Week 1 ACC Football Roundup

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Florida State is still the team to beat in the ACC

Forget what you read in the preseason polls and magazines. All roads to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship still go through Tallahassee.

Yes, Clemson is going to be tough now that Deshaun Watson is back from injury. And yes, Florida State probably takes a step back after nearly winning back-to-back national championships. But no one in the league has better talent than the ‘Noles, or the championship know-how that comes with three straight conference titles.

Following a tumultuous offseason, Florida State couldn’t have been happier to be back on the field Saturday night. The Seminoles played like it, too, pummeling Texas State, 59-16.

Okay, it was Texas State, not Texas A&M. Point taken. But there were plenty of positives to take from the lopsided opener. Notre Dame transfer QB Everett Golson was crisp in his first game with the program, completing 19-of-25 for 302 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. Dalvin Cook and Mario Pender were explosive on the ground. And the D shut down an underrated Bobcat offense.

Remember, Florida State let just about everyone hang around in 2014, so emptying the bench in the fourth quarter was a real bonus for Jimbo Fisher.

Golson hasn’t even had a chance to digest the entire playbook—or develop chemistry with his young receivers—so he’s going to improve with each subsequent game. Plus, the defense operated with an attacking bent that was too often missing in 2014. Is it possible that this program will benefit from lowered expectations and less time in the spotlight?

The reports of Florida State’s death have been greatly exaggerated. No, not because of a paddling of Texas State, but because no one in the ACC has more talent or big-game experience.

Georgia Tech: Backfield answers

The Yellow Jackets put out APBs all offseason in the search for quality runners to join QB Justin Thomas in the backfield. Answers started arriving in the opener. Although there’s not too much to be culled from a pounding of Alcorn State, Tech had to be thrilled with the collaboration B-backs Marcus Marshall and Patrick Skov, a rookie and a Stanford transfer, respectively, who combined for 256 yards and five scores on 20 carries.

Pitt: Panthers will run the ball no matter who takes handoffs

Pitt has its next James Conner. After Conner left Saturday’s Youngstown State game with a knee injury, 230-pound redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison promptly performed a Conner impersonation by rushing for 207 yards and a score on 16 carries. The Panthers are a dynamite run blocking team, but Pat Narduzzi’s D needs work after yielding too many big plays to the Penguins.

Louisville: Cardinals lose, but all is not lost

Okay, so the Cards fell to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, but it was hardly an unexpected outcome. From the 31-24 loss came a bunch of positives. Louisville never quit, winning the second half. The D is still nasty, with Georgia transfer S Josh Harvey-Clemons really standing out. And true freshman QB Lamar Jackson has some special skills that Bobby Petrino clearly can’t wait to develop.

Virginia: If the secondary is overrated, can anything save Mike London?

No, the ‘Hoos weren’t supposed to beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl. That rookie Bruin QB Josh Rosen so effortlessly solved UVa’s best unit, the secondary, is disturbing news for London and his assistants. While Rosen is obviously a special kid, it looked too easy on Saturday. And the rebuilt Virginia pass rush showed no signs of being able to provide help from the first two levels.

Syracuse: Here we go again

For the second year in a row, the Orange has lost its most important player, QB Terrel Hunt. Hunt, who was expected to energize a necrotic Syracuse offense, torn his Achilles tendon. Hello, Eric Dungey. Dungey, a true freshman from Oregon, played pretty well versus Rhode Island, but there’s a long way to go in his development. Fair or not, another Hunt injury could hurt Scott Shafer’s chances of keeping his job in 2016.

Duke: QB Thomas Sirk

David Cutcliffe has his next pupil under center. Thomas Sirk, a change-of-pace scrambler before this year, was sharp in his debut as the Blue Devils’ full-time starting quarterback. Yeah, he ran for 68 yards against Tulane, but he also went 27-of-40 for 289 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. He’s a big body with good tools, and he has plenty more potential than last year’s starter, Anthony Boone.

North Carolina: Same old, same old

Consistency continues to elude the Tar Heels during the Larry Fedora era. Thursday night in Charlotte was another case in point, with North Carolina blowing a lead to South Carolina and falling in a frustrating 17-13 loss. Gene Chizik’s defense unexpectedly exceeded expectations, but Marquise Williams threw three picks, and the offense, save for RB Elijah Hood and WR Bug Howard, missed its mark.

ACC Player of the Week

Pitt RB Qadree Ollison came off the bench to rush for 207 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, as the Panthers held off Youngstown State.

ACC Football Rankings After Week 1

ACC Atlantic Rankings

1. Florida State (1-0)
2. Clemson (1-0)
3. Louisville (0-1)
4. NC State (1-0)
5. Boston College (1-0)
6. Syracuse (1-0)
7. Wake Forest (1-0)

ACC Coastal Rankings

1. Virginia Tech (0-0)
2. Georgia Tech (1-0)
3. North Carolina (0-1)
4. Pitt (1-0)
5. Miami (1-0)
6. Duke (1-0)
7. Virginia (0-1)

Week 1 ACC Football Scores & Picks: How’d We Do?

ACC Football Predictions, Week 1: Straight Up 12-0, Against The Spread 3-3

South Carolina 17, North Carolina 13 (in Charlotte)
Line: South Carolina -3, o/u: 64, Prediction: South Carolina 34, North Carolina 30

Wake Forest 41, Elon 3
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Wake Forest 30, Elon 10

Georgia Tech 69, Alcorn State 6
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Georgia Tech 45, Alcorn State 24

Duke 37, Tulane 7
Line: Duke -9.5, o/u: 54.5, Prediction: Duke 31, Tulane 23
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Syracuse 47, Rhode Island 0
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Syracuse 45, Rhode Island 3

Clemson 49, Wofford 10
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Clemson 49, Wofford 14

Pitt 45, Youngstown State 37
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Pittsburgh 37, Youngstown State 21

Boston College 24, Maine 3
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Boston College 31, Maine 3

Auburn 31, Louisville 24 (in Atlanta)
Line: Auburn -11, o/u: 58.5, Prediction: Auburn 35, Louisville 20

UCLA 34, Virginia 16
Line: UCLA -17, o/u: 53.5, Prediction: UCLA 31, Virginia 10

Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 0
Line: NO LINE, o/u: NL, Prediction: Miami 42, Bethune-Cookman 7

NC State 49, Troy 21
Line: NC State -26, o/u: 58, Prediction: NC State 41, Troy 21

Florida State 59, Texas State 16
Line: Florida State -30, o/u: 58, Prediction: Florida State 42, Texas State 17

Ohio State at Virginia Tech
Line: Ohio State -14, o/u: 53, Prediction: Ohio State 30, Virginia Tech 14

MORE: 10 College Football Things That Mattered From Week 1