looking at an extremely valuable property that far surpasses anything the Big East had ever dreamed of when they first assembled a Northeast-based collective of “power schools” over three decades ago. Continue reading →

Conference Realignment: What If the SEC Split Up?

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What if the SEC Decided to Split Into Two Separate Conferences?

Two posts today got me thinking about some hypothetical future — but not implausible — conference realignment scenarios. The first, an overly nostalgic and naive piece from ESPN, explains that the ACC (of all places) holds the keys to realigning things just so Kansas and Missouri can be together. Sure, I suppose. But that sort of pipe dream requires a lot of moving parts. Further, if we’re just being honest here, since when has KU-MU been the glue that kept the Big 8/Big 12 together on the gridiron? Beyond that magical 2007 Jayhawks season, the two have rarely had any bearing on the conference’s ultimate champion and the rivalry could simply continue as a non-league affair.

The second piece is where this hypothetical scenario stems from, however. SBNation’s Jason Kirk sarcastically floats the following quote:

“If part of the SEC secedes from the SEC, would that be the most SEC thing to ever happen?”

Of course he’s not being serious, but he’s also right. If any league were to pull something like this (besides the Big East basketball schools, of course), it would be the SEC and all of its valuable pride it seems to throw in our faces on a regular basis. No disrespect to the best football conference in America (no argument from me on that point), but extended periods of good feelings usually bring about mistakes, unrest and the eventual formation of factions focusing on rather unimportant details (read into that as a political statement all you want). Their arguments over a nine-game slate and protected rivalries are just the sort of foolish thing that starts the ball rolling on dissatisfaction amongst the league’s members. And all it may take is one of its larger players to make a drastic move.

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BBVA Compass Bowl Preview: Pittsburgh vs. SMU

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Pittsburgh and SMU Square Off in the BBVA Compass Bowl

In a battle of two disappointing teams, the Pittsburgh Panthers take on the SMU Mustangs in the BBVA Compass Bowl. As is usually the case with a few of the lower-tier bowls, this one is oddly positioned amidst the BCS games and grabs very little attention in the lead-up to the National Championship Game. Still, the matchup of (soon to be) former and future Big East squads promises to be entertaining as both look to end tumultuous years on a high note.

Bowl Game: BBVA Compass Bowl

Location: Birmingham, Ala.

First Year: 2006 (as PapaJohns.com Bowl)

2012 Participants: Pittsburgh Panthers (6-6) vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs (7-5)

Last Meeting: 1983, a 7-3 Cotton Bowl win by SMU

***

Pittsburgh (previous bowl game: 27-10 win over Kentucky in 2011 BBVA Compass Bowl)

Following the sudden departure of head coach Todd Graham, the Pitt program appears to be in disarray. Failing to live up to the hype of an uptempo, spread offense, the Panthers managed to put up just 25.8 points per game — staying competitive by way of their defense. Though not overly spectacular, Aaron Donald and the front four allowed just 22 points per game, which was enough for their late rally to bowl eligibility. That group will not face the stiffest test in SMU’s offense, but Pitt’s own offense, without the benefit of injured star running back Ray Graham will likely struggle to establish any consistency. The keys to success will likely be the defense forcing turnovers, and the play of quarterback Tino Sunseri. When Sunseri played well down the stretch, the team’s results were directly related. Otherwise, fans can reference their three losses over their final six games.

SMU (previous bowl game: 16-14 loss to Army in 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl)

Amid the excitement of heading to a BCS league, and beating rival TCU, SMU stuttered down the stretch to a 7-5 finish, and third place in Conference USA‘s West division. Opening up with five wins in their first six games, the Mustangs were reminding fans of the Pony Express Southwest Conference days by racking up points and actually playing some great defense. Once the wheels came off though, they fell back down to earth rather hard. The passing game, while ranked 23rd in the FBS, is prone to turnovers behind quarterback J.J. McDermott. Their defense was also unspectacular, with teams scoring around 30 points per game over the final six. Their strength, as it ends up, was the rushing game — at least until stellar starter Zach Line was forced to hang’em up this year due to injury. Without that element of the offense, they stand little chance.

Verdict

Neither defense is anything to truly write home about, and both offenses have left much to be desired in the second half of their respective seasons. While Sunseri has never been overly impressive for Pitt, he has done what McDermott’s failed to over at SMU — put his team in a position to win late in the season. In spite of the Mustangs being the ones playing with a familiar face on the sidelines (June Jones), Pitt will ride its front four and the motivation to prove to Todd Graham wrong to a close, but still meaningful victory. Prediction: Pitt 23, SMU 21