David Hale's ACC Position Group Rankings

CuseJacket

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This should generate some chatter.

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He offered an explanation on most position groups on Facebook.

In his wrap-up post he says:
"Some additional thoughts on our position rankings...

See the graph below for how each team fared. This is hardly an accurate way to predict finish, as certainly some categories mean a lot more than others, and many teams will find answers where holes seem to exist today. Still, it's relatively reflective of how I'd actually stack up the league for the most part -- a clear top 4, a few bottom feeders, and a pretty close mix among the rest.

A few things that did jump out to me here...

1.) Clemson was ranked in the top 4 in every category. That goes to show why they belong as the heavy favorite.

2.) Virginia Tech is WAY down there. That's a function of a lot of holes to fill, but is also probably undervaluing the overall talent level, not to mention the coaching staff. They're not that bad.

3.) Similarly, the team ranked way higher than I expected is UNC. Have I potentially overlooked some of what's been built while they dealt with so many injuries last year?

4.) The only teams that didn't place any unit in the top 4 are UVA, Pitt and Georgia Tech. That sounds about right to me, too. All 3 have a few units that are solid, and GT and Pitt in particular aren't going to be brutal at many spots, but there's not a ton of elite there right now.

5.) Conversely, the only teams that didn't rank in the bottom anywhere were Clemson and Miami... for good reason. Though it's worth noting, NC State only slipped there in Special Teams."
 
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augustabuzz said:
He lost me claiming 5 in the ACC will have better rush offenses than Tech. So far, through 10 seasons, Tech has been the top rushing team each year.
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Coloradojacket said:
Well, I disagree with the Running back rankings. We should be 2 or 3. We retuen the second leading rusher in the ACC and if you count our A backs then we are at least 2. Also Special Teams. Harvin is the best punter in the ACC
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Here's Hale's comments on the RB rankings for the top 6.

"ACC RB rankings

(Note: This is a ranking of run games. For offenses where the QB is a significant asset in the ground attack, he was included in the analysis.)

1. Florida State

Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick combined for 1,760 yards and 14 touchdowns last year despite a completely abhorrent passing game and little help from the O-line. This is as good a tandem as there is in the country.

2. Clemson

When blitzed last year, Clemson QBs were sacked 7.6 percent of the time (up from 2.5% the prior two years when Wayne Gallman was in the backfield), were hit 23 percent of the time (up from 14.9%) and were pressured 33.3 percent of the time (up from 23.3%). This is to say that our only concern with the Clemson backfield is the pass protection. Travis Etienne is going to be a superstar as a runner.

3. Miami

The Hurricanes' backfield looks really good, and the only thing that keeps this group behind the top two is a lack of game-day experience. Travis Homer ran for 966 yards last season, and he might be the third-best back on the roster. Lorenzo Lingard and Deejay Dallas could both blossom into big-time weapons this season.

4. Boston College

What's it say about the first three backfields that BC's group, which includes a legitimate Heisman threat in A.J. Dillon, ranks behind them? Don't be surprised if the Eagles actually end up the best of the ACC, but Dillon and Co. need a little more help from the passing game to truly flex their muscle.

5. Wake Forest

In Dave Clawson's first season in 2014, Wake averaged 1.38 yards per carry. Read that again. It's astonishingly bad. By 2017, his group was one of the most prolific in the league, with Matt Colburn, Arkeem Byrd and Cade Carney all showing skills as legitimate threats. This isn't the highest ceiling unit, but the consistency and depth warrant a place in the ACC's top five.

6. Georgia Tech

Georgia, Navy and Georgia Tech were the only three programs in the country last season to have teammates each run for 1,000 yards. Partly, that's a measure of Paul Johnson's option offense. Partly it's how good a fit TaQuon Marshall and KirVonte Benson were for what the Jackets' do. It's even more impressive considering neither were projected starters this time a year ago."
 
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coldbeer said:
I like Hale, a lot. But I cant see how GT has the worst ST in the conference when we have Harvin.

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I don't know enough about other team's special teams, but would it be fair to look at it this way? Acknowledging Harvin is legit is just one facet. For the rest, name conclusively a team that had worse kickoff coverage, kickoff return, field goal kicking, and punt return games. We were pretty miserable.

According to FEI we were #125 out of 130 team in D1 in special teams last year. Sandwiched right between Kansas and Massachusetts. NC State came in at #116 and Miami at #101. Maybe someone who watched a bunch of their games can make a case for GT over one of them. Miami did gift wrap us an onside return TD, so there's that.
 
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Here's Hale's comment on our special teams:

"14. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets ranked third in the ACC last year in net punting, and freshman Pressley Harvin is poised to be even better in 2018. The first year without Harrison Butker at kicker was a bit more of a concern, but Paul Johnson also goes for it on fourth more than virtually any coach in the country. The bigger concerns are the overall unit efficiency, which ranked dead last in the ACC in 2017. Just two punt returns went for 20 yards or more, the same number Georgia Tech fumbled away. On drives starting with a kickoff or punt, Georgia Tech's starting field position margin was -1.7 yards, tied for the worst in the ACC."
 

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UgaBlows said:
BC in 4th overall in talant is really suprising to me
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I don't buy this either. Dillon is good and BC's defense is usually tough, but they aren't the 4th most talented team in the ACC. Just looking at their schedule, they should be 5-0 heading to Raleigh. That's where the wheels will probably fall off though.
 

smathis30

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MacJacket said:
I don't buy this either. Dillon is good and BC's defense is usually tough, but they aren't the 4th most talented team in the ACC. Just looking at their schedule, they should be 5-0 heading to Raleigh. That's where the wheels will probably fall off though.
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They return a ton of people on both sides of the ball. Wheels started rolling in the second half of the season (granted, that's their easier half of their schedule)

Watch the NC state, Louisville, FSU, or Iowa game. Good football.
 
orientalnc

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In another thread I saw posters suggesting we would be 3-0 when we play Clemson. Further down some suggested we might be 7-0 when we play VT. Have we lost touch with reality, or do our coaches/system help us overcome tremendous deficiencies?
 
iceeater1969

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This guy is using uga math.
So u go fr
idea that these individual categories are equal is classic.

. For example.

U have the worst qb and the best punter is the same as having the best punter and the worst qb.


Please don't make Coach talk to this click bait guy
 
orientalnc

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Weighting each category equally is not correct. I am not sure how each grouping should be weighted, but ST and OL are simply not equal in weight. No pun intended.
 
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