By
Pete Fiutak
Atlantic
Division
Boston
College Spring
practice starts March 18, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Can QB Matt Ryan grow from a
solid passer to an All-ACC caliber star? Known more for getting his
block knocked off in the Clemson game than for leading the Eagles to a
great first season in the ACC, Ryan has to build on his great 256-yard,
three touchdown performance in the win over Boise State in the MPC
Computers Bowl. This is his team and he has to be the leader from
practice one.
The most important position to watch is ... Wide
receiver. The offensive line will be a strength and Ryan should be fine,
but he needs receivers to throw to. Will Blackmon, Larry Lester, and
tight end Chris Miller are gone, so Tony Gonzalez and Jason Lilly have
to prove they can be reliable targets. Gonzalez has to be a consistent
deep threat, or at least prove he can get deep once in a while.
Spring attitude... Be even more of a big player in the ACC
race. It'll be asking for too much to win the Atlantic with road games
at Florida State and Miami, but the Eagles have to win the close games
against everyone else to be in the hunt. Clemson, the other really
strong Atlantic team along with FSU and BC, comes to Boston for the ACC
opener on September 9th. The Eagles have to win this game to have any
hope of winning the ACC, which means they need to use every spring
practice, every summer practice, and the season opener at Ohio, to
prepare to come out roaring.
Clemson Spring
practice starts March 4, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can Will Proctor be the type
of quarterback who can lead the team to an ACC title? Clemson was
involved in seven games decided by a touchdown or less losing four of
them. Charlie Whitehurst was good, but Proctor has to be better if the
Tigers are going to take the next step and play for the championship.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive
lineman. Charles Bennett, Cory Groover and Trey Tate are gone off a rock
solid defensive line that was great against the run. End Gained Adams
returns to lead a young line that needs several young players to step up
and shine right away. Last year's freshmen, who provided the depth last
year, have to be this year's star sophomores.
Spring attitude... Continue to be good in all phases and hope
good things come from it. Outside of the punting game, there weren't any
major weaknesses on the 2005 Tigers. The offense was balanced, the
defense finished 20th in the nation and 11th in scoring D, and PK Jad
Dean was tremendously clutch. As long as the team doesn't fall off the
map in any one area this spring, this summer can be used to become even
more explosive on both sides of the ball.
Florida State Spring
practice starts March 13, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can offensive coordinator Jeff
Bowden really get the job done? Blasted by several segments of Nole fans
over the last few years, Bowden has to prove he can do more with an
offense that finished last in the ACC in rushing (but first in passing)
and 59th in the country in scoring. He has weapons to work with, and now
he has to create a more balanced attack.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive
lineman. Injuries and inconsistency on the line turned out to be a
killer for the running game and almost got QB Drew Weatherford killed,
but those problems could turn into positives in 2006. Jacky Claude can grow into an anchor at left
guard, and tackles David Overmyer and Mario Henderson can become big
factors. The better the line gets this spring, the closer FSU's offense
will get to being like the old FSU offense.
Spring attitude... Act like the ACC champion. Florida State
doesn't have to apologize to anyone for winning the ACC title last year
despite a four-loss regular season. There are a ton of big holes to fill
on defense, but the offense should be better and, as always, there are
great young talents to build around. Opening day is at Miami, and
everyone saw what happened in last year's ugly slopfest between the two
superpowers when they weren't really ready. If FSU wins that, it'll be
favored in every game the rest of the way with only a road trip to NC
State and a season ender against Florida to worry about.
Maryland
Spring practice starts April 1, Spring Game April 29
The big spring question is ... Will Ralph Friedgen be able to
regain the magic? Expect there to be more of a sense of urgency and more
intense practices after a few down years, but there's a lot to be
excited about with a good offensive backfield and a sound defense. Also
important to note is how sharp QB Sam Hollenbach is. He can't be off
because there are major problems at ...
The most important position to watch is ... Receiver. With
All-America tight end Vernon Davis leaving early for the NFL, that means
the top four receivers from last year are gone. The Terps had the ACC's
second best passing attack last year, (behind Florida State) and now it
loses 160 catches, 2,352 yards and 13 touchdowns from the big four. Drew
Weatherly needs to be the main target right away.
Spring attitude... Focus, focus, focus. With tune-up games
against William & Mary and MTSU before the road trip West Virginia,
there's time to get everything in place before the Terps have to shine.
Getting back to a bowl game is a top priority, but with five nasty road
games (West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Clemson and Boston
College) along with home dates with Florida State and Miami, Maryland
had better be supremely confident. That starts with good practices.
NC State
Spring practice starts March 14, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can Marcus Stone become a
real, live ACC-caliber quarterback? Now a junior, Stone has got to be
far more consistent after fewer than half his passes with eight
touchdowns and six interceptions, but he occasionally showed a nice deep
arm and played well in important games against Maryland and South
Florida. The defense will be worse than last year, so Stone and the
offense had better be a whole bunch better.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive end.
The loss of playmaking LB Stephen Tulloch and CB Marcus Hudson hurts,
but the loss top five-caliber draft pick Mario Williams and right end
Manny Lawson will be a killer. James Martin had better be a force right
off the bat this spring after only making eight tackles as a back up
behind Williams.
Spring attitude... Fundamentals have to be stressed from day
one. NC State was awful last year when it came to penalties and was
118th in the nation in third down conversion completing a horrendous
25.5% of its chances. The ACC is too tough, and NC State isn't good
enough, for the little things not to be sound.
Wake Forest
Spring practice starts March 15, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can Ben Mauk generate more of
a passing game? Wake Forest led the ACC in rushing last year, and should
be close again with Micah Andrews ready to shine in place of Chris
Barclay, but QB Ben Mauk has to become a consistent passer and Nate
Morton has to be even more of a weapon as the team's top receiver. If
Mauk is good this year, Wake Forest will be a major thorn in the side of
other Atlantic teams.
The most important position to watch is ... Punter. Ryan
Plackemeier led the Demon Deacon punting game to the nation's top spot
averaging 41.38 yards per kick. Field position is a big deal for all
teams, but it's even more important for a running team like Wake Forest.
There isn't a designated punter on the spring roster, so the job is wide
open.
Spring attitude... All the experience has to take the team to
another level, and it has to happen right away. Everyone returns on
defense and the losses are minimal on offense as long as Andrews plays
as expected. Jim Grobe's club has an honest shot at a 5-0 start playing
Syracuse, Duke, at Connecticut, at Ole Miss and Liberty, but that only
happens if all the experience turns into more production. With a tough
second half of the season, being flawless to start the year is vital.
Coastal
Division
Duke Spring
practice starts March 25, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Can the team ever, ever, ever,
ever, ever score? The Blue Devils finished second-to-last in the nation
in total offense averaging less than one yard per game more than Temple.
Scoring against D-I teams was a bigger issue averaging 13.7 points per
game, but things got a little bit better by the end of the year.
Offensive playmakers must be found in the spring session, especially at
....
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Mike
Schneider has been given opportunity after opportunity, but he doesn't
appear to be the answer. Zack Asack got his feet wet last year and has
to show more accuracy after only completing 50% of his throws. Marcus
Jones will be given every shot to take over the job.
Spring attitude... Speed bump time is over. After finishing
dead last in the ACC in every important category other than rushing,
Duke has to find something to build on this spring. There has to be one
thing that it does really, really well that can throw a scare into an
ACC team or two. The schedule is way too nasty to think about a bowl
game, but being more competitive is an important step.
Georgia Tech
Spring practice starts March 29, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Will Reggie Ball ever be
consistent? Just good enough to not lose his job over the last few
years, Ball has shown good mobility and an excellent ability to come
through in the clutch, but he can be painful at times completing fewer
than half his passes with 37 career touchdowns and 41 interceptions. He
has one of the nation's best receivers to work with in Calvin Johnson
and a great ground game to fall back on. If he can make the jump up and
become a 65% passer, Tech will be a factor in the Coastal race.
The most important position to watch is ... Number two
receiver. The secondary will need the most attention losing three
defensive backs, but there's talent there to hope things won't be too
bad. Finding a reliable second target to take the heat off Johnson is
vital. Ball spent way too much time focusing on getting the ball to his
star receiver, and then spent too much time trying to get the ball to
other receivers while using Johnson as a decoy. It would be nice if
James Johnson became more vital to the attack than Damarius Bilbo was.
Spring attitude... It's time to win the Coastal Division. The
defense will once again be strong, and there's more than enough talent
on offense to be better 103rd in the nation in scoring. There's a tough
game at Virginia Tech to deal with, but Georgia Tech showed last year
that it can win big games on the road with victories at Auburn and
Miami. The Canes come to Atlanta, and the games against Atlantic teams
aren't too bad missing Florida State and Boston College.
Miami
The big spring question is ... How will all the new coaches
fit in? Head man Larry Coker knows how important this year is, and he
needs his new hires to quickly make Miami a national title contender
again. Rich Olson returns as offensive coordinator after leading the
attack in the glory days of the early 1990s. John Palermo is the other
big hire coaching the defensive line after doing a great job at
Wisconsin.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive
lineman. The line was a major issue all season long, and you don't get
better by losing tackle Eric Winston and longtime line coach Art Kehoe.
The pass protection has to be far, far better, while the ground game has
to crank out more than 138 yards per game.
Spring attitude... ACC title or bust. How could the Canes be
good enough to obliterate Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and bad enough to
lose at home to Georgia Tech and get blown out by LSU? If the Canes lose
the opener to Florida State and can't beat Louisville on the road,
things will be very ugly. However, a 3-0 start might mean smooth sailing
with Virginia Tech coming to the Orange Bowl and the toughest remaining
road games at Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia. All are winnable.
North Carolina
Spring practice starts March 22, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can the Tar Heels find any
semblance of offense? After averaging a mere 316 yards and 18 points per
game, North Carolina has to find more pop to the attack, especially in
the running game. Backs Ronnie McGill, Justin Warren and Barrington
Edwards have to be the stars of the offense with a new quarterback being
broken in and three new starters coming in on the line.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Matt
Baker might not have had problems, but he wasn't a bad passer overcoming
a midseason lull to finish fine. Not great, but fine. Big Joey Bozich
was the only other player to get any throws in completing three of nine
passes for 12 yards with an interception, but Ben Johnson will get a few
looks at the starting gig. However, it'll likely be up to former Nebraska QB Joe Dailey and Cam Sexton for the gig.
Spring attitude... Bowl game or bust. Credit head coach John
Bunting for never complaining about the brutal schedule last year, but
now it's bowl game or bust with an easier slate. The defense has the
potential to be much better, and the offense can't be any worse, so a
bowl game has to be the goal or there might be a new coaching staff in
place next year at this time.
Virginia
Spring practice starts March 29, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Did the window shut? That
great recruiting class of a few years ago didn't help Virginia get over
the hump, and now stars like Kai Parham, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and
Marques Hagans are gone. The Cavaliers certainly won't be a pushover and
should get back to a bowl game, but several new playmakers have to
emerge at several key positions this spring if there's going to be any
hope of challenging for a Coastal Division crown.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback.
Hagans might not have been the prototype, but he was smart, clutch, and
a solid leader. He was a much better all-around quarterback than he ever
got credit for, and his versatility will be missed. Christian Olsen and
Kevin McCabe are big, strong passers more like former Cav star Matt
Schaub. It's a must that one of them rocks right away.
Spring attitude... "No one respects us." At best, most will
put Virginia third in the preseason Coastal rankings, and maybe as low
as fifth depending on what someone believes North Carolina will do. The
pressure might be on for Al Groh and his coaching staff to have a big
season, but the team can play relatively loose considering the preseason
expectations from most outsiders won't be high.
Virginia Tech
Spring practice starts March 22, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... What's the Vick aftermath
going to be like? Tech would've been viewed by some as a top five team
going into the year head Marcus Vick kept his head on straight, but now
the offense should revolve more around the ground game, as long as
Branden Ore can get back in the mix after sitting out for a semester to
rehabilitate his shoulder. Sean Glennon, who's a pocket passer, is the
odds on favorite to be the starting quarterback, and he'll have a
tremendous receiving corps to work with.
The most important position to watch is ... Running back,
specifically, George Bell. The team's top four leading rushers from last
year won't be around this spring, but Ore should be back by fall. If the
Hokies are going to contend for the ACC title again, they need a steady
ground game and Bell, who has yet to live up to his prep hype, has to be
more of a factor. If he and/or Elan Lewis shines this spring, there will
be a big overall sigh of relief.
Spring attitude... Use the ACC title game as motivation.
Virginia Tech was two bizarre losses away from being unbeaten with the
Miami and Florida State games all the more puzzling after flat-out
dominating just about everyone else highlighted by scary-good wins over
Georgia Tech, Boston College and Virginia. Let's be honest; it's a
two-game schedule for the Hokies traveling to Boston College and Miami.
Win those, and don't come up with another powerfully stupid 2005 ACC
championship game performance against anyone else, and there might be a
trip to Arizona awaiting.