ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2021

[Northeast Stinger]

What struck me was how many coaches see the whole conference as a train wreck. If my program is struggling I might be tempted to throw shade on a couple of other programs but almost every program except for Clemson and USC was getting thrown under the bus.

Worst teams by comments seemed to be:
Syracuse
Louisville
Duke
FSU
with a few teams marginally better like:
NC State
Wake Forest
Boston College
Ga Tech

 

[Northeast Stinger]

What struck me was how many coaches see the whole conference as a train wreck. If my program is struggling I might be tempted to throw shade on a couple of other programs but almost every program except for Clemson and USC was getting thrown under the bus.

Worst teams by comments seemed to be:
Syracuse
Louisville
Duke
FSU
with a few teams marginally better like:
NC State
Wake Forest
Boston College
Ga Tech

*UNC*

 

[jacketup]

The only "shot" at the 3O was saying that the online is the position group it takes the longest to transition from the option which is just obviously true.

Especially true when we lacked bodies after 2018 even for the 3O, then the coaches declined to take the two OL that had committed for 2019 (understandably so). We were almost starting over at OL recruiting with the 2020 class, and it's only 2021. I'd say most of the Collins/Patenaude/Key critics don't understand those simple facts.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

What struck me was how many coaches see the whole conference as a train wreck. If my program is struggling I might be tempted to throw shade on a couple of other programs but almost every program except for Clemson and USC was getting thrown under the bus.

Worst teams by comments seemed to be:
Syracuse
Louisville
Duke
FSU
with a few teams marginally better like:
NC State
Wake Forest
Boston College
Ga Tech

Also forgot they were kind of merciless to Pittsburgh. Made me think anyone who be embarrassed to lose to them they are so bad.

 

[TheNaturalScientist]

Athlon is a joke and I’d be willing to bet 95 percent of these “quotes” were fabricated for clicks

 

[RyanS12]

Also forgot they were kind of merciless to Pittsburgh. Made me think anyone who be embarrassed to lose to them they are so bad.

Yea, we made the RB look like a Heisman finalist

 

[WreckinGT]

Especially true when we lacked bodies after 2018 even for the 3O, then the coaches declined to take the two OL that had committed for 2019 (understandably so). We were almost starting over at OL recruiting with the 2020 class, and it's only 2021. I'd say most of the Collins/Patenaude/Key critics don't understand those simple facts.

We will have 4 transfers in our two deep as well. 2-3 of them will be starters and 2 of them are legitimate NFL prospects. It's time to put up or shut up. We have enough talent and experience to have a serviceable OL. We will probably have a better OL this year than next year so we need to ride the horses while we have them.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Collins has said that individuals on defense played well last year but as a unit they need a lot of improvement. That's about as negative as you'll ever hear him get but he's acknowledged the defense sucked. Hopefully as we've gotten bigger and better on the DL and with the addition of Eley we will see big improvements

 

[YJMD]

The comments aren't bad. The one RE: recruiting (picking leftovers from SEC & ACC teams) seems very bizarre. No one is exactly up on the team, but it doesn't seem like anyone is down on us either.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

The recruiting comment seems to be misread. The quote was:

"They’re taking on transfers, but that makes more sense for them because of their lack of depth on the line. The issue for them is that they’re not making that big dent in recruiting we thought they would. Maybe it’s coming, but it hasn’t happened yet. They’re taking a lot of the best-of-the-rest guys that programs in our league or the SEC have passed on for one reason or another."

It seems that the coach had higher expectations than what CGC has so far shown. In his two full recruiting classes, GT finished ranked 25th (2020) and 49th (2021) per Rivals, and 27th and 48th per 247. From the 30,000 foot level, this doesn't appear to be that big of a dent considering the reputation CGC brought with him. The coach did note the transfers, but it's not on them to analyze every addition and re-rank the recruiting classes to justify their remarks. I can completely understand why they would say that.

The positive spin is opposing coaches expected CGC to recruit well at GT, and the initial class rankings aren't where they think CGC should be here.

Overall, these comments are a far cry from where they were last year.

 

[UgaBlows]

What struck me was how many coaches see the whole conference as a train wreck. If my program is struggling I might be tempted to throw shade on a couple of other programs but almost every program except for Clemson and USC was getting thrown under the bus.

Worst teams by comments seemed to be:
Syracuse
Louisville
Duke
FSU
with a few teams marginally better like:
NC State
Wake Forest
Boston College
Ga Tech

Thats a nice reminder of how wide open the ACC is- pretty much very mediocre to straight garbage except for two teams.

 

[BuzzThePlumber]

"The issue for them is that they’re not making that big dent in recruiting we thought they would. Maybe it’s coming, but it hasn’t happened yet. They’re taking a lot of the best-of-the-rest guys that programs in our league or the SEC have passed on for one reason or another."

That's just false. Somebody smoking that crack.

 

[RyanS12]

"The issue for them is that they’re not making that big dent in recruiting we thought they would. Maybe it’s coming, but it hasn’t happened yet. They’re taking a lot of the best-of-the-rest guys that programs in our league or the SEC have passed on for one reason or another."

That's just false. Somebody smoking that crack.

Nothing more than random *** assistant coaches throwing **** out hoping HS coaches, recruits or their parents see it and buy into it. Any way you can negatively recruit, it’ll be done.

 

[nyto]

The recruiting comment sounds (to me) like it came from UNC. Who else in the league has won multiple recruiting battles with us lately? Would give them that type of attitude...
I like the players we have, but of course I agree we could have more depth on the line... Most teams could.

 

[YJMD]

The recruiting comment seems to be misread. The quote was:

"They’re taking on transfers, but that makes more sense for them because of their lack of depth on the line. The issue for them is that they’re not making that big dent in recruiting we thought they would. Maybe it’s coming, but it hasn’t happened yet. They’re taking a lot of the best-of-the-rest guys that programs in our league or the SEC have passed on for one reason or another."

It seems that the coach had higher expectations than what CGC has so far shown. In his two full recruiting classes, GT finished ranked 25th (2020) and 49th (2021) per Rivals, and 27th and 48th per 247. From the 30,000 foot level, this doesn't appear to be that big of a dent considering the reputation CGC brought with him. The coach did note the transfers, but it's not on them to analyze every addition and re-rank the recruiting classes to justify their remarks. I can completely understand why they would say that.

The positive spin is opposing coaches expected CGC to recruit well at GT, and the initial class rankings aren't where they think CGC should be here.

Overall, these comments are a far cry from where they were last year.

I changed what you bolded to the relevant sentence for the gripe.

 

[ramblin_man]

Take it with a grain of salt. If these are accurate quotes and more than likely taken out of context to provoke emotional responses/conversation.
if these comments really are an accurate “pulse of opposing coaches” then they all seem to have the attitude that we are a very easily defeated team/non threat to make much noise in the conference. One source seems to think that this year is crucial for CGC to keep “the belief” alive for recruiting, fanbase, alumni, and AD. However I see it as a perfect opportunity to “catch’em sleeping” hit them in the mouth, work the body, and save a few KO punches for when they drop their hands. Then demand/earn respect from our results unexpectedly while every team writes us off and prepares for the opponent after us. Our guys need this banter posted to fuel their fire to get better every day! As Coach Choice says “One time for the one time. Hard is the way!”

 

[slugboy]

I changed what you bolded to the relevant sentence for the gripe.

That's a clue. There's only a few programs in the ACC where a coach (or an Athlon "beat" writer or recruitnik) would realistically make that kind of comment--Clemson, FSU, Miami, or UNC. Multiple programs might say " The issue for them is that they’re not making that big dent in recruiting we thought they would", but there are only a handful that are operating at the "recruiting the majority of their classes at the 4* or 5* level" that would make a "best of the rest" comment.

Two things can both be true--1. that we're recruiting leaps and bounds better than we were and 2. our opponents thought we'd be getting some 5* players and top 15 classes, and that hasn't happened so far.

 

[BurdellJacket]

Can't really find fault with any of those quotes. We do need to start proving things are heading in the right direction. Hopefully we get a boost in recruiting when that happens.

You must be Cutcliff in disguise.

 

[BurdellJacket]

Thats a nice reminder of how wide open the ACC is- pretty much very mediocre to straight garbage except for two teams.

I would you would call at least 8 SEC teams GARBAGE teams:

The 5 SEC East teams outside of UGA & UF - 5
The Mississipis & Arkansas - 3

And now days you might throw in Auburn. Makes 9 GARBAGE TEAMS!

 

[RyanS12]

I would you would call at least 8 SEC teams GARBAGE teams:

The 5 SEC East teams outside of UGA & UF - 5
The Mississipis & Arkansas - 3

And now days you might throw in Auburn. Makes 9 GARBAGE TEAMS!

Yup. Outside of Alabama uga Florida and LSU up til last year, the league is as big of a cluster **** than the ACC is.
The media and ESPN have to push their narrative in every pre game, in game and even non sec game, that it become subliminal after years of it and embedded into our heads!