NCAA Football FanHouse

Old School: The 1947 Sugar Bowl

Brian Cook — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:33:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Football, UNC Football, ACC, SEC

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

Old School usually consists highlight clips of relatively recent games, but thanks to the University of Georgia's media archive department the entire 1947 Sugar Bowl is now online and streaming:

That, obviously, is not the entire game. Hoo-boy, those would be some pissed of guys in hats if it was. This is the entire game. If you dig the era when "football" was defiantly pronounced as two words, coaches regarded the forrward pass as deadly poison, and guys like Georgia's Charley Trippi played quarterback, receiver, running back, punt returner, kick returner, linebacker, and punter, this is your jam, man.

Georgia would beat North Carolina 20-10, finishing a perfect 10-0 but losing out on the national title to Notre Dame. Georgia's official site takes a distinctly non-'Bama tack when discussing the potential screwjob, highlighting the team but setting Georgia's two "consensus" national champions apart.

Old School: The 1947 Sugar Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 13 May 2008 20:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Carolina Mascot Killed by Heir

Charles Rich — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, NCAA FB Campus

It doesn't get the attention of Ralphie or Bevo, but UNC has their own live mascot for football games. A blue horned ram named Rameses. Well, they are given the title of Rameses after they take the mantle.

The latest is actually named Pablo, but will now be known as Rameses XVIII. The 3 year-old ram ascended by killing his father -- the now deceased Rameses XVII.

Rameses and Pablo shared a field at Hogan's farm outside Carrboro. On April 13, they butted heads, as rams are occasionally wont. This particular collision was so jarring that it snapped off one of the older ram's horns.

An infection set-in and despite the antibiotics, it wasn't enough. Rameses died 10 days later. Say what you want about a ram as opposed to a buffalo or a steer with regards to intimidation factors on the sideline. There is something fearsome about a mascot that takes over after killing the predecessor.

It's an 84 year tradition of one line of rams, that has apparently blown through them over the years. Admittedly nature plays a role. The lifespan of a ram averages only 10 years or so.

North Carolina Mascot Killed by Heir originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNC Football Players Allegedly Assaulted

Bill Maloney — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:14:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS

In an unusual -- and still developing story -- WRAL is reporting that three North Carolina Football players were sexually assaulted this past weekend in a Chapel Hill apartment complex. The players met the accused (three women and one man) in a local bar and then proceeded back to the apartment. Police were later called to the scene and found the players tied and bound, two in their underwear and the other still clothed.

The players names are not being released and the North Carolina Athletic Department is not saying anything beyond, "We're aware of the situation but we don't have enough information yet."

The accused have been arrested and are claiming the encounter was consensual.

For Butch Davis, who saw one of his players murdered while at Miami, this most be a scary reminder to how vulnerable these young athletes are.

UNC Football Players Allegedly Assaulted originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three Make UCLA Short List

Scott Olin Schmidt — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, Pac 10, Boise State Football, NCAA FB Coaching, Los Angeles, Texas Tech Football

Spurning the advances of former Bruin Rick Neuheisel, UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero has narrowed his list of candidates for the football head coaching job to three.

According to both local papers, the next football coach in Westwood will be Boise State's Chris Petersen, Texas Tech's Mike Leach or the NFL Network's Steve Mariucci. Petersen is said to be the favorite, but the notoriously stingy University may opt for Mariucci, as he has no contract that needs to be bought out.

There's only one little problem: Guerrero has yet to dump current head coach Karl Dorrell. In fact, Dorrell is quoted in the University's official press release regarding the Las Vegas Bowl, saying, "UCLA is extremely happy to be playing in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl." I guess he has a point, because the way this season went, Dorrell should be happy to be in a bowl at all!

Given his 5-1 record against Dorrell, it should come as little surprise that USC coach Pete Carroll is coming across as Karl's greatest fan, imploring fans and the University to, "Give him a friggin' break."

Three Make UCLA Short List originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Butch Davis Isn't Going Anywhere

Bill Maloney — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS, Arkansas Football

One of the bigger names in college football is stepping off of the coaching carousel even before things get going. Butch Davis and North Carolina agreed to an extension to his current deal with the school, making it highly unlikely he will leave for a bigger and better job this offseason.

Davis was the hot name to take the (not yet officially vacant) Arkansas job. Leaving Chapel Hill after one year would have rubbed a some recruits and fans the wrong way but the allure of returning to his alma mater was strong for Davis. However, North Carolina might be a better job than taking over the Razorbacks. UNC offers deep pockets, decent recruiting territories and low expectations. Sure, basketball will always be king in the Triangle, but Mack Brown showed you can win as the head Heel.

Arkansas is a different story. Not only are you trying to win in the ultra-competitive SEC. You're also subject to mega scrutiny. (Remember fans filing petitions to see Houston Nutt's text messages?) It might take a season or two to turn things around, but Davis made the right call.

Butch Davis Isn't Going Anywhere originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNC Looks to Expand Stadium

Ian Cohen — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Campus

The Butch Davis-to-Arkansas rumors may not have a lot of credibility to them, but as long as they keep popping up, you have to wonder if he's using them as leverage to create UNC's program in his own image. All year, he's been beating the drum for expansion of Kenan Stadium, and at this Monday's press conference, he set a number to it: 8,000-10,000.

On the one hand, you have the "if you build it they will come" frame of mind. Though UNC is currently 3-8 and rarely in danger of stuffing Kenan beyond its 60,000 capacity, Davis' recruiting classes and non-Browns coaching history suggest that the Tar Heels could be back at Mack Brown Era-levels sooner as opposed to later. And even though Virginia suffered (or still suffers) a similar reputation as being a wine and cheese type of crowd, the expansion of Scott Stadium in 2000 has hardly resulted in scores of empty seats. Davis is aware of this situation:

"Just draw a circle around Chapel Hill, anything inside of 250 miles: Virginia's done it, Virginia Tech's done it, Clemson's done it, Tennesee's done it, South Carolina's done it. So all of the people you're competing for on the eastern seaboard, that's what everybody has done,'' he said. "And they've incorporated the academics ... into their stadium expansion, and that's one of the goals and objectives for us, as well."

Anything jump out to you? I'd reckon that UNC has little trouble with its academic profile or its cash flow...although I can say that UVA's stadium expansion directly led to me getting that B- in Indian Film & Music I needed to fulfill my major's requirements. Mere button-pushing or a honest to goodness attempt to mold UNC into a football power?

UNC Looks to Expand Stadium originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNC- Bizarro Virginia?

Ian Cohen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:05:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

No one was expecting UNC to win a lot of games this year. Last season's squad was hardly a juggernaut, and they came into 2007 with little resembling a 2007 solution, even if Butch Davis' hire resulted in a staggering recruiting class. You can't say they haven't played to expectations: the Tar Heels currently sit at 3-8 (albeit with a matchup with Duke remaining), besting James Madison and winning their two other matchups against Miami and Maryland by a total of eight points.

But that doesn't really tell the whole story. Virginia's made headlines for setting an NCAA record for most games won by two points or less, whereas UNC has been on the receiving end of Lady Luck's ramrod, losing six contests by seven points or less (keep them in mind for 2008's sleeper teams). No doubt it must be frustrating, but I'm not sure it's to the point where Butch Davis deserves to get his contract questioned on a weekly basis less than one year in just because the Arkansas job is likely to be open. I mean, when you look at what Houston Nutt went through, is it that much more attractive that having a blank check and a blank slate in Chapel Hill?

UNC- Bizarro Virginia? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anyone Remember Wake Forest?

Charles Rich — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, Wake Forest Football

Defending ACC Champion? One of the good stories in college football last year? Anyone? Ring a bell?

Well, don't look now, but the Demon Deacons, after a slow, sloppy start to the season have now won 6 straight. They've reached 6-2 and are 4-1 in the ACC. Their only losses were an opening day loss to #2 Boston College and a then ranked Nebraska the following week.

Today Wake Forest blasted North Carolina 37-10. The Demon Deacons actually had less yardage than the Tar Heels. The difference was that UNC had 3 turnovers that Wake Forest took advantage of and scored, along with a kickoff returned 98 yards for a score.

Wake is following the same system as last year. They have a solid, opportunistic defense and the offense doesn't make mistakes. They may not be able to get back to the ACC Championship game without BC losing 2 games, but the Demon Deacons are still going to finish as one of the top teams in the ACC over Florida State and likely other "name" schools in the ACC.

Anyone Remember Wake Forest? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Is No One Paying Attention to the ACC?

Bill Maloney — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, UNC Football, Virginia Football, ACC, BCS

Media bias and college football go hand in hand. "We get no respect," "Our conference is ten times tougher than theirs," "ESPN hates us" are familiar refrains on every message board and on many blogs. Most of these paranoid ramblings come off as half-cocked. Occasionally someone will hit the nail on the head - like ACC Football Report did in this recap.

The national storyline on the ACC is that it is an inferior football product and that Miami and Florida State are a shell of their former selves. The 'Canes and 'Noles are struggling, but as Marcus from AFR points out the ACC continues to get the short end of the stick when compared to their neighbors in the SEC.

His points:

1. Is the SEC really as strong the pundits are proclaiming? No one seemed to care when an SEC power struggled with an ACC basement dweller, like South Carolina did this past weekend in Chapel Hill.
2. A 6-1 SEC team would get much more attention than Virginia is getting. Sure the opening loss to Wyoming looks bad, but Groh's team has recovered in a big way and have won a series of tight games. Despite their hot streak, the 'Hoos just broke into the Top 25 polls this week.
3. Would Jeff Jagodzinski's work go unnoticed in the SEC? The rookie BC coach is off to the best start of any first time coach in the country. Is anyone paying attention?

Ideally everything would be decided on the field, but this is college football. Perception means a lot. The Heisman and the National Championship are greatly influenced by the type of coverage a team and its conference gets. And in a crowded landscape stereotypes often override actual accomplishment. So as long as Florida State and Miami struggle the rest of the college football world is going to overlook the ACC.

Why Is No One Paying Attention to the ACC? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checking Up On The New ACC Coaches

Bill Maloney — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Miami Football, NC State Football, UNC Football, ACC, BCS

Four ACC teams entered the season under new head coaches. The expectations for the new men in charge varied from pundit to pundit and program to program. With the season at its midpoint, it seems like a good time to check each honcho's progress.

Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College
What people were saying before the season: After eight seasons away from the college game, Jags might have the steepest learning curve. It was also questioned if he'd be able to fill Tom O'Brien's shoes.
What they are saying now: Hmm, maybe this guy can coach? There are still many who are questioning how much of BC's current success should be credited to Jags and how much to the senior-laden team left behind by O'Brien.
Prognosis: Jags is clearly off to the best start of any new coach in college football. BC's schedule gets considerably tougher down the stretch. If he gets the Eagles to the ACC championship he'll probably be named ACC coach of the year.

Butch Davis, North Carolina
What people were saying before the season: Outside of the rich guy in Tuscaloosa, Davis might have been the best offseason hire in college football. It will take him a few seasons to build a winner, but he'll recruit like crazy to Chapel Hill.
What they are saying now: Maybe Butch will have this team in a bowl by next season.
Prognosis: Davis has only won two games this season, but has had the Heels competitive in nearly every outing. If they build off of their win over Miami, he could finish the season competing for the ACC's final bowl slot.

Randy Shannon, Miami
What people were saying before the season: A true 'Cane who will get Miami football back on track.
What they are saying now: Things still feel a lot like the Coker era. When Miami trounced Texas A&M on national TV, it seemed like they had put their embarrassing loss to Oklahoma behind them. But as last week's meltdown against UNC showed, the 'Canes are still very inconsistent and the defense is not the dominating unit it was in Miami's best seasons.
Prognosis: Most first time head coaches would love to be 4-2 right now. But Miami is a whole different ball game. Expectations are much higher. Shannon needs to regroup and show that the North Carolina loss was one speed bump en route to bringing Miami back to the top.

Tom O'Brien, NC State
What people were saying before the season: Not the high profile hire like Davis, but the perfect fit for NC State. Someone who can restore order and consistency after the mess left by Chuck Amato.
What they are saying now: This might be the worst season in NC State history. O'Brien style with Amato's recruits is a square peg for a round hole.
Prognosis: With the rash of injuries this team has suffered, 2007 might be a lost cause. But O'Brien's early recruiting has been solid and he should turn NC State around. It just might take longer than people thought...a lot longer.

Checking Up On The New ACC Coaches originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNC's Davis Losing Sleep Over South Carolina

Ian Cohen — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:22:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, SEC, BCS, South Carolina Football, NCAA FB Coaching

Check your calendars, folks: New Jack Swing's only coming back at VH1 awards shows and a win over South Carolina, as opposed to Miami, is a program-maker. So while it was certainly a surprise to see North Carolina dash out to a 27-point lead that they would not relinquish against the Hurricanes, Butch Davis can really make a statement about his own team and the ACC's ability to hang with the SEC in places other than the Music City Bowl with a win against South Carolina this weekend.

As a matter of fact, Davis regressed from his usual press conference statements to genuflect on Spurrier, saying that they're gameplanning 10-20% more than usual. I imagine this quantifies that Steve Spurrier is 120% of the head coach that Al Groh or Randy Shannon is, but that's neither here nor there;

They spent time together at the Senior Bowl when Spurrier was with the Washington Redskins and Davis was coaching the Cleveland Browns. So Davis knows him well enough to be concerned about how Spurrier will try to confuse the inexperienced Tar Heels.

"There's less sleep this week than last week," Davis said. "You have to cover so many bases."

I don't know about you, but the memory of Kelly Holcomb and Patrick Ramsey is exactly what it takes to get my blood a-boilin' for pigskin excitement. Okay...so they're proving they might be the better USC in 2007. And a loss to juggernaut LSU aside, they've got impressive show n prove wins against UK and UGA. It's certainly going to be tough going for UNC, whose biggest strength (they've really aired it out thus far) is likely to be negated by the Gamecocks' top-ranked pass defense.

But as much as UNC has become enamored with Davis, can they really withstand this considering Spurrier gives a top-25 vote to Duke every year?

UNC's Davis Losing Sleep Over South Carolina originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Comebacks Fall Short in the Early Games

Charles Rich — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Tech Football, Maryland Football, Miami Football, UNC Football, ACC

Coming out of the locker rooms in the second half, an unnamed Miami assistant coach spoke to the ESPN2 sideline reporter off camera. He told him essentially to, "have batteries in the mic ready because they're going to make the greatest comeback ever." Have to admit to dismissing that statement as foolish bravado considering what happened in the first half. The joke was almost on me as Miami actually made a tremendous second half effort.

The Hurricanes scored 20 unanswered points on 3 TD passes in the third quarter to pull within 7, before QB Kyle Wright reverted back to Kyle Wright. He threw two more interceptions in the 4th quarter to kill -- I mean, kill -- Miami drives and hopes. UNC was only able to get a couple FGs out of them, but it put the game out of reach. Miami scored a rather meaningless TD with a little over a minute left in the game. UNC and Butch Davis won the game 33-27 for their first win over Miami since 2004.

Meanwhile Georgia Tech put itself in an early hole against Maryland.

The Yellow Jackets were down 21-3 with under a minute left in the first half when the GT defense drilled Maryland QB Chris Turner for a sack and fumble that was returned for 32 yards and a TD. That put the score at a slightly more manageable deficit. Until then, the Terrapins had dictated everything about the game.

Back-up QB Chris Turner had the start for the injured Jordan Steffy and looked solid. He wasn't outstanding, but he didn't make many mistakes. The Maryland defense was able to keep the Yellow Jackets from getting much to work.

Georgia Tech took their opening possession in the second half and took it right down the field to pull within 4 points, 21-17. Maryland, though, answered right away to extend the lead back to 11. That touchdown was the difference.

GT got a field goal and then added a TD halfway through the 4th quarter. The Yellow Jackets were not able to convert the 2-point attempt and remained behind 28-26. The Terrapins went 3 and out, Georgia Tech marched down the field in a time-consuming drive. They got to the Maryland 25 with more than 2 minutes left.

GT couldn't get any further, and found themselves losing yardage with a costly holding penalty. It forced a 52 yard FG attempt with a minute left. The kick was long enough but stayed just to the right. Maryland was able to hold on for the win.

ACC Comebacks Fall Short in the Early Games originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Isn't the Way to Make Miami Forget Butch

Charles Rich — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:53:00 EST

Filed under: Miami Football, UNC Football, ACC

With the obvious storyline and Pam Ward beating it into the ground, it has to be addressed. The Tar Heels were fired up and ready to play this game. The Hurricanes, by contrast were not very focused. Whether it was Butch Davis really wanting it or his players wanting it for him against his old team or not, North Carolina has been aggressive and the superior team today.

It also didn't help that the same problem for Miami the last couple years seemed to reach epic proportions in this game. Absolutely hideous QB plays. Kyle Wright threw two killer picks, but Kirby Freeman was hardly any better. Three and outs were the predominant theme for the Miami offense. By the end of the half it was hard to say whether the Miami defense had just quit or were too tired to tackle. Randy Shannon has looked helpless on the sidelines.

UNC holds a 27-0 halftime lead and nothing from Miami suggests a comeback is in the offing.

This Isn't the Way to Make Miami Forget Butch originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Paulus: The Tar Heel QB Of The Future...Tomorrow

Ian Cohen — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:19:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS

For all the hoopla surrounding Butch Davis and his accompanying recruiting cachet, there was at the very least, an admission that 2007 would be a bit rocky, if not altogether worse than the lamentable 2006 season. This is what happens when your most experienced QB got moved to wide receiver and he's a white guy.

But help appeared to be on the way in the form of Mike Paulus, brother of Duke point guard Greg Paulus. Perhaps scared off by Greg's hardwood quarterbacking, Davis decided to hand things over to the slightly more experienced T.J. Yates. Besides having the name of a Scotch enthusiast, Yates has helped the UNC offense become one of the most explosive, if not winning offenses in the otherwise stone age ACC. Over the first three games, he's averaging over 300 YPG, well on his way to smashing freshman records once held by Darian Durant, more fondly remembered by the Tar Heel faithful for not being Joe Dailey. And it's not like these stats are totally fattened up by cupcakes; Virginia returned almost all of its starters from the 17th-ranked defense in the country, and you saw how much trouble East Carolina gave VT. Perhaps the true test will come when UNC finally faces a BCS-level team this weekend in their tilt with South Florida.

Mike Paulus: The Tar Heel QB Of The Future...Tomorrow originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Refs: "No More Missed Field Goals...We Promise"

Bill Maloney — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Video

Many football penalties are subjective. On pass interference an official must decide if the ball was catchable. Holding could be called on nearly every play, so a ref must decide if the actual hold impacted the action. With so much going on and so much scrutiny and criticism, you would think that the officials would relish the opportunity to call a field goal. All you need to do is see if the ball goes through the uprights. Easy, right? As you can see, not so much...

The ACC is obviously embarrassed that the back judge was flinching instead of watching the ball. They proudly point to the call being overturned as a sign that things work. Plus they have a state of the art video center where every game is reviewed and graded.

The conference concedes that despite all the technology there will be mistakes in the future. As punishment, I recommend making the bumbling back judge watch some of these sloppy games again in his free time.

ACC Refs: "No More Missed Field Goals...We Promise" originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memo To The ACC Commissioner

Nathan Fowler — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:58:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Football, Georgia Tech Football, UNC Football, Virginia Football, ACC

To: John Swofford

Copy: Doug Rhoads

Subject: If you want to be a real football league

Mr. Swofford, it has become clear in the past several years that you wish to see the ACC join the ranks of the premier conferences in the country in football as well as in basketball. The poaching of the Big East ruined the perfect home and home basketball schedule that had made the ACC so special in hoops for years in return for a supposedly improved football product. Instead, ACC football has been something of a joke as the vaunted Florida teams have fallen apart.

It's not just the play on the field that's been putrid though, it's the entire ACC product - and in particular the complete incompetence of ACC officiating. This is a chronic problem that your office has refused to address, and instead subjected us fans to a number of mind-numbingly poorly officiated games with bizarre calls and complete lack of control over game situations. There's a reason that the two worst onfield brawls in recent years have occurred at ACC stadiums (USC and Clemson in '04, FIU and Miami in '06) - in fact, because of your insistence on using terribly inexperienced and frankly just bad officiating crews, I'm almost surprised that number isn't higher.

This Saturday was a perfect example of the total failure of your office to provide quality referees to ACC games. Early in the day during the Virginia at UNC game, one of the simplest calls in all of football (whether or not a field goal is good) was completely blown when the official responsible for the left upright was looking straight at the ground and ducking instead of tracking the flight of the ball. How the other official under the goalpost also managed to blow the call is inexplicable, short of being blind. Thankfully replay rightfully fixed the mistake, but the fact it was even needed was stunning.

That was just the appetizer though, as the main course of awful officiating came during what should have been a showcase game for the ACC. It's not been very often that you have had the chance to show a game between two top 25 ACC teams in primetime to a national TV audience - so assigning the best officiating crew in the conference would have made sense for the Boston College at Georgia Tech game. Oh, you had to send them to Miami because of your complete failure last year to provide even decent officials for the FIU game.

Instead, the ACC's first chance to shine in the public spotlight this year received a referee crew led by a guy who was doing Division 1 FCS Subdivision (wow, is that a mouthful) and Division 2 games. Nothing against Tom DeJoseph, but there was no reason he should have been the referee for such an important league game - Liberty v. St. Paul is much more his speed. Fans were treated to one of the worst overall officiated games in recent memory, with phantom pass interference and holding calls on both teams that continually stunted any momentum in the game, a blatantly missed replay challenge and a fumble call - thankfully fixed by replay, hooray on the 50% replay accuracy! - when the ball carrier was clearly on the ground. It was clear to everyone on both sidelines, in the stands and on TV that this crew had absolutely no clue what was going and no control over the game. Extracuricular activity on the field? Check. Crowd discontent and trash thrown on the field? Check. Embarrassing display by the ACC again on national TV? Check.

How on earth do you expect anyone to take this conference seriously as a football league when you can't provide the basic functions required of the league office? The ACC is clearly the worst officiated league in the country, and has been for several years - the crap you fed us fans last week was just the tip of the iceberg (ask Clemson and Maryland fans about their game in '06, for example). What is it going to take to fix this problem? An onfield brawl? Check that, a second onfield brawl? Um ... I mean a third onfield brawl?

Your conference has a serious credibility problem, and you need to fix it. NOW.

Memo To The ACC Commissioner originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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East Carolina Is A Better ACC Team Than Most ACC Teams

Ian Cohen — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:54:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, Conference USA, BCS, East Carolina Football

There were two things we learned during the East Carolina/Virginia Tech tilt that opened the season. One: Virginia Tech isn't the tenth-best team in the country when Sean Glennon is the quarterback. Two: East Carolina is doing a better job of being a competitive ACC team than most of the conference's charter members. Don't get me wrong- it's not like this is some new jack program coming out of the Sun Belt to pull shocking upsets against titans of football competence. But in the "get enough conference wins to get a plane ticket to Boise or San Francisco" sort of way, the Pirates are definitely passing muster.

Witness last season: ECU snagged two conference wins against NC State and Virginia, and they were rather convincing. Granted, both NC State and UVA were teams that missed out on the postseason, but both were prone to multi-week spans of bowl-team level competence. And now this year; a close loss on the road to a team that America as a whole was rooting for, and this past weekend's result, a 37-34 win against Butch Davis' UNC squad, which has shown surprising amounts of friskiness on the offensive front.

It's worth wondering if this is just another example of the ACC failing to take care in what they wish for. First, Jim Swofford pirated Miami and Virginia Tech and then Boston College for (let's face it) 95% football reasons, leaving many to wonder aloud whether the Big East even deserved a BCS bid. Now, in Louisville (fresh off a rather symbolic shaming of Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl), West Virginia (passed over for ACC expansion because it supposedly didn't fit the conference's academic profile) and Rutgers (during Greg Schiano's initial recruiting classes, Virginia in particular found itself embarrassed for losing prospects to them), they have three more legit title contenders than the ACC, with South Florida making serious gains. But a Conference USA team that hasn't been ranked since, I dunno, Jeff Blake's heyday? (EDIT: ECU was ranked #23 in 1995, three years after Jeff Blake was drafted). Should the ACC sit out the BCS out of shame this year, like when Notre Dame turned down stuff like the Independence Bowl?

East Carolina Is A Better ACC Team Than Most ACC Teams originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Second Best Team in North Carolina

Charles Rich — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:08:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, Conference USA, East Carolina Football

Quick, name the only teams from the state of North Carolina with wins over 1-A teams. Yes, Appalachian State is one of them, but the other team is East Carolina.

Duke, Wake Forest and NC State are all 0-2. UNC beat 1-AA James Madison last week. Tonight East Carolina knocked off UNC 34-31 with a 39-yard field goal as the clock expired. Kicker Ben Hartman had gone an abysmal 1-4 -- missing kicks of 30, 32 and 37 yards. Then he hits the game-winner for the obligatory redemption storyline.

The final drive for East Carolina appeared to be aided by UNC Head Coach Butch Davis forgetting he wasn't still in the NFL as he had the defense drop into a prevent. East Carolina took advantage and moved from the UNC 47 to the 21 in the final 51 seconds.

A huge win for East Carolina as they notch their second win all-time against UNC. Their first win against UNC since 1975. Greenville will be a good place to be tonight.

The Second Best Team in North Carolina originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Football Preview '07: The Dregs

Bill Maloney — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:12:00 EST

Filed under: NC State Football, UNC Football, ACC, Duke Football

Given the parity of the past few seasons, it is not safe to call an ACC team The Dregs. But these are the three teams that have the lowest expectations entering the new season. Although we are writing them off here, no one would be surprised to see UNC or NC State improve this year. The only sure thing about this group is that Duke will suck.

Duke

Last Year: 0-12 overall, 0-8 ACC

Why They'll Win: Experience. Unfortunately the only thing these guys are experienced in is losing. But there is hope. Duke's offense, with 11 returning starters, should score more this season. The Blue Devils were not blown out like you'd expect a winless team to be. With the increased offensive production and just a little change in luck they should win a game or two. The most winnable games on the schedule are UConn and Navy. But if you're Duke even one win would be an improvement, hence they are the dreggiest of the dregs.

Why They Won't: The schedule. Whoever is making the schedule for the Blue Devils is not doing them any favors. They are one of the few teams not playing one DIAA team. They only have five home games. Their out of conference schedule includes three BCS teams and a very scrappy Navy. There is no gimme on the whole list. Duke could be 100% better than last year and still end up without a win due to the improved competition.

Prognosis: Duke is bound to win a game this year. After a while the odds would say that they'll put it all together just when another team is having an off day. Roof has done some good things and put together his best team. If they can get to two wins people will be tearing down goalposts in Durham.

North Carolina

Last year: 3-9 overall, 2-6 ACC

Why They'll Win: Butch Davis. Nick Saban turned the most heads with his move to Alabama, but Davis might have been the best hire of the offseason. He's rebuilt programs before, is a tireless recruiter and a great defensive coach. While his full impact won't be seen on the field for a few seasons, his presence and respected staff should make enough of a difference to help improve the previously floundering Tar Heels.

Why They Won't: Talent. Davis' acumen is much needed in Chapel Hill because right now the roster is very thin on experience and talent. UNC returns just nine starters (five on offense, four on defense). There isn't enough talent to compete with the best of the ACC which will make winning rare.

Prognosis: The schedule is forgiving so there is a real chance UNC will improve on last season's win total. East Carolina and USF are winnable. James Madison is a sure thing. And it is not unreasonable to expect UNC to get three wins from their stretch against UVA, Wake, Maryland, NC State and Duke. The Tar Heels won't go bowling this year, but they will definitely be better.

North Carolina State

Last season: 3-9 overall, 2-6 ACC

Why They'll Win: Talent and coaching. Former NC State Chuck Amato may have lacked when it came to play calling, but he was certainly a good recruiter. New coach Tom O'Brien inherits a team with many playmakers including the talented backfield of Andre Brown and Tony Baker. The talent combined with the increased coaching competency should turn some of last season's narrow losses into wins.

Why They Won't: Quarterback play. New offensive coordinator Dana Bible's scheme calls on the QB to make quick decisions and accurate throws. When it works it can elevate a player to all conference (see Matt Ryan). When it doesn't, it can be a frustrating, stagnant mess. Unfortunately for Pack fans there isn't a Matt Ryan on the roster. Daniel Evans, Harrison Beck and Justin Burke are all competing for the starting role and none have distinguished himself so far. If none of them are able to grasp the new offense, NC State will have a hard time improving on last season's win total.

Prognosis: The schedule is tough with only Wofford as a sure thing. But even with the growing pains of the new staff NC State has enough talent to beat any team on their schedule. Look for Tom O'Brien to pull an upset or two and the Pack to make babysteps back to respectability.

ACC Football Preview '07: The Dregs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Extreme Stadium Makeover at UNC?

Bill Maloney — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Gossip

North Carolina's Kenan Memorial Stadium is one of the most picturesque settings in college football. Set amidst a series tall pines and usually filled with Carolina Blue patrons, the stadium doesn't intimidate but does give off a certain unique vibe. So what do you do when you have one of the coolest and prettiest stadiums in the sport? Why not muck it all up and nonsensically enclose it with a potential dome!

I understand Carolina is going big time with Butch Davis, but turn the dome funds into a charter jet for recruiting or pay for some high profile assistants. This is all at the spitballing stage and most likely will just mean enclosing only the endzone with seating. Whatever they do, hopefully they'll keep the esthetic that makes North Carolina football unique.

Extreme Stadium Makeover at UNC? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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