ACC year in review
Coach of the Year: Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
Beamer and his staff showed once again why they are the cream of the ACC crop.
Virginia Tech has a plodding running game, shoddy pass protection, a pair of quarterbacks with accuracy issues, and its defense has been without injured standout linebacker Vince Hall.
Kind of comparable to Clemson at the end of the 2006 season, except the Hokies endured two losses that should have crushed their spirit (at LSU in the opener and against Boston College).
Yet where is Virginia Tech? In a BCS game, with an ACC title in tow.
Freshman of the Year: RB Josh Adams, Wake Forest
The manner in which Adams burst past and outran Florida State’s defense for an 83-yard touchdown was something to behold.
But truth be told, the pickings for this award were slim; the best of the rest included Miami tailback Graig Cooper, UNC quarterback T.J. Yates and UNC safety Deunta Williams.
Adams ranked third in the ACC at 80.6 rushing yards per game and scored 10 touchdowns.
Underrated:
The league’s improved depth
It is not the SEC yet, but the increased investment in name coaches has made everyone but Duke competitive. In the old days, Florida State and Miami could have gotten by on athleticism alone. N.C. State and UNC will be much-improved programs in two years.
Wake Forest’s talent
There is a misconception the Demon Deacons succeed with schematic smoke and mirrors. They have players others wanted. In addition to Adams, center Steve Justice, guard Chris DeGeare, corner Alphonso Smith and end Jeremy Thompson are among those who held scholarship offers from other successful BCS programs.
Defensive ends
Clemson junior Phillip Merling’s absence from the All-ACC team showed the league’s depth at the position. Merling, who dominated in big games, likely would be drafted in the first two rounds if he left early, as would Calais Campbell of Miami, who also was left off the All-ACC squad. Chris Long (Virginia), Chris Ellis (Virginia Tech), Hilee Taylor (UNC) and Darrell Robertson (Georgia Tech) were forces to be reckoned with.
Overrated:
Florida State’s talent
True, offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher’s schemes were vanilla. But that arguably was a reflection of the recurring sins committed in recruiting. Including several spots on defense, the Seminoles’ lineup is full of five-star athletes who make the same mistakes repeatedly or possess fatal flaws in their skill set.
Defenses
Nine league teams rank in the top 38 nationally in total defense. The conference possesses a handful of top-shelf coordinators, but none of these units are by any means impenetrable. The ACC simply has a shortage of capable passers, leaving the majority of offenses predictably one-dimensional.
Linebackers
Maryland’s Erin Henderson collected a lot of tackles but was not a game-changer. Georgia Tech’s Philip Wheeler faded as the season progressed, while Virginia Tech’s dynamic duo of Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi got off to slow starts before Hall was hurt.
Top three games:
Oct. 25: Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10
Ryan justifies the nickname “Matty Ice” with the most clutch play of the season. Capping a two-touchdown comeback in the final 2:11, Ryan scrambles through the mud before firing a cross-field, 24-yard, game-winning score to running back Andre Callendar with 11 seconds remaining.
Nov. 17: Boston College 20, Clemson 17
Three games after his proclaimed “Heisman moment,” Ryan does it again, ad-libbing long enough to find Rich Gunnell for a decisive 43-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 left to send the Eagles to the ACC championship game.
Oct. 20: Virginia 18, Maryland 17
Epitomizing their penchant for heart-stopping finishes, the Cavaliers, trailing by five, mount a seven-minute, 15-play drive sustained by a poor spot on a fourth-down run and a questionable pass-interference call. Seldom-used running back Mikell Simpson caps his coming-out performance with a 1-yard TD run with 16 seconds to go.
On tap for 2008
Can Clemson get over the hump?
Close only counts in horseshoes and Tommy Bowden’s contract negotiations. But everything points to this being the Tigers’ prime chance for a breakthrough. Perhaps 17 starters will return, Bowden’s job should not be in question and perennial thorn Virginia Tech is off the schedule, replaced by Virginia.
Time for Bobby Bowden’s curtain call?
No matter how average the Seminoles remain, Bowden will not be fired. That is not to suggest that a new athletics director, grumbling fans and the shadow of his pronounced successor might not make his life miserable enough to consider retiring.
Will the conference finally get an at-large BCS bid?
While Virginia Tech stands to lose six-eight defensive starters, the Hokies still will be hard to uproot as the preseason favorite, especially considering the competition in the rest of its division. The team with the next-best chance of posting a BCS-caliber resume is Clemson, which could get a jump-start as a preseason top-10 team if it beats Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
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