Your ACC Kickoff primer (mine too)
8 things to keep in mind ahead of the ACC’s football media days. (I didn’t get to 10 because Notre Dame left and divisions are back)
Now the calendar shifts to football season.
And here comes the reminder that the beginning of college football season is often referred to as “silly season.”
These are the days of cliché quotes and unbridled optimism. Everybody is undefeated and most teams talk like they’ll stay that way through December. Every team has a better culture because of its current coach; every team is going to replace a departed star with a “next-man-up mentality.” The players have been “getting after it” in offseason conditioning programs and (insert second- or third-year reserve) is ready to take the next step. People act like the “returning starters” stat automatically translates to wins.
Unless Larry Fedora comes back to tell us what his three-star general buddies think about kickoffs, this week’s ACC Kickoff in Charlotte will focus on all of the above.
And that’s completely fine! This event is always a good dive into football season and it’ll be nice to have one again, after COVID-19 cancelled last year’s event.
Here’s a quick primer for this week, with storylines to track, reminders of what to take seriously and what not to get worked up about, and things to keep in mind when you see headlines emerging from Charlotte:
1. Media predicted standings
Wake Forest has never been picked to finish better than fifth — and that was one time, in 2017 — in the ACC preseason media poll during Dave Clawson’s tenure.
It’s best to prepare yourself now for the Deacons to be picked around that spot again, despite returning all but two starters.
Wake Forest has finished better than its projection in all but one of Clawson’s seven seasons. The exception is last year, when the ACC scrapped the divisional format and the Deacons were picked to finish 10th.
They finished 10th — and you can tumble down the hypothetical rabbit hole thinking about the Deacons being 7-for-7 in exceeding expectations if they’d played Duke and/or Florida State instead of having those games cancelled.
But here’s the thing: Who cares about preseason projections?
(well, I guess I do, since I’m writing this)
Anybody who’s credentialed for ACC Kickoff can submit a ballot. And let me tell you, there are some … hmm, how to put this … questionable picks made every year. I can recall one year a Virginia QB (not Bryce Perkins) getting a preseason Player of the Year vote and not even winning the starting job the next month.
This is the wide-open vote; the one at the end of the year is obviously more significant, and it’s more exclusive.
2. Preseason All-ACC
I mean, for the most part, see above.
This is the media vote where you can see bias toward certain teams, because certain teams have a legion of media covering them and others, well, simply don’t.
I doubt I need to spell out which category Wake Forest falls into.
This isn’t so much a popularity contest as it’s simply a measure of “vote for who you know, not necessarily who deserves it.” It’s unfortunate but as long as the ACC allows anybody who’s credentialed to vote, it’s going to happen.
Wake Forest won’t — or shouldn’t — exactly be shut out here. Jaquarii Roberson is a known commodity and with three WR spots on the All-ACC team, should be picked. Nick Andersen’s national fame doesn’t hurt here, either. Nick Sciba should receive votes, but doesn’t receive enough recognition for his accuracy.
The end-of-year vote has restrictions and every team gets the same number of votes to distribute to its media.
Again, that’s the one to take seriously.
3. The ‘Returning QB’ factor
I’ve had a theory for a few years now that people in the college football atmosphere — fans and media alike — are affected by a form of amnesia in the months between February and August.
Call it Returning QB Amnesia.
(If you’ve got a better suggestion for what to call this, I’m all ears.)
There’s this tendency to overhype and overrate teams that have a returning QB. The hype grows exponentially for a few different factors: if the team involved is Texas or Michigan; if the QB is a two- or three-year starter; if the QB is landing on the early Heisman projections.
By the same token, there’s a tendency to overlook and underrate teams that don’t have an established quarterback — Clemson and D.J. Uiagalelei are the exception. Somehow in these long offseason months, it’s a bad thing if a team has a QB battle. Look no further than Wake Forest entering the 2019 season with Sam Hartman or Jamie Newman as the starting QB — picked sixth, finished third.
Don’t fall victim to either aspect.
Yes, quarterback is the most-important position on a football team. Yes, you better have at least a good one if you’re going to have a great season.
But at the risk of getting too corny here, it’s a team sport. You can overachieve with mediocre QB play in the right system, or by excelling in other facets. You can fall short of expectations with an experienced QB.
Sam Howell isn’t going to be out there preventing points, ya know?
4. Getting back on track
It’s no secret that the pandemic summer — and varying dates that schools allowed players to return to campus — played a significant factor in stunting the strength and conditioning development at certain schools last year.
Wake Forest, if you haven’t heard, is a developmental program. Losing that time in the spring and summer had a lasting impact through the season and into spring practices.
So that makes this summer — still not back to normal but a hell of a lot closer to it than this time a year ago — paramount for every team, but especially the developmental ones, to get back on track in the weight room.
5. Questions will be answered
… well, as much as they can be.
ACC Kickoff can be a good time to talk to Clawson about the previous point, where the Deacons’ physical health is. We can hear about newcomers Christian Turner, Luiji Vilain and not-so-new Terrance Davis, and how they’re fitting in.
We can get health updates — again, as much as Clawson is willing to disclose — on some players coming off of injuries from last season or from the spring. Nasir Greer’s health is arguably the single biggest question mark heading into the season.
Through the platitudes and cliché culture quotes and optimism — yuck, says this cynic — there’s substance in this event.
6. Questions will remain
The only way Wake Forest will complete its good-to-great mantra is if its able to finish the season strong. The past five seasons have established the Deacons as a tough opponent, one capable of beating almost every ACC team — but have seen the Deacons go 10-14 in the months of November and December, combined.
Wake Forest isn’t winning any late-season games in July.
ACC Kickoff is a great diving-in point to the season, as noted. But it’s also worth noting that everybody comes away from this event undefeated — other than, arguably, Fedora a few years back — and we’re not going to truly know about the fabric of these teams for at least another six weeks.
So, deep breaths. There’s a long way to go.
7. NIL maneuvering
Whether you like it or not, the amateurism model has been shattered.
Wake Forest has several athletes who have signed up with brands to take advantage of the NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities available to them. One of the cool aspects of this, at least to me, is that a couple of players — Tyriq Hardimon and Ja’Sir Taylor — have signed on with The Biggest Underdog, the brand of former Wake Forest safety Cameron Glenn.
I’ll admit to being a little surprised Hartman hasn’t announced any such deals — but he’s been busy, going to the Manning Passing Academy last week.
Prepare yourselves for stories this week about NIL takes and COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
8. Will Dabo Swinney quit?
He said he was going to quit college coaching if players ever got paid.
He said it! He’s gotta leave! Don’t let him into ACC Kickoff!
You think he’s going to the Jaguars after they go 3-14 on the field, 0-12 against the NFLPA with Urban Meyer? Or maybe he winds up in the same place as Deshaun Watson?
I mean one thing is certain, he’s gotta leave Clemson. And he should be required to take Brent Venables with him.
(please don’t take this item *too* seriously)
Welcome back, football.
What an entertaining, informative read! Great way to start a day!
Very nice and I don’t miss notre dame at all.