FSU Week

Hello All,

This is my favorite and least favorite week of the year.

Positives:

-I have an excuse to watch my favorite 'Canes video every day instead of only on gameday
-My brother and I exchange several-times-daily texts counting down the hours until the beatdown
-I get to hear stories all week about FSU players disrespecting The U only to have it rubbed in their face during the game
-I get to hear UM fans bitch about how terrible we are and how amazing FSU is....oh, wait, that is not a positive...
-It all ends in my favorite game of the year

Negatives:

-Lack of sleep
-Lots of nervous energy
-Living on the West Coast, I have to worry about where I will watch this game online (i.e. if a bar will have it or if I will be stuck watching one of the top ten rivalry games in college football on my laptop screen because ABC/ESPN/The Universe are in a constant battle to see who can buttf*ck me the hardest) because for some reason this is the one week of the entire effing year that ESPN and ABC are not doing a reverse mirror of their coverage

Obviously, the positives outweigh the negative.

People don't understand this rivalry and its meaning to 'Cane Nation (yep, went with the cheesy "______ Nation" reference). I have been asked this week why it is so much bigger than Miami and UiF.

My explanation, which is sometimes understood and sometimes not by outsiders, is that Miami and FSU are like estranged brothers. We recruit many of the same kids, rose to success at roughly the same time, play every year (even when we weren't required to) and play with similar chips on our shoulders. At the end of the day, Miami fans don't like FSU for one week out of the year, sometimes two. Other than that, we respect the program.

It is undeniable that they are talented and our rivalry was born organically, through a series of great games. It was not manufactured like rivalries with teams like Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Georgia Tech or Syracua were or have been.

What separates the 'Noles from the Gators and Notre Dame is that while we have history of great games with all three, the 'Noles never took us off their schedule. All three fanbases talk a lot of smack when it comes to the 'Canes; the 'Noles are the only ones who try and back it up every year.

It makes me glad to see their program rising back up at the same time as we do. College football is at its best when these two programs are at their best.

This is not supposed to be a lovefest for the 'Noles; as I said, I respect them, but I do not like them.

It is meant more to be an explanation of why this week is so special. People are concerned that the 'Canes will let up this week after their tough stretch. I say not a chance. This game is the reason kids go to these two schools, like the Iron Bowl at Auburn and Alabama or the Michigan-Ohio State game or the Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay game (wait, that's not a rivalry?).

This game will bring out the best in both sides. And with that, here's your breakdown:

QB

Christian Ponder is probably the better quarterback and takes better care of the ball, but I think Jacory is the better winner. Either way, this matchup will be talked about ad nauseum during the game and I do not need to add to that. EDGE: Even

RB

Both teams have deep stables of talented backs. FSU features Jermaine Thomas and Ty Jones, while Miami will be lead by Damien Berry and Mike James taking snaps for the injured Lamar Miller. Look out for Storm Johnson or Graig Cooper as the X Factor. EDGE: Even

WR

Leonard Hankerson is a matchup nightmare. FSU's number one guy is Bert Reed; the 'Noles will always be talented in this group but the production has not yet been there this season. Given the double team Hankerson will likely draw and his career history, I would figure Travis Benjamin for a big game with at least one score and a few big plays. EDGE: Miami

OL

FSU comes in banged up here. Even if their starting left tackle, Andrew Datko, plays, he will be rusty and going up against one of the nation's top defensive lines. If he doesn't, then that means a redshirt freshman will be getting heavy snaps at one of the two tackle spots, either starting at left tackle or sliding to right tackle and pushing Zebrie Sanders out of position to left tackle from right tackle. Miami seems to be getting better week to week and will have its hands full to keep Jacory upright against a team that leads the nation in sacks. I have officially concluded that Joel Figueroa has earned a spot on the bench. If he is in, he will be the weak link. Neither side looks like it will be able to do much against the opposing d-line. Miami's Sentrel Henderson is getting better week to week and could be responsible for a huge role in this one. EDGE: Even

DL

Miami leads the nation in TFL and is getting great push from its front four. Allen Bailey and Olivier Vernon lead the way at end, but look out for Marcus Robinson and Andrew Smith, who have both played well. At tackle, Marcus Forston is playing great football and must continue to disrupt the other team's interior line. He has helped Sean Spence re-emerge as an elite player. FSU is lead by Demonte McCallister and Markus White on the d-line, but their competition to this point has been questioned. Miami gets the slight nod. EDGE: Miami

LB

Both squads have a lot of speed here. Spence will be the best player on the field. FSU's talented crew is lead by Nigel Bradham, who finally appears to be playing to his potential. They will be without multiple offender Nigel Carr, who set a Fullmer Cup record for most felonies in one arrest earlier this season. For Miami, Colin McCarthy is solid and Ramon Buchannan and Jordan Futch both played well last week. EDGE: Even

Secondary

Brandon Harris and Ryan Hill are playing very well at corner, while Ray Ray Armstrong and DVD are becoming opportunistic ball hawks. FSU is lead by Greg Reid, who has talked a lot of smack going into the matchup. The interesting part is that FSU plays a lot of zone coverage, meaning Reid won't even be responsible directly for a man for the most part, making his boasts a little more hollow. And let's be real, what are the odds that the 5'9" Reid doesn't get posterized by the 6'3" Hankerson, 6'4" LaRon Byrd or 6'2" Aldarious Johnson at some point? EDGE: Miami

Special Teams

Reid is, like Travis Benjamin, an electric return man. Miami would be smart to kick away from him, given their coverage units. In the kicking game, Miami has Matt Bosher and FSU has long memories of pushing field goals wide right and wide left. EDGE: Even

I see this one being close, as usual, and decided late. It is honestly a coin flip and I would not bet either way. I just can't wait for it to get here.

PICKS:

Last Week- 6-3
Season- 21-12 (0-4 in Upset Specials)

Nebraksa over K State
UCONN over Rutgers
BC over NC State
Penn State over Illinois
Tennessee over UGa
'Bama over South Cackalacky
Michigan State over Michigan
UiF over LSU

UPSET SPECIAL: Baylor over Texas Tech

Always guard the inbound passer.

Miami vs. FSU...It's Back

Hello All,

Last night, as you all know by now, was epic. Miami vs. FSU the way it is supposed to be.

Below is my recap of the game, aided by the notes I took as the game was played.

Pre-Game

My dad and I spent all day outside on the front porch, listening to good music, drinking Budweiser and

throwing a football around. Of course, this was after I played three sets of tennis and hit the gym for an hour in the morning. Let’s just say I had some nervous energy to get out.

Anyway, by 7:30 pm I was on such a high that if Randy Shannon had given me a helmet, I would have run out there and wrecked someone from Florida State (or died trying--- probably the latter).

7:15 rolls around and ESPN throws it over to the pre-game coverage, and we are greeted by: Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May.

Mark May and Lou Holtz may be the two worst analysts in major sports. Holtz is a mush-mouth who has never really forgiven Miami for beating his overhyped Notre Dame team like they stole somethin’, including going for it on 4^th and 43 from their own 3 yard line early in the game and converting. His partner, May, is a bitter former player who this year has taken to wearing a pair of eyeglasses that would make Cyclops jealous. As if to make it worse, they throw it back to the studio for an update on tennis…and we are introduced to the studio team of Wendi Nix and Jesse “The Bachelor” Palmer for the second time this weekend. Palmer, another awful analyst, is famous mostly for going on a lame reality tv show when he realized his career as a quarterback was going down the drain. He also went to UF, which means he will forever have an inferiority complex when it comes to the ‘Canes.

Needless to say, all three pick the ‘Noles.

At this point, I am ready for some football.

1^st QTR

· I don’t know about you, but I could go for some bad Kenny Chesney music before kickoff…Oh, Thanks ESPN! I can’t wait to hear this song four times a game, every game, all season! This is our moment, indeed!

· The ‘Canes are wearing their white over orange. This is one of the top five uniforms in college football, up there with Texas (white over white), LSU (white over yellow), Oklahoma (crimson and cream) and Florida State (garnet over gold). The meaning: two of the top five uniforms in football are on the field tonight! This is one side story that just never gets explored.

· SIDENOTE: The worst uniforms? Oregon, Maryland, and Penn State are pretty rough. No one compares to Virginia Tech, however.

· Miami receives and gets a solid return from Graig Cooper. They then run their first play under much hyped new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, and it is a screen to Javarris James…wait, he’s gaining yards…a 20 yard gain on a screen?!? Somewhere, Patrick Nix, king of the 3^rd and long bubble screen, is chartreuse with envy.

· 4^th and 1 for the ‘Canes, in No Man’s Land. They can’t kick the field goal, and the field is too short to get off a good punt. Whipple sends his offense out on to the field…and converts! I am beginning to like this team.

· I turn to my dad and say “We should go deep.” Two seconds later, Jacory Harris finds Travis Benjamin for a 39 yard touchdown down the field. Bedlam ensues in the Stein Family Football Den. (7-0 Miami)

· Florida State begins a long march to the end zone. I was a little excited at this point, so my notes are pretty illegible, and I have not yet gotten to watch a replay of the game. However, here is what I think I was thinking: DeMarcus Van Dyke and Jo Jo Nicolas surprised me by coming up and making tackles; Steven Wesley made a big play (he has been underrated for two seasons now); Randy Phillips, the supposed leader of the secondary, failed to deliver safety help over the top on a big gain (uh-oh…); Sam Shields, new to the corner position, gets beat on 3^rd and 23 (here it comes…); the ‘Canes burned their second timeout with 5 minutes left on the clock in the 1^st QTR (I have seen this before…); and Sean Spence gets beat for a touchdown by some stiff the ‘Noles have at tight end (yep, saw this coming). (7-7)

· The next Miami drive features big plays from Cooper and Thearon Collier, whom many had rumored was falling in to the dog house because of a lack of conditioning and would not even be travelling (proving once again the validity of “insiders” on message boards). However, the ‘Canes bog down and are forced to punt.

2^nd QTR

· After a FSU punt, the ‘Canes give us our first Mike James sighting, and he comes up with a solid play. However, on third down Orlando Franklin, our 330 lb guard, gets pushed aside by FSU’s 240 lb linebacker Dekoda Watson for a sack. How? Ladies and gentlemen, YOUR 2005-2009 Miami Hurricanes offensive line!

· Fast forward to the middle of the 2^nd quarter, when the game seemed as if it were going to settle in to another monotonous battle for field position and field goals, when suddenly Leonard Hankerson…yes, THAT Leonard Hankerson… comes up with a ridiculous circus catch for the ‘Canes on a 40 yard pass in to double coverage. The ‘Canes bog down again, but Matt Bosher pins FSU at the 2. I get my second wind. Also, around this time, I see one of my friends from school on the screen. Let’s just say she is a knockout blonde that drives a red Jeep (which I rode in once…sigh). And listens to classic rock. I guess when I say friend I mean I thought we were friends and overzealously waved when I saw her on campus, which she usually returned with a “Hi Dan”. And I do mean “usually”. As in not 100% of the time. And yet I digress.

· Florida State marches down the field, as QB Christian Ponder dissects the Hurricane secondary, setting up a 52 yard field goal for FSU’s true frosh kicker. That’s right. His first career field goal was a 52 yarder. Remember when FSU used to miss field goals? Last year, they had the nation’s best kicker, and his replacement just hit a 52 yarder. Against Miami. In his debut. I feel like this should be repeated. Also, at this point Ponder has completed like 76 straight passes. Doesn’t bode well… throwing was supposed to be his weakness.

· Miami gets the ball back and gets big plays from Dedrick Epps in the middle of the field, Collier and Javarris, who runs right through the teeth of a blitz for a first down. All this sets up a Javarris plunge for 6. Dan Stein is now in a dead sweat from screaming. Inside. In the air conditioning. He’s a mess. (14-10 UM)

· Ponder gets the ball back and starts marching down the field. He has gotten in to the type of zone in which my dad and I fully expect every throw he makes to go for 6. That is how good he is and how bad the Miami secondary is.

· Ponder, inside of a minute left in the half, launches one down the field…and RANDY PHILLIPS PICKS IT OFF IN THE END ZONE!!!! For anyone who followed Miami football last season, they understand that this is a BIG deal. As evidenced by my exclamation points.

Halftime

· Well hey Jesse Palmer! Long time no see! Wait, what’s that? You have nothing of significance to add? You want to me to go use the bathroom while you talk? Well ok, but only if you insist.

· The quarterbacks have been disgustingly good. So far, only Ponder has made a mistake, and his was at the end of the half and did nothing to really hurt the ‘Noles. Harris has surprised everyone by going 10-15 for 177 yards and a touchdown in the first half. That’s 17 yards per completion. I am officially on the Whipple bandwagon. I also enjoy the way he is down on the sideline giving anyone who crosses him an ass-chewing. Always good to see a coach that knows how to coach. Not that I am bitter for the past four years.

· I am genuinely concerned about the lack of blitzing. Ponder has had all day to throw, and is destroying the Hurricane secondary.

· Also, the Miami team has had more cramps in this game than the entire Zeta Tau Alpha sorority tailgate. The problem with cramping? Once it starts, it usually does not stop for the rest of the game, as it is hard to catch up on hydration. This could sway the game in the second half if it stays this close.

· Dad and I prepare for the inevitable FSU 17-0 run to start the second half. It’s like the same record on repeat.

3^rd QTR

· And, if you didn’t already know, this is our moment. Thanks Kenny Chesney! I had forgotten in the 15 minutes since I last heard your song.

· I know this is hard to believe, but FSU returns the kick to somewhere near midfield, and then get an extra 15 yards tacked on for a personal foul…on Bosher. Our kicker not only had to make the tackle, but he also lost his cool and body slammed the returner. Maybe he could play safety?

· Jo Jo Nicolas gets called for ridiculous pass interference in the end zone. Nicolas thought it was a good idea to lay out an FSU receiver in full view of every referee when the ball was nowhere near him. Brilliant, simply brilliant. Florida State punches it in, yet shanks the extra point. Steve’s text message: “That will haunt them.” (16-14 FSU)

· Jacory connects on a big play to high school teammate Aldarious Johnson, but then misses Javarris on a swing play a couple plays later that might have gone for six, bringing on another Bosher punt.

· My mother, who very casually watches football, screams at the TV in another room “they are giving him all day to throw”. My 52 year old mother, who has never discussed any form of x’s and o’s that weren’t related to tic-tac-toe in her entire life. It is that obvious that we need a blitz.

· Jacory throws an awful interception in to double coverage.

· Ponder takes advantage of the fact that Miami left their secondary in Coral Gables and lead his team down the field for 6. (23-14 FSU)

· This is the tipping point. Miami needs a score on this drive if they hope to keep within striking distance. Ponder is playing too well to fall behind by two touchdowns.

· As if on cue, Cooper gashes out a 60+ yard kick return. Epps rambles for 25 yards on a crossing pattern, moving the ball inside the 5. However, Whipple gets too cute near the goal line and after two failed pass plays and an ill conceived run, Bosher kicks the field goal. My dad looks like Whipple just desecrated a loved one’s grave. (23-17 FSU)

· FSU is on the march again, and Miami needs to create a turnover (which is like asking a blind kid to pick you out a ripe banana). Ponder drops back…Marcus Robinson beats his defender...Ponder is hit…HE FUMBLED…MIAMI’S GOT IT!!!!!!!! Miami needed a turnover and made it happen. If you don’t realize how big a deal that is, look at how many exclamation points I just used.

· Jacory finds Benjamin for 29 before Cooper blasts a run down the sideline to the 2. Jacory dives in…THE ‘CANES ARE BACK ON TOP! (24-23 UM)

4^th QTR

· This our moment! Wait, did I just quote Kenny Chesney? DAMN YOU ESPN!

· SIDENOTE: I know that it’s tradition to hold up four fingers going in to the fourth quarter, and I always observe the tradition. However, who came up with this? With the introduction of the TV timeout between quarters, this has become America’s greatest answer for obesity. If these UF girls did it more often, they would be rid of that pork-loin shoulder in a jiffy. I had to switch hands like 176 times to keep the four fingers up. And yet I digress.

· Just saw the season flash before my eyes. Matt Pipho, a 300 lb lineman, whiffs on a 17o lb freshman cornerback, who comes in untouched and put his helmet on Jacory’s shoulder as he makes the throw. The ball flutters up in to the air, is intercepted and returned to The Barn. On top of that, Harris is grabbing his throwing shoulder, the same that he injured at the end of last season. The same one that controls the entire season. A small part of me dies. (31-24 FSU, after a two point conversion)

· ESPN shows A.J. Highsmith, our true freshman backup quarterback that looks like an 18 year old (Wait, he’s only 18? I remember when I was 18. I had never had a beer. I thought sideburns were cool. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) warming up. Harris is flexing his shoulder with the trainer. I pray.

· Harris jogs on to the field after a solid Cooper return. The offense looks bad, like they no longer can pass the ball (which, with Harris’s shoulder possibly torn up, they probably can’t). Then, Harris finds Hankerson for a conversion of 3^rd and 14…

· Jacory finds Benjamin for a conversion of 3^rd and 6…

· Jacory finds Collier for a conversion of 3^rd and 6…

· Jacory has Cooper wide open down the sideline…the ball is too high…Cooper jumps…AND CRADLES IT IN!!!!!!! TOUCHDOWN ‘CANES! We’re going to win. (31-31)

· FSU begins its march. The Miami Run D has disappeared, and quickly FSU is threatening. However, Shields comes up big in coverage, and FSU kicks a field goal. (34-31 FSU)

· Miami gets the ball back, and Harris quickly fins Benjamin for 40 down the sideline. But wait, the play is under review…still under review…man, I could go for some Kenny Chesney music…and it’s upheld! I exhale.

· Cooper slashes in for the touchdown! (38-34 UM)

· I begin to worry. Miami has left Ponder a full two minutes to work with. Not good.

· FSU sneak Reid in as the upback, so that the pooch kick from Bosher which was intended specifically to avoid Reid ends up in his hands, and he returns it to the 40. Uh-oh.

· Ponder takes his team down the field, and with about 20 seconds left they have the ball inside of the 10.

· Brandon Harris gets called for phantom pass interference in the end zone. Shades of Miami- Ohio State are flashing before my eyes…this is not going to end well. Ball on the 2.

· Harris responds by knocking away the fade intended for the 6’5” Jamon Fortson. Time for two more plays.

· Shields blankets Fortson, pass incomplete. 1. MORE. PLAY.

· Ponder is flushed out by the blitz… he rolls and fires a bullet to Fortson…the throw is low…INCOMPLETE! Miami wins it!!!!!!!!!!!!

· …catches breath…

· MIAMI WINS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

· Wait, they’re reviewing the play…we have gotten too many of these calls tonight…the official is out of the review conference…CALL UPHELD! MIAMI WINS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Postgame

· This might be a knee-jerk, but that game was probably the best ever played in the series. The speed was back. The offenses were great. The game ended on a goal line stand. What more could you ask for?

· Game ball goes to Jacory Harris for staying in command and leading a gutsy drive while injured. In his postgame interview, Harris said that he was throwing the ball with two fingers on the first drive back after hurting his funny bone. That is how legends are made. Harris finished with 386 yards passing, the most ever for a UM quarterback in this series, to go along with 2 throwing scores and 1 running. Suck it Mark May.

· Travis Benjamin, Graig Cooper, Thearon Collier, The O-Line, Matt Bosher, Brandon Harris and Javarris James had BIG games for the ‘Canes.

· Negatives: Bad clock management, bad substitution patterns, lack of aggression on D, awful squib kick at the end, cramping and even more injuries piling up.

· Positives: The O-line protected Harris, who holds on to the ball FOREVER, very well and gave him lots of time to throw. The receivers held on to the ball, and the defense came up huge when needed. Whipple’s offense kept everyone guessing.

· My favorite moment was the back to back tests for Brandon Harris at the end. He responded to the interference call by knocking the ball away from a receiver that was both bigger and faster than him. It was symbolic of the whole game. Both teams continually battled back. In the end, on wanted it just a little bit more. Beautiful to watch.

· That folks, is why I wrote the following as my Facebook status when I woke up. I cannot think of a better way to end this than with the words that started my day: “Every year, two teams square off and take this sport to a new level, two estranged brothers battling not for petty bragging rights, but for their livelihood. They set this game on a national holiday, on national television. Throw out all the records, all the predictions. Forget what happened last year. This not just another game. This is Miami vs. FSU.” Cue the Kenny Chesney!

Week 1

Hello All,

As Florida State and the start of a new season looms, it is

time to breakdown the matchup.

First, let's talk about last night's football. I watched two games, North Carolina State vs. South Carolina and Boise State vs. Oregon.

Does anyone else find it ironic that LaGarrette Blount turned into college football's Ron Artest the same night that the NCAA implemented mandatory pre-game handshakes to show sportsmanship and comradery?

SIDENOTE: Forgive me, but I cannot help but think that if this were Javarris James, then ESPN would have started a new channel just to feature Gene Wojchiekowski and Skip Bayless tearing the Miami program apart. While ESPN certainly is not sweeping this one under the rug, the outcry is not even as severe as it was when Robert Marve decided to transfer and Randy Shannon imposed harsh restrictions upon him. Give me a break.

Back to football. Both games were sloppy, and I actually enjoyed the first game a little bit more from a football standpoint.

I was thoroughly impressed with SC's Eric Norwood, who showed that he is one of the nation's top linebackers and was always around the ball. He is the type of player that Sean Spence could become. What was disheartening is that South Carolina left the door open for NC St. to win the game on at least 5 occasions, and NC St. could not do it.

The Wolfpack's hyped up quarterback, Russel Wilson, looked like he was running for his life, and his receivers just could not come up with the big grab. My dad and I could not figure out how this same team has a two game winning streak against the 'Canes (Kirby Freeman's 1-15 game in 2007 and last year's dreadful season finale). This underscored the difference between the SEC and ACC at this point in time: SEC teams are able to step on the throat, while ACC teams have been unable to.

A good example of this is last season's Hurricane team. Miami was really only blown out once (Georgia Tech) and had windows to win in each of the other 5 losses, including UF (remember that this was a 9-3 game at halftime, and the offense was so inept that they could not move the ball across mid-field without a struggle; this was a one score game until UF benefitted from a bad pass interference call in the end zone and an AWFUL ruling on a challenged catch that went in favor of the Gators). However, the 'Canes time and again showed an inability to really "run away and hide" as my dad put it, either allowing the other team to stick around and then succumbing or coming out slow and digging too big a hole to climb out of. Think about it.

Here are the 6 losses from last season:

UF- Already discussed, but the 'Canes had a great chance to take the lead and change the game until the Gators got those two fourth quarter calls.

UNC- Miami chokes away a lead and then cannot hold on to the winning pass in the end zone on the game's final play

FSU- Miami came out slow and was down too much at halftime for even a furious second-half comeback to make up for.

GT- Blowout

NC St.- Allowed the other team to get out to a big lead before coming back, but in the end fell short.

CAL- Allowed the other team to get out to a big lead before coming back, but in the end fell short.

The difference between 7-6 and 11-2 for this team was probably one or two plays in each game, which is exactly what happened to the Wolfpack last night. The moral of the story is that the football played in the SEC just seems to be a cut above right now. Teams like FSU and Miami are getting better, and soon they should be back at that level. However, the question remains as to when. That is what this season really is all about for not just these two teams, but the entire conference.

The ACC was the nation's deepest conference last year, but also perhaps its most mediocre.Will this be the year in which an elite rises up in the ACC?

Virginia Tech is getting hyped as the conference's best team. I have seen this play before. It always ends with Virginia Tech underperforming expectations and everyone wondering why. Here's why: they are NOT an elite program. They will always win 9 or 10 games, but that is what they are. Every year, they lose their biggest games, and when they don't they find a way to lose to a team like East Carolina or Boston College when they shouldn't. I expect them to get embarassed by Alabama, which will reflect poorly on the conference, even though a team like FSU is probably a better match up (and, dare I say, so is Miami) and a better standard-bearer for the ACC.

North Carolina seems to be overhyped. Clemson is, well, Clemson. Georgia Tech seems to be a bit like Virginia Tech, good for 9 or 10 wins a year and 1 or 2 bad losses. Wake Forest and Boston College are overachievers who have capitalized on mediocrity. NC St. and Virginia are sleeping giants who probably need another year or two before they make a run to the top.

Who does that leave? Miami and Florida State.

These are the two megaliths, the teams that need to be good for the ACC to be respectable. They are college football royals that have been cast down with the paupers as of late (Miami moreso than FSU). However, both are expected to make big jumps back to respectability this season, and for each it begins monday night.

I think it is ridiculous to have two rivals play the first game of the season, but that is what the ACC has deemed best. Here is a breakdown by position group heading in to what figures to be a low-scoring, hard hitting football game that will be played through the echo of the whistle.

Quarterbacks: Jacory Harris and Christian Ponder are both considered to be promising young quarterbacks. Last year, Ponder gashed the 'Canes defense by taking advantage of a flaw in the containment scheme. He probably looked better than he actually is, while Harris probably looked worse behind a weak line. I think they are probably about equals at this point; Ponder seems to struggle with accuracy, while Harris seems to struggle on balls that require some extra zip. EDGE: Even

Running Backs: FSU is lead by Jermaine Thomas, probably the best runner in the game. However, Miami is loaded at the position, with Javarris James and Graig Cooper handling most of the load and backups Lee Chambers, Damien Berry and Mike James all capable of filling in nicely. James is a solid runner if not spectacular, and Cooper is lethal when used correctly. Depth is huge in what will be a physical game. EDGE: Miami

Receivers: FSU has a good group, lead by Richard Goodman and Jarmon Fortson, one of the ACC's best combos. The tight end, Caz Piurowski, is huge, but more of a threat as a blocker. The 'Canes will be lead by the foursome of Leonard Hankerson, Aldarious Johnson, LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin. Benjamin tore FSU up last season, and Byrd has developed in to a stud. Miami's tight ends are a question mark. If Dedrick Epps is healthy he is a great weapon, and reports say he is healthy. If Jimmy Graham is as good as the practice reports claim, he will contribute as well. EDGE: Miami

Offensive Line: Miami's is bigger and stronger than last year, but lacks depth. Florida State returns a young, athletic line (read: lightweight) that will not have to go against Eric Moncur or Adewale Ojomo, UM's two best ends. EDGE: FSU

Defensive Line: Florida State is young across their line, and young defensive linemen usually need a few games to get acclimated. Miami is missing Ojomo and Moncur, but really needs its ends to hold containment more than anything else when facing Ponder, who likes to get outside the pocket. Miami's tackles (Allen Bailey, Marcus Forston, Micanor Regis, Josh Holmes) should push around FSU's lighter interior linemen, which will help generate a better pass rush from the ends. EDGE: Miami

Linebackers: Miami has a very talented, very enigmatic groups. Outside of Sean Spence, each player has a big question mark about their ability to help win football games. Meanwhile, FSU has good starters but almost no quality depth. Dekoda Watson is the next big-time FSU 'backer, but even he lacks starting experience. Nigel Bradham is big and physical. EDGE: Even

Secondary: FSU's Patrick Robinson is the best player for their defense, and he will do a good job, although it is plausible that Hankerson or Byrd could push him around. Meanwhile, Miami's secondary was awful last season. A number of factors seem to suggest they will improve, but until they prove it, Robinson swings it for the Noles. EDGE: FSU

Special Teams: Matt Bosher was the conference's second best kicker last season, behind FSU's Graham Gano, who is now gone. Benjamin and Cooper lead a strong Miami return game. FSU lost their top returner in Michael Ray Garvin, but freshman Greg Reid could make a big impact. EDGE: Miami

Coaching: Until Randy Shannon proves he is as good a gameday coach as he is a recruiter (he is improving, but has a lot of work to do) FSU gets the edge.

So there you have it. While I have an idea of who I think will win, I will not make a prediction (as someone wrote of Heather Dinich yesterday, I couldn't predict 6 o'clock at 5:30).

I will be keeping running notes during the game, and afterward I will put them up here. Until then, Go 'Canes, and enjoy your holiday weekend.

Always guard the inbound passer.