Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Clemson? Miami? NC State? Louisville? Who Benefits Most From Florida State's Rocky Start To 2024?

Episode Date: August 27, 2024

The Florida State Seminoles are no longer the betting favorites to win the ACC after their surprising loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin. Which teams will benefit most from FSU’s rocky start to the season? Clemson is now favored to win the conference with Miami at second. Florida State and NC State are now tied with the third best odds. Surprisingly, Georgia Tech still sits in 8th on the odds list despite defeating the defending champs. Are the Louisville Cardinals, who played in the conference title game last season, not getting enough respect? Seeing Florida State beaten in the trenches by Georgia Tech should give renewed hope to every other team on the Seminoles’ schedule. Hosts Alex Donno and Kenton Gibbs break down the fallout from Florida State’s loss and make the case for a handful of other teams who can now seize the opportunity. The guys examine the x-factors for Clemson to upset Georgia this week. Can the Tigers overcome the perceived lack of talent they have compared to the Bulldogs? What about Miami against Florida this weekend? Mario Cristobal revealed on Monday that he has hired a time management coach to ensure that the breakdown last season against Georgia does not happen again. Can Miami’s pass rush contain Graham Mertz and the Gators’ receivers? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Florida State Seminoles already 0-1 in the conference, and they're no longer favored to win the ACC. Who benefits most? You are Locked-on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team, every day. Shout out to the Everydayers, and thank you so much for making Locked-on ACC, 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 Fandual. Now through September 22nd. All Fandual customers can bet $5 and get a three-week, free trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Visit Fandul.com slash locked on to get started. On this episode, we're going to talk about some big non-conference games involving ACCC teams this weekend. Clemson is going to try to upset the Georgia Bulldogs. Tigers are big underdogs in the... that one, North Carolina, taken on Minnesota. They're actually favored on the road. Miami also

favored on the road at Florida this week. But Kenton Gibbs, he's Kenton Gibbs from Locked on Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono from Locked on Cain's. So not only, not only did Florida State fall behind the eight ball, Kenton. They're now 0 and one in the conference to start the season. They definitely showed some, I'll say it nicely, imperfections on the field in that game against Georgia Tech. So if, if, Florida State is indeed taking a bit of a step back this year compared to last year. Which team or teams in the conference benefit the most in your eyes? There are the obvious Clemson. There's the obvious, you know, Miami.

I want to go with an alternative team, a team that they could not afford to take a step back and still be. The Louisville Cardinals, baby, I am telling you right now, if this Louisville team is who we think they are in terms of, again, very high floor, kind of lower ceiling than some of these top teams, but they find a way to end up back in Charlotte, I would say that we could look back and say, man, Florida State not being good did end up in Louisville going to two straight ACC championships, huh? Regardless of if they win-lose or draw it out, that's still a hell of an accomplishment to say,

we went back to back. And potentially winning because, I mean, let's just be honest, I have said about Louisville, I like that team a lot. I really like everything about that team except for the back. That is the only concern for me. And it's not even really about his play so much as it is his health. So with that being said, I think that last year's runner-ups, the Louisville Cardinals, are the team who benefits the most from this.

You know, I mentioned at the top that the Seminels are no longer favored to win the conference they were prior to that game. So the teams, according to Fanduil, who directly benefit most from this, you mentioned a couple of them. Clemson Tigers are now the favorite to win the ACC at plus 290. Miami now has the second best odds at plus 350. Florida State has fallen to third at plus 600. Well, actually, Florida State and NC State are actually tied at plus 600 odds. So Florida State and NC State are tied for third. Then you have Louisville behind them at plus 850, Virginia Tech at plus 950.

So actually, Kenton, based on what you just said, you made the case for Louisville. I would say Louisville at plus 850 feels like some value now for those who want to make a preseason bet on the ACC champion. Let me tell you something. I really and truly believe that if that team finds their way back, it'll all go to come down to quarterback playing. and can they have a quarterback who's going to show up and do good things in that game? Because the boogeyman, the team that we were afraid of, that offense last year for Louisville was prolific until they ran into the boogeyman.

Until they ran into Fiske and Verse and Company and Patrick Payton and crew, then they looked very human, very normal throughout that entire game. So with that in mind, they have the opportunity to go back. And there is no boogeyman, you know, there is no, there is no, in the words of Steppenwolf, in, what was it? It was the Justice League movie. No, no Kryptonian here, no Green Lantern, no, this world will fall. If I'm Louisville, I'm looking around saying, wait a minute, the boogeyman that's supposed

to have the best defensive line in the nation crumbled like that. I feel great if I'm going to part of Cardinal faith. Yeah, and honestly, every team that has Florida State on the schedule, I don't want to downplay this too much. That's still an incredibly difficult game. So I don't want to come in here and say Florida State's finished. It's still a difficult game. But, well, yeah, but you do look at the performances of their offensive line.

Yeah, that vaunted defensive line that basically did nothing in that game. And you say, okay, this is going to be a little bit more of a favorable matchup than we thought, unless they can fix these issues very quickly. And I know that there have been a couple of Florida State message board posts that have made message board geniuses that account that posts like all the all the nonsense. And there are there are some, I would assume this is just a very loud minority of dummies. But there are some that are trying to say it was a jet lag factor, right? Although I guess I guess Georgia Tech, they moved their campus to Dublin.

They didn't have to fly across the pond, right? that was strictly a Florida state jet lag issue. So we'll see if once they return to the states, Kenton, if they figure out how to block and they figure out how to tackle again. No, no, it was because Georgia Tech got there through instant transmission. You remember on Dragon Ball Z when Goku used to put his forehead, his fingers on his forehead and travel? That's what they did.

You know, Haines King, that's why he didn't throw the ball as sharply because he used all his energy doing instant transmission to get the team to Dublin. So they didn't have a jet lag. It was just Florida State. Florida State were the only ones who had jet lag in that game. Because, again, you know, they just, they found a way to move from Atlanta to Dublin without flight. Well, let me also add this because, yeah, we're talking about a bunch of ACC teams that are benefiting from Florida State losing and for, you know, looking human compared to last year. Let's throw the Georgia Tech hat into that.

conversation, Kenton, because Georgia Tech, they're off to a 1-0 start. They out-muscled the Seminoles. Like, they didn't win by some fluke. They went out there and they played a better game of football. They pushed Florida State around. And they've already slayed the biggest dragon on their schedule, right? I mean, I'm sure they would have looked at, you know, they played Georgia every year, but that's not an ACC game. They, slayed the biggest ACC dragon on the schedule already. I'm actually surprised that Georgia Tech

despite that victory, they still have the, I think, the eighth best odds to win the ACC at plus 3,000. And actually, funny enough, Kenton, Georgia Tech is still behind SMU in the ACC championship odds, despite the fact that SMU had a scratch and claw to come from 10 points behind to beat Nevada. I feel better about Georgia Tech than I feel about SMU today. And we saw the struggles from SMU that we predicted. We saw the struggles to run the ball. We saw that they had struggles protecting Preston stone, which is what we talked about all offseason.

All offseason it was about can you get it done in the trenches? We know about Maryland and company on the outside. You nor I put up any argument, protest, or contest when they said, hey, we have the best receiving corps returning in the conference. We agree. Even though they're new here, you're all receiving court, Beth. Can you keep your quarterback upright long enough to get it to those guys? That's what matters.

Well, when we come back, I want to talk about the X factors for Georgia, sorry, for Clemson against Georgia. I don't think Georgia needs any X factors. They just have to go out there and line up. The X factors for Clemson against Georgia, X factors for Miami against Florida. And I know Kenton may enjoy some X factors. for North Carolina against Minnesota as well. You got some big non-conference games coming up.

My friends, you want to keep it locked. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of Lockdown ACC. You know, I'm only getting started with five-hour energy. Guys, I need that afternoon pick me up. I like to stay up late. Well, that's a lie. I go to bed early, but I wake up very early. And by the end of my lunch, I start to hit that wall.

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Guys, make sure you're checking out Locked on College football. Locked on College football, it is its own channel. Spencer McLaughlin does a fantastic job. And sometimes he even brings Kenton and I on the show to wax poetic with him. And I know Spencer, just as we did, had a lot of good content after that Georgia Tech upset victory over Florida State. So make sure you check out Locked on College football. Like this show, it's available free, wherever you get your podcast and available free. on YouTube. Well, Kenton, the Clemson Tigers are 13 and a half point underdogs opening up their

season at prime time this Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia are favored to win the national championship this year. You know, Carson Beck is one of the darling preseason Heisman trophy candidates. Absolutely. What would you say if you're going to talk somebody into Clemson pulling off and upset this weekend. What are the X factors? What has to happen if the tigers are going to have a chance against the dogs? The best player on the field for Clemson is a guy that's not going to be on the field and pads. It has to be Mr. Riley. Garrett Riley has to call a fantastic game, but more important than Garrett Riley calling a fantastic game, Dabble has to get the hell out of his way. You did not bring him here to run Clemson's offense.

You bought Garrett Riley here to run Clemson the best offense that fits their pieces. That's what you bought him there for. If you want to run Clemson's offense, what did you even need an offensive coordinator for? You could just sit in the old dummy up there and say, hey, man, listen, this is our offense. This is what we want to run when we want to run. Now, you have the freedom to choose between these three plays like it's NCAA 25 or something. But other than that, that's how far the leash goes. No, you need to let that man cook the best way he knows how. Because at the end of the day, if you come in trying to run Clemson's

offense against Georgia, we will not see two back-to-back double-digit dogs win in big time games for the ACC. It will not happen. It cannot happen. If it is this, oh, well, you know, we're going to run what we run. We're going to run this terrible quarterback draw power thing that everybody sees coming from a mile away. Oh, well, we're going to run, you know, all of these plays that are super predictable that we run a million times. You're not going to beat Georgia like that. Kirby and crew will wreck shop if that's the case. Yeah, it's just, I mean, Georgia against just about anybody is at a big talent in-depth advantage. I think to me, I'll give you an X factor and an X-factor player. I think for me, an X factor is Clemson has got to hope that they can win the takeaway

margin like plus two. I don't think, I don't think Clemson is going to win the game if the turnovers are even. I don't think Clemson is going to win the game if they're plus one in turnover margin. I think they have to be like plus two in the turnover margin. I think there has to be not only opportune plays, strips, interceptions, but a little sloppiness on the Georgia side that can help, you know, flip the game a little bit. And then maybe an X factor player, I mean, obviously you're going to need Cade Clubnick to step up and, you know, play like the guy that Clemson fans were hoping he was before the season started last year. But I think a guy who could potentially create mismatches and help move the chains and get in the red zone is their 6'6 senior tight end Jake Brittingstool. I think he's got to have a big game.

He's probably going to have to have a couple big first downs, a touchdown reception or two. And yeah, I mean, listen, maybe I'll be wrong about this because I thought Florida State. would have a pretty big talent discrepancy against Georgia Tech. We didn't really feel that way watching the game, but I do feel heading into Clemson against Georgia that there's going to be, there's going to be a disparity in talent in Georgia's favor. So I think some things are going to have to bounce Clemson's way for them to get this done. Oh, a thousand percent.

I mean, the reality is if Clemson does not find a way to create explosive plays, at that point in time, you're saying to yourself, can you nickel and dime, then you be the more physical teammate. And unlike Florida State where it was kind of a, this is kind of a mashup of players who played some last year, but we're not the main cast of characters. With Georgia, you're seeing guys who some of these dudes were the main cast of characters on the team that was this close

to a national championship, to a shot of national championship last year. So I think that you're absolutely right in that you're not going to win, just by nickel and diamond you're going to need those big explosive game shifting plays you're going to need for cars and back to make a decision or two where you're like oh he trusts his arm a little too much you're going to need to have those moments where like you said a fortuitous break where things just bounce your way you're going to need that against this georgia team because again not only do they utilize high school recruiting at a high level they also get in the portal a little bit yeah

They also got them a few dogs in that portal. So, you know, Clemson, you're absolutely right. And Clemson will be at a depth and talent disadvantage. But it's, again, hoping things break right, but making things break right in your own right. And that, again, I'm looking at you, Gary Riley. What's you going to do, man? You need to call a masterful game here. Because if he calls a ho-hum, so what type of game, it's going to get ugly and it's going to get ugly quick.

Yeah. Yeah, and so actually on Thursday night is when North Carolina plays at Minnesota, Kenton. And, you know, we oftentimes circle the ACC versus SEC matchups. This is ACC versus Big Ten. And the Tar Heels are actually, last I checked, point and a half favorites on the road at Minnesota. So I don't know, maybe we should be talking about Golden Gopher's X factors, not Tar Heels X factors. But keep in mind, that quarterback who was pretty darn good at North Carolina is no longer there. So what do you think has to happen for the Tar Heels to live up to it and get that road win?

Be the more physical team. Be the more physical team. We just saw it with Georgia with Georgia Tech and Florida State. But here's the reality. Minnesota is all about, you know, PJ Fleck and the road of both thing, it's all energy, it's all that good stuff. It's about toughness more than anything else. That road of both think is about toughness And it's about rolling through adversity

All that type of stuff more than anything else He wants to run the ball We saw when he was at Western Michigan We're going to see it again That man wants to run that football With some toughness, with some nastness With some grit with some edge That North Carolina team has to prove

That they are improved That stopping to run. We've seen it. We've seen it already. Teams can do 180s in terms of their ability To stop the run. They absolutely have to. to do it. And offensively, they have to

beat a more physical team as well, because if you give Omar and the ability to put you ahead of chains, that's where you want, whoever is your starting quarterback to be. You don't want, the fact that we don't even know who the starting quarterback is yet. Is it Max Johnson? Is it the guy who

transferred in from Arkansas after already being on the team, but he transferred out now he's back? Is it the regularly scheduled backup that we thought was going to be behind him? Who is the out, right? That right there tells me this team will not be super, super comfortable throwing the ball. But with that in mind, if you keep those quarterbacks in good positions, if you keep them in spots where defenses don't know what they're doing, then you're speaking a good language.

But if you get behind the sticks and you rely on hero ball from one or two of your three quarterbacks, oh, that's not going to be good. I guess well said. So we have another ACC versus SEC matchup this weekend. Miami Hurricanes on the road at the Florida Gators to open up the season. What used to be a regular rivalry back in the 80s has been an irregular, irregular thing for almost the past 40 years, but they do meet up this year.

Now, Kenton, when we come back, Mario Cristobal shared something in his weekly news conference that could end up being an X factor. If this is a close game, I got other. thoughts on that. I'm sure you do. You guys want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC. I've been playing this game on my phone and I'm loving it because I get to become the coach when I'm playing college football, ultimate college football HC. Guys, it's a brand new mobile game that I think you're going to love as much as I do. Check out Ultimate College Football HC. In this amazing game and simulation, you get to step into the shoes of a head coach and lead your college football program to glory.

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Thank you so much for making Lockdown ACC your first list and your first watch today. He's Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack. I'm Alex Dono from Lockdown Cain's. And Kenton, Mario Cristobal, Miami head coach had his weekly news conference today ahead of Saturday's 3.30 p.m. matchup with the Florida Gators. And Christobal, he was asked a question about the in-game time management. Obviously, those questions are inevitable. after what happened against Georgia Tech last year.

And Christobal actually, I was expecting like a really, like, vague response is to not, you know, take people too deep into the windows of the program. But he actually gave an honest response. And from where I sit, I appreciate his accountability. Christobal said they've hired a time management coach. So and keep in mind, like coaches can get a lot bigger now because analysts can now have game day roles,

which is now allowed in the NCAA didn't used to be. So yeah, Cristobal admitted that there's going to be someone specific on the staff whose job is to over harp on those time management decisions, when to take a knee, when to call a time out. And, you know, obviously just him admitting that there's going to be jokes and memes about it. But I actually, I appreciate the fact that he has looked in the mirror and identified an issue, taken accountability for it,

and he's trying to take a step to fix that stuff. It's still a little embarrassing. Like I want to say, hey, this is good, there's no problem, there's nothing wrong with that. This is still a little bit embarrassing. I struggle to see a head coach saying, hey, we need a guy that specifically does time management

on the staff as a good thing. But if anybody can find the silver lining, it is Alex Dono. And you have convinced me. You have sold me on the idea that the ability to admit, hey, I needed this coach to come in and help me with time management. That's a good thing. It shows a willingness to learn and grow from moments which, and mind you, it's moments. It's not just one moment, moments with an S where objectively you had a game one. You did something that was very unsurious behavior.

and it costs your team a game. So, you know, part of me feels like this is why we don't trust you. This is why we will never trust you until you all are hoisting some type of very big trophy in Miami. Because what are we doing here needing a game management or a clock management coach? But I do get it. It is good to, you know, kind of humble yourself and say, I need help in this area. Yeah, like he said that, like, they, did have like already like a process in place but he said like they they failed to follow it at that

Georgia Tech game. So now now he wants to make sure the checks and balances of how that works gets gets a lot louder. So I get it. Like what what happened against Georgia Tech will never not be embarrassing, right? So it's like, you know, there's no, but it wouldn't it be worse if he like refused to talk about it or refuse to something that people like to say. I hear this a lot from Oregon fans about Cristobal is like he's just too stubborn and he'll never change. Like at least at least I see an effort to to fix that. And heck, if it is, if it is a close game in either direction against Florida this week, that could be something they could play a factor.

But my biggest X factor for Miami at the swamp this weekend, defensive back play is an X factor for me, Kenton. Now, obviously, you know, if Miami can generate enough of a pass rush, maybe you take the magnifying glass off that a little bit. But you do have good receivers wearing Gator uniforms this weekend like Eugene Wilson III and Elijah Badger who can create problems. And, you know, Miami's defensive secondary is unproven. Like they've got a big opportunity because outside of, you know, Daryl Porter, who's a senior and Mish Powell, senior who transferred in from Washington. They have other guys like Damari Brown, who's inexperienced, Jadis Richard, Mark Keith Williams, Jaden Harris, Robert Stafford, that we don't know a whole lot about.

So they've got a tremendous opportunity this weekend because, you know, being inexperienced doesn't necessarily mean you're not ready to step up. But they have to go out there and prove it this weekend against a good receiver receiving court from Florida. I absolutely agree. But you know what's even better at keeping receiving courts from not looking so good? I may have joked about this hairline, but that young man makes the hair on quarterback of quarterback's next standup. Ruben, Hurricane, bang, come on down, brother. It's going to be about you and your crew. You and your crew have to beat up on a depleted Florida offensive line

that had some of their best transfer out at the end of the year or went on the other endeavor, whatever the case may be. You have to, have to, have to, not only win past rush situations, you have to dominate. You have to make sure, like you talked about, there are unproven commodities in your back half. The front half has to make the back half look better than what it is. This is the moment.

This is the time for Ruben and Coat to absolutely wreck shop. I'll tell you, man, Gator fans are very cocky because I posted a clip yesterday. Where me and a guest of mine, like, and it's funny because like we weren't really cocky with the way we talked about it. We were saying, hey, Miami could create advantages at the line of scrimmage. And then I start my mentions, because I put this out on X and my mention starts to get flooded with Gator fans like, oh, we're going to destroy. you, I'm bookmarking this. I'm bookmarking so I can come back to it. It's like, okay, like, the Gator fans don't think the line of scrimmage is going to be close. They think it's going to be dominated in Florida's favor. Now, obviously, they're closer to the Florida side. I'm

definitely closer to the Miami side than the Florida side. Most of the impartial football analysts I talk to think Miami's going to have advantages at the line of scrimmage. So we'll have to see how it plays out, Kenton, but I wouldn't even call line of scrimmage an X factor because that's like the most important part of every game. But I see how those battles play out. Absolutely. But that's why I said, Ruben Bain in particular is the X factor. Yeah.

For sure. Him being good is it may be enough. Him being good may be enough. Leave no doubt, brother. Leave no doubt. Have them saying no moss. Have them hitting the Roberto Duran. No moss.

Y'all all remember what happened against Sugar Ray. He couldn't take no more. He said, no moss. If you leave any doubt, Ruben, you have left room for your team to lose this game. I don't think that Florida has a single guy. And I mean this with everything in my heart and soul. They don't have a single guy

that should consistently not only stalemate him, but beat Ruben. They don't have a guy. They don't. Ruben needs to establish himself and show. Oh, y'all think y'all going to have? Oh, don't worry about it. Ruben, I know that you listen to this show.

I know Dono is your guy. Look out for your boy, Dono. Make sure that there's a lot of unbookmarking going on. Make sure there's a lot of silent walkbacks. A lot of, I guess, you know, those bookmarks go from about $300 to $150 overnight because of what you do to those tackles. And by the way, you're not lying either because Rubin's family, they actually, I don't know about Rubin himself because he's kind of busy this time of year,

but I know his family watched Locked on Cains and Locked on ACC. So shout out to the Baines. Shout out to the Baines. Ruben goes out there and makes everybody proud this Saturday. Guys, by the way, we're going to have later this week, we're going to have a hangout show on Locked on ACCC where we're going to have other hosts inside the conference who are going to chill with us and talk about their teams

and about the matchups coming up. So that's going to be a fun thing to look forward to. And we're going to keep grinding and getting you guys ready for week one. Week zero is in the rear view. Week one is staring at us dead in the face. make sure you check out our other shows. Kenton Rock's Lockdown Wolfpack does a fantastic job with his co-host, Grayson. You can see and hear me every day on Lockdown Canes.

We will talk to you guys next time on another episode of Lockdown ACC, part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.