Today’s Topic:  College Football Preview - Teams in the Carolinas (#5-#1)

Mood Music:  Thunderstruck by AC/DC

COLLEGE FOOTBALL KICKS OFF TONIGHT!!!  Sorry it took a few days to finish this list, but unfortunately, it takes a while to compile this info.  I wanted to give you all some time to comment as opposed to just replying to an article.  I was pleasantly surpised in the number of comments that came through.  I really enjoyed chatting with everyone last Friday.  Keep em’ coming!!!!  Anyway, here are the Top 5 College Football teams (in my opinion) in the Carolinas this year:

5) North Carolina Tarheels – Chapel Hill, NC

Butch Davis led the Tarheels to a 4-8 season in his first year.  I’m willing to bet that he’s looking forward to vast improvement this year.  If the Tarheels can figure out how to win some close games in the conference this season, it shouldn’t be a tall order for them to make it to a bowl in Davis’ 2nd season.

Returning Starters on D:  6    Returning Starters on O:  9

Offensively, the Tarheels return their 5 leading receivers from last year, led by Junior Hakeem Nicks.  Nicks set a single-season school record with 74 catches and finished the season with 958 receiving yards (3rd highest total in school history).  He should only get better as a deep threat this year.  Another welcome addition (although not a new player) to the backfield is Greg Little.  Little started out as a receiver but finished last season rushing for 89 and 154 yards against Georgia Tech and Duke.  With all these guys returning, the biggest question on offense is gonna be at the QB position.  Can the Tarheels get solid play out of TJ Yates this season?  If the QB steps up and shows some of the poise and talent that he expressed more towards the beginning of last season, then the offense is going to surprise some people; if he plays more like he did towards the end of last year, there’s a chance Tarheel fans might see Mike Paulus or Cam Sexton.

Defensively, the Tarheels should be fine, but inexperience and lack of depth might rear up and bite them as the season progresses.  Safety Deunta Williams earned 1st Team Freshman All-American honors last season and linebacker Quan Sturdivant looks to replace Durell Mapp (the ACC’s 2nd leading tackler last year).  Still, the Tarheels finished 35th in the nation in total defense a year ago and you have to like their chances of improving upon that under Butch Davis’ tutelage.  Watch out for the Tarheels to stir it up and make a possible ACC Championship run in the weak Coastal Division.

Games of Note:  9/20 vs. Virginia Tech, 10/4 vs. Connecticut, 10/11 vs. Notre Dame

Recommended Entrance Song: No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne 

4) Appalachian State Mountaineers – Boone, NC

Here we go again.  3 National Titles later and the Mountaineers and Coach Jerry Moore look to win their 4th straight conference title along with a 4th straight National Title.  After last year’s colossal upset of Michigan, everyone will be keeping their eyes on their game against LSU on August 30th.  Including ESPN, who will televise the 5pm game.  Somehow I don’t think that LSU is gonna overlook the Mountaineers, but they’ve got some QB issues, and you just never know.

Returning Starters on D:  7    Returning Starters on O:  5

Don’t let the returning starters fool you.  The ones that do return are pretty damn good.  I don’t know that they are good enough to make another National Championship run, but they will give it another shot.  They are again led by all-world QB Armanti Edwards.  Edwards showed last year, that an unbelievably gifted QB can lead an outmatched team over a much larger, deeper program, in the Michigan game.  Look for more heroics from him this year, starting with the near impossible task of beating another Top Ten team to start the season.  Edwards rushed for over 1,500 yards last year and passed for nearly 2,000.  He set an NCAA QB record with 313 yards against Richmond.  Along with Edwards, Running Back Devon Moore looks to step into the vacancy left by ASU’s all-time leading rusher, Kevin Richardson.  Offensively, Edwards will set the table for receivers CoCo Hillary and TJ Courman.

Defensively, the Mountaineers are led by a ridiculously strong linebacking core in DJ Smith, Jacque Roman, and Pierre Banks.  Defensive Tackle Anthony Williams will also be someone to keep an eye on.  The front seven should be stout and it will be interesting to see if the game on 8/30 will build their confidence or shake it up.  Look for them to hold their on defensively throughout conference play.

Games of Note:  8/30 @ LSU, 10/4 vs. the Citadel, 10/31 vs. Wofford

Recommended Entrance Song:  Mountain Jam by the Allman Brothers

3) South Carolina Gamecocks – Columbia, SC

The ole’ ball coach has em’ getting fired up again in Columbia.  Will it be enough to translate into SEC success?  That depends on, surprisingly, what happens on offense.  It’s interesting to see how the offense has been the weak part of Spurrier’s teams at South Carolina when everyone wants to crown him an offensive genius.  If it weren’t for the defense last year, their season might have been much, much worse than 6-6.  I don’t know that there’s another team in the country with such lopsided talent on both sides of the ball.

Returning Starters on D:  10    Returning Starters on O:  3

Whew.  That’s a scary number of returners on a team that was already struggling last season offensively.  Well, one of those guys, WR Kenny McKinley will have the chance to make a huge impact if the Gamecocks can find a QB that will be able to get him the ball.  McKinley caught an SEC leading 77 passes last season for almost 1000 yards and 9 TDs.  He’s got a great chance to break most of South Carolina’s receiving records before the end of this season.  So who’s gonna get him the ball?  It will be 1 of 3 guys, Chris Smelley, Tommy Beecher, or Stephen Garcia.  Smelley is the guy with the most experience, but that experience is at best erratic.  It will be very interesting to see if the highly touted Garcia can stay out of trouble long enough to get a shot.  Mike Davis will try to fill Cory Boyd’s shoes at the RB position.

Defensively, these guys are gonna be pretty damn stout.  Take your pick of positions and they’ve got possible All-SEC, maybe All-American talent.  They are led by one of the best, if not the best linebacker in the SEC, Jasper Brinkley.  Brinkley was well on his way to becoming the best LB in the SEC last year when he went down with a season-ending knee injury.  Brinkley is joined by converted End Eric Norwood, who had 19.5 tackles for a loss last year.  On the defensive line, they are led by Defensive End Jordin Lindsey.  Captain Munnerlyn is a lockdown corner that helped South Carolina finish 4th in the country in pass defense last season.  That should continue, but to really excel they must improve their D against the run.  Look for the Gamecocks to surprise some people this year, just hopefully not UGA again.

Games of Note:  8/28 (TONIGHT) vs. NC State, 9/13 vs. Georgia, 11/29 @ Clemson

Recommended Entrance Song:  2001 — This one doesn’t need to change

2) Wake Forest Demon Deacons – Winston Salem, NC

Jim Grobe is back and so are the Deacs.  It’s gotta be one of the more amazing College Football stories of the last few years.  How do they continue to field top-notch teams that are still overlooked by almost everyone in the country?  Someone still needs to explain to me how they managed to win the ACC a few years back.  Either way you look at it, they did, and I can tell you that at least Clemson won’t be overlooking them this year. 

Returning Starters on D:  9    Returning Starters on O:  5

Riley Skinner has proven that he can lead the Deacs to an ACC Championship.  He’s proven that when he’s out, they struggle offensively and they will need him to stay healthy this year if they want a shot at returning to the ACC Championship.  Josh Adams returns in the backfield after rushing for 953 yards and 11 TDs as a redshirt freshman last season.  He might be joined in tandem by redshirt freshman Brandon Pendergrass.  They will need to replace leading receiver, Kenny Moore who caught 98 passes for 1,011 yards last season.  As with most teams this year it seems, the real weakness of Wake’s offense will be it’s offensive line.  3 starters are gone from last year and they will rely on the strength of their defense to carry them until the line can gel.

Speaking of defense, 9 starters return from a defense that was in the top 20 in run defense and pass efficiency defense last season.  Led by LB Aaron Curry and CB Alphonso Smith, the Demon Deacons Defense should Destroy opposing offenses.  Ok, sorry, that was bad.  Either way, Smith tied for the NCAA lead last year with 8 Ints and he returned 3 for TDs.  Paired with Brandon Ghee at the other corner, these 2 should make opposing QBs sweat the long ball.  The rest of the secondary returns as well as all the starting LBs.  If the defensive line can come together quickly, Wake should be ready when Clemson comes calling for a monumental game in Groves Stadium.

Games of Note:  8/30 @ Baylor, 10/9 vs. Clemson, 10/25 @ Miami

Recommended Entrance Song:  Demon Days by Gorillaz

AND NOW, FOR THE PRE-SEASON #1 TEAM IN THE CAROLINAS THIS SEASON…..DRUM ROLL…….ELLEN……..DRUM ROLL……..DRRRRRRR….DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR………..

1) Clemson Tigers – Clemson, SC

All you Clemson fans are welcome to kill me with comments over what I’m about to say, but I just can’t help myself.  Barring injuries, or some freak of nature involving the 1998 FSU team returning to possess the bodies of this year’s Seminoles…….it will be unacceptable if Clemson doesn’t make it to the ACC Championship Game this season.  Period.  I will say that there’s 1 other factor that must continue until after kickoff on Saturday night.  Tommy Bowden must not say anything about the talent of his football team.  Just keep it mum Tommy and ride the wave of a ridiculous backfield.  Jim Donnan went into a season ranked #9.  He said he had waited his whole life to coach a team that talented.  Well, he was fired after the season, let’s just say that.

Returning Starters on D:  7    Returning Starters on O:  7

Offensively, all Clemson needs is for the Offensive Line to gel before the Wake Forest game.  I know, I know, what about the Alabama game.  I will tell you all this right now…..if you are a Clemson fan, please listen closely, I wouldn’t even worry about what happens on Saturday night.  I know you’d love to beat Alabama and “Dick” Saban, but it has no bearing on your season whatsoever.  If you beat Alabama, you get bragging rights and still have a chance to win your division in the ACC.  If you lose to Alabama, you give them bragging rights and still have a chance to win your division in the ACC.  In fact, you will have the same chance.  That’s all you need to be worrying about.  Don’t take the Citadel for granted, but Clemson really is not gonna have to worry until 10/9 at Wake Forest.  If they have a loss before then (other than the Alabama game, which I expect them to win) then it will be very disappointing.  No offense to the Citadel, NC State, SC State, or Maryland.  Well, offense.  None of you possess even remotely the amount of talent that Clemson has on both sides of the ball.

They return Cullen Harper at the QB spot.  Harper quietly finished the season last year as the first Clemson QB since 1983 to lead the conference in passing efficiency.  Not too shabby considering Matt Ryan got all the accolades.  Well, this season the conference is his for the taking.  He is a Pre-Season All-America candidate and the best QB in the conference.  Behind him is arguably the best 1-2 punch in College Football in James Davis and CJ Spiller.  I’ve been arguing for years to let Davis get the bulk of the load, but everytime I say that, Spiller amazes me again by leaving some dude picking grass out of his nostrils from staring at the sideline.  I don’t know that there’s anyone better in the open field.  Think about this….in only 2 seasons with Clemson, Spiller has already scored 10 TDs from at least 50 yards, more than any player in school history.  Whoa.  At WR they return Aaron Kelly, who has a chance to finish his career at Clemson with more catches than any receiver in ACC history.  Just get him the ball and let him work.  Bottom line, if the O-Line is rolling by the time they hit Winston, the rest of the division will watch them blow by.

Defensively, the Tigers are led by the secondary, where they return all 4 starters that helped them finish 13th in the nation in pass-efficiency defense.  Safety Michael Hamlin and corner Chris Chancellor are potential All-ACC 1st Teamers.  At LB they will be led by Kavell Conner who finished last season with 15 tackles in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl.  The depth at LB is a little bit of a concern but if DE Ricky Sapp and newcomer DaQuan Bowers have anything to say about it, their pressure on opposing QBs should help that tremendously.  One more note:  Watch out for Jacoby Ford and Spiller on Special Teams.  With those guys returning kicks, that’s just one more element that Clemson will excel in. 

Like I said at the beginning, it will be nothing short of utter disappointment if Clemson doesn’t get to the ACC Championship this year, and in my opinion, it will cost Tommy Bowden his job.

Games of Note:  10/9 @ Wake Forest, 11/1 @ Boston College, 11/8 @ Florida State

Recommended Entrance Song:  Thunderstruck by AC/DC

So There you go.  My Top Ten Teams in the Carolinas.  If I left out a few teams that you felt should’ve been included, let me know.  One team that I had some comments about was the Citadel Bulldogs.  A friend of mine (let’s call him James) wanted to mention these guys.  To be honest, I don’t know too much about them and I chose to put Wofford ahead of both them and Elon because I have watched Wofford get overlooked for 5+ years in the SoCon, despite having damn good teams.  In the Citadel’s defense, a couple of notes for honorable mention:  Watch out for the tandem of QB Bart Blanchard and WR Andre Roberts.  Blanchard had a couple 3 TD performances last year and Roberts hauled in a school record 78 catches for 1,060 yards and 10 TDs as a sophomore.  Definitely another duo to keep an eye on in the Carolinas this year.  Thanks to everyone for reading this stuff and I’ll talk at you all again tomorrow.

“I was caught in the middle of a railroad track (THUNDER), I looked ’round and I knew there was no turning back (THUNDER)”