The recent attrition suffered by Clemson's defense has caused some folks to back off a little in forecasting the Tigers as the ACC title winner and playoff contender.
But then you look at the other side of the ball and say, oh yeah, there's that No. 4 and all those receiving targets on the outside.
Matt Brown of Sports On Earth has an in-depth ACC preview and concludes that the Tigers are still the team to beat.
19. Deshaun Watson is the biggest difference-maker in the ACC. Clemson has numerous potential problems, and its offseason has been unkind. In the last few months, left tackle Isaiah Battle entered the supplemental draft, defensive tackle D.J. Reader stepped away from the team indefinitely for personal reasons and nickel back Korrin Wiggins tore his ACL. Combine that bad luck with much of the nation's best defensive front leaving, the departure of offensive coordinator Chad Morris and issues along the offensive line, and the red flags are seemingly never-ending. Still, Clemson does have Watson, assuming he stays healthy. Injuries -- including a torn ACL late -- derailed his freshman season, but on the field Watson completed 67.9 percent for 1,455 yards with 14 touchdowns and two picks and ran for 200 yards and five touchdowns. If he stays healthy, he could become the nation's best quarterback. And Clemson still enough talent around him to make a run at the top-10 and a conference title.
20. It's hard to be confident in any championship pick in this conference, but Clemson will win the ACC. If Clemson can stabilize its offensive line, it'll have Watson throwing to Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, Charone Peake, Germone Hopper and Jordan Leggett, which will be one of the nation's best receiving corps. The defense will undoubtedly be much thinner and take a step back, but it is well-coached under Brent Venables and still has building blocks in cornerback Mackensie Alexander, defensive end Shaq Lawson and safety Jayron Kearse. The Tigers' schedule isn't necessarily easy, with road trips to Louisville and South Carolina plus home dates with Florida State, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame, but this team has the most upside in the ACC. The Tigers will surely stumble a couple times along the way, but if Watson stays healthy, this team can really start to click in the second half of the season, which will lead to massive expectations in 2016.
A few Monday links:
-- In the Charlotte Observer, J.P. Giglio says Dalvin Cook's return gives FSU the edge over Clemson for ACC supremacy.
-- Kirk Herbstreit picked Georgia Tech to win the ACC. The AJC examines Herbie's track record.
I searched for previous Herbstreit predictions and found 32 predictions for division winners, conference champions and, last year, College Football Playoff participants. I left out his picks for BCS participants and winners, as they’re a substantially more difficult projection.
Out of 32 picks in the past four seasons, he was right on 13. (Sources: 2014, 2013,2012, 2011)
I’m going to guess that that’s probably not a bad rate among his peers. However, he has cashed in on picking Alabama to win the SEC West, the SEC and to earn a spot in the CFP, which is sort of like betting on a savings account. He is 5-for-7 picking the Tide. So, on non-Alabama picks, Herbstreit is 8-for-25. (Interestingly, Herbstreit picked LSU to win the SEC over Tennessee this season.)
Take the Tech pick for what it’s worth – a nice endorsement, and one that could prove accurate, but not exactly Warren Buffett.
-- Bobby Petrino's brother has another episode of questionable behavior, this one involving apparent shoplifting by his players.
Man, his reputation was so much better when he was merely threatening to physically assault reporters for daring to question his downfield passing game.
According to the report, received through a Daily News public records request, VandalStore Manager Scott McDonald contacted police following the incident, which took place when the bookstore was closed to the public and open only to the football team. McDonald told police “he noticed several clothes hangers empty” and “watched video of the area of where the hangers were located and saw approximately three males stealing clothing.”
“The video clearly showed some items being stolen and placed primarily in a red backpack, and it appeared as if other items may have been stolen and concealed in one suspect’s pants,” the report said.
According to the report, after police watched the video, two UI football graduate assistants at the store were asked to contact their superiors to determine who would be responsible for identifying the alleged suspects. A short time later two Vandals coaches, offensive coordinator Kris Cinkovich and Bobby Daly, director of football operations, arrived and watched the video. Shortly after, the report said, Petrino arrived and spoke to McDonald in McDonald’s office. Following the conversation, Petrino left the store and an officer entered the office, where McDonald made the officer aware of a pile of clothing he said Petrino had brought back to the store.
According to the report, police asked McDonald who the coaches had identified in the video, but McDonald told the investigators he “didn’t write it down and did not recall.”
The report states McDonald said video would be provided to the MPD the following day, but VandalStore Director John Bales told police on Aug. 17 he was going to keep the video and “the incident was going to be handled internally.”
In an after-practice interview Tuesday, Petrino told the Daily News, “The situation has been handled and they’re being internally disciplined.”
Petrino declined to name the players involved or specify how many players were involved in the alleged theft. He also declined to give detail on the severity of the discipline.
When asked if the football players were given special treatment, Petrino said, “I don’t think there is any special treatment at all.”
He said the incident had been reported to the president.
-- This news from Wofford is a week old, but for those who missed it:
It was the first Wofford football practice in full pads. Terrance Morris didn't even have to be in there.
The starting linebacker had taken his turns last Friday and was watching the backups get their chances against a scout-team offense. Morris jumped in to play tight end, just to give the reserves a tougher look and make them better.
But at the end of a play, Morris never got up. He was yelling in pain and teammates were yelling for help.
"I felt a snap in my knee," Morris said. "Normally when I get hurt, I just try to hop up and walk it off. But I knew I couldn't walk this one off. I thought about all the bad things I've seen other players go through and thought it was probably the one for me. And it was."
Morris, a member of the Southern Conference all-freshman team a year ago, suffered a torn ACL. He is out for the season.
"It makes you sick," Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said. "That's going to happen in this game sometimes. You pray that it doesn't. But sometimes it does."
-- An in-depth look from the Orlando Sentinel at how Jimbo Fisher built a reputation as The Quarterback Whisperer.
Some of the memories former Samford teammates Tommy Rohling and Gerald Neaves have of their 5-foot-8 quarterback sound like tall tales. But that was the impact Fisher — described by Rohling as having a "John Wayne-type of personality" — had on those who saw him play in person.
Their recollections of the diminutive yet dynamic signal caller are still vivid more than 25 years later and are backed up by the various school records Fisher still owns.
"There is no legend of Jimbo Fisher," Rohling said. "That's because I saw it happen."
Fisher spent one semester at Clemson as a shortstop before transferring and beginning his college football career at NAIA Salem College, located just a few minutes away from his hometown of Clarksburg, W. Va.
Fisher set school and conference records for career passing yardage in three years at Salem, absorbing everything he could under head coach Terry Bowden, the son of legendary FSU coach Bobby Bowden. When Terry Bowden drove to games, Fisher rode in the front seat with him. When Bowden got game film from his father, Fisher watched it with him. When Bowden went to the Bowden Academy quarterback and receivers camp, Fisher went too.
"Salem College is a little bitty school in the Appalachians, so we'd get FSU to send us film and video. He couldn't get enough," Bowden said. "He was always looking for something to do, he was always in the office like a gym rat, always watching video and trying to learn something new."
-- And finally, some Monday-morning funk from something called Dam-Funk:
LW
