Friedlander: Week 1 in the ACC is here, so here’s what I’ll be thinking about all week
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The purpose of an appetizer, as its name suggests, is to stimulate the appetite as a preview for the main course to come.
In that case, then Georgia Tech-Florida State did its job.
As if we weren’t already jacked up for the return of college football, the classic down-to-the-wire battle between the Yellow Jackets and Seminoles in Dublin, Ireland last Saturday served as the perfect intro for the season’s actual opening weekend.
It starts with 3 games Thursday and runs all the way through Labor Day Monday. And while all eyes will be on the epic clash of titans between Clemson and Georgia on Saturday, it’s hardly the only tasty entree on the menu.
My tummy is already rumbling in anticipation of the feast, including these ACC things I’ll be thinking about all week:
What are the chances either Georgia Tech or Florida State suffer an Irish hangover?
Week 0 was fun.
At least it was for Georgia Tech and those of us desperate for a football fix.
But like most overindulges, there’s a price to pay in the morning. And jetlag from the long flight home from Ireland isn’t the only challenge facing the Yellow Jackets and Seminoles.
Because of the way the game played out, with Tech pulling off a 24-21 upset, the emotional recovery for both teams might be more of an issue than the physical bounce-back of a quick turnaround.
The Yellow Jackets will have to come down quickly from the high of upsetting a top-10 opponent and avoid becoming an upset victim themselves. Against Georgia State, a crosstown rival who would love nothing better than to proclaim superiority over their higher-profile Atlanta neighbor.
The Seminoles’ task is even more complicated. Not only will they be under pressure to avoid an 0-2 start in the ACC that would make a return to the conference championship game unlikely – against a Boston College team that gave them a major scare last season – but Mike Norvell and his staff don’t have long to make needed adjustments to their offensive and defensive lines.
At least they’ll have 2 extra days to prepare, with the game not scheduled until Labor Day Monday.
Here’s your chance to force Finebaum to say something nice about you, ACC
The SEC’s loudest and most influential mouthpiece didn’t waste any time piling on FSU after Saturday’s loss, suggesting that the Seminoles will have to file a lawsuit to get into this year’s College Football Playoff.
So you know he’s licking his chops in anticipation of even more ACC bashing with 2 high-profile games against SEC teams on the Week 1 schedule. Especially the matchup between a Miami team being hyped as a Playoff contender against a Florida squad just trying not to get its coach fired. The other game is a Saturday afternoon showdown between Clemson and Georgia in Atlanta. Virginia Tech is playing at Vanderbilt in a 3rd ACC-SEC clash.
The Hurricanes head to Gainesville as a slight favorite. But like FSU in Ireland last Saturday, they have a lot of new pieces playing together for the first time. Most notably transfer quarterback Cam Ward.
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers, on the other hand, are a double-digit underdog against the Bulldogs. They’re going to need their 5-star freshman receivers to grow up fast against one of the nation’s best defenses and hope quarterback Cade Klubnik doesn’t turn the ball over – something he’s prone to doing – to have any shot at pulling off what would be an upset of epic proportions. Georgia hasn’t lost a regular-season game since 2020.
Among the major talking points at the ACC’s preseason event is that the league needs its own version of Paul Finebaum to create a more positive narrative for the conference. Instead, maybe the league should just win these games against the SEC and force the real thing to say something nice about it.
Carolina’s QB carousel
Mack Brown has indicated that Max Johnson and Conner Harrell will likely take snaps in Thursday’s opener at Minnesota. He’s spinning that as it’s a positive since neither of Drake Maye’s potential replacements has separated themselves during preseason camp.
But it’s more of a red flag that neither has played well enough to win the job. Johnson is a traditional drop-back passer with an NFL pedigree who has started games at Texas A&M and LSU. But he doesn’t have an exceptionally strong arm and he’s been prone to making bad decisions.
Harrell has spent the past 2 seasons as an understudy who fared well against West Virginia in his first career start after Maye opted out of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last December. He’s long on talent, but short on experience.
And if neither can get the job done, insurance policy Jacolby Criswell is waiting in the wings to take his shot.
Chances are all 3 will end up playing before the season is done. The secret to anybody keeping the job is simple: Hand the ball off to Omarion Hampton – a lot – and make that when you throw the ball, throw it to the right team.
California dreaming or a bi-coastal nightmare? What to expect from the ACC’s new West Coast entries?
SMU didn’t exactly distinguish itself in its ACC debut on Saturday. But at least the Mustangs got their act together in time to rally for a closer-than-it-should-have-been 29-24 win at Nevada. Now it’s Cal’s and Stanford’s turn to make a first impression as members of the conference.
What should we expect from the new West Coast entries?
The Cardinal will officially open up the league’s Western front when they host TCU on Friday night in Berkeley.
The Horned Frogs are only a shadow of the team that played in the national championship game 2 seasons ago. But they’re still a formidable opening game opponent and a good measuring stick for how much Stanford has improved for its 2nd season under Troy Taylor.
Cal has a much better chance at a winning start against FCS foe Cal Davis. It’s an early opportunity for the Bears to work their large class of transfers into the lineup and build some momentum in advance of next week’s trip to Auburn.
A whole new flock of Cardinals
Jeff Brohm made a splash in his first season back at his alma mater by winning 10 games and getting Louisville to the ACC Championship Game.
So what does he do for an encore?
Saturday’s opener against Austin Peay probably won’t produce a definitive answer. But at least we can get a glimpse of what to expect from the new-look Cardinals against an opponent that should give them plenty of opportunity to spread their wings and fly.
Brohm has retooled his roster with a 31-man transfer class that has been ranked among the top 10 nationally. It’s a group that should have its biggest impact on the offensive side of the ball. Tyler Shough, a 25-year-old with 6 seasons of college experience at Oregon and Texas Tech, replaces Jack Plummer at quarterback.
He’ll be flanked in the backfield by former Miami running back Donald Chaney Jr., and his receiving corps is stocked with newcomers Ja’Corey Brooks from Alabama, Caullin Lacy from South Alabama and tight end Mark Redman from San Diego State – although Lacy is sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone.
A defensive line anchored by All-ACC edge rusher Ashton Gillotte is anchored by newcomers Jordan Guerad from FIU and Thor Griffith from Harvard while a veteran secondary has gotten outside help in the form of UCF cornerback Corey Thornton.
There are a lot of moving parts for Brohm and his staff to fit together. But they’ll have time to work out the kinks against Austin Peay and Jacksonville State before jumping into the ACC against Georgia Tech.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
