ACC Preview: Part I

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Good morning and welcome to 4th & Forever, Rand & Tate’s College Football Newsletter. This really is the worst part of the sports calendar, and it’s not close. Talking season, aka conference media days are done, the Cubs definition of going for it this year meant trading for a guy named Taylor Rogers, the LLWS is the only thing I can find on the WatchESPN App, the talk shows still talk about the Cowboys and the Lakers like it’s 1988, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before you convince me to watch an NFL preseason game. Therefore, it’s writing season, and we’re kicking off the first wave of conference previews, starting with the ACC.

ACC Preview: Part I

This conference is too damn big. I forgot Boston College existed, even though they’ve been in the ACC for 2 decades and went 7-6 last year. Syracuse went 10-3! Every team listed will have an impact on the playoff race because the ACC is likely to get 2 teams in, but everyone outside of Clemson is just an analogous blob floating through space. It’s important we learn about all our friends in the ACC, even if they are part of the woke mob of Cal or upstate hippies outside of Rochester. Today, we’re going to preview the bottom third of the ACC per the preseason media poll. Why just the bottom third? Because there are 17 teams in this cesspool of a conference, and our ACC preview last year hit 8,300 words, which is like reading the Constitution…twice. And even though we’re all on the clock right now, what else do you have to do? Work? 

Stanford Cardinal

The Coach: Back in March, while everyone was fixated on Pete Hegseth texting his friends what to bring to the BBQ along with war plans, Stanford fired Troy Taylor after investigations revealed he “bullied and belittled multiple female athletic staffers”. GM Andrew Luck - yes, that one - who has full autonomy over coaching and personnel decisions, hired his old Colts coach, Frank Reich, to a 1 year deal, so a new guy will be here by December. Reich has never been a college coach and had a few good seasons in Indy, but was last seen leading the Panthers to a 1-10 record before getting canned. This should be fun!

The Quarterback: Welcome to the show, Elijah Brown. Brown is a former 4-star recruit from high school powerhouse Mater Dei, so expectations are rightfully high. He saw limited action last year to the tune of 48 passing attempts, but threw three interceptions, so he’s got some growing to do. 

What’s Hot: Not much! This is widely regarded as one of the worst Power 4 rosters in the country, and even if Elijah Brown pops and wills this team to a few unexpected wins, he’s not Cam Newton. This is a stopgap year for Reich and Luck, much like Jim Grobe was for Baylor following the sexual assault violations a decade ago. The only benefit of having no expectations is that they can throw unproven freshmen and sophomores at the wall and see what sticks.

What’s Not: This team went 3-9 last year, and two of the wins were on last-second field goals to Louisville and Syracuse. They got drilled by every other team with a pulse, and I expect more of the same this year. Oh, and their schedule is an absolute meat grinder. They have to go to Provo, Miami, Dallas (SMU), Hawai’i (hey, it’s a long flight), and host Notre Dame. 

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Disclaimer: Yes, there will be a much more comprehensive Wake Forest preview closer to the season

The Coach: Jake Dickert comes in from Washington State after Dave Clawson stepped down after a second consecutive 4-8 season. While enhanced interrogation techniques by the CIA couldn’t get me to say a bad word about Clawson, a change of pace was needed, and it’s what the Deacs got. It’s unclear if Dickert sleeps or what he’s on, but after he’s done coaching, he needs to be studied. Maybe it’s the whiplash from Grobe and Clawson, but I don’t know how someone can be that enthusiastic about Wake football all the time. *wink*

The Quarterback: Our first QB battle of this newsletter belongs to the Deacs, who are deciding between Charlotte sophomore transfer Deshawn Purdie and senior Robby Ashford, whose previous stops include Oregon, South Carolina, and Auburn. With opening games against Kennesaw State and Western Carolina, I expect this to spill into the season with a winner officially decided by the time N.C. State rolls to town. I think the house money is on Ashford given his experience, but Purdie has the higher ceiling. That being said, a new bombshell has entered the villa and is currently showing out in fall camp by the name of Steele Pizzella. He’s a true freshman out of California, and in high school, he posted a 10.64 100m dash, which is equivalent to the times posted in the Paris Olympics 100m heats. Keep your eye on this kid. 

What’s Hot: The coaching staff and entire roster have been completely overhauled since Clawson left, so your guess is as good as mine as to how good the Deacs will be this year. However, there’s one notable returner who’s garnering All-American and NFL draft buzz: RB Demond Claiborne. Trivia: Who was the last Wake Forest RB drafted? (Answer at the end). Claiborne is a lightning bolt and will carry the brunt of this offense, especially given the unsolved QB situation. He probably won’t return kicks this year, given how important he is to the team, but he took one back against Miami last year. After that game, while he was still on the field, coaches recruited him to come to Coral Gables. Or maybe that was Ole Miss. Doesn’t matter, he’s in Winston and he’s a superstar. Bonus: keep your eye on safety Rushaun Tongue, who Claiborne admitted was the only player to run faster than him during spring testing. He’s a heat-seeking missile back there and reminds me of Malik Mustapha. 

Answer: Darryl McGill - 1988 to the Redskins. I am not counting Tommy Bohanan or Ovie Mughelli, who were fullbacks. 

What’s Not: Expectations. There’s a reason the Deacs picked second to last in the ACC, and that’s because the general consensus is the talent and depth just isn’t there yet. Is that true? Who the hell knows, but what I do know is I pulled the following excerpt from a 2024 preview of a certain team who had a cakewalk of a nonconference schedule and was pick to finish second to last in their conference under a 1st year head coach: “The national perception of Indiana football this offseason doesn't seem as favorable toward the Hoosiers compared to the fanbase and local coverage. But that's to be expected given all of the unknowns heading into the fall — first-year coaching staff, mass roster turnover, uncertain depth chart and more. While it's easy for IU fans to get wrapped up in the hype as intimate followers of the program, it's understandable why outsiders and national prognosticators might be less bullish.” Just yesterday, Joe Rexrode at The Athletic said Wake has a lot of the same characteristics as last year’s Indiana team heading into the season. Full disclaimer: I wrote this on Tuesday night so I reserve the right to say I was on this comparison first if it hits.

California Golden Bears

The Coach: If we do a prediction newsletter this year, we might have to exclude Justin Wilcox from the ‘Which Coach is getting fired first’ question. After what went down across the Bay with Troy Taylor in Palo Alto, Cal donors withheld money until the AD installed Ron Rivera - yes, that one - as GM and gave him similar power and control. If you remember, Wilcox was offered the Oregon job following Cristobal’s departure to Miami and said no to remain at Cal. Potentially unrelated reminder: weed is legal in Cali. 

The Quarterback: Fernando Mendoza left for the greener pastures of Indiana football, which is a sentence I’d never thought I’d type, but his presumed replacement is Devin Brown, who comes in from Ohio State. As is the case with any Ohio State QB, he’s a former top recruit, but he could never beat out Kyle McCord or Will Howard. It’ll be interesting to see if he can live up to his high school hype three years after the fact. If it’s not Brown, it’ll be freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who is a former top recruit himself and flipped to Cal from Oregon, so there’s a lot of hype coming out of the Cal QB room.

What’s Hot: One of the reasons I love doing these previews is that I find out crazy stuff I missed in the offseason, and I had no idea Devin Brown was here. We’ve heard his name for years, given Ohio State has had a QB battle every year since Justin Fields left town, but he couldn’t win the job. It’s a weird situation with Wilcox being a dead man walking (presumably), but I’d throw Sagapolutele into the fire and hope he doesn’t transfer in the offseason. Am I bullish on Cal now? 

What’s Not: I’ve buried the lede, but Cal lost everyone to the transfer portal this offseason - 23 of them left after the spring game, which has to be a record. Star RB Jaydn Ott went to Oklahoma, and on his way out, he said Cal mishandled his injury last year, which caused him to miss significant time. Along with Ott and Mendoza, they lost almost every single player who caught a pass and their entire offensive line. Of course, they brought in one of the biggest portal classes in the country, but this is not a good situation heading into 2025. Also, they brought in Bryan Harsin to lead the offense. Harsin was last seen refusing to say if he got the COVID shot or not, leading Auburn to a 3-5 record with one of the worst offenses in the conference, then getting paid $15.5 million by the Tigers not to coach. Interesting cultural fit to say the least.

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Virginia Cavaliers

The Coach: It’s put up or shut up time for Tony Elliott, who enters his 4th year and has an 11-23 overall record and a 0-3 record against the Hokies to show for it. The former Clemson offensive coordinator during their national championship runs has overseen a Cavs offense that has ranked in the bottom three of the conference in scoring offense all three seasons. Something needs to change because on the backend, Virginia is investing in the NIL game and rich people no likey when you lose their money…and to Virginia Tech. 

The Quarterback: Chandler Morris is one of the few souls wandering around college campuses with extra eligibility thanks to the COVID year. I don’t blame him, though. Go get your money, kid. He started at Oklahoma in 2020, then TCU for 3 years, then North Texas last year. He set all sorts of records at North Texas, but they ran an Air Raid offense, which is like being impressed when an arsonist starts a fire.

What’s Hot: Aside from Elliott’s seat? The eternal hope of Virginia fans? Is that even a thing? On paper, the Hoos should be decent and cleaned up pretty well in the portal, even with key losses like WR Malachi Fields to Notre Dame. Additionally, they have a pretty manageable schedule outside of trips to Raleigh and Louisville. 

What’s Not: What has Tony Elliott done in the past three years to prove that year four will be any different? Chandler Morris has been around since Trevor Lawrence was in college, and while the Hoos are good for an upset or two, they’ll also get blown out by teams their equal. If the season ends in a bowl at 6-6 but with a loss to the Hokies, I wouldn’t be surprised if the boosters pull the plug on the Elliott experiment. 

Boston College Eagles

The Coach: Billy Beans! I don’t know if they call him that, but Bill O’Brien in Beantown? Makes too much sense. In his first year, O’Brien led the Eagles to a surprising 7-6 record, which included wins over Michigan State, Syracuse, Florida State (before we knew they were god awful), Pittsburgh, and a shellacking of UNC. There’s something cooking here; it’ll be up to Bill to sustain the momentum at a university that cares more about a marathon in the spring than they do about any football game. 

The Quarterback: Thomas Castellanos is now in Tallahassee - trust me, we’ll get to him - so the Eagles are left with a battle between Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos at the end of last year, or Dylan Lonergan. The ACC must be a haven for former top QB prospects because Lonergan is another former top recruit. This time a 4-star from Bama, but he could never work his way around Jalen Milroe. James played pretty well in his four starts, but he needs his skill players to step up around him for the pro-style offense to click - or any offense for that matter. Expect James to win the job but have a short leash in favor of the younger Lonergan. 

What’s Hot: Unless Matt Ryan or Doug Flutie are walking through that door, I don’t know if you could ever say there’s something ‘hot’ going on at Boston College. However, the biggest compliment I can give them is that O’Brien has raised the expectations in just one year and proven he’ll run a competent program, and thanks to Stanford, they won’t be the doormat of the ACC. This team is plucky, and we think they’ll knock off a big boy this year. 

What’s Not: Holy hell, this schedule is brutal. Given the ACC is 17 teams plus the whatever you want to call it with Notre Dame, some teams are going to get screwed. This year, it’s Boston College, Syracuse, and Stanford. Cal, Wake, and Virginia would be on the other end of this spectrum with Charmin schedules. The Eagles pay their return trip to East Lansing, followed by a trip out west to Stanford, host Clemson, Georgia Tech, and SMU, all of whom are among the top 4 in the preseason ACC poll. Oh, they also host Notre Dame and have to travel to Louisville (ACC preseason #5), Syracuse, and Pitt. They might only be favored in four games this year: Cal, Stanford, Fordham, and UConn. 

Syracuse Orange

The Coach: Fran ‘Yo, you gotta go’ Brown worked miracles in his first year at Syracuse, leading the Cuse to a 10-3 record. This year is a prove-it-wasn’t-a-fluke year as QB Kyle McCord is off to the NFL as well as key players throughout the all-22, including WR Trebor Pena. Pena is now at Penn State after reeling in almost 1,000 yards and a team-high 9 TDs. Pena wanted more NIL money from Syracuse, and much like Josh Huepel did with Nico at Tennessee, Brown stuck his foot in the ground and told him to kick rocks. "We paid him enough. He was going to get paid more. There were some numbers that were asked to me that I didn’t feel I would be able to do and move on. I treated him right, did everything that was needed, and I just said, 'Yo, you got to go.'" Dammit, I love this dude. Why does he have to be in upstate New York? (Insult intended, Yanks)

The Quarterback: Speaking of upstate New York, is there a better caricature of a Syracuse QB than a white guy named Steve? Steve Angeli is here from Notre Dame, and he saw some action in the Irish playoff run last year with Riley Leonard battling injuries. Given the circumstances, he played really well, but he’s still inexperienced. We’ll see if the Fran Brown offense is simply add water or if there are growing pains with Stevey boy. 

What’s Hot: Fran Brown made one hell of a statement in his first year as a head coach, given the extent of his coaching career was a secondary coach at Rutgers and Georgia. However, he was named the #1 recruiter by 247Sports in 2023 during his time with the Bulldogs, so no one was doubting his ability there. Syracuse consistently defies all logic and reasoning by fielding a competent football team every few years, but it got real ugly at the tail-end of Dino Babers' tenure. No matter what happens this year, the Orange faithful are going to be thankful they have Brown as coach because even though he doesn’t shower after losses, he’s still got the juice.

What’s Not: I mentioned it above, but Syracuse got the short end of the stick by the scheduling gods this year. They face five of the top six teams in the preseason ACC media poll and only host one of them (Duke). They travel to Clemson, SMU, Miami, and Georgia Tech, which is a murderers' row in ACC-speak. They also travel to Notre Dame and travel to Atlanta in Week 1 to face Tennessee. A bowl game would be a hell of a coaching job by my man Fran here. 

Where in the World is Rand?

Oh, you know, just gallivanting around the eastern seaboard as I’m known to do. This weekend I’ll be in Charleston for a bachelor party, directly followed by a week-long stint outside of Baltimore for work. I ask again, why do I pay rent anywhere? That reminds me, I need to release my fall travel schedule because it’s a doozy. 

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Rand & Tate met a few years ago through their good buddy Dave Peljovich, who went to college with Rand and high school with Tate. Tate went to Georgia and has spent the last two years collecting championship rings while traveling to watch the Dawgs. Rand went to known CFB powerhouse Wake Forest, and currently pays rent in Charlotte, but is rarely found there with all the work & CFB travel he does.