Pick 6: Texas!

It's been a while because I have been both busy and lazy at the same time. This week the Nextel Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung 500. After a week off for the Easter holiday the Cup Series head off without a full break until July 22. The All-Star Challenge (May 19) is the only weekend without a points race until mid-July. There are some interestign story lines for this weekend. Mark Martin returns to the track for the first time in two races, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are back on the track with one another after a thrilling finish at Martinsville, there was last year's cat-fight between Kurt Busch's and Greg Biffle's significant others and the Car Of Tomorrow races are done for a week. So, what will happen this weekend? Odds are that Chevrolet will continue its early season domination (Chevys have won five of the six races; four of which by Hendrick Motorsports drivers). The only hope for ford lies in the Roush Fenway stable. Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards have all posted victories for Jack Roush at Texas. Jeff Gordon leads the points and has been the most consistent driver week to week followed by Jeff Burton (who appears to be in championship form). Jimmie Johnson is on the verge of capturing the points lead with his three victories in six races. Who will prevail? Here's my six favorites for the weekend!

6. Jimmie Johnson- Three victories so far this season makes him the odds on favorite at any track. However, don't look for him to keep that winning mojo going. Although, Johnson has dominated TMS' sister tracks in Charlotte and Las Vegas over the past few years. He inches closer to the points lead by passing Burton this weekend, but nothing more than a solid top-10 finish for Johnson.

5. Carl Edwards- My preseason pick for Nextel Cup champion. He gets better every week and hasn't won in almost two seasons. Kenseth may be the best thing Roush Fenway has to offer at this point in the season, but Edwards is due. He's due a back flip and his hauler driver is due a shave! If a Ford Fusion is going to find itself in victory lane this weekend it will be with an Edwards back-flip. Ford has a alot of work to do in order to be in the title hunt this year.

4. Kevin Harvick- After winning the Daytona 500 the defending Busch Series champion has struggled. His struggles were highlighted by the padding in the door of his COT cathcing fire in Martinsville. Harvick needs to get back on track if he hopes to stay in the top-12 in points. He bounces back this week with a solid finish and should be running near the fromt all day.

3. Kurt Busch- I don't have any reason for putting him here. It's just a hunch. He won a Busch race in Texas last year. The 'Blue Deuce' is also due a victory. If there is a wild card pick this week it has to be Busch based on my hunch alone!

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Past success at TMS is the reason for Jr. being ranked this high. He has won convincingly at this race track in the past. This team seems to be getting it together. Just a few weeks ago the Budweiser team was outside the top-35 in points and now its in 11th. If Jr. and his team can get along then look for a possible win.

1. Jeff Gordon- It may not be his best track and you may call me a 'homer.' However, the man is back to his old self. Furious after losing the race at Martinsville the four-time champion gave us glimpse to the past. The championship fire of the late 90s early 2000s appears to be back. The points leader is still seeking his first win of the season. His team mates Johnson and Kyle Busch have accounted for four of the six race victories thus far this season. Gordon broke through for his first win at Chicagoland Speedway last season and looks to garner his first Texas sized victory this weekend.

Photo:
http://img.callroyal.com/images1/newsletters/s_feb1706/pic01_jeffGordonDaleEarnhar.jpg

Pick 6: California 500

6. Mark Martin- Another top-5 could get the ageless wonder thinking about running the full schedule. I just can't imagine if heading into week 5 (Bristol, Martin's first scheduled week off) he is in the top-5 or 10 in points, that he wouldn't continue to run. That 2nd place finish in the Daytona 500 was no fluke.

5. Matt Kenseth- He won this race a year ago. He is, however, heading into his second consecutive week without crew chief Robbie Reiser, who was suspended. Always good for a top-15 and definitely a top-10 this weekend.

4. Jeff Gordon- Has had success in California in the past (3 wins). Last week he stumbled into a top-10 finish. That could have been that little spark of luck that Gordon needed to get things headed in the right direction.

3. Tony Stewart- The last time he finished 43rd in the Daytona 500 he won the 2002 championship. That 43rd was definitely a fluke. If he doesn't win this week, then he will be in the top-5.

2. Clint Bowyer- Ran strong last season at Fontana and has won there in the Busch Series. Richard Childress Racing is back with a vengence and looking to dominate this year. This would be a great week to make a strong statement, as RCR did last Sunday.

1. Kevin Harvick- The Daytona 500 champion looks like a serious contender after just one week. His win wasn't a fluke (notice a flukey theme?). That was one of the strongest last lap charges that I have ever seen. Could very well start the season off with two consecutive victories. California is his home state and that is his home track, so watch out for the Ronald McDonald car!

Photo: http://i.eurosport.com/2007/02/19/338928-1774621-458-238.jpg

Daytona Statement

The hot NASCAR stories of the past few weeks have been Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract situation and the teams that got caught cheating prior to the running of Sunday's Daytona 500. Below those headlines was Tony Stewart. The "man on a mission" after missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup. All signs and analysts pointed to Stewart making a big statement in the 500. He made a statement, but it was made to t.v. cameras following his crash that landed him a 43rd place finish. Flying under the radar all week, however, were the Richard Childress Racing teams. All the talk was about Tony Stewart's inevitable victory after his Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel 150 wins. When it was all on the line and the season had officially started, the RCR cars rose to the occasion. Kevin Harvick (29) claimed his first Daytona 500 victory over Mark Martin (01) by the slimmest of margins. Jeff Burton took advantage of the last lap crash that took out Kyle Busch (5), Matt Kenseth (17) and others to finish 3rd. The third car in the RCR stable driven by Clint Bowyer (07) finished 18th after sliding across the finish line on his roof. At the time of the crash Bowyer was running near the top-10.

It was RCR's second Daytona 500 win. The first came in 1998 with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel of the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet. Harvick also won the Busch Series race on Saturday afternoon to become only the fourth driver to sweep both the Daytona 300 and 500.

So, a statement was made this weekend. But, it wasn't by Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson as most of us thought it would be. It was the RCR cars, most notably Harvick. He had been 0 for his life at Daytona until this weekend. He and his Childress teammates let it be clearly known that last season's resurgence was no fluke and that this year should be a lot better than last.

Could Harvick, Burton or Bowyer win the Nextel Cup? Yeah, they each have the talent and equipment available to do so. I picked Carl Edwards and I will stand by that. However, it would not surprise me to see an RCR car hoisting the cup in Homestead this November.

They may not win it all this year at the Welcome, N.C. based organization. They did make the rest of NASCAR and its fans stand up and take notice. The RoushFenway, Hendrick and Joe Gibbs dominated decade has come to an end. RCR is poised to reclaim the glory it enjoyed with the Intimidator at the forefront of its racing operation. The Kevin Harvick Champion Chardonnay 2007 from Childress' vineyards has a snazzy ring to it.

Which was worse? MJ's suit or Wake Forest's play

Carolina celebrated two anniversaries on Saturday, the 1957 and '82 National Championship teams. The likes of Lennie Rosenbluth, Michael Jordan and Dean Smith among others were in attendance. The game, which was over at halftime, pitted the Tar Heels against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. Carolina won by 37, 104-67. The fans stuck around to see the greats from the Tar Heel past and to see if the Heels would score 100 points. If they reach that mark Tar Heel fans get a special deal on biscuits at Bojangles.

What has happened in Winston-Salem? Have the powers that be taken all the money they used to put in basketball and put into the football program? Do they not understand that if it were not for the basketball team that there would be no football team. One good year on the grid iron doesn't seem to warrant the new football school argument.

I think the answer is blaring from head coach Skip Prosser's desk across the famed field hockey field. The answer of course is Skip happened. He entered riding the wave that Dave Odom had created and ran with it. He had some solid recruiting classes to rely on and even landed a prize recruit himslef by the name of Chris Paul.

A blind man could have seen that Paul was going to leave early. Anyone in their right mind would take instant financial security over the stress and rigorous curriculum that is Wake Forest. The only man that apparently didn't see this happening, Skip. Maybe he bought into the hype that Paul said he wasn't going anywhere, and maybe even a little bit of that lands on Paul's shoulders. However, a guy like Ishmael Smith is about a year or two late.

When you lose a guy like Paul you expect to take a step or two back. But, to go from top-3 in the conference to the Demon Doormats means that there were about 15-20 steps taken backward.

Prosser's game management has been exposed over the past two years. His great recruiting classes seemed to cover that up for a little while. However, his last two squads have been out worked, out classed, out performed and out talented. Their last 2 records are case and point of that.

Maybe it is time for those powers that be that are still fat and happy from their Orange Bowl appearance to take a look at their crown jewel, the basketball program. Bones McKinney is probably spinning like fishing reel in his grave at the sight of what has been going on in Winston-Salem. I'm not even sure if McKinney knew there was a football team at Wake Forest.

Should Prosser get one more year? Yes, probably. But, there had been no heat applied to that seat of his. He just stands there sipping from his Gatorade cup that he leaves conveinently placed on teh scorer's table to ensure he gets that check in the mail. Maybe if he had some heat to deal with, then the small private school could be more like their Durham counterpart, successful. With Coach K in Durham, Roy Williams in Chapel Hill and now Sidney Lowe in Raleigh the margin for error for the Demon Deacon basketball program is the slimmest it has been since the days of Everett Case, Frank McGuire and Vic Bubas.

Weekly Pick 6: Daytona 500

Most fantasy racing leagues only allow you to pick 5 drivers for any given weekend. Lucky for you, I find way too much time in my weekends and weekdays to give you 6 drivers who should perform well in the upcoming race. That gives you (those of you brave eough to take fantasy advice from me) 6 drivers to fill 5 spots. Here are my picks starting with 6 for this weekend's Daytona 500.

6. Reed Sorenson 5. Juan Pablo Montoya 4. David Stremme
-If you like taking risks with a few of your picks, then pacing all of these guys on your team wouldn't be a bad idea. I put them together because I picked them for all teh same reasons. They all drive for Chip Ganassi. They all looked good in qualifying. Montoya and Stremme qualified 4th and 3rd, respectively. While Sorenson's 44th best time doesn't look impressive to the naked eye, it was to me. His first lap was on pace with his top-5 teammates; however, a problem heading into the second lap caused the team (who was locked into the 500 by owners' points) to side with caution and pulled the car into the garage. Sorenson should make a statement in his Gatorade 150 on Thursday. None of the 3 may win the race, a top-5 or top-10 is definitely a possibility.

3. Ricky Rudd
-The 50 year old is back and appears to be rejuvinated after a year off. Powered by the Yates/Rousch engine in his 88 Snickers Ford Fusion Rudd secured a front row start for the 500 by qualifying second to his Yates teammate David Gilliland. Gilliland came close to making my list, but this is his first trip to Daytona; and, his performance last fall at Talladega after claiming the pole award was less than stellar. Look for Rudd to seriously contend for the resurgent Robert Yates Racing.

2. Jimmie Johnson
-The defending NEXTEL Cup and Daytona 500 champion is back for another attempt to claim it all. He has a lot going for him and seems poised to defend his title. When the series heads to Daytona the Hendricks' teams will be the favorites. just like at Talladega, DEI is always favored. The Lowe's team looks to get off to a great start in order to become the first team/driver since Jeff Gordon and the Dupont team claimed consecutive titles in the late-90s. Winner? Quite possibly. Top-5? Definitely.

1. Jeff Gordon
-I know that I am going to be called a homer on this for sure, but the fact is that just as Dale Jr. is always teh favorite heading into Talladega, Gordon will almost always be the favorite at Daytona. He has won more restrictor plate races than any other active driver and has 3 Daytona 500s to his name. He will definitely finish near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday and may very well walk away with the win. The only challengers that I really see are Rudd, Johnson, Tony Stewart and maybe Dale Jr. (if he can be given the opportuinty by the media to concentrate on racing instead of his status at DEI). Gordon is always a solid pick at just about any track except Texas and Phoenix. So, picking him here will definitely get you some points and quite possibly a season opening win.

None of this stuff is guaranteed. That is what makes sports great! They're like politics without the real world consequences of war, taxes and election scandals. It's all fun and entertainment. It should make an exciting weekend for all 2 or 3 of you who read this junk and the none of you who will follow my advice. In any event...I'm never wrong. BOOGITY, BOOGITY, BOOGITY...LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!!

NASCAR Preview

Plain and simple, no one knows what is going to happen in November. Not even me! I know that is shocking to everyone. I'm going to take a guess at what the final 12 will look like at season's end. No lengthy explanations because none of this means anything right now.

Best of the rest:
Denny Hamlin--Sophomore slump, just like for Carl Edwards last season.
Juan Pablo Montoya--Needs one more year.
Jeff Burton--I honestly think he will win it all at RCR before he retires.
Kyle Busch--2 solid seasons to start a career. He's due to slide a little bit this year.
Robby Gordon--Hooking up with Ford will make have this team finishing first among the single car teams.
Kevin Harvick--Misses the Chase by less than 15 points.

My final 12 looks like...

12. Ricky Rudd, 88 Snickers Ford--Re-energized after a year away from the track, Rudd will help restore some credibility to Robert Yates Racing. He's a proven winner. Don't be surprised if he steals a win or 2 at a track like Talladega or Atlanta.

11. Clint Bowyer, 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet--After a successful rookie year Bowyer should make some real noise at the resurgent Richard Childress Racing. He's a pure racer and showed promise last year that will come to the forefront this year.

10. Bobby Labonte, 43 Cheerios Dodge--First appearance for Petty Enterprises in the Chase. One win, or maybe, even 2 for the past champion

9. Reed Sorenson, 41 Target Dodge--I'm going way out on limb with this one. But, I truly believe he has the ability to get in the Chase and win at least one race.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8 Budweiser Chevrolet--Contract negotiations keep me from picking him to win it all this year. A future RCR or Joe Gibbs Racing employee? Probably.

7. Jimmie Johnson, 48 Lowe's Chevrolet--The defending Nextel Cup champion has been in the top 5 every full year of his career. It just seems like something has got to give. No one has repeated since Johnson's car owner, Jeff Gordon, did it in the late 90s. Still a great year is ahead for these guys.

6. Matt Kenseth, 17 DeWalt Ford--This Wisconsin boy is solid. I wouldn't ever pick him to finish outside of the Chase. Jack Rousch's personal war against Toyota may keep one his drivers from winning it all.

5. Casey Mears, 25 National Guard Chevrolet--The famed 25 car of the Hendrick stable has been overshadowed by the 24 and 48 for the past several years. Casey Mears is the right man to take it back into the limelight.

4. Jeff Gordon, 24 Dupont Chevrolet--He could very well win it all this year. With a baby girl on the way and a finally steady personal life, the four time champion seems more ready than ever to get the seaosn under way.

3. Tony Stewart, 20 Home Depot Chevrolet--Not so fat Tony is everyone's favorite to win the NEXTEL cup, except for mine. It seems too safe to pick him to win it. So, I will put him in my top-5, but I just do not feel that it is his year.

2. Kasey Kahne, 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge--This will be a great race to watch between Kahne and the person I have pegged to win the cup. Kahne is a future multiple champion, and this year could make #1.

1. Carl Edwards, 99 Office Depot Ford--After missing the Chase last year Edwards has his favorite crew chief back. Don't expect another winless and Chaseless year for him. Expect him to win at least 4 races at the intermediate tracks, and to ultimately win the championship.

Rookie of the Year: I'm going way out on a limb here, but I'm going with Juan Pablo Montoya.
Comeback driver of the year: Tony Stewart? That's hard to imagine him being the comeback driver of the year.
Crewchief of the Year: Steve Letarte. He and Jeff Gordon seem to have built a relationship not seen on the Dupont team since Ray Evernham left to build his dodge team.

Sid's Kids rise to the occasion

The NC State Wolfpack went into the UNC game this past Saturday as a 17 point underdog. It was, however, evident from the start that Sidney Lowe's Wolfpack didn't believe what the odds makers had to say. The Wolfpack scored the first 4 points of the game and the most they trailed by was 6 points early in the first half.

The Pack led by as many as 12 points early, but the Tar Heels tied the score at 36 with just over 5 seconds remaining in the half. The Pack's Gavin Grant received the inbounds pass and drove the length of the floor for a lay up, making the halftime score 38-36 in favor of State. That layup seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Carolina made several runs at the Pack in the second half. The Heels even took a one point lead at one point in the second half. But everytime the Heels made a run the Pack had an answer for them. The heavily favored Tar Heels would eventually fall to the Wolfpack 83-79.

As the crowd rushed the floor I sat back and thought about what had just taken place. For the first time in my four years at NC State we had beaten the dreaded Tar Heels. It was Sidney Lowe's first win in his first attempt against Carolina. It was a moment that will stick with me forever. I have been to many great sporting events (Orange Bowl, NCAA/ACC tourneys, countless races), but none compared to that win on Saturday. We could go the rest of the season without a win and I woud feel comfortable with the state of State basketball.

Many compared the atmosphere inside the RBC Center to the atmosphere surrounding State basketball in the 1980s. I can't remember ever seeing a Wolfpack team play with so much passion and desire. I was proud to say that I was an NC State basketball fan. I can't say that about previous seasons.

Sidney Lowe is proving himself to be the right man for the job. He has an undermanned team, and has been able to get the most out of them that he possibly could. He has a long way to go yet, but he is on the right path. It is safe to say that this will be the only year that there is such a big diparity between the Wolfpack and its Tobacco Road rivals, Duke and UNC. Lowe has several top recruits coming in combined with other commits and a transfer.

The red blazer that Lowe wore on Saturday looked eerily similar to someone else. No, not me and my red blazer that I was wearing. But, the late Jim Valvano. Ok, so only the wardrobe is similar. The blazer caught my eye and I knew for the first time in a long time we had a coach that took this rivalry seriously.

The final tally for the Pack was 83. 1983 was a magical year for NC State. A Jim Valvano coached and Sidney Lowe led basketball team shocked the world by defeating the defending national champion Tar Heels twice en route to the Pack's second national title.

Now, I am not saying that this year's team is headed for the same fate as the '83 team. However, I am saying that this could quite possibly be the beginning of something special. The underdog Pack made a statement on Saturday. A statement that it was not going to settle for last place in the conference and claw its way into a chance to make teh tournament. Whether the team gets there or not will depend on a lot of things. First of all the Pack needs to keep winnning. And maybe, just maybe, they can catch a few breaks and get to where noone (including myself) thought they would get.

The person that I felt the best for Saturday afternoon was senior point guard Engin Atsur. He was o for his career against the Heels. He has also spent much of this season as a cheerleader. But, on Saturday afternoon the heart of the Wolfpack made his presence known for a second straight game with 12 points and 10 assists against the Heels. He may not go down of one of the Wolfpack all time greats, but in my mind he deserves to at least make an argument. I doubt his jersey will be retired, but the #14 should mean a lot to all of the Wolfpack Nation.

If the Pack can make a run at the NCAA tournament, then great. But, if they don't they will still have had a successful season. The previous 5 State teams made the NCAAs, and none of them made me as proud as this year's squad has. Pride, passion and fire is something that this team has lacked over the past several years. One win doesn't make a season. The win against Carolina, although a huge win, only counts once. It just meant a lot to see that passion back. Tobacco Road basketball is better off when Carolina, Duke and State are all good. If Wake Forest could get it together, then the global warming would be solved because the Big Four would be back at the top of the college basketball universe. The first win is the hardest one to get. 'Sid's Kids' have their first win against the Tar Heels, and hopefully there are many more to come.

Duke is Duke

I went outside today and laid a basketball at my feet. Then, as I bent over to pick up the ball, I had my brother start a stopwatch and had him stop it after I made the shot (or the shot hit the rim). In 4 attempts my fastest time was 3 seconds. So, I believe that it is safe to say that an ACC level athlete could not accomplish the same thing in anything less than 2 seconds. The referrees at the Duke game last night would have you believe otherwise.

With exactly 5 seconds showing on the clock, and Duke up 66-63 over Clemson, Duke's Josh McRoberts attempted to make an inbound pass that was arrant. Clemson's Vernon Hamilton picked up the ball, stepped back behind the line, looked both ways and then shot. The clock did not start until the ball was almost through the basket, when it should have started when Hamilton first touched the ball. The officials reviewed the play and subsequently placed 4.4 seconds back on the clock. That means Hamilton had to have done all of that in just .6 seconds. Duke then drove the length of the court and David McClure made the game winning lay-up with less than a second remaining.

The NCAA states that with .3 seconds or less left all a team can attempt is a tap-in. Common sense would tell you that there is no way for someone to be able to do all of that in .6 when you can only attempt a tip-in with .3 on the clock.

The ACC office issued a statement admitting that a timing error had occured. And, that the issue would be handled internally. This embarassment should have never occured.

Now, eventhough Clemson got a raw deal with the clock they still should have been able to make a play and win the game. Duke shouldn't have had that much time to make a play, but they did and Clemson did nothing to stop it.

Duke may have went into overtime and pulled away for a 12 to 15 point victory. Or, Clemson may have pulled away for the win. The sad thing is that we will never know. Clemson lost and they should have done something about it, but they should have been given a fair shake. I think that head coach Oliver Purnell would have much rather lost in overtime than in the fashion he did.

This whole Duke getting treated better by the officials thing needs to stop. The best teams get the calls, but not this many. Dean Smith and the Carolina Tar Heels were once accused of getting all the call. I don't remember it ever being this bad.

There absolutely no reason for the outcomes of games to be decided by the officials and Duke's ever so influential Coach K. The timing issue is not the only instance where the Blue Devils seem to be getting special treatment. Last year Duke shot 91 more free throws (in conference games) than their opponents. So far this conference season, Duke has only had 85 fouls called against them. No one else in the conference has fewer than 101 fouls called against them. In the Clemson game McRoberts, John Scheyer and Demarcus Nelson all played 33 or more minutes for Duke; however, each of them ended the game with no fouls. McRoberts plays the entire game in the paint and doesn't have a single foul called on him. That's hard to believe.

If Duke is as good as they claim to be then why do they always seem to need that extra boost from someone not playing? Why is it that this sort of stuff only happens at Cameron Indoor Stadium? I know it happens from time to time, but this is twice in one month at duke (previously there was questionable timing during the Virginia Tech game at Duke).

I think Coach K is the greatest coach of this generation, if not ever. And, I also think that Duke has the premiere basketball program in the country. That is why they shouldn't need the breaks they get. Other than last night, I do not think that I have ever seen a game that had 3 players play 3/4 of the game without committing a single foul.

Clemson has no excuse for letting Duke drive the length of the court in the final seconds of the game. Duke made a play when Clemson couldn't. The game should have never came to that point and should have went into overtime. Let's just hope that this is the last time that any such controversy takes place in Cameron Indoor.

Photos:

1. http://www.spokesmanreview.com/ap/media/Clemson_Duke_Basketball.sff.jpg

Early ACC Football Picks

The Atlantic Coast Conference released its official football schedule yesterday. The conference should be more competitive than last season. Each team should see improvement, with the exception of Duke. Boston College could stumble due to their recent coaching change. The cupboard was not bare at NC State and UNC, whereas at BC there have been a few losses to the roster that could make the transisition harder for the Eagles.

Wake Forest, 2006 ACC Champions, will be a better team; however, dont expect them to repeat last year's success. The loss of the Demon Deacons' heart and soul, Jon Abbate to the NFL will hurt and could be a much bigger loss than anyone could expect. Who will drive the team on the field? If they can answer that question, then they have a chance to once again make some noise in the ACC. The biggest news in WInston-Salem this March could very well be the spring football game. That is unless the 'Deacs head basketball coach, Skip Prosser, isn't let go at the end of the season.

Florida State added Jimbo Fisher as offensive coordinator and quite possibly the heir apparent to Bobby Bowden when he decides to step down as head man at FSU. That should lead to an improved offense. The Seminoles return almost all of their starting line-up from last year's 7-6 team, so that experience will go a long way to taking FSU back to the top of the ACC.

Miami will struggle this year. Not as bad as last year, but with first time head coach Randy Shannon the Hurricanes will take some time to get back to the top. The Hurricanes shouldn't expect to make it to the ACC title game, but a Chik-fil-a Peach Bowl appearance is not out of the question.

Virginia Tech will be the top dawgs in the Coastal Division and should improve on last year's 9-4 mark. The Peach Bowl collapse is behind them and Sean Glennon is poised to lead the Hokies to Jacksonville, or Charlotte.

Virginia will have a make or break year under Al Groh. If the Cavaliers fail to make a bowl game once again, then Groh could be out. Could Wake's Jim Grobe be the next guy at UVa? Quite possibly, but it is too early to tell. It is however too early to start that talk. I can't see a bowl game for the Wahoos but I do think they will be a lot more competitive than last season.

At Clemson the expectations are always high. Last year the expectations were extremely high; however, the Tigers fell toward the end of the season and lost to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. Tommy Bowden could be on the hot-seat once again if the Tigers do not get off to a hot start. They won't win the ACC but they won't dissapoint.

Duke? 0-12? Probably!

Boston College's new offensive coordinator Steve Logan should be enough to keep the Eagles in just about every game this season. A return trip to the Meineke Bowl in Charlotte would make a successful season.

Chan Gailey appears to be staying in Atlanta as opposed to setting off for the NFL as a head coach. The Yellow Jackets lost to Wake in the ACC title game last year and blew a big lead against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Reggie Ball is gone for good, to the delight of many Ramblin' Wreck fans. Calvin Johnson, the all-world wide receiver, left for the NFL. The offense could struggle and the defense has never carried this team. A bowl appearance is highly unlikely for this bunch.

Butch Davis will trot his first Tar Heel football team onto the field this fall and has a long road ahead of him to make that program successful. As I stated before, teh cupboard is not bare in Chapel Hill but the recent struggles will make for yet another long year for the Heels. They won't be down too long though. Davis will have that place up and running within 2 to 3 seasons.

NC State has a disciplinarian and program builder at the helm with new head coach Tom O'Brien. The talented roster has lacked discipline over the past few years and the offense has been lathargic at best. The Wolfpack needed to take a new direction, and they did. The talent has been in place for several seasons and that is why O'Brien should be the most successful of all the new coaches in the ACC. The Wolfpack faithful shouldn't be making advanced plans for the ACC Championship, but the Gator Bowl is a realistic goal for the team that last won in October against FSU.

Maryland will be the wild car in the conference. Just as they were last season. I am not sure what to expect from the Terrapins. They return a good number of players to the squad that came within a field goal of an ACC title shot. A bowl game awaits them at the end of the season, but Boise, Idaho is their likely destination. However, noone ever knows quite what to expect from Ralph Friedgen's team. That's why you can never count them out.

This upcoming season should be a great one. The conference will be much improved and will gain back a lot of the respect that it lost last season with the sub-par performances of just about everybody. My early picks for the ACC championship game are FSU vs. Va. Tech. The winner of that game will be Va. Tech. The Hokies should be in the BCS title hunt, and could find themselves in the title game with a little luck. Other bowl teams from the conference will include Clemson (Champs), Wake (Music City), NC State (Meineke), FSU (Peach Bowl), Miami (Gator) and Maryland (Emerald). Coach of the year honors will belong to Va. Tech's Frank Beamer.

Boise State: Best Story...EVER!

For years the little guy has begged for the chance to play the big dogs of college football. And for years the big dogs have said. "Thanks, but no thanks!" Until this year when an extra game was added to the BCS to give the luttle gut a chance.

The Boise State Broncos, who have been better known for their blue field, ran the table and went undefeated during the regular season. The Broncos earned a spot in the BCS by finishing ranked in the top-12. They, as everyone knows by now, were sent to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl to face the Sooners of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma was winning national championships while Boise was still a junior college. Boise brought only 10 years of D-1A football experience to the table. It was Oklahoma and their 7 national titles versus Boise's junior college and D-1AA titles.

The Broncos pulled off the impossible and defeated the Sooners in overtime, in what was one of the greatest games in college football history.

The Broncos head coach, Chris Petersen, wins the award for the most intestinal fortitude after going for a 2-point conversion after scoring a touchdown to come within one point of Oklahoma in the overtime session. The Sooners never had a chance to stop the play and the Broncos' Ian Johnson scored the game winner and then got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. (She said yes, by the way)

The Boise win will most definitely go down as the biggest upset in college football history and the biggest argument for a playoff. Boise is also the best story this year in college football.

Unlike Wake Forest, Lousiville or Rutgers, Boise State is not guaranteed a spot by winning their conference championship. The Broncos had no choise but to go undefeated and they did. Neither Wake Forest nor Louisville went undefeated, yet both were able to make it to the BCS. Had Boise went 11-1 or 11-2, then they would have played in some cut-rate bowl game. Granted Wake and Louisville play tougher schedules; however, neither had their BCS hopes shattered by losing regular season games.

Boise had to play with the must win pressure in every game and had a giant target on their back. Everyone they played wanted to play the spoiler and that coupled with the must-win pressure makes every game just as tough as any Wake or Lousiville played. And Boise went undefeated and then beat a college football dynasty.

They defeated an 11-2 Oklahoma team that was actually 12-1 (they lost a game at Oregon that the refs blew and the Pac-10 later apologized for). Their only "real" loss came to Texas in one of the most heated rivlaries in the country.

The Broncos deserve all of the credit in the world and will ultimately be responsible for bringing a playoff to college football. They are 13-0 and will not have a shot at playing for a national championship. They proved they could play with the big boys and they are still being denied.

Wake Forest had a great season and they deserve a truck load of credit as well. They won 11 games, a school record, and they are one of the smallest universities in D-1A. The Demon Deacons got hot while the rest of the ACC was stuck in the ice-age. That doesn't diminish what they did. Jim Grobe and the 'Deacs will be back next year and they will be a force to be reckoned with yet again. Can they repeat this year's performance? Probably not, but they are capable of churning out 7-8 and maybe even 9 wins on a regular basis. Grobe is going to have a sticky situation come spring time. QB Ben Mauk will be back and ready to compete for the job he lost to injury in the season's second game and Riley Skinner will eb fighting to keep that position. That could lead to one of 2 things. It could make the team better or tear them apart, hopefully it will be the first scenario that takes hold.

But, back to Boise State. Give the little guy a chance to win it all! Would they do it every year? No. Would they ever pull it off? Probably. Just ask Jim Valvano, Texas Western, Rudy or that team from Hoosiers. If Boise St. had the chance to play Ohio St., then they would probably lose. However, we will never know. That is because D-1A football has no clue as to what a real champion is. It is a shame because those kids who deserve at least the opportunity will never get it.

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