Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - ACC SQUAD: The 2025 ACC football schedule has been RELEASED!

Episode Date: January 30, 2025

ACC football fans, get ready for a thrilling breakdown of the newly released schedules! Miami Hurricanes face a unique challenge with two bye weeks in just three weeks, sparking debate on its impact. Clemson Tigers, with the third toughest schedule in the ACC, are early favorites to clinch the title, while Florida State Seminoles' prospects stir heated discussions among our hosts. Syracuse Orange's daunting lineup and Virginia Tech Hokies' enigmatic status add layers to the conversation. Join Alex Donno, Jackson Holzer, Kenton Gibbs, Grayson Boone, and Isaac Shade as they dissect these schedules, offering insights into key matchups and potential outcomes. With names like Mike Norvell and Brent Pry in the mix, this episode promises a comprehensive look at the ACC landscape. Tune in for expert analysis and predictions that could shape your understanding of the upcoming season!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Turbo TaxReady for stress-free taxes and the most money back, guaranteed? Head over to TurboTax.com today and get matched with your Expert. Only available with TurboTax Live Full Service. Real-time updates only in the iOS mobile app. See guarantee details at TurboTax.com/guarantees.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelSuper Bowl 59 is here, And there’s no better way to make every play more exciting than with FanDuel Sportsbook. New customers can bet just FIVE DOLLARS, and if you win, you’ll score TWO HUNDRED BUCKS in Bonus Bets. Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started.  Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of Super Bowl Fifty-Nine.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The ACC football schedules are out, and we've got your hot takes. You're talking ball with the ACC squad, sponsored by game time. From Florida State to North Carolina, from Syracuse to Miami, and from NC State to California, it's the local experts of the locked-on podcast network, bringing you scoops, breakdowns, and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming ACC weekend. Hang on, it could get loud, it could get heated, and it will definitely be fun. Squad up. You're part of the ACCC squad. Shout out to the everydayers and thank you so much for making the ACC squad. Your first listen and your first watch today. We're available free wherever you

get your podcast. We're free on YouTube. We're part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the GameTime app. Create an account and use code Locked on College for $20 off your first purchase. I am Alex Dono from Lockdown Keynes joined by Jackson Holzer from locked on Syracuse, Kenton Gibbs and Grayson Boone from Locked on Wolfpack, Isaac Shade from Locked on Tar Heels. So, Velas, I feel like I should buy the first round for this one because the ACC releases their football schedules and whoever, whatever intern they had draw up Miami's football schedule for next year, were they drunk? So somehow Miami ends up with two by weeks within a three-week span.

They've got a game at Florida State October 4th, sandwiched by two by weeks, which is like, I guess October is going to be a really easy month from Miami with all that extra rest. Their legs are going to get. Hurricanes also, they finish with consecutive conference road games. So the senior day is going to be unusually early for Miami. They play at Virginia Tech and at Pittsburgh, which also could be some weather situations for a team that's used to play in 75. 85, 95, 95 degrees, which could be interesting. But guys, I mean, the thing that stood out to me about Miami was, I don't know how you get two by weeks within three weeks.

To me, it's a disservice. It's absolutely a disservice. And what world does this schedule make sense? From a standpoint of you're finishing out the season with seven straight weeks of unmitigated football. What? What are we doing there? I thought that we were in a new world with this two-by system where everybody gets, you know, I thought that the two-bys, you'd be screwed if they were within a four or five-week span,

where it's like, oh, man, your team's really not beat up enough to need that. But boy, and you literally have them three weeks apart, this is just shameful by the ACC. Somebody should have gone back and said, oh, hold on, hold on, what's happening here? And granted, according to 24-7 sports, Miami doesn't have the toughest road to the ACC championship, But I disagree because I think that they're discounting how tough it is to play that many games consecutively. Even with young 18 through 22-year-old legs, it is something to be said about football is the last of the gladiator sports that you're expected to do week in week out. And so I'm looking at that saying, man, Miami, I don't know. Maybe they believe in Carson Beck in a way that I don't.

And they said he'll overcome it all. Carson's going to be a husband candidate next year. But I think that Miami got screwed royally in this one. Hey, Donnell, we got the same thing in North Carolina. Weeks five and seven are open weeks with Clemson sandwiched in between and then seven straight games to end the season. So right there with you, man. I guess, sir, you're the lone team that was lucky with the buy weeks. What do you all have for NC State, Kenton and Grayson?

We have. It looks like it's week eight and week 11. So, I mean, honestly, I'd take that. I think it's a pretty good setup for the Wolfpack in terms of buy weeks. That's when the bodies are least healthy, like mid mid to ladder portion. So that's when you need the by weeks the most is in the mid to later portions of the year, right? Absolutely. And another thing about that is in terms of charting, who has the toughest and easiest pass to the ACC Championship,

hey, hey, listen, Jackson, we may not agree on much, but I'm here for you this year if things don't go well. You know, I believe y'all are playing, what, one or two teams that didn't finish with a winning record in conference? As opposed to. We're playing four teams that made the college football. playoff last year, including the team that lost in the national championship. But here's the thing, though, that's all, we already knew that. We knew the opponents. The opponents did not change. That's right. So we just learned the dates. And as far as the dates, I'm concerned, I'm happy about the date that we got Miami on, Dono. I mean, we got Miami in early November. That's good for us,

because it's not going to be 150 degrees outside when we play Miami that night or day. I don't know what time is going to be. I know the geography of the Miami Stadium. I grew up there. That's right. But we're going to South Bend November 22nd. Like, oh, November 22nd, really? I mean, let me ask you. I know I know you all play in a dome, but does Syracuse practice outside? Like, I'm guessing you.

No? No. Good question. Why would they practice outside when they don't have to? I mean, like, maybe in the offseason they do. You're going to need it this year. I was just what I'm saying. Why would you not want to practice in the other?

They might have to at this point, getting ready for the Notre Dame game. The good news is that they have a by week right before Notre Dame. So I think it would make sense for them to practice outside. But they practice outside in the off season, but there's no reason to practice during the year, unless, of course, you're going to go to Notre Dame. Then you might want to practice outside. I was just about to say, brother, if you're heading into Indiana in November and you think you don't need to practice outside, good luck. practice. I'm not playing.

So that's great. In the words of Cadness Everdee, may the odds be ever in your favor, brother. Because that one is not going to go well. That one's not going to go well at all. Anything else for you guys that stand out, good or bad? I mean, Isaac, I know that there's been a lot of chatter about North Carolina's strength of schedule, being very easy for Bill Belichick's first year. How do you feel about it? Does anything stand out?

Bill Belichick's not going to be coaching. He hasn't signed his contract. contract yet and he'll never coach it down at North Carolina. That's the story. Didn't he just sign it? I saw he did sign it. Yeah. I'm just joking because that's been the storyline the whole time.

We did that show already being. Yeah, we've done that show. So here's the thing that's funny about Carolina's schedule is, you know, I talk about those two open weeks. They play all four non-con games right up front, open week. Clemson is Bill Belichick's first ACC game, then another open week before heading off to play at Cal. and that's on a Thursday or Friday and then all the back end.

So it makes sense the way it lays out. I just don't like because we were saying that it's all open. Here's the weird quirk with Carolina's schedule. Literally the entire season flip-flops home and away. Never played two games in a row home, never two games in a row away either. So really interesting. And literally the entire month of November is in the state of North Carolina, hosting Stanford at Wake versus Duke and then in Raleigh. against these fellas. So that's a nice thing. You don't have to travel much on the back end.

I think that's the reason why they don't have those back to backs. That's right. Because if you could just stay in the same state the whole time, I mean, you could go on the road and you're still in the same state. It's not that big of a deal. That's right. And we're going to get spooky on Halloween. Oh, yeah. I can't wait for that. I was an orange getting after it. I can't wait. You know, the whole not leaving, now they're not leaving the state thing. That's actually something that works in Miami's favor that not a lot of people are talking about. about because everyone's very caught up with the whole the weird quirky bi-week thing and the two final games on the road. But Miami doesn't actually leave the state of Florida until November 1st.

Like on the front? Yeah. So Miami hosts, and Miami's got a tough non-conference schedule because they host Notre Dame, which is obviously a very difficult game, non-conference to start the year. But then they host Bethune Cookman, they host USF, they host Florida. the return from that home and home. Then they've got their first buy week, and then they play at Florida State, which is like,

yeah, it doesn't really feel like Florida for South Floridians, but it is within the state, then they don't actually leave the state until they play SWU in Dallas on November 1st. So that's one of those things. And Miami actually has eight home games, only four road games this coming season. You know, I would say that that definitely works in their favor,

but even beyond that, I would like to look at this thing from a totality of the conference. to say, boy, some of these paths, some of these teams, I mean, if Virginia was about anything this year, projected to have no ranked teams on their schedule this year, that is insane. That is hilariously bad. And yet and still, do any of y'all feel comfortable saying, hey, Tony Elliott's going to save his job this year? He's definitely going to keep his job and he's going to win eight games or something like that.

I don't. I'm not going to say that. No way, no way, no how. It's really interesting. You know, we talk so much about FSU this year. I'm just looking at their schedule for the first time to just see how they're going to get back. They start by hosting Alabama. They've got to go to Virginia.

They host you guys, Dono, versus Pitt at Stanford, host Wake at Clemson, host Virginia Tech, and then wrapping up the year in Raleigh and then in Gainesville right after that. So that's the schedule right there, boys. Yeah, they've got, I think, the number three toughest. in the ACC is what I'm, what I'm looking at. And it's something I noticed for Kenton and Grayson, you know, North Carolina State takes on Miami this year. And I think for NC State,

I think that's the only opponent on Miami's schedule that has a buy week before they face Miami outside of Louisville because both Miami and Louisville have a buy. So that's a wash. But NC State has the buy week before Miami. So C.J. Bailey's going to get that extra week of preparation before he makes that homecoming. Oh, the prodigal son is,

going to return home, giving out lots of tuttings. Nah, but I very seriously think that that's going to be a very great game. And by then, we'll know who both of these teams are because both of these teams have national questions that need to be answered, right? You look at Miami, you say, what is the skill position group going to look like? How good is Carson Beck? While a lot of people seem to be convinced, I'm not the only person. I'm not the only one that's like, I don't exactly see it there.

And then for NC State, defensively, will they be able to stop a running nose this year? there seemed to be everybody who was a decent defensive back last year seemed to have jumped in the portal. No disrespect to Jackson Baking Company. I'm joking. There's a few good guys still left there. But in all seriousness, a majority of the starters are either out of eligibility or gone. So you look at that situation to say, what are these two teams going to be in that regard?

And like you said, the storyline of C.J. Bailey coming home, that's big time. That's going to be one of those moments that's like, you know, this could be a Cinderella moment. or it could be another one of those moments where NC State turns a guy that's enigmatic into a future Heisman winner or a guy who looks like it at least, like the last time we played Miami, and the Eric King couldn't miss. Every pass that he did was dropping in a bucket, couldn't head to guys better. So we'll see. And sticking on NC State here just for a moment, I've been looking here at the logo schedule, just making sure I had my facts straight. NC State is the only school in the ACC that has three ACC games in the month of September. So we're talking about NCSate needing to have their answers right out of the gate because their season could very well be over by September 27th.

If you lose all three of those ACC games, you're done, you're out and you're not even in the month of October yet. So yeah, there's a lot of answers they're going to have to be solved and rallied there pretty quickly. Jeez, that's wild. Well, when we come back, I want us to discuss why the fighting Jackson Holzers have arguably the toughest schedule in the ACC. I also want to take a look at Clemson's schedule as they are, of course, the odds on. favorites to win the conference next year. What does their road look like? You guys want to keep it locked right here. We got the squad together right here on the locked on podcast network. We're nowhere near done yet. I'm only getting started with game time. Guys, this is the only

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Download game time today. Last minute tickets. lowest price guaranteed. Thank you so much for making the Lockdown ACC squad, your first listen and your first watch today. For your next listen, check out our other shows. Isaac Shade hosts Locked on Tar Hills and Locked on College Basketball. Kenton Gibbs and Grayson Boone host Locked on Wolfpack.

Kenton also hosts Locked on ACC with me. Jackson Holeser on Locked on Syracuse. I host Locked on Cains. All right, so guys, consider to be the toughest schedule in the ACC. He got Jackson, Syracuse Orange, who will face Tennessee and Atlanta. They'll face Yukon, Colgate, at Clemson, home against Duke at SMU, who was in the CFP last year. They'll face Pitt at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, at Miami, at Notre Dame, and home against Boston College. And you're unfortunately going to have to do all that without Kyle McCord, who gave up on the waiver.

So, man, Jack, so that is, if Syracuse can come out of that with eight or nine wins, you may be talking playoffs. Well, I wouldn't go that far. I think it's going to take 10 in order to get into a playoff. But very rarely do you know after week one about a team? We're going to find out about Syracuse after week one because they opened the season against Tennessee. They beat Tennessee if they even keep it close against Tennessee. I think that's going to probably speak more about where Syracuse is at.

And whoever, by the way, makes the start for Syracuse at quarterback. week one against Tennessee. That's going to be their first ever start in college. Whoever, as of right now. So we're going to find out if they're really good against Tennessee, even if they lose, I'll be like, all right, we have a tough schedule, but we'll be okay. If not, if it's a blowout game, and it maybe could be. It's not going to go well when you got at Clemson, at SMU, at Notre Dame, at Georgia Tech, who's always a sneaky team. It's hard. It's a hard schedule.

But yeah, if they can win seven, eight, nine games, I think that would be terrific. I think they could be this year's version of Georgia Tech. Because that was Georgia Tech in 2024. I thought they had a much better team than what their record in the regular season showed. Their record showed seven and five. They were better than that.

But their schedule was brutal. It was brutal. They couldn't win more than seven, eight games. I'm hoping, honestly, that that's what Syracuse is. Well, get ready to put some plastic on the couch in the brown household because I know France is not going to be doing a lot of showering this year. Winners will not be getting washed to a high degree this year, but I will say this. I said this about Miami schedule on Twitter and I. I will relay a similar sentiment about Syracuse here.

If they are even close to running the table, this has to be a playoff team. This has to be. I mean, this schedule is incredibly difficult regardless of conference. You're not talking about teams that were borderline or just teams that got the wheels whipped off them in the playoff. You're talking about the national runner up that one, two games, what, no, three games to get there, beating Indiana, beating Georgia, and beating Penn State to get there. You're looking at a situation where everybody said that one of the upper limits of that Notre Dame team was the passing game. Well, congratulations, you got to.

The Steve Angelly Lobby has their wish. he's most likely going to be the guy, or maybe it's the car guy. I don't know, but either way, they will not be hindered by their quarterback in the same way that they were this year. This is just a,

and the worst part, Jackson didn't say a single one of those teams at home, even. Oh, yeah. It's a good one. It's a neutral site in Atlanta. We all know how neutral, right between the two, you're really splitting the difference between Syracuse, New York,

and Knoxville, Tennessee. I know these schedules are done at advance. Who thought it would be a good idea to put Tennessee and Notre Dame in the same schedule for non-con? They're non-con. You got Colgate, you got Yukon. Great, terrific. You want one really hard non-con game. You want one just so you can try to get that respect from an out-of-a-conference opponent, especially because in the ACC, we're always fighting for more respect compared to, you know, the SEC. And we don't have to do that whole song and dance again. But you really had to put Notre Dame and Tennessee on the schedule in the same year.

Really? This was probably decided like 10 years ago. Who thought this was a good idea? Well, thankfully, they'll be practicing an inside situation for all those. It'll be great. I mean, hey, the Tennessee game, they will be indoors. They will be indoors. So, you know, they'll be prepared for that.

But this is. I think I would have rather a winter wonderland for that game. I would have been easier to beat him. True. I'm very, I will say this, though. I am very curious to see how the quarterback position plays out for Syracuse, because while I don't think that that'll be everything to what their season is, I think it'll be a very important part.

You know, it's the most important position in the game for a reason. And so that, what they do at quarterback, who they get with at quarterback, and whether or not that guy is a net positive or whether or not he's just a guy that you're like, please just stop turning the ball over. It's going to go a long way in determining who this team is. And I'll tell you what, as a team that got blew out by Tennessee early this year, don't let that early game against Tennessee to find you. Regardless of what happens in that game, you got to pick your head up

because you still got 11 left after that. And the same would be true of saying like Notre Dame in Northern Illinois on the flip side of that. Right, right. Jackson, if you had to, sorry, if you had to pick the line, win total for Syracuse, where are you putting it? if I were Vegas, I'm between four and a half and five and a half. Really? Really?

Yeah. Oh. Look. Now, I think that they're going to win six, seven games. So I'm going to say I'm going to go over on that line. But if I'm thinking like Vegas and I'm looking at their schedule and I'm looking at their quarterback, I'm sitting here saying, hello, your starting quarterback week one is going to be someone making their first career start.

So we have no clue. good or not. Now, if they had Kyle McCord, they had Kyle McCourt, Grayson, I'll answer the question for you. Seven and a half. That's it. That's the over-under. But that's the difference between knowing your die is really good versus we have no idea. And oh, by the way, we have the toughest schedule in the conference. Sure. Yeah. But what do you guys make of Clemson's schedule? And, you know, Clemson are the early fan duel odds on favorites to win the ACC. I would imagine when the ACC kickoff event happens this summer, that's going to be the. the team that gets the media vote.

They are ranked by 24-7 sports as having the third toughest schedule within the ACC. They've got LSU, Troy, at Georgia Tech, home against Syracuse, at North Carolina, at Boston College, home against SMU, home against Duke, home against Florida State, at Louisville, home against Furman, and at South Carolina, which is not an easy schedule, right? there. But of course, you know, the conference schedule is what really counts these days. Like they were able to get into the ACC championship game and win it despite some non-con struggles. But, you know, Clemson's going to have a tough schedule to go along with high expectations. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, no, go ahead. I'll say you this. You're up. Go. I'm going to tell you this much. I don't think that schedule is tough as many people believe. I really don't. I'm sorry. Never believe in Brian Kelly.

in a big game. Bending on Brian Kelly in the big game is, I mean, that's like betting on the Lions in the early 2000s. Good for you. If you want to give away money charitably, they're a better place to go to Fandu to do so. But, you know, it is what it is, I guess. With that being said, even beyond that,

like you talked about Donnell, it's all about the conference schedule, right? And when you look at how this shakes out, at Georgia Tech, okay, that one could be scary. Syracuse coming to you, not as worried about that one, at North Carolina. With all due respect, I think that this year is going to be so bad.

Bill Belichick has to come back for a second year. The more I think about this, the more I'm like, he's probably not voting for the NFL because this is going to be a tough year for them. At Boston College. That's coming off a week off. You never give Bill Belichick an extra week of preparation.

Let me tell you something, that you're going to learn the same way Bill Belichick had to learn and hit the end of his tenure in Foxborough. I said it sarcastically, Kenton. It's not about to. X's and your O's, it's your layers and your Joes, okay? And I'm worried about the layers and the Joe's in Baby Blue this year.

I'm worried about. We got Bomb Trady coming in. He's going to be great. Oh, I'm sure. Never heard of them. You've got at Boston College. I don't think that's much of a test. SMU and Duke are probably your biggest test.

I don't think Florida State shakes back this year. You know, again, I'm looking at their schedule and I'm saying at Louisville, I don't even think it's that tough of a game because Dambo can actually tell these guys, This is tape of what Louisville did to us last year. You see what happened here? Do you see what happened here and here and here? So all in all, even if they do end up losing the South Carolina to end the season off, even if they lose to LSU to start the season off,

they're still looking at what, nine, 10 wins, and that is a one loss in conference team at worst. But I don't think that their path is that difficult given who they are. You know, a big question mark on a lot of these schedules is, you know, who go up against Florida State because I don't are they they're not going to be two and 10 bad right like there's no way that happens again but are they going to be a team that can possibly contend or is it more of like a five six win type of team for a lot of us you look at Florida State being on the schedule and it's like I guess from a Miami point of view I could say might be a really tough game because it's on the road and it's a rivalry game which sometimes can even the playing field a little bit but I think for a lot of these schools like Clemson you look at Florida State on the schedule. I don't know if that's an easy win or not. Like, we're not really going to know until we get a few weeks in. So you're not going to know, but correct me if I'm wrong.

They got Thomas Tostolanos. That's their quarterback. Yeah, they're not going to be very good. There we go. You're just not going to. They'll be better. I mean, sure. I mean, they're not going to win two games this year.

Florida State fans probably are going to be like, if they win two games again, oh, boy. But no, I mean, they're not going to be great. The best case with Florida State, honestly, is probably eight and four. So they could be pretty respectful. They could be pretty decent, but they're not going to be that team that was a few years ago where they're literally undefeated. That's the way I would look at it. Best case, the probably an eight-win team, worst case, probably four to five wins. So I wouldn't be too worried about Florida State if you have them on the schedule.

Hey, Mike Norville, come on. Come on. Come on, locked on ACC. Come on. We're going to be. We love to have it. We love that. We love that. They're going to run it.

It's going to be an interesting case study in how quickly, and I, and transfer portal lets you flip stuff. I think that's what I'm so intrigued about with FSU next year is, and I guess we saw the negative reverse of that this year from how good they were in 23 to how bad they were in 24. Can they slingshot it back? Man, I'm really curious to see that. Yeah, they are quite the experiment this year,

replacing their basically their whole coaching staff minus Norville, you know, went back to the portal, have to use all the NIL yet again. They were supposed to be the poster child of NIL and Transfer Portal last season and they got them two wins. What do they look like this year? If I had to put my money on it, I'd say the line's probably like seven. Yeah, I'd go seven and a half.

Well, they got Alabama to open the year, but then their next two games are. East Texas. Who? Yeah, East Texas A&M. So they're two and one are, okay, so two and one, right? What do you think is more difficult? West Texas A&M or East Texas A&M? I'd really like to go to war on that one.

Jokes on you. North Texas A&M has been the king. of that community college conference for years. I'm all in on southeast, Texas, A&M. They're really strong with me right here. All right. So they're going to play Alabama. They're probably going to lose by 30.

And then you got E-TM and you got Kent. You got Kent State, right? So you're two and one. Then you got at Virginia. I mean, they can beat Virginia, right? So three and one, right? Okay. Then you got Miami at home.

You'll probably lose that one. Pitt at home? That's probably a toss-up. At Stanford? Stanford's not good, but that's a road game. It should be a win. Should be.

All right. Wake Forest at home should be a win. At Clemson L. Virginia Tech at home. Is Virginia Tech going to be good this year? Are they? Who knows? Call a toss-up.

At NC State, you want to call it a toss-up too? I'll take that. All right, fine. At Florida, probably a loss. Probably lost. So we're looking at like three to four games on their schedule where they're most likely going to lose. And then you got two guaranteed wins. and then everything else in between.

So they're probably going to win six, seven, eight games. I think you're being very generous. I think you're being extremely. We just did the schedule. You want me to go through it again with Florida? No, I hear you. I hear you on the schedule. I think saying a lot of those are toss-ups and being very favorable to the nose.

I am telling you right now, they have a culture route that, like, they don't, they have a similar problem to what Florida has, but they just don't realize it. They're like, oh, we're going to fix this bad thing. that's happening with our coaching by throwing a lot of money at players. Did you not throw a lot of money at the roster last year? You did. What in your mind is like, oh, this will be better this time? All I'm doing is just circled wins and circled losses.

Like, we know they're going to beat two of the three. We know that we're probably going to lose to Bama. We know they're not going to probably, they're probably not beating at Clemson. I, not beat Miami either at Florida will be really difficult. Every other game, I mean, they could technically win. I think Bama is going to be a demoralizer for that team. We've seen it in the past with Florida State.

We saw this exact thing player with Florida State before, where they were supposed to be a good team. And then Bama came through it. The whole season was done by the middle of the second quarter. I think the exact same thing is going to happen here, but it's exponentially worse because they don't have that type of talent this time around. Like they're going to run into Bama. They're going to get destroyed.

And they're going to be like, oh, yeah, I think we're done. with this season very early. Sure, they'll be East Texas. Sure, they'll be but after that, the rest of that season is going to be an exercise of pissing down their legs. So you think they're just going to, they're going to fold that Virginia? I very seriously, I very seriously would say, I believe in Virginia now. I'm very much so believe in Virginia. So we've come full circle. Now you believe in Virginia? Yes. What? Yes. That's how bad I think Florida states are we talking basketball here. They're not even go to basketball anymore.

Listen, what are we doing? This is not, this is not an endorsement of Virginia. This is me saying down right. Florida State is going to be terrible. All the Florida State fans who are watching and listening to this, I got your back. I believe that you guys will be mediocre this season, okay? You guys can beat Virginia on the road. I promise.

They can. Hold on. I wanted to get to a little bit of hoops, but maybe we should continue this for now. You know, who else could be a positive or negative surprise in the ACC? You want to keep it locked right here. We got the squad together on the Lockdown Podcast Network. Don't go anywhere. Thank you so much for making Lockdown ACC Squad, your first listen and your first watch today.

So talking about, you know, winning or losing toss-up games. Now, you know, in 2024, the only toss-up game that Florida State won was the Cal game. Everything else. They lost all the other games. They were supposed to win. they lost all the other toss-up games. Like that's part of what makes it so unpredictable to me is, you know, Kenton talked about a culture rot.

You know, you're basically having to revamp your entire offensive line. You're having to revamp your entire coaching staff, except for, you know, Mike Norvell, who's too expensive to fire right now because he just signed a big extension before last year. So he's got to try to make the rest of the staff work around it. But that's why I don't know what to make of that team, because they didn't win any, except for Cal, they didn't win any of the other toss-up games last year.

I mean, they smoked Cal, 14, the next year. nine blowout. And we all know that that was just Cal equally distributing wins from each based on ability to each based on need. That's what the algorithm does. It's what they believe in out there in California. So I really do look at this game. I look at this season rather for Florida State and say to myself, why the hell do y'all

keep scheduling Bama game one? It continues to be your not just. your seasons, Achilles Hill, your entire program's Achilles Hill. And again, that was probably scheduled. Eight 10 years in advance. Last year, they went to Ireland and they lost to Georgia Tech. The year before that, they scheduled LSU and they beat them. No, no, I'm saying, I'm not talking about first game being a big game.

I'm specifically saying scheduling Alabama for this team is a harbinger of bad things. It's a harbinger of terrible, terrible things. It's the canary in the cold. It is the moment where you realize, oh, hell, why are we doing this again? Because I think this is going to feel like Groundhog's Day when the program completely falls off the face of the earth because they scheduled Alabama game one again. But proceed, Isaac. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.

No, I just, to Donno's point, this series was scheduled on Halloween of 2019. So it's been like six years in the making by the time we get there. Yeah. Yeah. Good in 2019? Well, I know Bama was. Was Florida State good? That was really

Taggart, I think. They were not very good. They were not good. Yeah. Not good. Yeah. Why don't they keep doing this? Kenton's point does stand.

They should not, with Willie Taggart, they should have not scheduled that game. They had a tiny thing. Their first game of the year was Boise State. And they lost. And again, and again, I'm looking at this situation for Florida State where I'm saying,

I would be shocked. And I mean legitimately, if they want six games, I wouldn't be super shocked by that. However, eight, I would be floored. I would be, my flabber would be thoroughly gassed at that point. It's about a range. They're going to win probably anywhere between three and eight games.

So if you split the difference, it's five and a half. Yeah, I can see five. I can see five. I can see six. I can see six. In the best case, I can see eight. Best case, but probably not going to happen. I think if they won eight, then Norville should be looked at for ACC coach in the year.

I really do because that that squad winning eight games really? Yes. Coach of the year. Yes. Come on. Again. Again. Okay.

Yes. We're going to talk about Florida State. I'm being a little hyperbolic. Like I said, I've been a little hyperbolic right now. But what you saw last year? Donald, you saw the races. Every practice he's racing the team.

He was running by himself. Your head coach is running by himself looking like a jackass. I don't even know if we could say that. It was so embarrassing. Like, I think Florida State got really good. The outlet war chant that put that out every week. Here's the Mike Norville race. Like, I think Florida State got pissed at them.

It's like, hey, are you trying to embarrass us? Why are you putting this out every single week? Yeah. Well, moving on from Florida State, like, are there any other teams you guys feel like are really enigmatic heading into this year? You know, people could probably say that about Miami every year. Miami's an eternal enigma. I also, I have questions about Duke, you who had a really good season last year,

probably punched above their weight. They may have upgraded a quarterback with Darien Mensa, but he, you know, comes from G5 to Power 4. I've also got some questions about SMU because there's, there's no question. They had a great season. They punched above their weight. They lost some of their most important players from last year.

So some of these teams, I don't know how to handicap them heading into next year. I absolutely lose the Star Thomas, man. That hurts in the backfield. He was a dude. Yeah, I absolutely agree with you about Duke. Didn't he go to Tennessee? He did.

What? Lovely. That's great for us. Star Thomas is gone to Tennessee. Yeah, he's going to Tennessee. But I absolutely agree with you about SMU. They're losing a ton, a ton of production. But you want to talk about Miami being an eternal enigma.

I've got another team for your, former Big East team that seems to be an eternal enigma in the ACC. Virginia Tech. What the hell is going on in Blacksburg? You never know. You never know. You thought last year was going to be Kairon drones a year for him to take off and be this amazing player, Heisman Dark Horse type of guy.

It doesn't happen. Then everybody knows, oh, well, you know, he and Cam Ward are cousins and he's going to follow in his cousin's footsteps down in Miami. No such luck was had. He is not. Well, I think Miami stopped returning his calls after what happened last year. But you get my point. So what is that team going to be overall? You have a new defensive coordinator.

You're losing by Shaw Tutin, but you do still have that quarterback. Then I think if we're talking sealing in ACC, in the words, a little way, no ceilings. Good brother, good morning, because that young man has no ceiling. He is that good when he's firing at all clips. But it's like, what do we need to do to get you there? So I think Virginia Tech, for me, is the big enigma going in the next season where I'm like, what are you? How are you? Who are you?

Their closing stretch is really interesting. their final four games versus Louisville at FSU versus Miami at Virginia. That'll be telling. True or false? This is the final stand for Brent Pry. I've got to think true, although, although Virginia, I mean, they did fire, they did fire Fuente, but before Fuente, they had the same head coach for like 30 years. So it's hard to know they're hiring and firing pattern, right?

Because I don't know how patient they're going to be. I think I would be a year. I think it's another year. I think it depends on what they do this year. Virginia Tech. It doesn't really feel like it of reset, but they do have high football standards. They used to be an institution to be proud of in the ACC.

I think it was all one guy. It was all under one coach. Yep. I think if Brett Pry can't give them like. Bring in Shane. That's a good call. Yeah. I think if Virginia Tech can't get to eight games,

it might be it. for Mr. Pry. That was fair. That was very fair. It probably is fair. Well, I appreciate everyone making the locked on ACCC squad your first listen and your first watch day. I want to get into more hoops next week, especially assuming.

Isaac, you're going to be back with us next week on the squad? Yes, sir. We'll be coming off Carolina. Carolina winning at Cameron on Saturday. That's happening. Maybe. I mean, nah.

That would be good for their tournament hopes. Yes. That's a great statement, Jackson. Thank you. I appreciate that. How'd be big of it? It's not happening. It's very true.

It's very true. The beating the number two team in the nation will be good for your tournament off. That is a factual. I can't say the same about Syracuse. It doesn't matter. You guys remember in October when I said it was basketball season for NC State? I misspoke.

I meant baseball season for instance. Yeah. We want nothing to do. Give them some Jacob doing. And then we're back to square one. with them. We're going to say it's football season again. Then they're going to start 0 and 3 and you're going to be talking about basketball again. Hey, you worry about yourself.

Okay. You worry about Elliot and we're worried about the cross season right now. Okay. Holder you just keep practicing in your dome and we'll talk later. There you go. There you go. Staying your dome with your unwashed coach. Awesome stuff.

As always, Isaac Shade from locked on North Carolina, locked on tar hills. I should say, Grayson Boone and Kent and Gibbs from locked on Wolfpack. Jackson Holeser from Lockdown, Syracuse. I'm Alex Dono from Lockdown Caines and we'll talk to you next time on another episode of the ACC squad right here on the awesome lockdown podcast network. Your team every day.