ACC Power Rankings: Week 5

We have a new number one in the Power Rankings and it's exactly who you thought it would be. The top and bottom of this conference is starting to become clear but the bottom half is just sad. We take a look at them anyway and I end up regretting it. Here are your week 5 Power Rankings.    


     Chris                               Mitch                              Pat
1. Clemson                      1. Georgia Tech              1. Clemson
2. Georgia Tech               2. Clemson                     2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia Tech                3. Virginia Tech              3. Georgia Tech
4. Florida State                4. Florida State               4. Florida State
5. UNC                            5. Miami                        5. UNC
6. Wake Forest                6. UNC                          6. Wake Forest
7. Miami                          7. Wake Forest              7. Miami
8. UVA                            8. Maryland                    8. UVA
9. Maryland                     9. Duke                          9. Maryland
10. Duke                       10. Boston College          10. NC State
11. NC State                 11. UVA                          11. Duke
12. Boston College        12. NC State                  12. Boston College


Power Rankings


1. Clemson (LW 2) (4-0)

Pat: There you have it! The front-runner in the ACC. Like ‘The Nature Boy’ always said, “to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best” and Clemson beat the ACC favorite the week after knocking off the defending national champion. The offense in South Carolina is poignant, and the defense keeps up. If Tajh Boyd keeps this going throughout the season and doesn’t win ACC player of the year, then we’ll know someone else must have had a stellar finish to the season. Over 1100 yards, 13 Touchdowns and only 2 interceptions against defenses like Florida State and an SEC team. My anticipation in seeing Florida State and VT at the end of the year has been subdued and the week 5 match-up in Blacksburg has replaced it.

Mitch: What an offense! They have legit stars and a good leader at quarterback. They still don't have a good defense, so if a team can give them 5 extra possessions via penalty or turnovers, then they could probably win by oh, 4 or 5 points... man, that sounds familiar.

2. Georgia Tech (LW 4) (4-0)


Chris: I have said it all season they key to Georgia Tech's success is in their passing game and it showed once again against North Carolina. The offense has passed for 927 passing yards through four games on just 47 pass attempts. That means that Georgia Tech is averaging almost 20 yards per pass attempt. Very impressive. Defense could be a problem for Georgia Tech going further into the season. Opposing teams are averaging almost 24 points per game. If Georgia Tech's offense has an off day, teams are able to score Georgia Tech. If this team slips up this season expect the defense to be the culprit. 


Pat: I don’t think I’d get many disagreements in saying this might be the most dangerous offense I’ve seen on a football field since watching Tom Brady  throw to Randy Moss in 2007. Surprisingly so! I’ll admit my mistakes in guessing where this team would land in the ACC landscape, if you’ll admit no one could see Tevin Washington coming. He’s more effective at running this offense than Josh Nesbitt because he can throw the ball. This team will pick up more yards throwing the ball 10 times a game than most teams would throwing it 30. It’s a tired style, but with a twist. Expect them to cause some damage in the ACC this year.
 

3. Virginia Tech (LW 3) (4-0)


Pat: They are undefeated this early in the season for the first time in a surprisingly long time. If they could’ve had an early season schedule last year like they do this year, they might have had a bid for the BCS championship. However, this team is matching up with Tajh Boyd’s offense this weekend. Thankfully, the games in Blacksburg where loses don’t come easy. Expect there to be a lunch-pale play or two in this game; I’d expect to see a lot of heart on the field by the Hokies Saturday. They’ll need a big top-25 win to secure themselves among the nation’s best, and I personally think they’ll get that win. We must protect this house!


Chris: Defense, special teams and running the ball. Frank Beamer's career in Blacksburg has flourished with this scheme and this year's team will be no different. Except that they are different. The defense is tough and look more similar to the defenses of old than any Virginia Tech defense the last few years. They are fun to watch. They get pressure on the quarterback, force turnovers and don't allow big plays. That defense will be put the test this weekend with Clemson's well run offense. But how this team is different than in the past, special teams seem to be a problem for Virginia Tech. VT is averaging about 35 yards per punt. That is not going to get it done in the field position type games Tech likes to play. Also the field goal kicker, sophomore Cody Journell, is 4 of 7 so far this season. A tough game, like this weekends is expected to be, comes down to field goals and field position and Virginia Tech could struggle with both this weekend.  


4. Florida State (LW 1) (2-2)


Mitch: Even with a back-up quarterback and wide-receivers they scored 23 points on the road. The offense isn't the issue even though the run is struggling. The defense is still very good. The problem is poor decisions in key situations, like not recognizing who the potential receivers are in third and long and not letting them go past you because that is all they can do to get the conversion (I am looking at you Vince Williams) or making bad pass interfence plays when the receiver doesn't have a shot at the ball (ref you don't have to throw that flag). We hurt ourselves and gave Clemson 30 more plays than we had. Gotta get off the field. That's our fatal flaw, inexperience. And considering the change throughout last year's defense from first to last game, we should be ok.


Chris: I am surprised at where Florida State is at this point in the season. Maybe 5th in the country was too high but I still expected them to be the best team in the ACC. It isn't that they lost to Clemson last weekend it was that they played so well against Oklahoma the week before and didn't seem to be the same team going into Clemson. Maybe the road got to them. Maybe there was hangover from the Oklahoma game. I don't know but I expect this team to come back after having this weekend off and once again look like the best team in the ACC. If not, this team could be in trouble. 


5. UNC (LW 5) (3-1)


Pat: This is the lowest I have had UNC this season. I think the Tar Heels are exceeding expectations considering the preseason issues; I just think they’re getting overshadowed by the rest of the teams at the top in the ACC. And I must say I think the only thing standing in the way of ‘us and them’ is youth at the quarterback position. Don’t get me wrong, Bryn Renner is great, as was expected but a lot of the blame for the inability of the Tar Heels to move the ball in the first half against Georgia Tech came from his passing. Slightly inaccurate, but he turned it around and nearly, very nearly, won a tough game on the road. This was a good learning experience for the young prospect. Give him a few games and he’ll make you say T.J.? T.J. who?


Mitch: Thank you for an exciting ACC game. The long runs and pass plays kept me glued in. However, might I suggest actually making stops with a defense that was bought for the sole purpose of making stops.


6. Wake Forest/Miami (Wake Forest LW 8/Miami 6) (Wake Forest 2-1/Miami 1-2)


Mitch: I am playing dynasty mode on NCAA12. I am an offensive coordinator for FSU. In a bad omen, on the Thursday before the Clemson game I lost to Oklahoma and Clemson in games that the offense couldn't get it done and then the defense couldn't get it done. I played the Clemson game three more times to try and erase the bad feeling and despite the wins I still felt cursed. Dammit! Anyways, my goal is to get a good job via coaching carousel and land at Wake Forest and make them the Stanford of the East.

Pat: Well, why not? Give me one valid reason why Wake Forest shouldn’t round out the top half of the ACC. I’ll give you five why they should. N.C. State, W 34-27; Gardner Webb, W 48-5; Miami lost to Maryland who then lost to Temple by 31 points; and the other ACC ‘unmentionables’ (Duke, Boston College, NC State); finally, there only loss came on the road in overtime. See, 6^th.

Chris: Maybe Miami's biggest mistake (well maybe not biggest) over the last few years is moving from the Orange Bowl to the Sun Life Stadium (The stadium's name might have changed in between typing this and posting it). The Orange Bowl was the Hurricane's home and was a scary place for opponents to play. Now they play in the Dolphin's home and fans just don't show up. I won't try to embarrass Miami fans by showing pictures of the stands the last few years but it isn't good. There hasn't been much on the field to support but moving to an NFL stadium and having lots of empty seats doesn't show well on your program. The only way a recruit would want to play in front of that many empty seats is if you tell them it's so their moms and hookers don't have to seat near each other. 

Mitch: I thought Golden had them consistent. I thought they would execute. Dammit, they lost to Kansas State (Editors note: I called that!)... and Bill Snyder, who looks 85 years old. Whatever, Miami, you are what you are at this point.


8. Maryland (LW 7) (1-2)


Pat: Wow, Maryland. You guys were my upset pick over top 25 WVU and nearly proved me right. Was beating Miami all you guys wanted to achieve this year? Danny O’Brien is not playing the way he did last year and that’s really starting to cause problems for the Terrapin offense who couldn’t manage to break the 10 point ceiling against a Temple team from whom we have little to expect. Don’t expect this team to be a threat in the Atlantic until Danny O’Brien can get his act together. They’ve got the Towson Tigers next week, then will have a gauntlet of challenges facing Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Floritda State. Expect this team to fall further and further in the ACC.


Mitch: Young, young and new coach. Those three things will hurt you. Let down game, emotional roller coasters and bad uniforms... ok the last one is avoidable. Either way, there are a lot of things going right here, it just isn't coming together.


9. UVA (LW Tied for 9th) (2-2)


Chris: UVA is on a slide this season but I still think headed in the right direction. It would be easy to say down is the right direction for a UVA team but I actually think this team is getting better. It didn't really show this weekend against Southern Mississippi though. There will still be loses like this as every improving program has to take its lumps but two or three years from now expect UVA to be winning these games easily and competing for the Coastal Division, as much as I will hate it. 


Pat: Virginia is one of those teams that looks like they could do subtle damage in the ACC, and I think they are capable of that. They lack the talent to unexpectedly roll over a top tier team, but they have enough talent to beat any average team they play. With that said, they have the ability to lose a game or two to average teams too, and I think that’s where you put Southern Mississippi. But, after two loses by a touchdown or less, expect the Cavaliers to pick up the pace and get back on track next week hosting Idaho.
 

10. Duke (LW 11) (2-2)


Mitch: I haven't watched a game of theirs. There I said it.


Chris: Duke is going to be an under dog this weekend going to Florida International on Saturday. This is probably to be expected but it just makes me sad. A Sun Belt team is favored against an ACC school. I really enjoy doing this power ranking but the bottom of this conference just makes me sad and I would rather not think about these teams. 


11. NC State (LW Tied for 9th) (2-2)


Chris: You stink NC State. I just realized that you are also going to be my Upset Pick of the Week this weekend against Georgia Tech. I wish I could admit that drugs or alcohol were involved in my choice but sadly they were not. I thought I was going to be able to blame their poor play in Mike Glennon but I think his numbers show he is not the problem. He has thrown for 1079 on 65 percent passing with 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. The running game is where NC State's problems lie. On 120 rushing attempts this season NC State is averaging 2.83 yards per carry. That is not going to get it done. NC State has to improve their rushing attack or they will find a permanent spot at the bottom of these power rankings. 


Mitch: Russell Wilson is a god. Tom O'Brien is a selfish son of a bitch, who hates people who are better at their job than he is at coaching (I can't prove this, but his desire to see ilson out is evidence that he likes his own recruits, the "new" thing, or is just not a good evaluator/developer of talent.) #blanketstatements... PS. Should I be thanking O'Brien for running Wilson off? I mean, he single handedly made NC State a non factor. Revenge will be sweet.


12. Boston College (LW 12) (1-3)


Pat: Oh, com’ on. Don’t start winning now and act like you guys are a (quote, unquote) “Football Team”. Is there anyway we can send you guys back to the Big East as a consolation gift for stealing their good teams? I don’t think this team will win another game this season. But at home against Wake next week will be their best chance.  

Chris: Hey Boston College you won!! We as a conference are proud of you. I am just kidding we are not proud. You are not a good team. I really don't think you win another game this season and that will allow even Duke to laugh at you at seasons end. ACC football everyone!




Agree? Disagree? However you feel about it throw it down in the comments section. If you have topics you want us to discuss in a post or in a podcast email us at thesportsparty@gmail.com. Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party. 

The Sports Party: Episode 011

Mitch and I preview the weekend breaking down Alabama-Florida and Wisconsin-Nebraska. Also, we make our Upsets of the Week and I instantly regret mine. After the break, I have my buddy Dan on to discuss the Clemson-Virginia Tech game.

The Sports Party: Episode 010

It's the debut of the new podcast format. I decided to bring the time way down on these things and give you something manageable to listen to. So the time is brought down to 30 minutes on this podcast with the hope of cutting off about 5 more minutes as we go forward. Today Pat and I discuss UNC-Georgia Tech, LSU-WVU, and FSU-Clemson. We also discuss Russell Wilson's great play and how this makes Tom O'Brien look bad.

Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party. Email us at thesportsparty@gmail.com and give us your thoughts, opinions or questions.

Clemson Analysis: So Close, yet So Far

The loss to Clemson has been digested for the past 36 hours, light years in instant blogging and internet game reaction. The big issues of injuries did not affect the Noles in the positions we thought. In fact the biggest injuries were not the ones to QB1 or our most experienced wide receivers; they were to Gregg Reid who didn't play and to Xavier Rhodes.

First, Reid has hurt badly enough from the OU game to not play this game. Maybe adrenaline kept him from coming out for the entirety of the OU game or maybe sheer need to play a Nickel, but in the Clemson game not having him did not allow Stoop's defense to play with an extra DB. This was a huge development because of the following problem....

Second, out LB play was atrocious in pass coverage. Christian Jones is a freak of an athlete and will one day be a great player, but right now he has not learned how to cover tight ends or drop into deeper zone coverage when WR's are running deep square ins. The play that stands out is the goal line play action pass to the TE. Jones bit hard on the outside run while the TE was releasing behind him. He was a half second late when the ball arrived. What is impressive was his closing speed. He made of a ton of ground, but it was too little too late.

I have grown impatient with Nigel Bradham. On 3rd and 15, Bradham was to drop into coverage in what appeared to be a Cover 3. He was not the deep man, but he had the middle of the field, specifically the area around the first down marker. Lined up on his side of the field were one WR and a TE. On any given play, 5 people are eligible for a pass. On this play 4 offensive players ran passing routes. Two were on his side, and one was directly across from him. His only job was to drop and not let anything between him and the safety. Guess what he did? Let a TE behind him and another 3rd down conversion.

Certainly it is easy to be an arm chair QB... er LB, but what I am upset with is the same thing I was upset with Reid last game. In the given situation, there are a finite number of opportunities and one defensive set to filter those opportunities through. That is a lack of perspective, understanding, poise, etc. I can forgive Jones for a poor play because he is a youngster, but I am not in the same way with Bradham. He has good qualities and attributes, but clearly one of them is not coverage. Should Stoops have him in this situation?

More on Stoops. It would be nice to hear him after the game or during this week about last week's breakdown. Fisher allows players to talk to the media but not his assistant coaches. It puts his young men in awkward situations to answer questions they probably have no business or idea how to answer. This point was brought up by Corey Clark (@CoreyClark) on Twitter and I second the notion.

The O-Line has issues. They have no push on the run and I think the only explanation is Trickett. He is the architect of this line and has been for the last few years. He has turned the line around in pass protection, which has been above average and allows our QB's the time they need, but we are one dimensional. Something lost on the run game is Chris Thompson's post game quotes. He admitted to not making the right reads during the wild cat play calls. In this instance, I don't blame play calling or even O-Line issues.

The edges of the line were open in every run, even the early runs up the middle that went for significant yardage. These, in essence, the same runs EJ is called to make. They are single wing QB/TB/RB sweeps. They should be run to the outside or off the tackle, especially with the acceleration of Thompson. He should not have continued to run the ball up the middle after he was stuffed. The success was open on the outside and would have kept the ball moving along with time of possession and potentially longer drives or scoring drives. And considering out defense's inability to stop CU, keeping the ball would have been beneficial.

In all our takeaways of this team are questions of our defense in regard to poor LB play. I think the DB play is serviceable despite the penalties (the last TD was offensive PI. Watch the replay, Watkins pushes Harris in the back; Harris stumbles and is a step behind).

The young talent on both sides of the ball is awesome and in a weird way these losses free the coaches to play young talent and develop it. Despite all the mistakes we have lost two games by a handful of points. We are very close to be 4-0. It's a matter of execution now.

Lastly, EJ not dressing is a big sign. Super Secretive Jimbo probably has said it is a bruise, but who trusts him? I vote EJ had it separated like Sam Bradford did and he is going to heal up over the next two weeks, maybe even three. Hopefully it was a light separation and rehab can strengthen him back. We'll need him in November and December (ACC Title, folks. Don't give up hope yet.)

PS. Good for you Clint, good for you.

The Sports Party: Episode 009

Pat and I talk about the upcoming weekend in college football breaking down the UNC-Georgia Tech, LSU-WVU, Arkansas-Bama and other big games from the weekend. We also talk about REM breaking up and Pat tries to make himself the #1 co-host.

                                               West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen

Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party. Email us at thesportsparty@gmail.com.

ACC Power Rankings: Week 4

The Power Rankings are back and only a few days late. Sorry folks but there was just too much action this weekend to have this ready by Monday. What a weekend it was for the ACC where there was great play on the field and additions off the field. I kept trying to rank Syracuse and Pitt in the Power Rankings and had to keep deleting them from the post. Well without further ado here are the Week 4 Power Rankings. 

   Chris                              Mitch                          Pat
1. Florida State               1. Florida State            1. Florida State
2. Clemson                     2. Virginia Tech            2. Virginia Tech
3. Georgia Tech              3. Clemson                  3. Clemson
4. UNC                           4. Miami                      4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia Tech               5. Maryland                 5. UNC
6. Miami                         6. UNC                        6. Miami
7. Maryland                     7. Georgia Tech           7. Maryland
8. Wake Forest               8. Wake Forest            8. UVA
9. UVA                           9. NC State                  9. NC State
10. NC State                 10. Duke                      10. Wake Forest
11. Duke                       11. UVA                       11. Duke
12. Boston College        12. Boston College        12. Boston College


Power Rankings
1. Florida State (LW 1) (2-1)


Mitch: Losing to #1 Oklahoma and dropping nine or more spots in the polls is too reactionary, especially when they had the game tied in the 4th, a backup quarterback in, and three receivers down. So they'll stay atop TSPPR this week... If they lose to Clemson next week, I'll have to move them down.

Chris: Florida State proved themselves this weekend against Oklahoma and should hold the top spot even after the loss. Their defense looked fast and strong against one of the best offenses in the country. They go to Clemson this weekend and will play in front of a raucous crowd that impressed me last weekend. (The Clemson team impressed me as well but more on them in a moment) A few things Florida State should be worried about is EJ Manuel's health going forward and the running game. Manuel hurt his shoulder in the 3rd quarter of the game against Oklahoma and did not return. FSU seems to have a solid backup in Clint Trickett but this team needs Manuel if they are going to be as successful as they want to be this season. FSU rushed for 27 yards against Oklahoma on Saturday and that concerns me. Yes, Oklahoma is a top-tier defense but there are good defenses in the ACC. FSU will have to establish a running game to be successful this season.

2. Clemson (LW 7) (3-0)


Pat: All ACC fans should rally behind this win for the Tigers over the weekend. It’s not every day a middle-of-the-pack ACC team beats a ranked opponent, and even less often does one end the defending national champions’ win streak. I’m not buying them to win the Atlantic division just yet, but they’ll at least compete for it, for now. The plain and simple truth is they are lacking a little bit on defense. But, give credit where credit is due, Tajh Boyd is my new favorite quarterback outside of my Alma Mater’s. Stat time!!!! (and I won’t even break it down on this, his best game yet, but instead the season) Tajh is about to break the one thousand yard mark on passing yards after only 3 games, 67.3% completion percentage, 173.8 QB rating, 10 Touchdowns with a single interception. This guy is doing it well, right now. With him, they may not need a defense….nah!


Mitch: They looked like world beaters, but they also played an Auburn team who has a porous defense. It was an impressive display of offensive execution. They have incredible athletes. Did you see their first touchdown? That wide receiver made everyone look like they were jogging. Unfortunately for Clemson, Dabo is their coach and there are at least 10 coaches better than him in the conference.

3. Virginia Tech (LW 2) (3-0)


Chris: I put Virginia Tech at 5th in my power ranking. This isn't a reverse jinx. Of the top teams in the ACC (FSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, UNC and Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech has proved the least to me. They have played Appalachian State, East Carolina and Arkansas State and I am sorry those teams aren't in the caliber of Oklahoma, Auburn or even Kansas and Rutgers. Virginia Tech's defense seems to be back at the "Virginia Tech" level. After giving up a 51-yard pass on Arkansas State's first play from scrimmage, Virginia Tech held the Red Wolves to only 218 total yards the rest of the game. Logan Thomas is not quite there as a quarterback and threw one "freshman" interception and another where his wide receiver slipped giving the defender the easy pick. He will get there though and didn't let his poor performance against ECU the week before affect his game this weekend. This team still has something to prove to me but I don't expect them to stay at 5th in my rankings I expect them to move back up towards that #2 spot over the upcoming weeks. 


Mitch: I was surprised to see a close game early on with Arkansas State. I'm curious as to what is happening in Blacksburg. Will the Hokies retain their position among the top of the conference? After this week, parody among the middle teams may graduate somewhere to upper echelon.

4. Georgia Tech (LW 5) (3-0)


Chris: Georgia Tech can throw the ball. Once again this scares me more than anything. It doesn't have to be a prolific passing game it just has to get the job done and keep defenses off balance and that's exactly what it did to Kansas this weekend. Starting with UNC this weekend I hope someone figures out a way to stop this Georgia Tech offense before they play Virginia Tech. 


Pat: Ok, ok, ok… Nice job, Georgia Tech. A great performance by a team that I’ve been hating on since the preseason. Maybe my buddy Chris is on to something? Maybe the threat of a passing offense will open up a lot of room for expansion on this team? I’ll buy them next week though. In the game against Kansas, they only had 164 passing yards, compared to a whopping 604 yards rushing. To me, this indicates they might have been going up against a defense incapable of defending the option. In this game, the option opened up the pass, not the other way around. I still have to think an experienced defensive coordinator whose seen this style of offense before has a better idea of how to defend against it. (i.e. Everett Withers, perhaps?) Okay, you guys get a win at home next week and I’ll agree with 25^th in the nation. North Carolina didn’t struggle with Northern Iowa.

5. UNC (LW Tied for 3) (3-0)


Pat: First off, let me start by saying I didn’t see this game. For purposes of the blog, I like to seem as neutral as possible, but I am an avid Tarheel supporter. The reason I didn’t see this game wasn’t because I was busy doing something else, because very few things are more important to me than Carolina athletics (Wow, I need a life). I wasn’t watching a different game, or searching for ways to improve my incredible fantasy football team. Nope, I didn’t see this game thanks to Time Warner Cable (shout-out). Instead, I was forced to listen to Jones Angel, while Texas, Florida, New Mexico, and Notre Dame were covered in Greensboro, North Carolina. My response to the cable company customer service rep that spoke with me on the phone at 3:35 Saturday afternoon? I don’t live in Texas or Florida, New Mexico or Indiana. (If you agree, contact your local legislator) Anyways, this was a good win for the Tarheels against a Virginia team that I think will overachieve by Charlottesville standards this season. The Tarheels were outnumbered on nearly every statistic but still managed to pull out a victory. Game play centered around Bryn Renner who is improving from week to week, and a defense that played well enough to win. If only I’d have seen it.

Chris: They beat UVA this weekend, a team that is also on the rise in the ACC. UNC has yet to feel the loss of Butch Davis and that's either a ringing endorsement of Everett Withers or shows maybe Davis wasn't the best coach. I don't know. This weekend will be a more difficult test than the Tarheels have faced all season. I obviously have them ranked behind Georgia Tech and I think this weekend will prove that. In a close one I am going with Georgia Tech over UNC.


6. Miami (LW 8) (1-1)


Mitch: Good for Al Golden. He is a good coach and his talented seniors believe in him, and he managed through a two interception night from Jacory Harris. It's good for the conference, and now I slightly fear our early November meeting.

Pat: Jacory Harris wasn’t lights out by any means in this game. But, it’s apparent that he changes the entire look of this offense. As well, Miami succeeded in shutting down a Big Ten offense, which is never easy to do. 200 yards total offense for a top 25 team is a great defensive display by an otherwise struggling Miami team. This early in the season, when teams are playing out of conference, it is vital to the success of the conference as a whole to represent themselves well. Thanks to Clemson, Miami, and nearly Florida state and Maryland, this was accomplished. Moving forward, there should be a little more respect for anyone competitive in the conference.

7. Maryland (LW Tied for 3) (1-1)


Pat: For the Terrapins, the scoreboard was spread out way too much way too early for a sustainable comeback. A second half surge to reclaim the lead fell just shy with time running short. The final score was indicative of the play presented by both teams, it was pretty evenly matched. The biggest problem for the Terrapins was their beloved Danny O’Brien, and rightfully so, he’s great. But in this game he made some critical mistakes. 10-3 in the closing minutes of the 1^st quarter, O’Brien threw a pick-6 which killed any momentum accumulated by the Terps to that point. O’Brien threw 3 total interceptions on Saturday, the last of which came with 1 minute remaining on the West Virginia 9 yard line. Still, I must admit, even Maryland, the ACC team who probably had the worst day with a top 25 team, impressed. In my opinion, two plays (Danny O’Brien’s last interception and the big hit on a scoring Kenny Shaw for Florida State) stood in the way of the ACC going 4-0 against top 25 teams on Saturday. Helmet Sticker for the ACC top 25 matchups

Mitch: They played a great last 2.5 quarters. The first 1.5 was rough, and that cost them the win. The kinks and inexperience of players and staff are evident, but more importantly, they made adjustments in game and almost made it happen. However their young quarterback has a fatal flaw of throwing picks due to poor or forced decision making. Fatal flaws are just that, and it's the paradigm in which we should view our athletes and coaches. I.E. Gregg Reid lacks height and enough common sense to not get beat in one on one coverage- which is the exact time when a coach will call a play to take advantage of an over confident CB who is only 5'8".

8. Wake Forest (LW 9) (2-1)


Chris: Tanner Price seems to be the key to Wake Forest's success this early in the season. He has a 62.2 completion percentage and has thrown for 867 yards with six touchdowns to just one interception. Wake Forest teams are always well coached and fundamentally sound. This team might not have the talent the rest of the ACC has but they will win a few more games just by playing smart and doing things correctly. 


Mitch: They are trending up and maybe the offensive scheme is making sense to the Deacons. You know, they grow them smart in Winston Salem.

9. UVA/NC State (UVA LW 6/NC State LW 10) (UVA 2-1/NC State 2-1)


Pat: The Wahoos led UNC in every statistic on Saturday except turnovers and rushing yard. To me, this game focused on two things, Renner’s play and the Tarheel defense. On paper, these teams seem to be evenly matched. UNC just seems to have a notch more talent at the key positions. With that in mind, I know it’s cliché, but Virginia had to maintain a grip on the turnover margin to win this game. They played well enough, according to the stat line, but with a few less turnovers this game could have been more one-sided in favor of UVA. Like I said, I didn’t see it. Thanks TWC (shout-out)

Chris: UVA is currently starting a sophomore qaurterback, Michael Rocco, and a freshman running back, Kevin Parks. Needless to say, UVA is a young team but one that has talent. It's a little too early for them to compete for the ACC title this year but with a solid core it is possibility in a few seasons. 

Mitch: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha you lost to Wake Forest... Is it wrong to keep bringing this up? Ps. I secretly hope Russell Wilson wins the Heisman. 

Pat: It’s hard to get a great feel of how well NC State will do this season. The loss to Wake is the only real subtle indicator of the Pack’s struggles. They’re +5 in the turnover margin thus far, as should be expected after playing 3, what-should-be cupcake teams. Mike Glennon is doing well, but his skills players can’t hold onto the ball. In the game against South Alabama, for instance, they lost 3 fumbles. The game this weekend against Cincinnati should be the litmus test for the Wolfpack going forward. I’ll give them the slip-up against Wake, but even with the simple schedule State faces this season, Cinci should be the caliber team they will face on an average weekend. If Cinci scores 75+ points this time, it’ll be a surprise. But, State has to get things going; they’re obviously underachieving at this point.

11. Duke (LW 12) (1-2)


Pat: Ever heard the phrase ‘comedy of errors’? What can you say about this win, other than the fact that all three Duke fans, excluding David Cutcliffe and wife, are ecstatic about having a lead over someone in the ACC for a change? Actually, they’re tied for first in the coastal division now. A sign of things to come? Definitely, go ahead and bet Duke won’t finish last. Well maybe in the Coastal, but at least not in the ACC as long as BC is available to beat up on

Chris: Duke is tied for 1st in the Coastal Division. I was going to write nothing but that, but that seemed silly you are paying for more analysis from me. Oh.....you aren't paying for this. Well then...Duke isn't as bad as Boston College but almost. There don't seem to be a lot of wins left on Duke's schedule and they probably won't climb any higher than this 11th spot. Sorry Duke fan. (Yes I just meant the one.)


12. Boston College (LW 11) (0-3)


Chris: Boston College lost this game on a missed field goal with less than a minute to go in the game. They tried a 23-yard field goal on 4th and 1 and would have taken the lead with 47 seconds left to go in the game. Missed it. If you play Duke at home and have to kick a field goal with less than a minute remaining to win the game, you have already lost. I wanted to rank Boston College in 12th last week and they have now given me the justification to do so. 


Mitch: Boy was I wrong about them always being solid. Yeah, they are 0-3 and lost to the Pre-season bottom feeders. Oh well, they can beat the new additions to the conference. Cuse and Pitt struggle in the Big East. ... The Big East. Yep, the ACC just ensured they are to basketball what the SEC is to football.


Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party. If you agree or disagree with us put it down in the comments or give us your power ranking for the ACC and tell us where we messed up. If you have questions or comments email us at thesportsparty@gmail.com. 

The Sports Party: Episode 008

Mitch and I look back at the FSU-OU game and then take a quick look back at the other 3 big ACC games. We also take a look at ACC expansion and how we feel about the new ACC.

The Evolution of Ron Art....I Mean Metta World Peace

Last week Ron Artest was finally able to change his name to Metta World Peace and I truly believe the world is a better place for it. This is not the same Ron Artest that we remember from November 19, 2004 when he started a brawl between players and fans that spilled into the stands and onto the court. No, this is a much different Ron Artest, or Metta World Peace from here on out, that we see today. Today Metta is on Dancing With The Stars and this summer he led his own comedy tour. He makes announcers say Queensbridge after winning NBA Championships and wins the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy's Citizenship Award.

Metta's NBA career started with shootings outside strip clubs and asking to take games off to promote his rap career. World Peace obviously has his issues and has spoken about his struggles with mental health issues and the help he has received in that area. World Peace is now an advocate for mental health and even auctioned off his NBA Championship ring and gave the proceeds to different mental health charities. His early career struggles seem to be behind him as World Peace moves into the latter stages of his career. For the past two seasons he has been apart of one of the premier franchises in sports, the LA Lakers. He has been a tough defensive presence there and was apart of one NBA Championship and an integral part of a Championship contender. World Peace's story is one of growth and learning. We, as people, make mistakes and those mistakes hang with us. That night in Auburn Hills will always be mentioned with Metta World Peace and there's nothing that can change that, but he grew from that and seems to be in a much better place now. 

We are now seeing a fun Metta World Peace. The name change is kinda goofy. He will be fun on Dancing With the Stars and think about that for a moment, housewives will be tuning in to see a man who started a brawl during an NBA game. We are truly a forgiving society. When the NBA returns World Peace will be right back in the thick of the silly NBA personalities. Good for Metta World Peace, on the outside he seems to be a happy man that his found his place and I, as a fan of fun personalities, am glad to see it.

The Sports Party: Episode 007

Mitch and I break down the Florida State-Oklahoma game and predict the outcome. We also look at the three other big games in the ACC and pick some Upsets of the Week.

Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party.

Yaaaahoooooooooo!

Yahoo!Sports is quickly becoming the go to place for sports information, a position that has long been dominated by ESPN. Universities now fear when Yahoo reporters start searching around their programs as the site has broke the stories about Miami, Reggie Bush and UConn. While ESPN continues to build relationships with every major conference in the country, Yahoo!Sports is now doing the NCAA's job and discovering which programs are cheating. While ESPN cozies up with the biggest team in the countries, Yahoo!Sports is now hated by these schools. Yahoo!Sports is doing their job, they are finding stories and showing them to the country.

Not only is Yahoo!Sports writing hard hitting stories they are now moving towards showing actual games and events on their site. A few weeks ago they had a UFC pay-per-view on the site that you could pay to watch. Yesterday it was announced that Yahoo!Sports will show 9 of the last 10 races of Nascar's season, formally called The Chase. Today it was announced that Yahoo will have their own MLB show partnering with  MLB.com that will feature live look-ins, highlights and use social media with the broadcast to follow the MLB.

Yahoo!Sports is creeping up on ESPN, maybe not quickly but they are making moves. As the internet and television began (or continue really) to merge Yahoo!Sports is positioning themselves to challenge ESPN. This is what we, as sports' fans, should hope happens. I love ESPN but as Yahoo pushes them over the next few years we will get a better product across the board. ESPN will do their best to try to become the place people go for big, breaking news. Yahoo will begin to put shows online and ESPN will have to up their television product to compete with that. Yahoo!Sports is taking away the sports monopoly from ESPN and the level of sports media on both sides should improve from this competition.

The Sports Party: Episode 006

Pat and I talk about the last weekend in college football and the NFL. We discuss Marcus Lattimore's Heisman chances, the super fun Notre Dame-Michigan game and 63-yard field goals. Also, we laugh a lot. Enjoy.

ACC Power Rankings: Week 3

The Power Rankings are back!! I know they weren't gone long it was just Friday but now they are published on their regular scheduled day. We learn this week that Pat cares not for head-to-head match-ups for his rankings and he finally chooses between Florida State and Virginia Tech! The top of the ACC is stable in their rankings but the bottom of the conference is in flux. NC State takes a tumble. There's a Drew Donovan shout out by the one guy who doesn't even know him. Petey Pablo makes an appearance. We are hitting our stride. I proudly present the Week 3 Power Ranking.


    Chris                                    Mitch                                 Pat
1. Florida State                    1. Florida State                  1. Florida State
2. Virginia Tech                    2. Virginia Tech                  2. Virginia Tech
3. Maryland                          3. UNC                             3. Maryland
4. UNC                                4. Georgia Tech                 4. UNC
5. Georgia Tech                    5. Maryland                       5. Georgia Tech
6. UVA                                6. UVA                             6. UVA
7. Clemson                          7. Miami                            7. Clemson
8. Wake Forest                    8. Clemson                        8. Miami
9. NC State                          9. Wake Forest                  9. NC State
10. Miami                           10. Boston College             10. Wake Forest
11. Boston College              11. NC State                      11. Boston College
12. Duke                             12. Duke                            12. Duke


Composite Rankings
1. Florida State (LW 1) (2-0)


Mitch: They are not who we wanted them to be. They have a good, deep defense and a solid offense but the QB decision making is poor and the run block non-existent. However, we have yet to seen any designed runs for EJ Manuel or any read options either. Maybe the blandness is on purpose. Maybe we aren't that good. I predict a defensive game until Oklahoma pulls away late in the first half and early in the fourth quarter.


Pat: Wow! Yeah, maybe they’re playing Charleston Southern. And maybe they’re playing Charleston Southern at home. But the key here is they’re playing Charleston Southern at home and only allowing 8 yards of total offense in the first half. Meanwhile, they posted 34 points by halftime. This is a dangerous team, nationally. I could not be more excited for this Saturday at 8 on ABC. I’m not going out on a limb (if you could even call it that) and saying Oklahoma will get Tomahawked in a hostile environment in Tallahassee. But I am saying that this will be the best game of the season thus far, and if Oklahoma wins, then they are the real deal because this Seminole squad is a serious threat to anyone they face up against.

2. Virginia Tech (LW 2) (2-0)


Chris: This felt like an "old" Virginia Tech football game. Old as in just a few seasons ago but it was a style of win that I have missed at Virginia Tech. It was too close but a win is a win (cliche I know). Tough defense and a tough running game were the keys to this win. Logan Thomas struggled and that's to be expected this was only his second start. Virginia Tech ran for 241 yards as a team, led by David Wilson who had 138 yards on 26 carries. Josh Oglesby scored two touchdowns on the ground for Virginia Tech and runs hard. I really love Oglesby. He's been a backup his whole career at Tech, moved to fullback last year due to the crowded running back situation and has moved back to tailback this season. Runs hard, plays hard.


Mitch: I am not surprised Virginia Tech had more trouble with East Carolina than with Appalachian State. ECU is a better team. Plus, have you seen their mid-field logo? Pretty sure it swallowed up a few Hokies during the game, giving the Pirates a better chance. In other news, the Tech schedule is good and they have to work out the kinks against Arkansas State and Marshall before playing an athletic Clemson team.


Pat: Chalk this win up to an aggressive defense, an aggressive defense and coaching. Although the defense could be characterized as a little too overzealous in this match-up, with 6 penalties, resulting in 53 yards for Eastern Carolina. But that’s a natural characteristic of Beamerball, right? In turn, the Hokies held the Pirates to only 112 yards total offense, and completely cut off East Carolina’s running game holding them to -15 yards total rushing yards for the game. Where’s Chris Johnson when you need him? Drew Donovan’s fantasy team. I can’t say that this game revealed many flaws in the Va. Tech team, but it was a little too close for comfort. 


3. Maryland/UNC (Maryland LW 4/ UNC LW 3) (Maryland 1-0/UNC 2-0)


Mitch: This is a well coached team. I love watching a new coach have his players believe in his system. I am not sure they have the talent to be better than my top four teams but they will be representing the ACC in a bowl somewhere. I hope they work their way through the bottom 3/4 of the conference and leave the top two teams alone. 


Chris: Maryland gets the benefit of having the week off and we don't get to see if we saw the real Maryland against Miami. We don't even know who the Miami team is that they beat on Labor Day. We still have a lot of questions about Maryland but we should get some answers this weekend when West Virginia comes to town. This should be a good game and could come down to quarterback play where I believe Maryland has the advantage with Danny O'Brien over West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. It also doesn't hurt that Maryland's new coach, Randy Edsall, spent the last few years coaching against WVU as the head coach at Connecticut. I don't know if this would be a huge upset but I think Maryland pulls it out at home this weekend. 

Pat: Sometimes, you have to fight it out to beat the tough teams. And that’s exactly what happened here. Carolina beat themselves. When you’re faced up against a talented team like Virginia Tech, Clemson or even Virginia next week, 5 turnovers, 3 of which come on your side of the field, won’t lead you to a victory. As well, the defensive back trouble is starting to show; 3^rd or 4^th and 15 should be automatic after two great downs, but indicative of the UNC style, 5 times did the Scarlet Knights convert on 3^rd or 4^th with 8+ yards to go. This could, however be a reflection of the tired defense who, because of all the turnovers and short drives, stayed on the field much longer than necessary. They’re going to need to work out some kinks going forward if they want to keep this winning streak alive. Is this a reflection of the developing coaching staff or a developing offense?


Chris: There's been a lot of talk between Pat and I about the best fight song in the country but I want to talk about the best song that deals with a state. There's "California Girls" (The Beach Boys) and "California Gurls" (Katy Perry) for the state of California, "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra) and "Empire State of Mind" (Jay-Z) for New York and the song "All My Exes Live in Texas" (George Strait) for the state of Texas. Obviously there are plenty of other songs that deal with states but North Carolina has the best song dedicated to their state, Petey Pablo's "Raise Up". As evidence I present it below for a short power ranking break.

                                                   (Grandma don't listen to that song)


5. Georgia Tech (LW 7) (2-0)


Chris: The passing game of Georgia Tech should scare the rest of the ACC. Mitch is about to argue against this but any growth in the passing game is great for GT. They passed for 214 yards and were able to run for another 382 yards. I know I am nervous that Georgia Tech is getting confident in the passing game and this will translate to the rest of the season. 


Mitch: A tough call for my number three spot but UNC took it over Georgia Tech. People have been excited about the passing game, however they played Western Carolina and Middle Tennessee University. Granted Tech is known for the triple option but any QB could have done well against the defenses the Jackets faced. Good for them. The real challenge is week 4 against the Heels. 


6.UVA (LW 8) (2-0)


Pat: With 10 minutes to go in the 3^rd quarter, this game looked over, but then both teams started trading turnovers. One of these turnovers helped Indiana take the lead in the 4^th quarter at 24-23. The Cavaliers regained composure and finished what they had started. But this begs the question, how did they get into this situation? Did they begin to relax a bit after stretching out to a 3 possession lead to begin the second half? Regardless, Indiana is too bad of a football team to be catching up that late in the game. As I’ve expressed so far this football season, I’m sold on the Wahoos, as far as they are compared to the rest of the ACC. Am I wrong or is this just another year where only 4 or 5 teams in the ACC are the only ones that deserve notoriety in the NCAA? They’ll have a good early season test next week in Chapel Hill.


Chris: UVA is establishing a running game and it is lead by Kevin Parks who has 5 touchdowns in the first two games. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and is just a Freshman. The improved recruiting by Mike London is already paying off for Virginia.


7. Clemson (LW 6) (2-0)


Pat: What happened here? Sorry to say, this game was pretty evenly matched throughout. Did Dabo have too much control during the game or practice? Like I said, I can’t completely jump on a talent-laden team like Clemson until they find someone to organize and lead the team from the sidelines. They better pick up the play before its time to start playing Division 1 teams. Clemson loses their next 3 by a wide margin.

Mitch: DABO! DABO! DABO! Wofford had them on the ropes in the first half but the tigers left them in the dust. I wonder what happens when they have an opponent who has more depth and athletes that Wofford? Seriously, Clemson I've seen this before....FSU 2005-2009. It starts with the coaching, so I blame Dabo and no one else. You should never struggle against Wofford. 

8. Miami (LW 9) (0-1)


Chris: Miami is still such a question mark. We have only seen them once this season and that was without 8 players that will play this season. We learn who they are this weekend when Ohio State comes down to Sun Life Stadium. Miami could take a huge jump in the Power Rankings after this weekend. 


Pat: Miami is leading the best of the ACC teams with losses. Probably because they (like Maryland) did not play this week. Every season I put my full confidence in a newly rejuvenated, headline-making ACC, and by week 2 I’m disappointed that my favorite team must compete, and more-often-than-not, lose to the sad display of college football that resides in the ACC. Miami lost last week, and will lose next week. But, for now, they’re showing against Maryland grants them access to the best of the worst.
 9. Wake Forest (LW 11) (1-1)


Chris: Wake Forest beat NC State last weekend and now I struggle with how to rank them. I don't really believe that Wake Forest is better than NC State but they beat them. Only time will tell about Wake but I don't expect this season to be good for them. They have a great coach but there is a talent difference and Wake just doesn't have the talent it did a few years ago. 


Mitch: My wife is a Wake Forest alum. I am so happy for her and the Deacs. Finding ways to win, or rather taking advantage of teams who find ways to lose, are unifying moments in a season. The Wolfpack opened the door and the Deacons walked through. Well done....trying not to get a Russell Wilson/Tom O'Brien dig in...trying not....


10. NC State (LW 5) (1-1)


Mitch: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahah....has anyone been watching what Russell Wilson is doing in Wisconsin? Hahahahahahahahahahahah you lost to Wake Forest. 


Chris: NC State has taken a huge tumble in the Power Rankings as they started the preseason at the third spot. I believed they could challenge FSU for the top of the Atlantic Division but I think that's done. You can't have silly loses to a bad Wake Forest team and hope to be ahead of FSU at the end of the year. I am not trying to say NC State's season is over, far from it, but this team has a lot of work to do. 


11. Boston College (LW 10) (0-2)


Pat: This team isn’t the worst in the ACC, but they’ve had significant loses to somewhat decent teams. Thus far into the season, it is not fair to doubt whether or not they’ve had the toughest competition, they have. But, they aren’t doing much to compete, especially not this week. Hey, at least you guys didn’t lose to Richmond like Duke did, again…


Chris: Boston College's problem is on offense. Through two games Boston College has 620 yards of total offense while their defense has let up 846 total yards. They aren't scoring, they aren't moving the ball and in turn they are really bad. This team might be worse than Duke. Hey we don't have to spend too much time debating who is worse they play this weekend!! ACC Football! Catch the Fever!


12. Duke (LW 12) (0-2)


Chris: Duke lost to Stanford in about the fashion we expected. Not a lot to say here it's actually their loss to Richmond from the week before that keeps them here. 


Mitch: Losing to Stanford is not an embarrassment. Stanford is a solid program. I hope Duke can do with their program what Stanford has done with theirs. Smart people can play football too, but until then, Duke will remain at the bottom of the pile. I thought about Boston College being here, but BC has better players so if these two teams played Boston College would have more "power" and that's why the Devils get the lower ranking in The Sports Party Power Rankings (TSPPR).

Thanks for your continued support of The Sports Party.