Where'd My ACC Go?

I'm not going to focus on how Maryland got blown out by Memphis. It was sad, but not really that surprising. I'm hoping that Vasquez will now stay around another year and lead a solid, experienced Maryland team deep into the tournament. But we'll all have to wait and see on that and how the new recruits turn out. Those are worries for next season. Right now my question is what happened to the ACC?

The ACC fielded seven of their twelve teams in this tournament. The only conference with a higher percentage of its teams going to the tourney is the Big 10 with 7 of 11 teams. Yes, even the unstoppable Big East did not bring more teams than the ACC or Big Ten. The Big East has approximately half of all Division I teams, so they should earn at least 7 bids on any given year. But the ACC decided not to show up for the tourney. Yeah, we had the numbers, but not the wins.

Only three teams were able to advance to the second round. Maryland, UNC and Duke. Of those teams, so far only UNC has sealed a spot in the Sweet 16. Maryland got blown out and Duke is still playing as I'm writing this. This is just pathetic. With so many top ranked teams the ACC should be fielding more than one or two teams in the round of 16. Maryland was the only bubble team of the ACC and even they managed to win their first game. They even won in an upset. I mean it's not that surprising that Clemson choked, but Wake and Florida State, what happened there? Yes, we should kick Boston College out of the ACC immediately. I whole heartily support that. But unfortunately, I can't blame them for the down year for the conference.

The ACC has a total of 10 National Championships, and you may as well start betting online that they are going to win a few more. The Big East has 8, three of which were won by teams before they were a part of the giant Big East. So shut up Big East, a few good seasons does not make you a totally superior conference. You need a few more years and National Championships to earn that. But damn it ACC, stop making my argument so hard. Even the Big Ten is doing better this year. And that's just sad since the ACC regularly schools the Big Ten in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. So when pitted against each other in the tourney when it counts you think the ACC could make a game of it. The ACC should not be the conference that upsets are expected against.

So shape up ACC. I expect better things from you next year. Relying on Duke to represent the conference is just disgusting. I'm torn between my natural desire to want Duke to lose and my desire to have more than one ACC team in the Sweet 16. Maryland preformed above expectations. Where are the rest of you?

Topsy Turvy Terrapins

Maryland managed to hold off Georgia Tech last night extending their winning streak against the Yellow Jackets. It was a close game but a win is a win. And an ACC win is even better, even if its against the cellar dweller of the ACC. I didn't actually watch the game. I remembered how terrible the first GT game was and saw no reason to punish myself like that. I guess I was right since the Terps barely sneaked by with the win, 57-56, and only shot 35% from the field.

Regardless, I'm feeling optimistic. The infighting in the between Gary and Debbie is back to being private. The recruits for next season actually look promising. One recruit, Jordan, is 6'9 and has broken all sorts of records at his high school. We will actually have a legitimate big man next year. Maybe this means Gary has finally changed and his recruiting will get better. The Terps played pretty well against UNC even though they got beat. They still scored 91 points. Not a bad game at all.

So even after barely winning I am hopeful for the rest of the season. I'm in full on delusion mode right now. I believe Maryland could go on a ridiculous run like two seasons ago and still salvage this season. Maybe its the recent spring like weather. Maybe I just can't abandon my team no matter how painful it is or how much I want to. I don't care. I'm going to enjoy this brief respite from wishing the season was over. False hope is fine with me.

Alright, I Didn't Mean It

I'm a liar, well, maybe I won't go that far. But I can be prone to exaggeration. A little while ago I said I hoped the Terps bombed the rest of the season and Maryland would be forced to fire Gary William. Well, I still want Gary gone, but I can't bring myself to root against my team. Or to even ignore them and stay away from the pain. I mean I'm also an Orioles fan, sports pain and disappointment are what I do. It's a way of life.

I just love college basketball too much. And I want to see my team win. I know that losing terribly might be better for my team in the long run. But I don't want them to suffer at all. Also, I'm not 100% sure that another crash and burn season will be the end of Gary. He has a lot of friends with deep pocket who are interested in having him stay. One thing is clear though, him and Debbie Yow have to figure a way to work things out or one of them has to go. Together they are terrible for basketball at Maryland.

But like that shitty boyfriend that brings you flowers and takes you out to a fantastic dinner the night you were planning on dumping him I just can't break up with my team. When they lost two ACC games in a row after barely beating Georgia Tech I though I could do it. Then they beat Virginia and suddenly I'm doubting my reslove. I want them to be good. I want them to win the tournament. I really want them to beat Duke tomorrow.

Yes, Duke is really hot right now. Ranked no. 2 in the country and on a nine game winning streak. Yes, they are playing at home where they are usually amazing. But miracles can happen. I thought Maryland would get crushed by Michigan and Michigan State this season and they pulled out wins there. And Duke has lost once this season so they're not unbeatable. A win like this would help restore my faith in this team. I've lost my faith in Gary but maybe the team can pull through despite him.

So come on Terps. Don't crush me again this season. I didn't mean it when I said I was ready to give up on this season. I'm just looking for things to get better. Is that too much to ask?

Looking for a Silver Lining

Well, the Terps blew their second ACC game in a row. And suddenly the season isn't looking so promising anymore. Those out of conference wins are starting to look less and less meaningful. So I've started searching for a silver lining. Maybe the Terps will be truly terrible this year. I mean just bombing the rest of the ACC season and not even getting an NIT bid. I really don't think I can handle another mediocre season. If the Terps are abysmal all season then something great could happen. Maybe Maryland will finally fire Gary Williams. Maybe this terrible season is the death rattle we've all been waiting for.

So far in ACC play the Terps barely managed to beat Georgia Tech and have now lost to Miami and Florida State. I really don't think I can deal with another Maryland collapse. And I really think Gary Williams is done. He's lost whatever it is he once had. At some point we have to stop giving him support just because he won a National Championship. His grace period is over. He needs to produce results. And for the last few years those results have been failures.

I know it's early and maybe the Terps will rebound and play strong the rest of the season. That would be great. But I'm almost hoping that doesn't happen. I've lost the faith. And I really don't want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed by Gary's bad coaching. We need someone who can motivate players. And we need someone who can recruit players to come to Maryland again. This is a school with a great basketball tradition. And Gary Williams is killing it.

So bring on the pain. Bring on the losing. Bring on the blowouts to bad teams. I'm ready for it. Because hopefully that will mean the end of Gary and a new better era can start. Because this slow death march is killing me.

ACC Time: Fear the Turtle

Well it's finally here. This might be the best time of the year in sports. The Ravens are in the playoffs for at least one more week and Maryland is starting ACC play. The NFL playoffs and March Madness are my two favorite sporting times of the year. And during each one I truly believe and will argue that it is by far the best. But that's not really important. The important thing is to enjoy this time of year.

Right now the Terps are 11-2 with one more game before ACC play starts for them. They have solid wins over Michigan and Michigan State and respectable losses to Georgetown and Gonzaga. If they win tomorrow against Morgan State they will head into ACC play with 12 wins. Yes, I am a math genius. This means if they win just half of their conference games, they have a good shot of making the tournament with 20 wins. It's still early, but hell, if Boston College can beat UNC in their ACC opener, maybe the Terps can make the tourney this year. It's not unreasonable to thing Maryland can win 8 games in ACC play.

I know its still early in the season and this team is very young but they do seem to be learning from their non-conference games. They are trying to get better and Gary Williams has been able to get them to show up against better opponents in seasons past. Not alway consistently, but he does usually have at least one big upset a season. Let's hope that upset was not Michigan State this year.

This is the time of year when college basketball gets really interesting. Yes, you pay attention to the beginning of the season to try to predict how you're team will play all year long. But this is the time of year you actually start to go out of your way to watch the games. Maryland plays Georgia Tech on Saturday. Hopefully I will already be out celebrating a Ravens win but either way I plan on trying to watch this game. Oh, ACC time, it's just so good.

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D MARYLAND WILL WIN!

The Battle of the UMs

Classes ended for me yesterday. And I should be working on papers and studying diligently for exams. Instead I took a field trip to the Maryland game last night. Almost thirty of us from the Maryland Alumni Association got free tickets and chartered a bus down to College Park. We went to see Maryland beat Michigan 75-70.

Maryland seemed to struggle through the first half. It seemed like nothing would fall for the Terps. But Gary Williams must have given them some pep talk at half time. Because in the second half Maryland came out and fought back. Vasquez once again led the way scoring 23 points and getting 12 rebounds. Hayes did a good job with 13 points and 4 assists. And they managed to hold off Michigan and helped not only Maryland win but the ACC win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the 10th a year in row.

Wow, the Big Ten is pathetic. You'd think that after 10 years they would manage to win at least once. As if one needed any more proof, but I think this is the final straw in the argument of which area of the country is better. Obviously the East Coast is far superior to the Mid-West. They can't even get their basketball teams to beat ours in a yearly challenge. It's just another reason for the East Coast to keep believing we're better than the people in fly over land.

Maryland still has a lot of work to do this season. But the schooling of the state of Michigan should bolster their chances of making the Tourney. And hopefully, the Maryland will play well at the BB&T Classic this weekend. It would be nice if they could play as well in this tournament as they do in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. We'll see what happens.

Just a note: I do have a fair amount of work to do on exams. So expect these posts to be less frequent and shorter for the next few weeks.

Photo: http://www.land8lounge.com/group/universityofmarylandalumni

ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Yes, it's that time of year again, that time where the ACC gets to beat up on the Big Ten. It's called the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Teams from the ACC are matched up against teams from the Big Ten, actually eleven teams. I'm not actually sure why the Big Ten keeps taking part in this. After nine years, the Big Ten has not won a single challenge. This year they might have a chance. VT and Miami lost, but Clemson and Boston College have won. Duke is winning but the Virginia is losing in the second half. So it could be tied going into tomorrow.

Usually I would be worried, but the ACC tends to show up big in this matchup. So I still think they'll pull it out. Especially, since one of those teams in UNC. Now, I don't want to get all high on UNC, but they are good. So if the games tally is even tomorrow, the ACC just has to win two games plus the UNC game. Three out of the other four games are played with the ACC having home court advantage. And ACC teams play well at home.

Maryland plays Michigan tomorrow at the Comcast Center. Maryland plays much better at home with the fans all riled up. Maryland showed that it can come to play when they beat Michigan State last week. I think they'll show up tomorrow. After two humiliating losses, they need to re-earn the respect of the fans and show they can be a contender. This is a win that will matter come tournament selection time. And Gary Williams can't afford another year with his team in the NIT.

I'm heading down to College Park tomorrow. So I really hope that the Terps show up and play well. This is a game that they need to win. And it's not going to be a fun bus ride home if they lose.

GO TERPS!!

Terp is a Four Letter Word

I'll admit I was totally unaware that a game was even going on Thursday. I was solidly in the grips of a food coma. And I really didn't expect much of the Terps playing agianst Michigan State, a team that came into the season with high expectations. So when I was out at the bar later that night trying to make sure I consumed the average 4500 calories, I was shocked to hear that Maryland not only beat Michigan State, but beat them by 18 points, 80-62. All of a sudden that damned hope started to seep back into my mind. My friend quickly pointed out that Maryland had to play Gonzaga the next night and would in all probability forget to show up. I nodded but the food/alcohol stupor numbed thoughts of a blow out the next day. All of a sudden I thought we could win the Old Spice Classic. I mean, Gary Williams could be an Old Spice spokesman. It would be fate.

I know that I caution everyone else agianst false hope about a flukie team. But I succumbed to it myself. So the next night I headed out with some friends to watch the game. Halfway through the second period, a large black box appeared on the screen of the TV I was watching, obscuring the game. The game was on several other TVs, all working fine, but they were all hard to see from where I was sitting. I am not joking. The TV I was watching censored the game. When the game ended, it went back to normal. I could see the edges of the screen but the game or the score. I chose to stay where I was sitting and forget about the end of the game. The Terps were outplayed the whole time I watched, I figured it wasn't going to get any better. I was right. Maryland lost 81-59.

Maryland shot a horrendous 37% from the floor and landed only one three point shot. I'm afraid that this team is going to take me on a rollercoster ride not unlike the Maryland football team. My problem is that I can't stop watching. It might be a depressing season, but everytime there is a bright spot, I'll be unable to suppress my foolish optimism and will get crushed once again. Gonzaga is a good team, there's no shame in losing to them. However, there's always a little shame in getting blown out. Hopefully, they'll use the Gonzaga game as motivation to play well agianst Georgetown on Sunday.

Sometimes I hate that I love sports so much. I'll have plenty of curses for this team as the season presses on. But I will still probably involuntarily finding myself defending them against naysayers. Even when I am saying the same things on a regular basis. I can't help it, as much as I hate this team some times, I will always hate Duke more. It's just the way it is. Stupid Terps.

Photo: www.puderluder.com

Topsy Turvy ACC

So I'm home for the week and this means that I will be neglecting my blog while I do other important things like fill out my Bar application and stuff my face with as much Thanksgiving fare as is possible for a small girl. Yes, I'm one of those people that starves myself for a couple weeks before Thanksgiving so that I can come home and eat four times my weight in food in one day. This way after Thanksgiving, I really only have to starve myself for a short time before I resume the binge eating around Christmas. Yes, I am the epitome of 'healthy eater,' whatever, exercise is for people without the will power to just not eat.

Well, I'm back in Baltimore for Turkey Day and figured it was as good a time as any to give my thoughts on the ridiculousness that is ACC football this year. Now that Maryland has finally eliminated themselves, well I guess technically it was FSU that eliminated them, I can stop paying attention to college football and focus on the train wreck that is Maryland basketball. But I have some final thoughts about ACC football first.

All season, people have bemoaned the fact that there has been no clear front runner to win the ACC. Every week a new team was on top, I think before last week there were only three teams mathematically eliminated from playing in the ACC Championship game. And people seemed to think this was a terrible tragedy. I know I lamented about Maryland's incredible inconsistent play, and as a fan I wanted them to do better, but I think the conference is better for missing a clear number one.

Isn't this why teams are in conferences? They play other school with teams around the same caliber. The conference games are supposed to be competitive. Otherwise, what's the point? Just make it a free for all. Get rid of the conferences, the Big East is already trying to do this, why not just join in with them. While no one like their team to lose, everyone likes their team to be in the race, and a well balanced conference makes that possible. Maryland just had it backwards. They beat the good teams in the conference and were destroyed by the weaker teams. But what's the fun if there is no competition?

The ACC has never been a college football powerhouse. And honestly, it doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. But at least most of the teams are competitive among themselves now. So complain about the lack of a juggernaut if you want to. I'm going to appreciate the even keel of this conference, even if it does make it topsy turvy. It makes me hopeful for next season. Because you can't be true sports fan if you don't believe in maybe next year.

Photo: umterps.cstv.com

Vasquez Steps Up, Terps Stay Perfect, Fans Still Have Doubts

A win is a win right, even when it comes in overtime against an America East Conference team. The Terps beat Vermont last night when Vasquez managed to tie the game in the last few seconds to force overtime. I would like to take a moment to say that this is disgraceful. While, I'm happy Maryland won, but they shouldn't be forcing overtime against small conference teams. They should b winning outright, by a large margin. I shudder to think about what's going to happen next Thursday when they play Michigan State. Hopefully I will be in a complete food coma by game time and won't notice the pounding my Terps will be receiving.

Right now though, I guess I should be basking in the fact that after playing three sub par teams we are still undefeated. Because the losses are going to start piling up pretty soon. Well maybe not that soon, maybe not until conference play, but they are going to happen. Maybe this team of youngster will surprise me the way Maryland football surprises me every weekend. Which could be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

The upside of this team is that it is relatively young. With only one senior, hopefully they will be returning almost the entire squad next year. So as long as they can make progress through this season, next season should almost certainly be better. I know it's a little early to write off this season, but I think I might have a happier winter if I don't get my hopes up with this team. I'm just going to enjoy the wins, inevitably there will be one over a big team that we are not supposed to beat, and ignore the losses.

I know this is a pessimistic way to start the season, especially for one of my favorite sports, but I just don't have faith in Gary any more. He's let me down the last few years. He got my hopes up and then crushed them. I not ready for that type of heartbreak again. I'm not even ready to be cautiously optimistic. Maybe the Terps can show me that I should give them another chance. But I'm not counting on it this year.

Photo: Damian Strohmeyer from the Sports Illustrated Vault

Terps Are Undefeated

Last night, the Maryland mens basketball team had their season opener. They beat Bucknell 81-52 and are now undefeated on the season. Hopefully they will be able to continue winning on Tuesday when they play the Youngstown State Penguins. And since this is a team I've never heard of, I'm confident that the Terps can start the season 2-0. In fact, the Terps don't run up agianst any real competition until the fourth game of the season when they play against No. 7 ranked Michigan State. That will game will be a real test on these young Terrapins.

Regardless of how we do this year, it's always nice to start the season off with a few wins. It gets the confidence up and allows the team to find a good chemistry. And with the win over Bucknell last night, hopefully the team is finding a way to come together. Maryland was able to shoot 43% from the field and even managed a respectable 73% in free throws. For anyone who has watched this team in recent years, you have seen how terrible Maryland's free throw shooters have been. It's almost been like they don't want the easy points.

With only one senior on the team this year, David Neal, who isn't even a starter, the Terps are going to have to look elsewhere for leadership. If Vasquez has matured then he is the obvious choice. He has started since his freshman year, and led the team in minutes, rebounds and assists. He was second in scoring with 13 points, however he made only 5 of 16 shots, which probably means he still has work to do on his shot selection. Last year he had a tendency to try too hard and just throw the ball up there and make something happen. Hopefully this season he can learn to take less shots but score more points.

I'm hoping this team can come together during the beginning of the season and develop some great chemistry before heading into ACC play. The ACC is pretty stacked this year, with four teams ranked including the unanimous number 1. The Terps need to find their way before ACC play begins in January, otherwise, it's going to be a long spring, and another miserable March.

College Basketball Season Starts, Feelings of Trepidation Begin

Last night college basketball season tipped off with Duke beating some cupcake team. I know that's how big college programs start their seasons in every sport. Whatever, I'm fine with that, I like to see a win in the season opener as much as anyone. And with the Maryland team this year, we're going to need all the cupcake teams we can get, or maybe not.

Last season, Maryland gave up some easy wins to not very good teams, including American and Ohio. Yet, they managed to beat UNC while healthy, one of the few teams to do that. I fear that Maryland basketball might suffer the same problems as Maryland football, they play to the level of their opponent and forget to show up sometimes. This is a young team that is lacking in leadership and big men. Yes, they have Vasquez and Hayes as solid guard options, and that new freshman who was magically declared eligible, but this is a team that is going to struggle with consistency.

I know I'm sounding pessimistic again, as I tend to do at the beginning of any season for a team I follow, but lets be fair. I haven't had a reason to be optimistic before any season started this year. And with the Terps missing the NCAA Tournament 3 out of the last 4 years, and having an epic collapse last year, can I really get excited. I'd rather be surprised if Maryland does well than disappointed if they play terribly.

I believe that the ACC is the best conference in college basketball. Yeah, some people will argue that the Big East is the best, but I think they lose credibility when they have so many teams, they can't all play in the Big East tournament. The ACC was a little weaker than normal last year, but it's still a force to be reckoned with. And with 6 teams from the ACC ranked in the top 40 on rivals.com and 7 teams in the top 65.

This seems to be yet another rebuilding year for Maryland. Though I hope Gary will be able to motivate the team to somehow make the tournament. I'm tired of getting excited only to wind up watching the NIT every year. I'd rather go out in the first round to the Tourney than go deep in the NIT. And I think most people would agree.

I'm not going to make any preseason predictions as to what the Terps record is going to be. I really haven't put that much effort into analyzing the schedule and looking at how other teams are doing. And I really just have no idea what's going to happen. Maybe, Gary will get his alcoholic ass together and be able to motivate this young team and coach them into solid play, while showing the fans and alumni that there is a lot of upside for this young talent. And maybe, Gary will get so drunk he'll pass out mid game, leading everyone to think he finally had that heart attack everyone sees coming. Or maybe, he'll actually have a heart attack during an ACC game. Really, I can see any of these possibilities happening.

One thing I'm pretty certain of though, this whole, I won a Championship seven years ago routine is not going to fly much longer if the Terps keep missing the tournament. Maryland fans expect this team to be competitive every year and are getting tired of going to the NIT. If Gary doesn't turn things around this season, a lot more people will be calling for his head.

Photo: AP and found on the Baltimore Sun website

Terp-ulent Season

Once again Maryland managed to show up and beat a ranked team. Good for them. I didn't watch because ESPN 360 somehow let me keep reseting my password but wouldn't actually let me watch the game. But either way the Terps not only won, but shut out a ranked team. Which can only lead me to believe the Maryland's defense was on point today. Even if Wake Forest's offense was awful, and again I didn't watch the game so I really don't know, it takes some work for a team to shut out or blank another team.

Side Note: When did the term blanking become so prevalent? The ESPN recap only used that word for the shut out, and I read several other articles today that overused the word blank. Maybe it's just me, but when I hear that a team 'blanked' another team, I feel like the authors have censored some dirty four letter word.

So, what's up with the Terps? They can beat ranked teams, in fact have beaten three ranked teams in a row, but can't manage any type of offense against Middle Tennessee and Virginia. This seems terrible right now. Duke beat Virginia 31-3 and then Virginia beat Maryland 31-0. But is UVA really that terrible? After today they are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC Costal Division. They just beat ranked UNC in OT. So maybe the Maryland game was just a rallying point for UVA. We'll have to see how the season plays out, but right now UVA is not looking like the pushover team that it was when Maryland went in there.

I'm not sure what this will all mean at the end of the season, and I'm not sure what will happen next week. But I think this season is a testament to how crappy BCS rankings are and how evenly matched/wide open most of the ACC is. Right now the ACC seems pretty wide open. No team has really pulled away from the pack. There were three ranked teams this week, two have lost and one is losing in the 4th quarter. All to unranked conference teams. The ACC is not an elite football conference, no matter what the people who added BC, Florida State and Miami want you to think. But we have showed we're not total pushovers this season.

Also I'd like to take a minute to express my feelings about the BCS rankings. I know there are way too many teams in Division I for there to be an objective system of ranking during the season. That being said, there's got to be a better ranking system. I mean its been fun watching what seems like ten upsets a week, but come on, there's got to be a few dominant teams. The BCS rankings this year has been all over the place. I recommend the BCS hire Nate Silver to figure it out. He has not only been the most accurate predictor of the recent primary elections but he came up with PECATO for baseball fanatics. I mean he has got to be the most brilliant stat guy of this generation. Hire him to come up with a new formula. Even if it doesn't work, I'll be placated for at least a few seasons. Did I mention I have a huge crush on this guy, he uses his nerdiness to figure out sports and politics. I think I'm in love. And as a result I have total faith that he can figure out a way to make the BCS better.

Overall, I'm thrilled at the position my Terps are in right now. We're one win away from a bowl game and overall we've played ok. And when it comes down to it, I'd rather see them beat the big teams than beat up on the crappier teams. The elation I feel when we win is so much higher when its against a Cal or Clemson or even Wake Forest. So Maryland, if you can only win so many games a season, well then, I'm ok with you only winning the big ones. I think maybe next year the Terps should only play ranked opponents. I'm not exactly sure how to schedule that in advance, but cutting out any out of conference cupcake teams could help. Don't schedule Delaware of Middle Tennessee next year, instead schedule Penn State and Pitt or even a WVU. And if we don't win, at least we'll get more televised games and hopefully better recruits so we can become an even better team. But then again, what do I know.

Apologies

I'm heading back to school tomorrow and the last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me. So I want to apologize to my ten regular readers out there for being a slacker and not updating regularly. I had a great weekend celebrating my friends wedding, then was sick and wrote my last post with a clogged head and a fever, so I'm not sure it makes much sense, and then had another wedding.

But with college football starting soon, NFL starting soon, and the baseball playoff race starting to heat up I'll have lots to write about in the coming weeks. And by baseball playoff race I mean the Orioles Drive for 5. It would be a huge team victory to finish at .500. They haven't been doing that well over the last few games but they have been swinging their bats so we're bound to win a few more. While winning 24 out of the next 34 games seems tough it is possible. I still have hope. And regardless, they have far exceeded my expectations this season already. So I'm happy either way.

As far as college football goes, the ACC is not known for its great football. But it seems to keep getting better. There are even a few analysts who believe Maryland could be the dark horse of the ACC this year. I would love to see that happen. But I'm not ready to get my hopes up quite yet. I'll wait a few games to see what the Fridge has in store for me before I get all bright eyed and optimistic. Whatever happens, it'll be nice to see the ACC actually having some real contenders this year. Let's see what Clemson, Georgia Tech and the rest have this year.

As for the Ravens, I haven't been paying nearly enough attention. People keep getting married during their pre-season games. So I haven't been watching them. Right now I think Troy Smith should be the starter. From what I've read, Flacco is nowhere ready to start and we shouldn't rush him. Boller is Boller. He's not really going to do much for us but he could help us to not lose games. But Smith has shown a lot of potential and growth. And while he can be wildly inconsistent he deserves a chance. Plus Boller has a hurt shoulder, so I think we should wait on him. Smith showed tremendous poise in his few outings last year. And given the chance he can step up and move the ball down the field. He is our best option for starter.

I will be starting school again tomorrow, so I should be able to post more often as I try to avoid doing actual law work. So keep checking back for updates. I'll be trying to post at least 3 times a week. And with all the sporting events to write about I think it will be totally doable. Thanks all for your patience as I've slacked off recently.