FireOurCoach.com
Al Groh has two, at last count. Chuck Amato has one. So does Larry Coker.
What do they have? Fire-the-coach Web sites.
Groh's list includes GrohsGottaGo.net - which I wrote about earlier this week on my AFP Sports blog - and DontFireAlGroh.com, which actually went up on Oct. 23, 2005, almost a year before GrohsGottaGo.net, for those keeping score at home.
The Oct. 23, 2005, date might be significant to Virginia fans - it was the day following the demoralizing 7-5 loss at North Carolina that had come on the heels (pun intended - ha!) of the Cavs' 26-21 win over Florida State a week earlier.
Not to be outdone, the Amato site - FireChuckAmato.com - has been up for going on two years now. According to NetworkSolutions.com, a Charlotte, N.C., resident named Douglas Spicer registered the domain name on Dec. 13, 2004.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Pack finished the 2004 season with a 5-6 record.
Another possible coincidence - on Dec. 13, 2004, star running back T.A. McClendon forfeited his remaining college eligibility to declare for the 2005 NFL draft.
CokerMustGo.com - the site devoted to the demise of the University of Miami coach - has been up since Dec. 31, 2005, according to Network Solutions.
Guess what might have happened a day earlier?
I'm waiting ...
Yep, you got it - the 'Canes were waxed by LSU in the Peach Bowl, 40-3.
Incidentally, I scanned the Web for similar sites devoted to Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, Duke coach Ted Roof and FSU assistant Jeff Bowden - and all I could come up with was an on-line petition to get rid of Bowden.
Which means ... fans, the opportunities are out there
- Chris Graham

ACC Nation weekend picks

John Appicello of WSLS, Roanoke, Va., joins Patrick and Chris on ACC Nation for the weekend picks.

Listen to the show here.

View the standings here.

The picks:

Virginia at Duke:
John - Duke, Chris - Virginia, Patrick - Duke

Maine at Boston College:
John - BC, Chris - BC, Patrick - BC

Liberty at Wake Forest:
John - Wake, Chris - Wake, Patrick - Wake

Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech:
John - VT, Chris - VT, Patrick - GT

Houston at Miami:
John - Houston, Chris - Miami, Patrick - Miami

Louisiana Tech at Clemson:
John - Clemson, Chris - Clemson, Patrick - Clemson

ACC Nation (weekend of Sept. 29)

On ACC Nation this weekend, Patrick and Chris get the scoop on the conference's biggest battle so far this season, Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech. Randy King of the Roanoke Times drops by to talk about the Hokies, while Wes Durham, the play-by-play voice of the Yellow Jackets, breaks down Georgia Tech's chances.
John Appicello, sports director for WSLS in Roanoke, picks the ACC games with the guys.
Plus, on the Sound and the Fury, Patrick and Chris discuss which team is the ACC's worst so far this football season.
That and more on ACC Nation.

Click here to listen.

ACC looking up to the midmajors
After another lackluster weekend of ACC football - Maryland beat Florida International 14-10, for those who missed out on one of the lowlights - I decided to try to make myself feel better by looking at how some of the also-rans who have given our teams all they could handle are doing at this waypoint in the season.
It ain't any better than I thought it would be, for those keeping score at home.
Take, for instance, the case of Middle Tennessee State, another midmajor that gave Maryland a game before falling 24-10 earlier this month. MTSU is now 2-2 after a 59-0 loss at Oklahoma last week.
Yikes.
Troy, for its part, which nearly upset Florida State and Georgia Tech before losing by scores of 24-17 and 35-20, respectively, went out and got pummeled by another Big 12 power, Nebraska, by a 56-0 count.
Virginia fans might, surprisingly, have the reason to feel the best about themselves. Pittsburgh and Western Michigan are both 3-1 a third of the way through the 2006 season - with losses only to Big 10 schools Michigan State (38-23 winners over Pitt) and Indiana (39-20 winners over Western Michigan).
Of course, Indiana has since lost to a I-AA team, Southern Illinois, so take that for what you will.
And Wyoming, which lost 13-12 at Virginia a few weeks back, is 1-3 - albeit with close losses to Boise State (17-10) and Air Force (31-24) included therein.
The aforementioned Florida International, incidentally, is 0-4 - with nailbiter losses to Middle Tennessee State, South Florida and Bowling Green added to its down-to-the-wire defeat at the hands of Maryland in '06.
- Chris Graham

ACC Nation weekend picks

Pete Yanity of WSPA Channel 7 in Spartanburg, SC (as well as the Voice of the Clemson Tigers) joined Patrick and Chris on ACC Nation this weekend to pick the ACC football games.

Lauren Knight, anchor/producer with ABC 16 in Charlottesville, Va., joined us last week. Go here to see how we did.

This week's games:

North Carolina at Clemson:
Pete - Clemson, Chris - Clemson, Patrick - Clemson

Cincinnati at Virginia Tech:
Pete - VT, Chris - VT, Patrick - VT

Rice at Florida State:
Pete - FSU, Chris - FSU, Patrick - FSU

Wake Forest at Mississippi:
Pete - Ole Miss, Chris - Wake, Patrick - Ole Miss

Florida International at Maryland:
Pete - Maryland, Chris - Maryland, Patrick - Maryland

Boston College at North Carolina State:
Pete - NC State, Chris - BC, Patrick - BC

Sewell takes command at UVa.?
I was almost ready to declare Virginia's season-long search for a starting quarterback over and done with - but then Jameel Sewell had to go and muddy things up toward the end of the Cavs' 24-7 loss at Georgia Tech last night.
Sewell had seemed to make great strides in the second half of the one-sided defeat - completing five straight passes on one extended third-quarter drive, then connecting with wideout Kevin Ogletree on a 16-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to make things at least somewhat interesting.
But then Sewell, a redshirt freshman making his first career start, ended the night with a botched handoff that led to a fumble in Georgia Tech territory and a pair of interceptions that essentially iced the game for the Yellow Jackets.
Even so, you have to be even slightly impressed with what Sewell was able to do against Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta's always-blitzing defense - he completed 15 of his 31 pass attempts for 115 yards and ran eight times for 30 yards.
"Part of being a quarterback is working yourself through some difficult situations, and he seemed to do that," coach Al Groh said after the game. "He was unflustered by his lack of success. A quarterback's got to have a short memory, and he came back and played his best as the game evolved."
"I was not too nervous," Sewell said after the game. "I had no fear, but I guess it was kind of a mental thing. But my teammates showed faith in me and boosted me up."
Sewell seemed to recognize that things didn't conclude the way he or the team would have liked them to.
"It's not a good one," Sewell said. "But it's underneath there. Take it and go."
- Chris Graham

Lies, damn lies, and statistics
However you slice it up, things ain't lookin' good for the ACC.
In the Jeff Sagarin power ratings, we had exactly three teams - that's right, three teams - in the top 25, Virginia Tech at #7, Clemson at #15 and Boston College at #19.
League powers Florida State (#32) and Miami (#49) are way, way back in the pack - this in spite of the fact that they had the obvious power-rating boost of having already played each other in Week 1.
More teams - four - were ranked in the bottom half of the Sagarin ranking of the 119 I-A teams than were in the top 25. Virginia, somehow, some way, came in at 60, despite bad losses to Pittsburgh and Western Michigan and a narrow win over lowly Wyoming, with North Carolina State 72nd, North Carolina 74th and Duke 118th.
It's sad to say, but Sagarin gives the ACC more props than Sports Illustrated college-football writer Stewart Mandel, who did have four ACC schools in his top 25 (Clemson at #17, Virginia Tech at #18, Boston College at #20, and Florida State at #22).
Mandel also had five ACC schools in his bottom half - Wake Forest, despite a 3-0 record, at #62, North Carolina at #68, Virginia at #84, North Carolina State at #113, and Duke at #118.
I've been saying since the dust settled after Week 1 that it is going to be a long year. But it looks like there is a glimmer of sun on the horizon - the first basketball practice is only three weeks away.
- Chris Graham

Around ACC Nation

Could Miami's athletics director be headed out the door right behind its football coach? The school president says that's not the case, but other reports say it's possible.

Despite giving up 45 points to West Virginia, Ralph Friedgen is confident in Maryland's defense. Meanwhile, Carolina's John Bunting may make a few changes in his defense after Furman scored 42 on the Heels.

The new NC State quarterback is ready for his shot.

Good story on Clemson's Gaines Adams.

Even though some UVa. players have praised Vic Hall's play on the scout team, Al Groh says Hall is not an option at quarterback for the Cavaliers.

Georgia Tech is going retro for Thursday night's ACC game with Virginia.

The NBA season isn't too far away, and Raymond Felton is ready for his second year in the pros.

Around ACC Nation

NC State hopes new quarterback solves its offensive woes. Caulton Tudor writes that it's a good idea.

BC alone at No. 20 after AP corrects mistake.

Jeff Bowden addresses media about FSU's lack of offensive production.

Trouble in paradise for the ACC, writes Bob Lipper of the Times Dispatch. Mike Knobler of the AJC writes on the same subject.

And Miami is feeling effects of 1-2 start.

The halcyon days
Remember back when the ACC had respect on the national college-football scene?
That was, oh, only about a month ago.
Back then, I asked three ACC coaches to weigh in on the idea that one of the reasons that the conference has had a hard time fielding a legitimate national-championship contender in recent years has to do with the depth of quality play in the league.
Seems kind of ridiculous now, doesn't it?
Anyway, here's what our coaching trio had to say about this when I asked them the question last month"
- Boston College coach Tom O'Brien: "That could happen. But you look at Texas last year and Oklahoma, both have done it in the Big 12 where they've gone through a year and gone through a championship game undefeated. I'm sure that what happens in a lot of conferences is going to happen in ours - where everybody beats each other up. But if you're deserving of being the national champion, you're going to find a way to be undefeated and win the championship game. And if you do that in the ACC, then you're going to be in the national-championship game. And we're going to have people there more years than not, I would think."
- Clemson coach Tommy Bowden: "I think the draft was a good indication. We had 51 players drafted, which is more than any other conference - just about 20 more than the SEC. So every Saturday in this league, you're going to line up against quality competition. The road games are just going to make it that much more difficult. So you're going to have to be pretty lucky with injuries, you're going to have to not turn the ball over, and be at your highest level from an emotional standpoint every week just to have a chance.
"I think it's good for the conference. It's tough to win it, and makes it tough from a BCS standpoint - because there's several games a year that you're going to lose or have a chance to lose in the conference if you don't show up with your A game. But it's a credit to the conference and what John Swofford has done with the addition of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College. But it sures make the road a lot tougher."
- Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe: "You've got a couple of teams at the very top who you always expect to be there - Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech is in that group. But there are a lot of talented football teams in this league - a lot of really, really good football teams. And you've got to play well every Saturday in this league.
"I think the hardest thing as a coach is knowing that you can't ever have a week where your kids aren't sky-high and have a chance. If you go out flat, you're going to get your tail end beat. That's the hardest thing in coaching - getting your kids motivated every week. Most people feel like you can really get your kids sky-high three or four times a season, and the rest of the time you've got to play with ability. But here we've got to have our kids playing at a high level every Saturday to have a chance.
"But I think that's a possibility - and the neat thing is that with the division play now, you don't have to be the top guy in the ACC at the end of the year. You've got to be the top guy in your division. And I think that gives everybody a chance to play in that championship game - and if you can get enough wins in your division to get into that championship game, then anything can happen."
- Chris Graham

The good, the bad and the ugly

The good: Call it the ACC Nation kiss. Before the season, ACC Nation previewed all 12 ACC football teams, including three - Clemson, Boston College and Wake Forest - with their head coaches.
After Saturday, two of those three - BC and Wake - were undefeated and the third, Clemson, beat Florida State in Tallahassee.
Granted, Wake has only played nobodies, but the Deacons aren't exactly a somebody on the national football scene. Anytime Wake Forest is unbeaten in football it is news. And with the win over UConn, Wake is unbeaten in football.
Boston College struggled against Central Michigan; got out played by Clemson, but managed to win in double overtime, and had to hang on for another double-overtime win on Saturday, this time against BYU. Still, undefeated is undefeated.
And even with that loss at BC, I'll stick by my claim that Clemson is the best team in the ACC (OK, I know I picked FSU to beat them Saturday, but I consider it a moment of insanity). Clemson's offensive line is the best in the conference, its quarterback is improving with every game and the Tigers have three excellent running backs.

The bad: You may have noticed I didn't include Virginia Tech in the good. Yes, the Hokies are unbeaten, but they've played no one of consequence. And, unlike Wake, Virginia Tech is a somebody. Beat someone then we'll talk.
I will include Tech, or at least a Tech player, in the bad though. Tech's Aaron Rouse put a vicious, and dirty, hit on Duke's quarterback, Thaddeus Lewis. Frank Beamer should have removed him from the game, but he didn't. After the way the season ended for Virginia Tech last year, any player that does something that comes close to dirty needs to be dealt with swiftly. Rouse wasn't, and that lands Tech in the bad this week.
North Carolina's defense is also in the bad. You can't give up 42 points to a Division I-AA team and avoid the bad. John Bunting's time remaining in Chapel Hill is now down to nine games. Thank goodness.
Miami's loss to Louisville also comes under bad. And Larry Coker will be joining Bunting on the unemployment line once the season is done.

The ugly: NC State could get this award, but after losing to Akron last week they are now enshrined in the ugly hall of fame. Virginia is now are newest inductee, after losing at home to Western Michigan. Coach Al Groh defended his use of three quarterbacks by saying none of the three can produce, which is what he sees in practice everyday. At some point someone needs to ask why that is the case. Groh recruits these players and if he doesn't have a quality quarterback, isn't that his fault?
Here's a vote for Vic Hall, who was moved to defense in the infinite wisdom of the coach staff, to be the quarterback. Hall passed for over 8,700 yards and ran for another 5,000 while in high school, and, despite his lack of size, he is possibly the best quarterback in the program. And he's playing defense. He was moved there last year out of necessity. This year he should be playing quarterback for the same reason.
- Patrick Hite

The newest midmajor
This is not going to be a good weekend for ACC football.
Tell us something that we don't know.
Yeah, well, if it wasn't plainly obvious before, last night's debacle in Morgantown gave us another kick in the shins.
Saw it. Turned it off in the second quarter.
West Virginia beat Maryland 45-24 in front of a national-television audience - and ladies and germs, it wasn't nearly that close.
Don't know why we kept it on that long, honestly.
The Mountaineers, in my view the weakest top-five team in recent memory, had a 28-0 lead after the first quarter and had hung 38 points on the Terrapins by the half.
Honestly, if Rich Rodriquez hadn't called the dogs off, the 'Neers could have easily hung 60 or 70 on Ralph Friedgen's overmatched squad.
It was brutal.
So this is what we get from a team that my cohost thinks can win seven or eight games this year?
Wow - and on top of North Carolina State's loss to Akron, which coach Chuck Amato punctuated by complaining about the unfair advantage that Mid-American Conference teams have, and Virginia's 13-12 escape over Wyoming, which coach Al Groh punctuated by comparing the missed Cowboys extra point that gave his Cavs the victory to the Super Bowl that the New York Giants team that he served as an assistant on won over Buffalo ...
And then there's the Florida State come-from-behind win over Troy at home, which has people in the panhandle talking about how the Seminoles had just found themselves caught in a trap game after their win two weeks ago at Miami and before their game this weekend with Clemson.
Lots of excuses there.
Indeed - and we're going to hear more of them next week.
Miami is at Louisville, N.C. State is at Southern Mississippi, Virginia has a home game with Western Michigan ...
Stinks being a fan of a midmajor.
I agree.
- Chris Graham

ACC Nation weekend picks

Lauren Knight, anchor/producer with ABC 16 in Charlottesville, Va., joins Patrick and Chris on ACC Nation this weekend to pick the ACC football games. Listen to the show, including the picks, here.

Mike Stevens of WDBJ TV 7 in Roanoke, Va., went 8-1 last week, while Chris finished 7-2 and Patrick brought up the rear at 6-3. See the season records here.

Wake Forest at Connecticut:
Lauren - UConn; Chris - Wake; Patrick - UConn

Duke at Virginia Tech:
Lauren - VT; Chris - VT; Patrick - VT

BYU at Boston College:
Lauren - BC; Chris - BC; Patrick - BC

Troy at Georgia Tech:
Lauren - GT; Chris - GT; Patrick - GT

Western Michigan at Virginia:
Lauren - UVa.; Chris - UVa.; Patrick - UVa.

Miami at Louisville:
Lauren - Louisville; Chris - Louisville; Patrick - Miami

NC State at Southern Mississippi:
Lauren - Southern Miss; Chris - Southern Miss; Patrick - Southern Miss

Furman at North Carolina:
Lauren - UNC; Chris - UNC; Patrick - Furman

Clemson at Florida State:
Lauren - FSU; Chris - Clemson; Patrick - FSU

ACC Nation (weekend of Sept 15)

Patrick and Chris get you ready for two of the biggest ACC games this weekend, Clemson at Florida State and Miami at Louisville. The Miami Herald’s Manny Navarro joins the guys with the latest on the Hurricanes, while Emily Badger of the Orlando Sentinel has the scoop on FSU.

There’s a quarterback controversy in both Chapel Hill and Charlottesville, and Patrick and Chris give you their thoughts on who should be under center for the Heels and Cavaliers.

Lauren Knight of ABC16 in Charlottesville joins the guys for this weekend’s football picks. And in the Sound and the Fury, Patrick and Chris dissect comments by North Carolina State’s Chuck Amato and Virginia’s Al Groh.

That and more on ACC Nation.

Click here to listen

Around the ACC Nation

Maryland's Sam Hollenbach hopes to reverse last year's performance against West Virginia.

Miami will show us if its real offense is the one that stumbled against Florida State or rolled against Florida A&M. Meanwhile, Louisville's Nate Harris angers Miami players, coaches with comments. Harris is a former Hurricane who had his scholarship revoked after running into some trouble.

North Carolina's poor performances to open the season have resulted in a change at quarterback. Meanwhile, eight miles up the road, has Duke finally found its quarterback?

And while we're on the subject of quarterbacks, Virginia has a battle of its own, but Al Groh isn't talking about the situation.

Did win over Clemson make Boston College a league power?

Good story from Bob Lipper of the Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) about a good move by the NCAA.

On the field, Clemson needs to get its running game going if the Tigers are to beat Florida State.

Ned Barnett writes that the time to win is now for both Carolina and NC State.

Not much to brag about
After two weeks of the Atlantic Coast Conference football season, one thing is clear.
It's a good thing that we have basketball season to look forward to.
The football members are 11-5 against nonconference foes through two weeks - and it's not like they've been facing Murderer's Row here, folks.
The only nonconference game involving an opponent in the Top 25 came in Week 1 when Georgia Tech gave second-ranked Notre Dame everything that it could handle in a 14-10 loss.
Aside from that, Virginia and North Carolina went out and lost openers against a pair of midlevel Big East teams (Pitt and Rutgers), Duke was shut out at home by I-AA Richmond, and then North Carolina State, which struggled in its opener, a 23-10 win over I-AA Appalachian State, lost at home in Week 2 to Akron.
Even when we did win, it wasn't always all that impressive - for instance, we have Florida State, which won on the road at Miami in their season opener before having to come back from a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit at home against Troy to win 24-17.
Virginia's 13-12 overtime win over Wyoming, meanwhile, set the game back a couple of decades - and Maryland's 24-10 triumph over Middle Tennessee State wasn't much more impressive.
This weekend could be come-to-Jesus time - the nonconference slate features Maryland at fifth-ranked West Virginia, Miami at 12th-ranked Louisville, Boston College hosting traditional Western power BYU and North Carolina State on the road at Southern Mississippi.
Basketball practice begins on Oct. 15.
- Chris Graham

The good, the bad and the ugly
The good: Basketball season starts in less than two months. That’s what the ACC has to hang its hat on now with N.C. State losing to Akron and Virginia and Florida State narrowly escaping teams that shouldn’t have been on the same field with them, this football season is officially a bust for the ACC after just two weeks.
We should give a couple of teams credit. I’m not sure what to make of Virginia Tech yet, but it’s managed to thrash both of its opponents so far, one on the road. There are still questions to be answered about the Hokies, but they’re undefeated through two games. That’s more than some teams can say.
Boston College probably also deserves a hand for surviving Clemson in double overtime. The Eagles even had to rally late in the game to send things to overtime. Nice job by BC.
Still, ACC fans may want to mark Tuesday, Nov. 7 on their calendar. That’s when Hampton visits Maryland and the ACC basketball season gets under way. It can’t get here soon enough.
The bad: Many moons ago, Virginia was ranked No. 1 in the country, albeit for a very short time. But that was back in the days of George Welsh. Everyone expected even bigger and better things when Al Groh took over. So his quote after Saturday’s game was a little confounding.
“That game right there is the kind of game we’ve been trying to get here for six years.”
He was speaking of his team’s defensive effort, although it is still a strange statement. Beating a lower-level Mountain West Conference team by a single-point in overtime on your home field is what Al Groh has been trying to do all these years? Then I guess congratulations are in order, although the Virginia fans probably will disagree.
And then there was this quote. This is when you know your program is in trouble. Groh was asked about the extra point that Wyoming missed in overtime to give UVa. the victory.
“I was lucky enough to be part of a team to win the Super Bowl on a kick (XXV as an assistant with the Giants) on the last play of the game that went wide right,” Groh said. “This one felt almost as good.”
Wow. Virginia fans must be thrilled. Beating Wyoming feels as good to Groh as winning a Super Bowl.
There’s work to be done in Charlottesville. And lots of it.
The ugly: At least Virginia won. The same can’t be said for NC State.
“Our kids are hurting,” Chuck Amato said after losing to Akron 20-17 on a last second touchdown. “But you know what? I think we have a good football team, I really do.”
He’s the only one. It has been a roller-coaster ride in Raleigh since arrived. State has won some very big games, but losses to teams like Akron continue to keep the Wolfpack from any kind of national recognition. Probably most disappointing for Amato was that the defense let the Wolfpack down against Akron. SI’s Stewart Mandel wrote that Amato is the worst college football coach in the nation. He didn’t do anything to disprove that Saturday.
- Patrick Hite

Tales of the Fighting Ferrets
Friend of the Nation, Jim Johnson (www.thecourtmaster.net) recently launched his latest project, Tales of the Fighting Ferrets.
It’s a writing project that will develop over time, with new chapters posted every Tuesday at www.thefightingferrets.com.
Conrad Kondratowicz was once a rising star in athletics administration at Edgar Allen Poe University in Baltimore, Md., but when he lost his job, then his family, it seemed his life was ruined.
Until Farnsworth University came to the rescue. The Division III school hired Conrad as its athletics director, beginning his adventure with a school nicknamed the Fighting Ferrets.
“There’s quite a collection of characters there that he has to try to deal with and try to make something out of the program,” Johnson told ACC Nation. “It’s a story of redemption and him trying to plow through a bunch of knuckleheads to try to put some decent teams on the field.”
The characters in the book were developed over several years by Johnson, who said he simply wanted to write about something he knew – sports.
“It’s the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do,” Johnson said, “because it’s going to develop over time and characters will move in and out and you can gradually see them develop over time.”
- Patrick Hite

One way to keep 'em off the field
You can't account for the timing of news releases sometimes.
The University of Virginia athletics department put one out this week that had me shaking my head.
"The University of Virginia will implement a series of operational modifications for postgame crowd control at football games this fall in Scott Stadium," the first line of the release read.
The release went on to relate that UVa. will maintain "strict adherence to the Atlantic Coast Conference policy prohibiting fans from entering the playing field before, during, or after games," following a study by a Raleigh, N.C.,-based consulting firm commissioned in the wake of Virginia's 26-21 home win over Florida State last October, after which 20 fans were injured as students rushed the field to celebrate the big victory.
OK, so there was no way that the athletics department could have figured that it would release the results of this study following a demoralizing 38-13 loss on the road to a middling Pittsburgh team that has many in Wahoo Nation wondering if the Cavs can win even three or four games this year.
(Significant here: Daily Progress sports editor Jerry Ratcliffe, an Al Groh booster to the point that he does everything that he can to go out of his way to make Virginia's recruiting classes out to be among the top in the nation every year, in spite of the obvious, picked Virginia to beat lowly Wyoming by a 21-17 count this weekend. Ouch, babe.)
"The safety of our spectators and student-athletes is foremost in our minds as we adopt these operational modifications to avoid any repeat of the frightening events that took place following the Florida State game last year," athletics director Craig Littlepage said in the release.
Another way to do that, of course, is to field a football team that will have the fans rushing the exits instead of thinking about how they can rush the field.
- Chris Graham

Around the ACC
Sponsored by Mad About U

The Washington Post's Mike Wise writes that Maryland's Marcus Wimbush has remained on the field by denying any wrong doing in an incident in which he was charged with with two counts of second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense.

Former North Carolina State head coach is a good fit in his new role at Virginia Tech.

North Carolina says it's not worried about Beamer Ball as it heads into this weekend's game with Virginia Tech.

Miami's offense, especially Kyle Wright, didn't look impressive against Florida State, but the defense had its share of problems also.

With a jail term and a $300,000 child-support payment, former Virginia star Ralph Sampson hopes his legal problems are behind him.

Boston College's Matt Ryan is trying to overcome an ankle injury he hopes won't keep him out of Saturday's game with Clemson. Meanwhile, this story takes a look at the Tiger's third option at running back.

Virginia's big Will Barker hopes to make up for his mistakes last week against Pittsburgh.

As Wake prepares for Duke this weekend, the N&O's Luci Chavez writes that both programs are looking toward the future.

While one Team USA went down in flames at the basketball World Championships, another is just preparing for its run.

Be sure to order your copy of "Mad About U: Four Decades of Basketball at University Hall." Chris Graham and Patrick Hite talked with more than 60 former players, coaches and fans about their memories of U Hall and UVa. basketball's biggest moments. The book will be available at select retail outlets beginning Oct. 5, but you can pre-order direct at www.madaboutu.net or at Amazon.com.

Weekend picks

Mike Stevens of WDBJ TV 7 in Roanoke, Va., joins Patrick and Chris this week on ACC Nation. Listen to the show, including the picks, here.

Last week Patrick, Chris and Melissa Maikos of WCTV in Tallahassee, Fla., all finished 9-1.

Duke at Wake:
Mike - Wake; Chris - Wake; Patrick - Wake

Virginia Tech at North Carolina:
Mike - VT; Chris - VT; Patrick - VT

Akron at NC State:
Mike - NC State; Chris - NC State; Patrick - NC State

Clemson at Boston College:
Mike - BC; Chris - Clemson; Patrick - Clemson

Wyoming at Virginia:
Mike - UVa.; Chris - UVa.; Patrick - Wyoming

Samford at Georgia Tech:
Mike - GT; Chris - GT; Patrick - GT

Troy at Florida State:
Mike - FSU; Chris - FSU; Patrick - FSU

Middle Tennessee State at Maryland:
Mike - Maryland; Chris - Maryland; Patrick - Maryland

Florida A&M at Miami:
Mike - Miami; Chris - Miami; Patrick - Miami

ACC Nation (weekend of Sept. 8)

Patrick and Chris look back at week one in the college football season on ACC Nation this week. Jim Johnson of TheCourtmaster.net joins the guys to talk about Maryland’s opening game win. He also gives his thoughts about some of the other games, and fills everyone in on his latest project, TheFightingFerrets.com. Mike Stevens, sports director of WDBJ TV 7 in Roanoke, Va., returns to ACC Nation to talk Virginia Tech football with Patrick and Chris. He also joins the guys to pick this weekend’s ACC games. On the Sound and the Fury, Patrick and Chris discuss which team’s fans should be more concerned – North Carolina or Virginia. They also tell you who had the best and worst opening weekend, and give their thoughts about Larry Coker and the Miami football program. That and more on ACC Nation.

Click here to listen

ACC Nation poll

We've got two new polls up at ACC Nation.

We want to know which team did the best in week one. Maybe you think Florida State got a huge boost out of rallying to beat Miami, or perhaps Virginia Tech's 38-0 win was the top performance of the week. Or maybe one of the other teams is your choice.

Of course, if there's a best performance, there has to be a worst performance. You can vote on that also. Maybe Virginia's humbling loss to Pittsburgh deserves your vote, or it could be Duke's scoreless effort against Richmond. There are other games that could get the nod also.

Vote here.

Ugly start to '06 ACC season
'Twas not a good opening weekend for the Atlantic Coast Conference - not at all.
Would you believe 6-4 in nonconference games, for starters? I wouldn't have before the games got going with Boston College's narrow 31-24 win over Central Michigan on Thursday night.
The showing included an 1-2 mark against the Big East - with North Carolina falling to Rutgers at home, 21-16, and Virginia embarrassing itself on national TV at Pitt by a 38-13 count.
At least Wake Forest held off Big East doormat Syracuse in their opener.
Meanwhile, three of the wins - and one of the losses - came against I-AA opposition, with only Virginia Tech, in its 38-0 whitewash of Northeastern, looking at all impressive. Maryland, for its part, limped to a 27-14 win over William and Mary, and North Carolina State looked no better in a 23-10 win over Appalachian State.
Duke ... oh, Duke ... lost 13-0 at home to Richmond.
The only team that did anything worth talking about was Georgia Tech, which led second-ranked Notre Dame 10-0 into the latter stages of the second quarter before falling 14-10.
The good news this weekend - the nonconference slate includes Akron (at N.C. State), Wyoming (at Virginia), Samford (at Georgia Tech), Troy (at Florida State), Middle Tennessee State (at Maryland) and Florida A&M (at Miami).
I say that's good news - but after last weekend, there really aren't any guarantees, are there?
- Chris Graham

Around the ACC

For the second straight season, Florida State won a close game in a series where they have come up just short many times. It was a tough loss for Miami, which saw FSU rally for 10 fourth-quarter points to win.

Duke's men's lacrosse team returned to the field Monday.

Meanwhile, on the football field, Duke's starting quarterback job is up in the air after the Devils lost to Richmond Saturday.

The Roanoke Times has a story on former Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub as he bides his time as the backup in Atlanta.

The paper also reported yesterday that Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal will probably miss Saturday's ACC opener.

Clemson has some questions to answer at linebacker after learning a pair of Tigers will miss the rest of the season.

ACC Nation draft selection

JustGiveMeTheShirts2
Shaun Alexander - rb
Tom Brady - qb
Anquan Boldin - wr
Alge Crumpler - te
Andre Johnson - wr
Tatum Bell - rb
Darrell Jackson - wr
LenDale White - rb
Lee Evans - wr
Donte Stallworth - wr
Tampa Bay Defense
Aaron Brooks - qb
Lawrence Tynes - k
Dallas Clark - te
Jacksonville Defense


Bird of Prey
Larry Johnson - rb
Torry Holt - wr
Warrick Dunn - rb
Donald Driver - wr
Roy Williams - wr
Deshon Foster - rb
Ben Watson - te
Michael Vick - qb
Michael Clayton - wr
Baltimore Defense
Kevin Barlow - rb
John Kitna - qb
Reggie Brown - wr
Jerius Norwood - rb
Michael Koenen - k


Sunnydale Razorbacks
LaDainian Tomlinson - rb
Chad Johnson - wr
Kevin Jones - rb
Santana Moss - wr
Todd Heap - te
Plaxico Burress - wr
Trent Green - qb
Mike Bell - rb
T.J. Duckett - rb
Shayne Graham - k
Seahawks Defense
Drew Brees - qb
Colts Defense
Vernon Davis - te
Stephen Gostkowski - k


BenzitosRBack
Tiki Barber - rb
Clinton Portis - rb
Donovan McNabb - qb
Jeremy Schockey - te
Daunte Culpeper - qb
Lawrence Maroney - rb
Rod Smith - wr
Chicago Defense
Jerry Porter - wr
Mark Clayton - wr
Ben Troupe - te
Mike Vanderjagt - k
Amani Toomer - wr
Ernest Wilford - wr
Lee Suggs - rb


Hokies Blow
Peyton Manning - qb
Steve Smith - wr
Marvin Harrison - wr
Tony Gonzalez - te
Thomas Jones - rb
Julius Jones - rb
Derrick Mason - wr
Rubin Droughns - rb
Wali Lundy - rb
Redskins Defense
Keenan McCardell - wr
Ben Rothlesburger - qb
Keyshon Johnson - wr
Jay Feely - k
Chris Brown - rb


Jasper Giants
LaMont Jordan - rb
Matt Hasselbeck - qb
Larry Fitzgerald - wr
Terrell Owens - wr
Jamal Lewis - rb
Alex Smith - te
Muhsin Muhammad - wr
Fred Taylor - rb
Jake Plummer - qb
Carolina Defense
Neil Rackers - k
Eric Moulds - wr
Jermaine Wiggins - te
Sebastian Janikowski - k
Denver Defense


Cherokee Chargers
Steven Jackson - rb
Eli Manning - qb
Reggie Wayne - wr
Jason Witten - te
Corey Dillion - rb
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - wr
Laveranues Coles - wr
Kurt Warner - qb
Marion Barber - rb
Dallas Defense
David Akers - k
David Givens - wr
Kellen Winslow - te
Jeff Reed - k
Miami Defense


The Visigoths
Carson Palmer - qb
Willie Parker - rb
Brian Westbrook - rb
Hines Ward - wr
Deuce McAllister - rb
Heath Miller - te
Eddie Kennison - wr
Joe Jurevicius - wr
Steve McNair - qb
Pittsburgh Defense
Bobby Engram - wr
L.J. Smith - te
John Kasay - k
Cincinnati Defense
Jeff Wilkins - k


Nashville Generals
Edgerrin James - rb
Reggie Bush - rb
Randy Moss - wr
Chris Chambers - wr
Joseph Addai - rb
Marc Bulger - qb
Frank Gore - rb
Drew Bennett - wr
Ahman Green - rb
Dominick Rhodes - rb
Chris Cooley - te
Mike Anderson - rb
Troy Williamson - wr
Byron Leftwich - qb
Patriots Defense


West End Explosion
Ronnie Brown - rb
Carnell Williams - rb
Antonio Gates - te
Chester Taylor - rb
Javon Walker - wr
Jake Delhomme - qb
Joe Horn - wr
Nate Burleson - wr
Deangelo Williams - rb
Greg Jennings - wr
Jason Elam - k
Brandon Jacobs - rb
Brett Favre - qb
Antonio Bryant - wr
Eagles Defense


AlGrohFanClub
Willis McGahee - rb
Rudi Johnson - rb
Philip Rivers - qb
Drew Bledsoe - qb
Joey Galloway - wr
Terry Glenn - wr
Adam Vinatieri - k
Matt Jones - wr
Antwaan Randle El - wr
Deion Branch - wr
Randy McMichael - te
Jerramy Stevens - te
Matt Schaub - qb
Cedric Benson - rb
Atlanta Defense

ACC Nation fantasy football draft board

The draft begins at 9 p.m. tonight. If you run into problems (like your computer or Internet connection goes down) call me at 540-290-7551.

To see a list of players selected, click here.

To post your picks or a comment, simply click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom, then type your message in the "Leave a Comment" section. In "Choose an identity," select "Other" and type in your team name.

If you have questions, call the number above.

A few other things to keep in mind:

1. All teams must have a former player from a current ACC school starting for them every week.

2. If one of the teams doesn't show up to draft, Patrick, as commissioner, has the right to draft for them.

3. There is no time limit on picks, but try to make your selections as quickly as possible. We don't want this thing dragging on too long.

4. We will have 15 rounds. You need to pick the following positions: QB (1), WR (3), RB (2), TE (1), K (1) and defense (1). There are also six bench players who can play any position.

5. Have fun and bear with us. We've never done the draft on our blog and we hope it works. We ran a test this afternoon and it seemed to go OK.

My thoughts

After the first weekend of college football, the ACC went 6-4 (there is one game left, but that's a conference matchup Monday Night between Florida State and Miami).

The good: Will Proctor, Clemson. He finished 13-of-20 for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns as Clemson rolled in its opener. He also had one interception. With the backfield that Clemson has, that's all that Proctor needs to do, and he'll only get better. I stand by my prediction of an undefeated season for the tigers.

The bad: Can someone go ahead and launch the Web site FireAlGroh.com? Where do we start after Virginia was embarrassed by Pittsburgh? The Cavaliers actually had a chance to make this a game coming out of halftime, but went minus 2 yards in three plays, punted and called it a game. As for quarterback, Mary Kate Olsen would have been just as effective as Christian Olsen for UVa. (although I don't think Ashley Oslen would have done as well). It will be a long season in Charlottesville.

The ugly: On most days, Virginia's performance would have earned this award, but not on a day after Duke was blanked by a I-AA opponent. Wow, Coach K and Team USA lose to Greece on Friday and Duke's football team plays like, well, Duke's football team on Saturday. What a great weekend to be a Blue-Devil basher. Maybe Ted Roof should look for an Division III opponent to open with next year. Then, I bet, the Devils would have a fighting chance.

Other thoughts: We've heard plenty of talk this summer about North Carolina's new offense. I'll give Frank Cignetti a break, figuring the need to still work some things out. What was most disappointing about the Tar Heels was the defense.
After making a big leap last year to the 42nd-ranked unit in the country, everyone around the Carolina defense said they weren't satisfied staying there. Apparently not. It appears they want to work their way back to triple digits.
Carolina's Larry Edwards called Rutgers a very average team after the game. I guess that makes North Carolina a very bad team.
Here's when you know it's not good - Rutgers comes in with a guy they are touting for the Heisman Trophy, and he's not the running back that kills you. Rutgers' Ray Rice rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns (the Heisman candidate, Brian Leonard, only had 25 yards). The other ACC schools must be licking their chops right about now.

I kept seeing that ESPN will be showing, on one of its 3,726 networks, the FSU-Miami game with comments by Colin Cowherd. Is this supposed to encourage people to watch? I refuse to listen to him on the radio, so why turn on the TV to hear this guy?

Has Calvin Johnson gotten rid of the cobwebs from that hit by Notre Dame's Chinedum Ndukwe? Give Georgia Tech credit. They had a lead against the Irish, and had a bad, bad call go against them at the end. Maybe the Yellow Jackets are for real. And I liked what I saw from Patrick Nix, who took over calling plays for Tech this season.

During the Carolina game, it was the first time I heard Andre Ware announce a game (at least I don't recall hearing him before). He's not too bad.

The jury is still out on Virginia Tech this season. I couldn't tell much from the win over Northeastern yesterday. Sean Glennon did look good.

- Patrick Hite

Around the ACC
Sponsored by "Mad About U"

North Carolina State may be playing a I-AA opponent, but the Wolfpack don't think this one will be easy.

Josh Allen and Maryland are both on the road to recovery.

As Florida State gets ready for Miami Monday night, Drew Weatherford has been closely studying his team's opponent. But it's the other side of the ball that might be of concern for FSU, especially with the talent on Miami's offensive line.

Virginia's Christian Olsen has to make debut on the road today.

The AJC's Jeff Schultz writes that Georgia Tech has no chance to pull off the upset this weekend.

As Clemson prepares to open its season, James Davis might have a freshman sensation behind him, but that doesn't worry last year's freshman of the year.

North Carolina's defense improved by leaps and bounds last year, but the Tar Heels want even more.

Be sure to order your copy of "Mad About U: Four Decades of Basketball at University Hall." Chris Graham and Patrick Hite talked with more than 60 former players, coaches and fans about their memories of U Hall and UVa. basketball's biggest moments. The book will be available at select retail outlets beginning Oct. 5, but you can pre-order direct at www.madaboutu.net or at Amazon.com.

Weekend picks

Boston College got the weekend off to a good start for the ACC with a win Thursday night. But there are plenty of games left.

Melissa Maikos of WCTV, Tallahassee, joined Patrick and Chris on ACC Nation this week to pick the weekend ACC games.

Northeastern at Virginia Tech:
Melissa - VT; Patrick - VT; Chris - VT

Rutgers at North Carolina:
Melissa - Rutgers; Patrick - UNC; Chris - Rutgers

Florida Atlantic at Clemson:
Melissa - Clemson; Patrick - Clemson ; Chris - Clemson

Richmond at Duke:
Melissa - Duke; Patrick - Richmond; Chris - Duke

William & Mary at Maryland:
Melissa - Maryland; Patrick - Maryland; Chris - Maryland

Appalachian State at North Carolina State:
Melissa - NCSU; Patrick - NCSU; Chris - NCSU

Syracuse at Wake Forest:
Melissa - Wake; Patrick - Wake; Chris - Wake

Virginia at Pittsburgh:
Melissa - Pitt; Patrick - Pitt; Chris - Pitt

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech:
Melissa - ND; Patrick - ND; Chris - ND

Florida State at Miami:
Melissa - FSU; Patrick - FSU; Chris - FSU