Preseason ACC Roundtable

by Martin Rickman on Sep 1, 2010 12:01 PM EDT

I am proud of the network of ACC bloggers that I've had the chance to get to know. Aside from some minor bickering and ribbing here and there, we share information, enjoy great discussions and just overall have a good time. So, needless to say, I was excited when it was decided that we'd get an ACC Roundtable on occasion. Brendan from From Old Virginia took the lead, something I'm sure a lot of us were just waiting for someone else to chime in and say "I'll do it!" So kudos to him. Find his questions after the jump and our answers, and look to a lot of the other ACC SBNation blogs to see what they have to say.

1. At UVA we have made wholesale changes to everything this past offseason: the coaching staff, the offense, the defense, the uniforms, even the color of the equipment shed. What change or changes on your own team are you most looking forward to watching play out on the field this season?

The new quarterback position and the impact that the freshmen will make this season overall. It's a clean sheet this year, which will mean frustrations, troubles, bumps and bruises, but also provides a lot of excitement and "what ifs." I always have this feeling that there's a fresh start whenever a new season starts, but we've now taken away every member of the most successful class in Wake history, and it is time for that new crop to start their story.

2. Who is the next ACC coach to get fired, and when? And if you think that's your own coach, who would you like to see replace him?

Simple, Butch. Or at least it's the way it should be. This NCAA thing, coupled with Butch's miscues in the past (as a Browns fan and a Wake fan, I can easily say Butch is on my most hated coach list), should be enough for UNC to realize that he is not the right fit. You can't have a scandal like that in your program and there will be sacrificial lambs. Davis should be one of them. And if they underachieve after their lofty expectations, it could come earlier rather than later.

3. How excited are you about your team's out-of-conferece lineup this year? How would you grade your program overall when it comes to scheduling OOC games?

I'm honestly happy. Stanford is a real test early, but the guys should learn a lot. The Presby game will allow the guys to work out the kinks and get some positive momentum. And Navy and Vanderbilt have been good OOC opponents for Wake. I like Vanderbilt as a cross-conference rival somewhat, but if they don't improve very much, I'd like to see us scrap that and find a better opponent. But I'm really stoked for some of the games in the next couple years.

4. What one player on your schedule (not in the ACC overall - your team's schedule only, and it doesn't have to be ACC) are you most worried will cause you pain and grief this year?

Hard to choose. I'm sure this is going to be a popular answer among us, but VT's Ryan Williams. He's a beast and our DL is a big question mark. If he can consistently break through into that second level, he could have a field day.

5. Conversely, provide us a little bulletin board material. Which team on your calendar are you absolutely positive that not only will you stomp their guts to China, but you'll gain the warmest, fuzziest feeling of immense satisfaction out of doing it?

Is it wrong to say Presbyterian? Yeah, it probably is. It won't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. It's expected. I don't know. I think a lot of games are going to be tough this year and there are no guaranteed wins. I think Maryland might be the best bet. They aren't very good, I love beating them, and I feel confident that it will happen.

6. It's been a loony offseason in the conference membership department, but the ACC sat out this round. Do you think the ACC is set at 12 teams for the long term? If not, which team(s) is/are most likely to be added, and which would you like to see?

I think things will stay the way they are for awhile. There's been criticisms of the ACC expansion for awhile, but I have been very happy with what the expansion teams have brought to the table in not only football, but basketball and the other sports as well. I'd like to see it stay the same.

7. Standard question for the finish: a) What do you expect out of your team, b) What kind of season would keep you content and happy, c) What kind of season would be a disappointment?

I expect growth and improvement throughout the year. I touched on this above, but I just want the guys to stay positive, get better and have something to hang their hat on at the end of the year, whether it is a strong finish, a big upset over a good team, or god willing, a bowl game. As long as they do that, I'll be happy.

Conversely, if the team gets down on themselves, regresses, there are a lot of injuries, fighting amongst the team, questionable coaching decisions or a complete collapse ending in 4 straight blowouts, well then I'd be disappointed.

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Team outlook

I agree, this year can be a bit of a rebuilding year as long as the team stays positive and works to improve. We have a ton of young players and I hope they can stay healthy and get plenty of reps in the ACC schedule to improve as the year goes on.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 1, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions