ACC Schedule Review

Consigliere

All-American
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Let's try this again, only focusing on the opponent please answer the following questions

Is the opponent better or worse in 2014?
Which schedule is more difficult?

1. Better or Worse

A. Louisville
B. Duke
C. GT
D. VT
E. FSU
F. UVA
G. Pitt
H. UNC

2. More difficult schedule

2013: GT, @ UNC, WF, @ FSU, VT, @ Duke, UVA and @ Pitt
2014: @ UL, Duke, @ GT, @ VT, UNC, FSU, @ UVA and Pitt
 
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Let's try this again, only focusing on the opponent please answer the following questions

Is the opponent better or worse in 2014?
Which schedule is more difficult?

1. Better or Worse

A. Louisville - Worse
B. Duke - Better
C. GT - Same they suck
D. VT - Worse
E. FSU - Better they suck the most, though
F. UVA - Same
G. Pitt - Same
H. UNC - A little better

2. More difficult schedule

2013: GT, @ UNC, WF, @ FSU, VT, @ Duke, UVA and @ Pitt
2014: @ UL, Duke, @ GT, @ VT, UNC, FSU, @ UVA and Pitt


They are the same IMO

.
 
1. Better or Worse

A. Louisville

Worse

Before the fact that they replaced the WHOLE coaching staff (remember Strong was a defensive minded guy), here is what they lost:

1. Bridgewater (nothing needs to be said),
2. Preston Brown (starting ILB, led team in tackles),
3. Damian Copeland (starting WR, 58 for 780 Yards and 5 TDs),
4. Calvin Pryor (starting Safety, possible 1st round pick)
5. Hakeem Smith (starting Safety, All-American Conf Team)
6. Marcus Smith (DE) and Brandon Dunn (DT) are gone. Smith had 18.5 TFL and 14.5 Sacks [2 against us], and
7. RBs (Perry and Dyer)

B. Duke [UPDATED AFTER TRANSFER]

Worse.

Brandon Connette has officially transferred, he was a major key to their offense (27 TDs last year). Also, they have a new OC (Scottie Montgomery who is a first time OC). In addition, on offense they lost Dave Harding (G), Perry Simmons (T), Jela Duncan (RB, leading rusher before suspension) and Juwan Thompson (RB, third leading rusher).

On defense they lost Kenny Anunike (DE), Justin Foxx (DE) and Sydney Sarmiento (DT) [who combined to start 109 games] Ross ****rell (CB) and Garett Patterson (CB)

C. GT

Worse and they lost some decent players (Jerry Attaochu (OLB/DE), Ray Beno (OL), Euclid Cummings (DT), Emmanuel Dieke (DE), Jay Finch (OL), Jemea Thomas (S), Brandon Watts (OLB) and Lou Young (CB))

D. VT

Worse and they had lost some good talent and some talent that just hurt us (Andrew Miller (OC), Logan Thomas (QB), DJ Coales (WR), JR Collins (DE), Antonie Exum (CB), Kyle Fuller (CB), James Gayle (DE), Derrick Hopkins (DT) and Jack Tyler (ILB))

E. FSU

Worse, I don't think they can repeat their success but in 2012 they lost a ton and in 2013 they won (The following players are gone: A TON but to sum it up quickly...#2 (Benjamin) and #3 WR (Shaw), #1 (Freeman) and #3 RB (Wilder), Center (Stork), 4 DL (Jernigan, McAllister, McDaniel and Hicks), 2 LB (Smith and Jones) and 2 DBs (Brooks and Joyner).

F. UVA

Better, but not much.

G. Pitt

Worse, they lost their best player (Aaron Donald).

H. UNC

Worse, they lost their best players (Ebron, Renner and Hurst) and some other notables (Tre Boston (S), Tim Jackson (DT), Kareem Martin (DE) and Jabari Price (CB).

2. More difficult schedule

2013: GT, @ UNC, WF, @ FSU, VT, @ Duke, UVA and @ Pitt
2014: @ UL, Duke, @ GT, @ VT, UNC, FSU, @ UVA and Pitt

GT, UNC, FSU, Duke, UVA, Pitt and VT are being played each year. Sub out WF for UL is clearly a more difficult game, especially because the game is at UL.

Location of game: GT indifferent, UNC indifferent, UVA indifferent, Duke indifferent and Pitt is indifferent

VT is worse this year but the game is at their stadium.

FSU is worse this year and the game is at home.

@ UL > WF

I would say the 2014 ACC schedule is more difficult but only slightly.
 
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VT still no Qb or RB or WR threat D is always good...we can beat them without mistakes

Duke....same so good game here at home...revenge game

UNC worse...EBRON was huge for them lost D players as well

FSU..Some...lost some key players but has depth..

Pitt same

Cincy...bad team good D

Louisville.....Same or lil worse

Neb same maybe better

UVA...better had a good class gut a stud or two that will play right away

GT as long as PJ is coach no worries
 
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Sig how do you see the season playing out, wins vs losses?

Granted until we go through spring ball it will be a huge swag. Take a swing.
 
VT still no Qb or RB or WR threat D is always good...we can beat them without mistakes

Cincy...bad team good D

Neb same maybe better

On these three specific games.

I think VT will be happy they LOST Logan Thomas in the end. Say hello to the Mark Leal era! He is a much smaller player but faster and likes to run. If he can develop some type of pass threat, he has the weapons available. Willie Byrn, Demitri Knowles and Joshua Stanford all had at least 600 receiving yards and combined for the majority of the receptions. In addition, TE Kalvin Cline is no slouch. They have some quality weapons on offense. The question mark is Mark Leal.

Remember the name Trey Edmunds (he had 4 TDs against us!), he had a pretty good season for a true freshman with 675 yards and 10 TDs. It has been some time since VT has had a 1000 yard rusher and this is a key ingredient to the Beamer system...a 1000 yard rusher.

I believe their crappy 2013 offense will score more points...now the defense

JR Collins (DE), Started and played in 12 games and an honorable mention All-ACC selection by the coaches
Antonie Exum (CB), very good player that came of an ACL injury. Started and played in 3 games.
Kyle Fuller (CB), another good player with some injuries who played in nine games, making eight starts. A second-team All-American by Walter Camp Foundation, Coaches First-Team All-ACC
James Gayle (DE), Started all 13 games, led the team with 34 hurries, also adding 44 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 6.0 sacks
Derrick Hopkins (DT) Started all 13 games and the last 40 in a row for his career, 2013 Third-Team All-American (Athlon and CBS Sports) and
Jack Tyler (ILB) Started all 13 games, Led the team with 100 tackles, including 10 for loss and four sacks and 2013 Second-Team All-ACC

They lost these guys and some of them were darn good. Bud is still in charge and while I expect the defense to be pretty good, I expect losing these players will be a little too much for them.


Even though Cincy and Nebraska are OOC, here are my thoughts

Cincy 9-4 (6-2) in the AAC (interesting Ls to USF, UNC and Illinois)

Here is who they lost:

Starting QB: Brendon Kay 262 for 395 3302 Yards (66.3%) and 22 TDs 12 INTs
and the Back-up QB: Munchie Legaux is trying to get a waiver to come back. If he doesn't get the waiver, remember the name Bennie Coney because he may get a chance to start.

The other big loss is Anthony McClung who is their best WR. He had 72 Receptions, 939 Yards and 5 TDs in the 2013.

Austen Bujnoch (OL), Blake Annen (TE), Greg Blair (ILB), Arryn Chenault (S), Deven Drane (CB), Sam Longo (OL), Dan Sprague (OL) and Jordan Stepp (DT) are all gone.

As for Nebraska, they are likely the most difficult OOC opponent at 9-4 (5-3).

Ameer Abdullah (RB) decided to stay for his senior season after rushing for 1600 Yards and 9 TDs.

Taylor Martinez (QB) is finally gone and on offense they also lost Quincy Enunwa (WR) who was their leading WR (51 for 753 and 12 TD), along with some O-lineman (Spencer Long, Andy Rodriguez, Brent Qvale and Jeremiah Sirles, they had 113 starts between them).

As for their defense, they lost some quality players Jason Ankrah (DE), Thad Randle (DT), Ciante Evans (CB, First-Team All-Big Ten), Drew Green (CB/S) and Stan Jean-Baptiste (CB, 2nd-Team All-Big Ten).
 
Sig how do you see the season playing out, wins vs losses?

Granted until we go through spring ball it will be a huge swag. Take a swing.

Any guess is going to be completely off and unreasonable.

Short answer, I don't have a farking clue. So draw a cartoon and help me out. 8-10 wins.

Long answer, bare with me.

Here is what I think would happen (via 3 assumptions)

1. The defense plays similar or slightly better,

Looking at the ACC only, here are your 2012 v. 2013 numbers

2013

Average Points Per Game: 33.0
Average Yards Per Game: 482
Offensive Turnovers: 15

2012

Average Points Per Game: 32.0
Average Yards Per Game: 505
Offensive Turnovers: 9

Numbers were almost identical but offensive turnovers are up a lot. Perhaps helping the defense is the best way to help this team.

2. That the schedule overall is harder,

Relevant OOC in 2013: UF and @ USF
Relevant OOC in 2014: @ Nebraska and Cinn
ACC Difference: Trade @ Louisville for Wake

2014 will be harder. Who actually knows in the end? Nobody saw FSU have that type of season or UF having those injuries and their season that followed. Duke came out of nowhere and won 10 games, that won't happen in 2014.

3. That Ryan Williams can be more of a game manager, hit the TEs, limit TO and keep the offense on the field. I won't miss Morris overall, I am ready for new blood.

Those are the three biggest assumptions IMO.

I believe that sounds like 8 or 9 wins during the regular season with this staff. We know what to expect from the defense but the offense wasn't so great. Perhaps if they limit turnovers (see VT) and moved the ball when needed (Duke and VT), then we can score some more points.

What do you think?
 
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Good stuff Sig.

Who do you see stepping up and having a big season on O and D? Any new names (other than R. Williams) or the same characters...Duke, Perryman?
 
Good stuff Sig.

Who do you see stepping up and having a big season on O and D? Any new names (other than R. Williams) or the same characters...Duke, Perryman?

Honestly, I have nothing to say about the defense other than I am glad that Highsmith and Rodgers are out of eligibility.

As for the offense, people knock Duke and don't appreciate the guy.

Through 8 games, he had 145 rushes for 920 yards and 6 TDs. Over 12 games (no bowl game), we're talking about close to 1400 rushing yards and 10 TDs. Everyone knows Duke, let's just hope he heals properly. I think he is gone after this season, so I expect him to have a big year.

Other lesser known names, Felicano is really good. Curious to see if he starts at tackle or guard. I think it depends on if Gall and Isadora can hold down the guard spots. I expect him (Felicano) to have a good season.

Look at the TEs to have much better years, I expect Sandland and Walford to have 1000 yards and 10 TDs combined with Ryan Williams. In addition, we all know Coley is a stud...nothing needs to be said about him. The player to watch at WR is Scott, if he is behaved and on the team, I could see him having a big year.

Hopefully Ryan Williams can make his reads and hit the players above. A lot riding on him this season as the Rd-Sr.
 
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Let's try this again, only focusing on the opponent please answer the following questions

Is the opponent better or worse in 2014?
Which schedule is more difficult?

1. Better or Worse

A. Louisville
They lose their two difference makers on each side of the ball in Bridgewater and Smith plus their is a coaching change. I see no reason why we shouldn't beat them

B. Duke
They will be the same and I don't see the talent level changing. However, it was clear the last two years that they lacked the athleticism and speed to contain Duke in 2012 and Stacy in 2013. If both are healthy for 2014's matchup we will have a much easier time in 2014
C. GT
Same - GT presents the same challenge to me every year and that has not been a problem for the recent cane teams
D. VT
Worse - They lose a lot on defense, much more than they will gain from improvements on the offensive side of the ball
E. FSU
Same - They will have the best offense we will face out of any 2014 opponent. The defense loses key players but they will reload. The key to if their defense will underperform relative to 2013 depends on the quality of DC they bring in
F. UVA
Better - due to good recruiting but they still should be at the bottom of coastal even with improvement
G. Pitt
Worse - the offense will be the same but they lose their one big time playmaker on an already bad defense
H. UNC
Slightly worse - I think they will be about the same as they were in their late season performance however Ebron was a Cane killer last year and he's gone
2. More difficult schedule

2013: GT, @ UNC, WF, @ FSU, VT, @ Duke, UVA and @ Pitt
2014: @ UL, Duke, @ GT, @ VT, UNC, FSU, @ UVA and Pitt

I think overall 2013 and 2014 are both easy schedules and there is no excuse given the roster talent now going into 2014 to not win the coastal
 
Don't worry about the opponents, everyone outcoaches and outschemes our staff, and any idiot pulled out of the stands right before the game, and put in as QB lights us up for 500+ yards offense.

Worry about us.


We have no QB, we have no coaching, we have no defense, our pet's HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!
 
Also we play our three toughest ACC games at home this year in UNC, Duke and FSU. And with a bye before VT and FSU. Imo like I said from a national perspective this is an easy schedule with only one real test. No excuse to not win the coastal
 
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One thing about Golden, his teams come to play at home!

(Oh wait, they show up as flat as they do on the road)

:(
 
Also we play our three toughest ACC games at home this year in UNC, Duke and FSU. And with a bye before VT and FSU. Imo like I said from a national perspective this is an easy schedule with only one real test. No excuse to not win the coastal

Our ACC schedule is set up rather nicely this year.

The only real disadvantage is playing at UL for the first game (we traded this game for WF). The good news is UL need to replace an elite QB, a full new coaching staff and a ton of talent, the bad news is we're also replacing a QB.

UNC lost some good players and the game is at home. Again, it we didn't turn the ball over 4 times and lose Duke Johnson for most of the game.

Duke didn't have serious losses but the game is at home. I also don't expect them to repeat 10 wins, hopefully having Duke Johnson back (healthy) is what we really need.

As for the VT game, it is on the road but we have 12 days to prepare for them on Thursday night. VT has a game the prior week at Pitt. Also, having Duke Johnson back would help us greatly.

We have 14 days to prepare for FSU at home. FSU has a game the week before against UVA.

In terms of difficulty (most to least), I would say the following:

1. FSU

2. @VT or @UL

3. Duke or UNC
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The other ACC teams are pretty pathetic

@ UVA, @ GT and Pitt

I would say VT is our greatest competition for the Coastal. Again, their ACC schedule is bigger joke as they don't play Clemson, UL or FSU.
 
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