Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - ACC SQUAD - Which ACC Contenders are Emerging?

Episode Date: September 26, 2024

Welcome to ACC Squad, your ultimate roundtable podcast for everything Atlantic Coast Conference! In Week 5, hosted by Alex Donno of Locked On ACC, we’re gearing up for some thrilling matchups as we analyze the current state of ACC football and make predictions for the upcoming games.Join us as we delve into the key storylines from Week 5, highlight must-watch matchups, and discuss which players are poised to make a significant impact. Whether you’re supporting the Boston College Eagles, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, NC State Wolfpack, North Carolina Tar Heels, Syracuse Orange, California Golden Bears, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Pittsburgh Panthers, SMU Mustangs, Stanford Cardinal, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, or Wake Forest Demon Deacons, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!In This Episode:Preview of Week 5’s most anticipated gamesKey players to watch and their potential impactPredictions and analysis from Locked On podcast hostsInsights into the current standings and what they mean for each teamDon’t forget to subscribe to ACC Squad and click the notification bell for all the latest updates and comprehensive ACC football coverage. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let us know which matchups you’re most excited about!Subscribe to ACC Squad: [Link to channel]Follow Alex Donno on Twitter: [Link to Twitter]#ACCSquad #ACCFootball #LockedOnACC #Week5Preview #ACC2024 #FootballPredictions #BostonCollegeEagles #ClemsonTigers #DukeBlueDevils #FloridaStateSeminoles #LouisvilleCardinals #MiamiHurricanes #NCStateWolfpack #NorthCarolinaTarHeels #SyracuseOrange #CaliforniaGoldenBears #GeorgiaTechYellowJackets #PittsburghPanthers #SMUMustangs #StanfordCardinal #VirginiaCavaliers #VirginiaTechHokies #WakeForestDemonDeacons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apparently they don't play defense in the state of North Carolina. And Fran Brown, what was that? Let's bring in the squad. You're talking ball with the ACC squad. 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.

be fun. Squad up. You're part of the ACCC squad. Squad up and shout out to the everydayers. 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 podcasts, free on YouTube. We're part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. Place your first $5 bet and you'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed. Visit fanduel.com to get started. We got a new batch of top 25 rankings this week with Three ACC team should be more included in that. We've got a lot of losses and some wins to talk about today.

I'm Alex Dono from Lockdown Cainz. We got Jackson Holtzer from Locked on Syracuse, Kenton Gibbs, from Lockedon Wolfpack, Isaac Shade from Lockedon Tar Heels. Not here. I'm actually not here. None of us are here. Kenton's muted and trying to yell at us all. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I said, you can't quit on us at half time. I was like, who do you think you are? Mac Brown? What's going on here? Oh, no, I'm Jeff Collins in the defense. Look, Carolina took a 14-11 lead, and then the rest of the first half, the final 19 minutes and eight seconds.

James Madison went on a 42 to 7 run. There you go. That would be bad if it was basketball. It was a basketball score. It was a basketball score. Good grief. Man, that's a bad beat. And I know that many people are going to look at me and say,

Ken, what are you smiling laughing for? Your Wolfpack got the brakes beat off him too. Baby, I'm a Lions fan. I know when the team's outgunned, and I knew we were outgun headed into Death Valley. So I'm all right, but what happened? Now, others of us, you know, we're fearful of trees now because of the Stanford Cardinal.

Not talking to any specific Mets fans here, Jackson Osier, but maybe somebody may be afraid of them. Not you. Not you. Hopefully the time by the viewers are watching this podcast, the Mets have already clinched a playoff spot. Hey, hey, listen, all I'm saying is this. Many people expect the Mets to be the Mets,

the same way I expected Kyle McCourt to be Kyle McCourt. Oh, my goodness. I knew you were going to go after Kyle McCourt. You know, you could go after a lot of players on the team. You can go after the coaching staff because I ripped them in the postcast for that game. 100% you can go after them. Kyle McCore was the least of the problems. If you go check pro football focus, he was the highest rated player on offense.

Hey, listen. He was the least of our concerns. I'm not saying he played a terrible game. I'm saying I have always counted on Kyle McCourt to have that Kyle McCourt moment where you look up. You mean a bad throw? What is the look at it? It's Kyle McCore. He's going to do it.

Not just a bad throw. A bad throw that it looks like the defender is the intended receiver. Oh, that's Kyle McCore, baby. That's classic Kyle McCord. You got to know what's coming. Okay. Okay. I can point to a ton of examples of other quarterbacks making bad throws.

I mean, Cam Ward, didn't you throw a pick in the Florida game or whatever? Like, he makes mistakes. They make mistakes. It happens. But at the end of the day, it's the thing. Like, like, Kenson's getting wrapped up with Kyle McCord. But to me, it's like he still played well enough to win that game. I look at fourth, for Stanford on fourth and nine.

You know exactly who Ashton Daniels is going to throw the football to there, Jackson. Exactly who he's going to throw to. I mean, I don't want to harp on it too, too much. but let's just say two teams called time out. You had plenty of time to talk the final playover. And on fourth and nine, you decided to do the exact opposite of what you've been doing on the drive that was working.

You didn't blitz. You decided to drop eight in the coverage. Okay, if you're going to drop eight in the coverage, then please double the one guy that they're actually going to throw to. And they didn't do it. They left them one-on-one. And Clarence Lewis had good coverage. But guess what?

Good coverage on an NFL wide receiver is not good enough. It's not good enough. and Ashton Daniels made the best throw he's ever made. It was a great throw. Back shoulder, perfect. It put them right in field goal range. It was ballgame. I mean, that was that.

So you could rip. So yeah, Tompricor made an mistake. For all the trash, I'm talking, at least y'all were competitive. At least you look like you belonged on the field. That is very true. Everybody on this show can't say it. And I'm one of the guys that can't say that.

Clemson. I can say it. No, here we go. Donald's over here. He's giving himself his own flowers. Four and O Heisman trophy front runner in Cam Ward, who leads the nation and touchdown passes with 14. Second in the country with passing yardage at over 1,400.

He has thrown two interceptions, but the interception he threw against South Florida was on the receiver who bobbled it, not on Cam Ward. Miami won that game 50 to 15. So I'm feeling all right. In fact, I told our guy Jarvis backstage, don't let anybody else in on the show today. I don't want to see A.J. Black, who's Boston College Eagles, beat Michigan State.

I don't even want to see Brian Smith because the Seminoles finally got to win. I just wanted to party up with you guys after those. Or Dalton, Pennville. At some point in time, y'all are going to have to play a power 14 who's going to have their head coach at the end of the season. At some point in time, man, he's going to have to do it, damn it. We would look good, too, if everybody played Pam you this week. If everybody played, who else? Who else if y'all played this season?

What, Ball State? I mean, what? Ball State, Florida, U. But the thing is, like, before the USF game, I kept hearing about, oh, USF gave Alabama a tough game and that, oh, it's in Tampa. They're going to give Miami a heart. It was too easy, Kent. And 50 to 50, Miami could have scored more if they wanted to. It was child's play.

You and I both know that that USF team is not what everybody thought they were. It was very simply, Bama is who I thought they were at the beginning of the season, who is a much worse version of who they were last year. And they're showing it. They're showing. But don't worry, don't worry, Dono. The canes are going to have to prove it. Now, do I think they will succeed when they got to prove it? Probably.

They'll probably look better than all four of RTA or all three of Arte. I don't know. But Dan, it's all going to play somebody one of these days. Y'all's playing the, they're playing the Lockhole God squad at this point. If Miami doesn't look good, I mean, we're going to have a nine-win representative in the college football playoff and nobody else. That is what's going to happen. We kind of need Miami to be good.

I was seeing some tweets that USF is the number one team of the, country if games were only 20 minutes. But I mean, Miami, Miami looked like Miami in the second half of that game as they eventually took it over. There's no argument that Miami is the top dog in the ACC right now. Although like, Clemson has been showing me things. They've only played three games. But then the thing is like, and talk to me, Grayson, like, how much of Saturday was Clemson being better than we gave him credit for? Or because NC State is in a bad way right now. And you guys had to start a true freshman quarterback making his first start? I think it's somewhere in the middle.

I think we made Clemson look a little bit better than they actually are. But to Clemson's credit, they exploited virtually every single one of our problems in a major way. And that game was over and not kidding, about three minutes of game time. I've seen a lot of bad NC State games in my lifetime. I've never seen a game end as quickly as that one did. It was a complete unmitigated disaster. It was like a perfect encapsulation of all of Canton and I's worst features.

in about three minutes and then it was just steamrolled from there on out. But silver lining, if you want one of those, C.J. Bailey, I think that's your guy at quarterback. I want to see him moving forward. Hey, listen, Megan Nostalian didn't publicly denounce me, so my worst fears are still avoided for another day. But with that being said, that game was so bad. The first touchdown scored was a 55-yard touchdown on a quarterback counter. The same quarterback counter that Clemson has been running since, what is it, Todd Boyd was there, 55 yards, untouched. If it was flag football, if it was two-hand-touch, if it was one-hand touch,

if Anthony Button was a big-hand touching it, he would have scored a touchdown there. So, you know, that game, 28 to zip in the first quarter, what more can you say? What more can you do? You know, I optimistically thought, oh, NC State might back door their way into covering a 21-point spread. And Lord knows, they actually were those. I was in there. I actually close to knowing it. But in all seriousness,

that game was not competitive at any point in time. And I'll tell you this much, what a disgrace by Daveville. In year 12 now, year 12, I'm sure that every fan of any really good team in ACC is begging and clamoring for Doran to come back.

The same way I was begging for the rumors to be untrue that Mack Brown was quitting after the game. I would say, Lord, please. You hear me. please bring Mac back okay bring Mac back he's doing a fine top that that program over there in Chapel Hill they're headed in the right direction let Mike give him another five years as a matter fact give him an extension uh Kenton by the way speaking of that what what was that phrase you used covering the spread I'm unfamiliar with that and I don't mean that as a joke at you I'm trying

to figure it out because Carolina apparently doesn't understand what that is neither do we We're on board against the spread to me, you know what? You know what? Actually, I take that back. We did cover in week one against Minnesota. It was a point in a half on Fanduil and we won by two. So Tar Heels are one and three against the spread. These two teams are so bad right now. If you pull out some butter or some jam or something like that,

they're going to act like they're allergic just because it's a spread. This is terrible. These teams need help. I don't know what's going on right now in the state of North Carolina. but defense is not illegal. We may have outlawed many, many things down here below the Bible, but please, I'm begging you, somebody make a damn tackle, please. For all this, for all this decent in the world, man.

This is just embarrassing on both of our program. What was so interesting about the Tar Heels experience on Saturday was it was so similar to what Grayson just said for the Wolfpack is that probably the bright spot for Carolina is realizing that Jacoby Chris well is good enough. up to beat QB1 and at least can make throws. That's where Carolina has been struggling. Thankfully, Omarion Hampton's back there. But now Carolina comes out and in a game where they give up 70 points, Jacoby Chriswell throws for the third most single season pass or single game passing yards in Carolina history. What on earth. That's crazy. He had a pick six thrown in. You don't

love that. But he showed what he needed to. Omari on Hampton was still Omari on Hampton. And so same kind of thing is you guys, it's like, you feel good at least there. And if you can get anything figured out on defense, maybe you're in good shape. But I'll tell you this, speaking about the spread, if North Carolina is going up against a Sunbelt team, you need to take the over because the last three years, two against App State and this one against James Madison, the total has averaged in those three games, 106. Oh my gosh. I generally don't know what happened with North Carolina. Like, I get NC State. I knew that was going to be a bloodb-b-bath. But like North Carolina, 70 points. 70. So James Madison? To James Madison. Do you see the number of fingers, Jackson, do you see the

number of fingers on my hand? I do. This is my turnover hand, my friend, five turnovers in this game for North Carolina. And he still scored 50 points. Still scored 50 points and also lost a possession to an outside kick. I mean, did that game last five hours? Because I'm wondering. Like five turnovers, 120 points. Like I feel like that game must have lasted about five hours. So many possessions. It was absolutely wild, dude. And so like for those listening, I had told the guys before we started, North Carolina took a 1411 lead and then gave up a 42-7 run the rest of the first half.

I mean, it's just unheard of. Literally, I want you to think about. Did they play with 15 minutes on the clock? Because maybe they up the time to 25 minutes. a quarter so they played a hundred minute game no they actually stopped after every play regardless of what happened they just stopped that that's that's they always stopped the clock then yeah it makes i want you all think about this for just a second okay you talk about jacobo chriswell third most passing yards in the game you had a running back go for over a hundred yards

in the game as well you put up 50 points and yet if james madison did not score one time after half time they still win that ball game what under god's green earth happened i don't know but we still got Brown, Dono, get us out of here. Well, and I will, and you know what? North Carolina has an opportunity to bounce back this week in that classic basketball matchup happening in football. You take on the Duke Blue Devils. We've got other big matchups to talk about in the ACC coming up.

We'll talk about the AP Top 25 a little bit later on. My friends, you want to keep it locked right here to the squad. And guys, I already know you're keeping it locked to Fandul. And Fandul has all the odds for this weekend. 7th ranked Miami are 18.5 point favorites at home against Virginia Tech for Friday night. That's a really big number. NC State, six and a half point favorites against Northern Illinois. We'll see if they can get a big bounce back there.

We talked about that Duke, North Carolina game. Blue Devils are actually two and a half point favorites at home against Carolina. We'll see if the fighting Isaac Shades can get the get right game this coming weekend. And guys, if you're an NFL fan, you probably are. You can start the season with a big return on Fan Duel, America's number one sports book. So when you get a hunch in the middle of a game, you can check out the latest stats, view live play-by-play, and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. You'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place your first $5 bet.

That's fanduel.com. Thank you so much for making the squad your first listen and your first watch today. Make sure you check out all of our shows for your next listen. Jackson on Locked on Syracuse, phenomenal job. Kenton and Grayson on Locked on Wolfpack, Fantastic. Isaac Shade unlocked on Tar Heels. the other great ACC content here. You do very well for yourself, man.

It does better than the football team does. That is true. It's not saying much, but it is true. It is true. Well, and on that note, Isaac, you're going up against an undefeated Duke Blue Devils team, you know, a familiar face, at least for me, at head coach and Manny Diaz, you know, Malik Murphy, who's having a good season for Duke, the transfer quarterback from Texas.

Duke has not, you know, been tested even in the way your tar heels have, James Madison aside so far this year. So how you feeling about that game where you're getting two and a half points? I'm trying to figure out where JJ's at, our great Duke host, he's ducking the smoke today. No, look, you know, what's funny, Dono, is you mentioned the familiarity with the certain head coach. Mack Brown once fired this man as his defensive coordinator in Austin, Texas. So there's that wrinkle in this as well. So look, this is clearly a get right game. You got to figure it out. I'm hoping Carolina has taken the Notre Dame approach to, hey, look, we lost in Northern Illinois and then smoked Purdue the next weekend. Maybe there's something of that. But here's what I, you talk about the

quarterback situation. The big problem for Carolina last week, at least to start things, is that, man, James Madison's quarterback, Burnett, was this mobile quarterback that Carolina hadn't dealt with this year. And I fear that there were a lot of lessons not learned and how, are they going to be able to go to work this week on the defense? What is Jeff Collins and his staff figured out from that tape? Did they burn it or did they actually watch it? I don't know, but we're going to find out on Saturday afternoon. You know, the Battle of the Blues in football is actually one of the more interesting rivalries because they really do hate each other on the football basketball. I think they're very buddy, buddy. I think they secretly like each other. And they're like,

oh, this is like WWE. We only hate each other. Football, they really, really hate each other. And Duke has establish their self from Elko to many as physical. They say, we want to beat you up. We want to pound you into submission. So I want to see how that kind of plays out here where you talk about Chriswell, who can do good things through the air, but also his legs are going to be a part of this thing. You talk about one of the best running backs in the nation in Omarion happened. Who's going to win the line of scrimmage? That will tell you who wins this game. Because Omarion can't do anything if he and Chriswell are both getting blown. I mean, James Madison was basically, they mean, they made some sort of reservations for Carolina's backfield on Friday night and just went and sat

and ate all afternoon long in Canaan Stadium on Saturday. And so this line has to figure out how to do something to change that as they go to Wallace Wade this weekend. Well, guys, the conference opener for Miami is going to be happening on Friday, home against the Virginia Tech Hokies. And it's one of those things where, and I mentioned this during the Fandual conversation, like, this is a big number. And I even look at that as somebody who covers mine like 18 and a half and I know Virginia Tech has not been as good as advertised so far Miami's probably been better than advertised but it's like conference rivalry game and then there's also the added element I think not a lot of people know this but Cam Ward quarterback at

Miami and Kyron drones quarterback of Virginia Tech are cousins and so there's going to be that added competitive element in this game and I know Virginia Tech is going to show up you know it is a night game in South Florida people make their jokes about Miami's attendance, but they usually show up for primetime games and they usually show up when the team is good. So I am expecting a good crowd this weekend. But at the same time, guys, for as bullish as I am on Miami, I think they can absolutely win the game. 18 and a half is a big number. Yeah, I kind of agree with you on that. Speaking from someone who was just a pretty decent sized home favorite last week, you know, you got to be careful with these home conference games that you should definitely win.

I'm not trying to put out into the earth that Virginia Tech is going to win this game. I don't. But I'm in agreement with you. I don't get the line. 18 and a half for a conference game at home. I know that Virginia Tech has underperformed this season, but they do have talent. They have talent. It didn't just disappear.

It's still there. And if they show up, like you said, they're going to cover 18 and a half pretty easily. Now, they probably won't win, but they probably should cover. This is the running joke. Go ahead. This is the running joke that I've been making all year long about Miami. They're eventually going to play a powerful team whose head coach is going to be there at the end of the year. This is the first time it happens.

This is the first time that they look like they get tested. I think Miami shows up in a big way to finish the game out. But I think Virginia Tech gives them a little bit of a scare. I think it makes them sit up in their chair a little bit, right? I'm not sure that Miami covers this 18, but I do believe they'll win. Wholeheartedly, I believe they'll win. But I think Virginia Tech gives them everything that they can have. handle and they get it done because again, the talent disparity is just too massive to overcome.

We've talked about Virginia Tech's inability to stop the run. We've talked about, hey, if they can do that, they'll be great. And their defense said, want to bet, want to bet that we can't and we'll still try to be good anyway. So objectively speaking, I think that there are some holes where obviously Miami is going to exploit them, but I think Virginia Tech will hold their own in this one. one of the new wrinkles for me in our conference is that lurking next week is a trip out west for the hurricanes. And I'm just curious about what factor that's going to start to play in things because literally next weekend, Miami's at Cal, right? And then you get a week off after that before going to Louisville, who we're going to find out a lot about, oh, by the way, this weekend is they play Notre Dame. But I just wonder, and it's not like it's a trap game situation because Cal's not some juggernaut.

but there is this surely lurking in the back of your mind a little bit is we got to get on a plane later this week and head to California and get the whole team there. I'm just curious to see conference wide what sort of factor these trips are going to start to play. And I think we're going to find out with our conference leader pretty early on here. Yeah, you know, I you raise an interesting point. I think that to me the Cal trip is going to be a factor within itself. I don't think that's going to have anything to do with the mentality for Virginia Tech. but we'll cross the Cal Bridge when we get to it for Miami, but that's the longest road trip Miami has made since 2000 when they went out to Washington.

So obviously none of the players were here back then. And they schedule that game for 10.30 p.m. Eastern time. So that's very different for the body clocks of when these guys are used to playing. But I would like to think that thinking ahead to Cal, which is going to be eight days after the Virginia Tech game, I don't think that's going to play a factor for this one. but I think that's going to be a factor in itself once we get to that. You know, I was going to make a joke about, oh, my God, nobody on the roster is even a lot.

But that McCormick kid was probably already doing spelling bees and winning math league competitions. I was doing his taxes. Yeah, probably, probably, you know, playing his first wedding and all that. You know, that guy, he's old as dirt. But, you know, in all seriousness, I really don't think that next week will play too much into this thing. but I am interested to see how this plays out because again,

we've talked about how Virginia Tech is underperformed, they underperform to underperform and underperform. For every team, I believe you have three types of games. Who you are is about eight to ten of those games. Then you have your best games where you play one or two, where you play out of your mind. Then you got your worst games. When you play one or two where everybody just goes,

what was that? What happened? And so I'm very interested to see if this is to be Virginia Tech playing up to something better, if they do play to their best selves, what does that look like against fire? A couple things I want us to get to on the other side, including I think another important game for the conference because Louisville is another team that's been looking really good.

And they're taking on, I'm not a huge fan of Notre Dame because it's like, oh, we want to be a part of your conference for everything but football. Louisville needs to win this game for the ACC, for the pride of the ACC. So we'll talk about that. We'll talk about the top 25 rankings as well when we come back. you guys want to keep it locked right here to the squad. And folks, I have to talk about prize

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on the road at number 16, Notre Dame. Notre Dame last week put the NIU embarrassment behind them, or at least we think they did. And the fighting Irish, they're six-point favorites at home against the Cardinals. So I guess this is going to be the week where they go into South Bend and we find out if Louisville's for real. Yeah, we find out that Tyler Shuck is actually as good as we think he is. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, I have been a big believer in if Shuck is healthy, Louisville has a shot. And not a shot that's like, oh, they can just win the conference.

No, they've got a serious shot at winning a playoff yet. And I mean that if Shuck is healthy. And if he is who I think he is. And right now, he is healthy. So, you know, Louisville has some dynamic playmakers. And I don't know what it is about Louisville. Every time you think, oh, they lost Jemari Thrash, they lost their starting running back, Jordan.

They lost so much. They lost guys in the portal who didn't even play a snapple for them. It's going to be a struggle for him. Bada bada boom. All of a sudden, they show up and they're dominant early in the season again. So, you know, this game is going to tell us a lot about both teams. And I'll tell you what.

They said Riley Leonard loves the ACC so much. He's making Notre Dame's offense slow down a little bit so that they want to join the conference. Riley, keep up the good work, brother. Keep it up. Steve and Jelly lobby will not slow you down. We want to see Riley later in the game at all costs, and we want to see a Louisville win. I don't know if you guys have covered this on Locked on ACC yet,

but Louisville's now without Jaden Thompson, right? He's done for the season, Louisville ride receiver. And we also, as we record, don't know about Quincy Riley and how healthy he's going to be. And if he'll be able to go in the secondary there for Louisville. And so I think those both play critical factors in Louisville's potential here on the road. Yeah. I think another thing, this is Notre Dame likes to run the ball, one of the better rushing teams in college football, and Louisville can stop the run really well.

So really, it's just a, it's pretty simple what we have in front of us here. If Louisville can shut down the run, they're going to win. but if Notre Dame is able to crack through it, they're going to win. It's all going to be about if they can stop the run or not. It's pretty simple to me. Yeah, Jackson said really all you need to hear right there. The game will be won or lost based on if Notre Dame can steamroll Louisville.

If Louisville shows up, they put their hand of the dirt and they get after it, I think you could be looking at a very interesting matchup because I think Notre Dame's looking for some payback as well. Didn't Louisville stomp them out last year in Louisville, if I'm not mistaken. So this is a really interesting game. Riley Leonard, he's going to have to do a lot, a lot, I think, probably more so through the air than he's accustomed to to give Notre Dame a real shot here. But it's going to be a good one. Both teams are looking to make a statement here. And I was going to add on that. Legacy game right here. I need me an Astinjolati. I need you to feed generations asked to beware the hair. We believe in your brother. Make it out.

And I was going to say this about Notre Dame. They badly need this game. Like, really. really, really badly need it. For sure. Okay, because if they lose this game, I don't know if they're going to, I don't think even if they run the table, they are a college football playoff team. No,

because they have nobody really on their schedule that would be a resume boosting win for them. This is a game they badly, badly need. Like, yes, they do have USC as the last game of the season, but we'll see how good USC is by that. We don't know. This is a game that Notre Dame desperately,

needs. They need a point. With the new college football playoff format, they're not in a conference. They can't win a conference to grab a top five seed. They can only be out of all. If only somebody was allow them in per se,

if only somebody were to say, hey, come be a full member. Who knows? You know, what a wild world that would be. Yeah, but see, I don't even know. I feel like if that offer was like really made to them and maybe it has been, they'd be like, well, no, if we want to join a conference, we'll join the

Big Ten. Like, I feel like they would probably leave us at the altar anyway. You're 100% right. Notre Dame's doing their own thing. Yeah, they don't. But don't we have for... ACC would welcome with open arms. Like, of course they would. Like, of course they would.

Notre Dame's just like I remember reading that. That, like, because of the alignment with the other sports, it's part of the agreement that if Notre Dame wants to join a conference, it's got to be, go through the ACC first before anything else can happen. I would hope so because, I mean, that would, if they were to leave us at the altar, it would be

rough. So speaking of Louisville, Louisville is one of three ACC teams that are ranked right now. You have Miami at number seven, Louisville at number 15, Clemson at number 17. It's only those three right now. Others receiving votes, Boston College, who we thought never should have been unranked. They received 55 votes. How about Pitt receiving 37 votes? Like all Pitt has done so far this season is win and dominate, including, you know,

a tough game against West Virginia. Again, I know they haven't, you know, faced an SEC schedule or something, but I feel like Pitt and Boston College probably both deserve to be ranked. I mean, who has faced the SEC schedule at this point in time? Most of the SEC schools ain't played no damn body up to this point in time. It's a great point. So to me, them showing up and showing out every game, that's all you need to know. And this is why I.

I'm a big proponent, even though it's ratings, it's content for people like us. There shouldn't even be a damn ranking until at least week four or five. There shouldn't be because what do we know about these teams? We all sat here and said, Pitt's going to be terrible. They're losing star players because those star players are publicly going on record saying, hey, that team can't win.

And lo and behold, a guy who wasn't even at ACC media days, even though they did have Yarnel there, Holstein was not. Holstein has done nothing but when Ricky, of the week and quarterback of the week one of these weeks. So, you know, what the hell do any of us really know about these teams anyway before this point to see? I just want to know why Boston College is not ranked.

Yeah, I agree. I know Boston College fans think I hate them because, you know, I picked against their team. I mean, that clearly means I hate Boston College. But in all seriousness, I do not know how this team is not ranked. Like, we talked about it last week. Like, they were ranked. They lost by six points to Missouri on the road.

and then they were unranked for some reason. So then they come back home, right? Yeah, I'm getting my time frame, right? And they beat Michigan State. A big 10 team. Yeah. What do they need to do here? It's like we're moving the goalposts here with this team.

At some point, do they have to beat Western Kentucky for us to rank them at some point? Is that what they have to do? They will. So that's what they have to, they have to blow out Western Kentucky by 50 points. It doesn't make sense. Yeah. They should be ranked. Put a in.

The Hilltoppers play some tough football. They play some really tough football. But no, I thought we shouldn't agree. As much as I don't like Bill O'Brien, even I've got to step aside to say, I'm not the biggest hater. Apparently it's the AP polls because you've got to give them respect for what they've done so far to see.

Yeah, I completely agree. Listen, I have a great time. Every time we can get the squad together, Jackson Hulzer, make sure you check him out at Locked on Syracuse. Kenton Gibbs and Grayson Boone from Locked on Wolfpack. Kenton also co-host Locked on ACC with me, Isaac Shade from Locked on Tar Heels. Didn't play any defense today, much like North Carolina. I also host Locked on Cains. Make sure you check that out. And guys, make sure you make all of our

shows your next listen today. And we'll talk to you again next week on another episode of the squad.