ACC Nation

What does Shama Lama Ding Dong have to do with ACC football Week 4? If ever there was a week in which conference football emulated the movie Animal House, this was it. You can have the pleasure of matching up the characters with the teams.

Out of all the mayhem rides Miami, Louisville, Pitt and Duke with no losses on the season. Miami entertains Virginia Tech this week, Louisville travels to Notre Dame, Pitt takes the week off and Duke hosts North Carolina. An intriguing game on the schedule has Florida State showing up in Dallas to face off with SMU. Who’s your favorite in that game?

Every season conference teams throw curve balls at people that cover sports for a living and then they deliver questionable forecasts about the anticipated success of an ACC football team. Believe none of what you hear and believe half of what you see. That’s been attributed to both Ben Franklin and Edgar Allan Poe but similar statements extend to a Middle English saying thereby proving it to be correct.

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Bada bing, bada boom and just like that ACC football is in Week 4. By now a normal person would have a hint as to which team is ‘the team’ in the conference. Sorry, apparently the ACC is short on normal people at present but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it your best shot. That’s exactly what Will and Jim (far from normal) do in this episode of ACC Nation as they break down the latest college football action.

The winners, the losers and the teams that didn’t play all make for a fascinating mix. Maybe Week 4 will do the trick? That, of course remains to be seen. First up the guys review conference action before moving on to a quick tease of their Top 3 teams in the latest ACC Nation Power Poll. If you’re looking for the Top 25 rankings they’ve got a look at the top 5 from the AP and Coaches’ polls and the ACC+1 teams (for newbies, Notre Dame is included because of scheduling).

Will and Jim jump on a quick preview of ACC football games in Week 4 beginning with Stanford at Syracuse featured on ESPN Friday night at 7:30pm ET/4:30 PT. There are some big matchups and also games that should hold your attention for the duration. This is down and dirty week. We’re about to find out which teams can cash that check.

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So, by now if you haven’t responded to the wild first two weeks of ACC football by saying, ‘What The Actual….’ then perhaps you’ve turned into a zombie. We’re doing our best to slip some Halloween references in before all the Christmas items hit the stores. Okay, time for a reality check on the ACC. You may remember us telling you on previous podcasts that the conference almost always turns upside down in opening weeks. The teams we expected to dominate and those we didn’t swap spots and fans everywhere lose their minds.

Even Paul Finebaum….wait, zombie…brains, never mind. Here’s a solid for you. Most teams in the conference get off to slow starts before finding their way a few weeks in. The rankings don’t mean diddle until about three to four weeks in and if you say you’re going to eat the contents of a solo cup if your team loses then you’re feet will be held to the fire. Just charge to watch so your medical bills will be covered.

Will and Jim roll through the games of Week 1 with observations and thoughts on performances. Essentially one game isn’t enough to give anyone a clear vision of how teams will be in the weeks to come. So, let’s not get too worked up. Is there room for improvement? Always and count of the coaches and players putting in the time to up their game.

The guys tie a bow in Week 1 ACC football with a look at the latest rankings. There’s some encouraging movement among the teams that won and Clemson hangs in there, rightfully so after a loss. Unfortunately, Florida State, with two back to back losses has completely departed the list of teams receiving votes this week. If Mike Norvell can steer the boat back into the channel the Noles can’t be discounted moving forward.

What’s on the agenda for Week 2 of ACC football? Some great matchups in and out of conference. The guys share some quick observations about these games and the odds. They finish up with an interesting look at two coaches included among the Top 8 most likely to be fired first and the ACC teams that are putting butts in the seats and those that aren’t.

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Louisville football fans put all their eggs in the Jeff Brohm basket and for the most part the team delivered last year. The offense hit some potholes, the defense was better than most would have imagined and though the season’s end wasn’t what was desired overall you can’t argue too much with the final win/loss record. But, did the new coach and crew along with a rejuvenated fan base walk into a self-made trap of expecting not only a repeat but a full-blown dynasty to arrive?

Special guest, Jody Demling, the publisher of Cardinal Authority joins us to talk about how the talent and depth chart has improved but there’s this little thing called a schedule that may create some problems this season. There’s not doubt about the improvement and Demling details it from the offense, defense, special teams and his thoughts on that aforementioned schedule.

There are some absolute gems on the depth chart including Tyler Shough, Donald Chaney, Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, Ashton Gillotte, Quincy Riley and more. The key to success on offense will be the line and everything after that is whipped cream with a cherry on top. The defense returns many of the players that led the Cardinals to be No.1 in the ACC against the run and No. 1 in the nation in red zone defense. Can Jeff Brohm deliver again this season?

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Join us for a fascinating conversation with special guest Chris Peak of Panther-Lair as we look at, among other things the 180 turn on offense by head coach Pat Narduzzi. Instead of calling it a high octane offense we’ve decided to describe it as ‘juiced’.

Peak provides some thoughts on Heather Lyke (Pitt AD) being on the interview list for a vacancy at Northwestern before jumping in feet first to preview Pitt from top to bottom. The changes on offense (Kade Bell) and transfers will make a big difference in how the Panthers approach putting points on the board.

When it comes to defense, there’s some shrug your shoulders, we’re not sure aspects that may take some time to address. The rule of thumb is to always watch carefully because, after all, this is the ACC and this conference is definitely a bag of tricks.

Peak provides his thoughts on the schedule and just how far this team can go with the schedule. There’s a lot of even-steven when you put Pitt and their opponents on a scale. But, as we’ve seen in the past, Pat Narduzzi always seems to get the Panthers on a roll.

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When talking about the success of a team, what contributes to the magic, you’ll often find an X factor. What exactly is this elusive aspect that can make all the difference in the win/loss bracket. It can be anything from a player, combination of players or a coach and combination thereof. Sometimes it just seems like everything comes together and clicks just right.

Special guest, Mitch Wolfe of 247 Eagle Insider does a thorough job of breaking down the offense, defense and special teams of Boston College. One thing he spoke of that stood out slightly more than others was the head coach, Bill O’Brien. One listen and you’ll understand what O’Brien is bringing to the table for the Eagles.

The Eagles are often overlooked within the conference. Yet, they always seem to have NFL caliber players and are often a thorn in the side of teams that should by all measures be taking Boston College to the woodshed. Keep an eye out for the x factor on this team, if not this season definitely by next.

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Will and Jim look at Week 0 and remind us all what happens when we assume. That not only applies to the results of opening week in ACC college football but also thereafter. Probably not wise to believe everything you thought you saw will be the long-term trend for any of the three conference teams that played.

There’s plenty of time to let the dust settle and find out where Florida State, Georgia Tech and SMU actually stand when it comes to expected performance this season. This group is of the opinion that rankings only matter after week 3 as coaches adjust and tweak, players progress or regress and the resulting Key Lime pie is just right or too sour.

The guys have some thoughts on what is or isn’t right with the slices that have been served. Here’s one thing we can guarantee, we’ll be back for seconds and so on and so forth. It’s college football man! What’s not to like?

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If you had thoughts about Mack Brown packing it up as the leader of the Tar Heels you may want to check that at the gate. North Carolina football may be re-tooling some parts of the team but they’re far from out of the conversation within the ACC. Granted, there are some weaknesses. What are they? How will they be addressed? How’s the Transfer Portal coming in to play?

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Special guest Nick Delahanty, Site Expert at KeepingItHeel joins Will and Jim for a look at what 2024 has in store for fans of the Tar Heels. There’s a lot to talk about. Who will take over at QB? How do the lines on offense and defense look? What impact will new DC Geoff Collins have on a squad that needs some TLC?

Follow Nick on X and keep up to date with all of his North Carolina content on FanSided’s Keeping It Heel.

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What will it take for NC State football to make it a double digit winning season and make it to the ACC Championship? They must be disruptive in all phases of the game. Evan from Red and White Podcast is our special guest and he sees plenty of reason for cautious optimism with the 2024 version of Wolfpack football.

As is the case with most teams there are some important pieces that have been lost to graduation or the NFL but head coach Dave Doeren has an influx of players from the transfer portal that should remedy that situation. Can Doeren get the Pack over 9 wins and into new territory that could point the way to bigger and better things? Evan shares his thoughts on the team and gives you a great preview of what’s to come this fall.

There’s plenty to be excited about in Raleigh. Will the fans fill the stadium in this new look ACC?

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The past is the past and the future for SMU is in the ACC. The Mustangs accept the challenge and debut in Week Zero with an opener against Nevada. Their first conference game comes at home against Florida State on September 28. That gives the team plenty of time to work out the wrinkles and set a strategy.

Special guest Ali Jawad of SMU on Sports Illustrated (follow on X @SMUonSI) joins us with a preview of the 2024 Mustangs under head coach Rhett Lashlee. Following a solid season in the AAC SMU wants to come out of the gates at full steam to make an impression upon their new conference.

As Jawad explains, there’s plenty of players on the roster that can make a difference as the transfer portal has been used most effectively. Will digs into the defense before moving on to find out more about the offensive weapons that can put points on the board.

Jim goes over the schedule with Jawad and what to expect (reasonably) as SMU looks like it will once again be headed to a bowl. But, what are the stumbling blocks?

Be sure to follow Ali on X (@AliJawad024) for coverage of SMU and he also covers the Dallas Cowboys and Charlotte Hornets.

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