The sudden stardom of Navy fullback Jamale Carothers has been described as “surprising” and an “eye-opener.” Here are two better words: “unsinkable” and “unfazed.” Unfazed by a lack of Power 5 scholarship offers that came his way out of Bowling Green High in Kentucky, especially after the numbers he put up his senior year in …
Monthly Archive: November 2019
Nov
11
2019
Justin Fuente’s great escape carries a cautionary note
Give @MattZemek a twitter follow and check out his musings on college sports at https://www.patreon.com/Zemek. Three years ago, in 2016, would you have imagined a world in which the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were favored over the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, in November, and the idea of a Virginia Tech win would rate as an uncertain prospect? …
Nov
10
2019
What is the biggest reason for Miami’s improved play? | answered by @mattzemek
Give @MattZemek a twitter follow and check out his musings on college sports at https://www.patreon.com/Zemek. QUESTION: What is the biggest reason for Miami’s improved play? The long-term outlook for the Miami Hurricanes certainly has improved over the past few weeks. A season which seemed in danger of missing a bowl game now looks like an 8-4 season. …
Nov
10
2019
With Clemson locked in top 4, who gets 4th spot?
When the initial playoff rankings came out, Clemson was ranked #5. A stunning and equally laughable ranking for anyone that follows college football. That said that’s where they stood, with the likelihood that the results would sort themselves out. Still it opened the door to the committee doing the unthinkable and leaving an undefeated Clemson …
Nov
09
2019
Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster doing some of his best coaching in his final season
Virginia Tech on September 27 sat 2-2 after a humiliating 45-10 home loss to Duke. Justin Fuente seat was getting warm, and some wondered if Bud Foster had lost his touch. The Hokies looked like one of the ACC’s worst teams, and that’s saying a lot in this year’s ACC. A hopeful bounceback year was …
Nov
09
2019
Articles Around the #ACC Blogosphere – November 9, 2019
ACCPrescription has their reaction to the first college football playoff rankings. Georgia Tech got a surprising 82-81 road win at NC State. What did FromtheRumbleSeat say about the win? Duke got a huge 66-64 win over a top 5 Kansas team. DukeBasketballReport says the Blue Devils showed a lot in the win. RubbingtheRock is concerning …
Nov
07
2019
Ranking the Power 5 Football Conferences after Week 10 with Playoff Analysis
While the playoff committee doesn’t rank the power 5 conference, there is no way conference strength – which means OOC results doesn’t figure in to a committee members thought process. Let me point out on my philosophy on these rankings – your most recent OOC results count a lot, and you’ll see me reference that …
Nov
06
2019
Who is in the ACC’s chase for the Orange Bowl? 11/6/2018 Edition
The Orange Bowl will select the highest ranked non-playoff ACC Team. Clemson (9-0, 6-0) Just avoid a loss, and Clemson will not be going to the Orange Bowl. Believe me they have no interest in that game. They have their sights on bigger prizes. This week they face NC State. Wake Forest (7-1, 6-1) Here’s …
Nov
05
2019
ACC Power Rankings After Week 10
Week 10 did not disappoint, delivering some nail-biters, as well as a few unexpected outcomes. So how did these results impact our weekly power rankings? Here’s the latest installment: 14. Syracuse Last Week: 14 The Orange got beat by 31 at home by a team that entered the game with a losing record in conference …
Nov
04
2019
Duke Basketball assembles a new trio with defensive pressure
DURHAM – Duke basketball again confronts teams with a formidable trio, although it’s not comprised of one-and-done NBA draft picks like a year ago. This trio doesn’t require a hot shooting hand or drives to the basket to have a big night. Its defensive hands create a road block to the basket. The Blue Devils …
Nov
04
2019
Bryce Perkins saves his team’s season against North Carolina
One of the core limitations of life is that you don’t always get what you want. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have large appetites and far-reaching aspirations. It means that while we might want to achieve richly, we live in a world of imperfection. It means that while we shoot for the stars, we live …
Nov
03
2019
It’s Time for NC State football to Make Some Changes
NC State is coming off a beating. Actually NC State is coming off back to back beatings, with a bye week in between. The offense hasn’t looked very good and the defense has looked worse. The ineptitude of the offense can be explained away by the loss of 3 offensive linemen, a 1,000-yard rusher, …
Nov
03
2019
Can Florida State fans find one positive in Willie Taggart’s tenure? | answered by @mattzemek
Give @MattZemek a twitter follow and check out his musings on college sports at https://www.patreon.com/Zemek. Editor Note – Willie Taggart was fired late Sunday, and suddenly we have a retrospective… QUESTION: Can Florida State fans find one positive in Willie Taggart’s tenure? This question is powerful for the simple reason that it needs to be asked in the …
Nov
02
2019
The Best Twitter Reactions to the Week 10 ACC games.
Pittsburgh 20 Georgia Tech 10 Pitt had 3 turnovers and a block punt and gave up 10 points. This defense is something man — Pitt Basketball Partisan (@TheRyNKing) November 2, 2019 this offense is the college football equivalent of jabbing forks into your thighs — Carter, the Georgia Tech tweeter (@MagnaCarterLive) November 2, 2019 Clemson …
Nov
01
2019
Ranking the Power 5 Football Conferences after Week 9 with Playoff Analysis
While the playoff committee doesn’t rank the power 5 conference, there is no way conference strength – which means OOC results doesn’t figure in to a committee members thought process. Let me point out on my philosophy on these rankings – your most recent OOC results count a lot, and you’ll see me reference that …
Nov
01
2019
ACC hoops forces students to attend early conference meetings
Give @MattZemek a twitter follow and check out his musings on college sports at https://www.patreon.com/Zemek. John Chaney, the legendary former basketball coach of the Temple Owls — quite possibly the best coach in the history of college basketball who never made the Final Four — used to have his players practice before six in the morning. It was …