Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Dangerous TRAP GAMES For These ACC Title Contenders | Conference of QB | Seminoles vs. GT

Starting point is 00:00:00 So you fell one win short of the ACC championship game, or maybe he were one win short of the college football playoff. Here are the trap games that could cost your favorite teams in the ACC dearly. You are locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Also on this episode, we will take a deep dive on that ACC. opening week zero Florida State and Georgia Tech in Ireland. Brian Smith from Lockdown Seminoles is going to join the show.

Starting point is 00:00:42 We are going to talk about the ACC being the conference of quarterbacks. No conference in the country outside of this one has as many preseason honorees who play that position. Will they live up to the hype this year? You are watching Lockdown ACC and listening. Thank you so much for making us your first listen and watch of the day. 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.

Starting point is 00:01:08 Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. 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 Fanduel.com slash Lockedon to get started. He's Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono from Lockdown Keynes. Kenton, when you were playing at NC State, did you ever, like before a game, against maybe a lesser opponent. Did you ever say, hey, this one could be a trap game.

Starting point is 00:01:39 We better watch out. And how do you deal with that mentally? Yeah, so I think the biggest thing mentally is prepare the right way for every game. I think that's the biggest thing. The minute that you think, oh, man, this team is terrible. They're last in the conference. They haven't beaten anybody. That's the minute that you forget.

Starting point is 00:01:57 They've got guys on scholarship, too. They've got guys collecting NIL deals too. They've got got everything that you have. have, they may have to a lesser degree, but they've still got something close or something adjacent or something that can counter it. So for me, it was about, you know, every single time, everything I did I need to prepare like, hey, this means the world to me. Every single thing I do, if I'm not doing it with everything I got in me, I'm doing it wrong. Because really, when you think about the essence of a trap game and how it happens, more often

Starting point is 00:02:30 than not, that's what you hear from the coaches. Yeah, we, you know, I knew it early in the week. We just weren't sharp. We just weren't crisp. We just weren't. Yeah, I knew that the overconfidence was going to come back. You know, when you come into it with the right approach and the right, hey, this is still football. This is still a violent game that some days a team plays above their head.

Starting point is 00:02:52 And we need to be prepared for that. Not prepare for they're going to be their average sales. We're going to be our average sales. We need to prepare for it. If they're their best sales and we're our worst sales, we still need to be ready to work the wheels on. Yeah, and that mentality is what separates champions from everybody else to have that mentality that you talked about. And, you know, I know it's something when we talk about trap games, you know, I cover Miami. And it seems like almost every game can be viewed as a trap game, right?

Starting point is 00:03:18 They've stepped on the rake, as you like to say so many times over the years. But let's talk about for top teams in the league. I'd like to hear your take on NC State's biggest trap game. I can talk about Miami's. We'll talk about Florida states and Clemsons potentially. And Kenton, I wonder if Miami and NC State might even have the same trap game this year because both of these teams have to fly all the way out to Berkeley to take on Cal, which is the type of road trip you don't usually get in the Atlantic Coast Conference,

Starting point is 00:03:52 but this is a new era for the ACCC. Could it be Cal or do you look at somebody else for NC State? No, Cal is absolutely it for a multitude of reasons. And let me tell you why. When you look at Cal, they're not really in the traditional mode of a trap game where it's like, normally a trap game is a game that's wedged between two or somewhere between two ranked opponents, right? But it can also be a trap game in that you may load yourself to sleep and then, oh, we can just be there, everybody, that fuck. And then all of a sudden, the golden bears are coming and kicking down your door. All of a sudden, you're watching the number one in three letters, OTT, running in the,

Starting point is 00:04:32 to the end zone a lot. You know, so the Cal game is absolutely a trap game because, again, you're flying across the country in a turnover that is shorter than anything, anything that teams see regularly in college football for the most part. You do not regularly expect, oh, yeah, I'm going to have to get up and fly X amount of hours to place A, B, and C every week, and then come back and play a game immediately after that. You know, so when you look at NC State Cow, you're looking at a situation where it's October 12th is

Starting point is 00:05:12 Syracuse, October 19th is Cal, and then you get a little bit of a break in terms of a biweek before you have to play Stanford, November 2nd. So it's, it is a trap game, but it's kind of. kind of not a trap game in that it's more of a push game. It's more of a how do you finish out before your buy week? Because this is the only game you got to prepare for for the next two weeks. This is the only one. We're really next three weeks.

Starting point is 00:05:40 This is the only one you got to prepare for. So how do you lock in and say, all right, we got to take care of count. We got to take care of our bodies. We got to get our rest. We got to know they're three hours behind us. We're going to be playing at what feels like midnight to us. How do you have? Yeah, I mean, I'm tempted to say Cal as well for Miami, but I'll look at another one on Miami's schedule.

Starting point is 00:06:02 And I know that it's a team that's kind of new money and they just started playing better under Goalesh. And that's USF. But the thing is, Kenton, you know, they punched above their weight and gave Alabama some problems last year. They also, USF tends to play up and down to the competition. Like they've also struggled against fellow group of five teams and even FCS teams. times. But anytime, you know, Miami takes on like a, you know, a smaller division school within the state of Florida, it becomes the Super Bowl for that team. And that's going to be on the road in Tampa. So I'm not sleeping on UCF. And hopefully Miami isn't either because that, that could

Starting point is 00:06:41 turn into a trap game on the road week three pretty quickly. Now, I'm wondering for, for Florida State and for Clemson this year, because I'm looking at this article 24-7 sports that they, they put out a trap game for every team in the ACC, biggest trap game. Now, for Clemson, Kenton, I don't even know if this should be a trap game because I think the team that they're going up against is really good. They consider at Virginia Tech to be Clemson's trap game.

Starting point is 00:07:09 That's not usually the type of game that I would call the trap game because on the road in Blacksburg, you've been there in person. You know how tough that is. Every Clemson player knows that that's going to be a tough environment. And, you know, Virginia Tech's going to be. well within the top half of the ACC this year. I don't know if I'd consider that a trap game. You know, I think that it's only being considered a trap game

Starting point is 00:07:32 because of the difference in caliber in terms of their recent success. But if you are looking at this thing with a clear head, that game, I hate to say it. Not only could it not be considered a trap game, some people may look at that game and say, man, Virginia Tech might have to win this game. And I know everybody's saying, oh, I'm just doubling down. and tripling down on my Clemson is primed for a falloff here.

Starting point is 00:07:59 But I really want you to think about this schedule, okay? Georgia is your first game. Now, let's just say that there's no hangover from a potential loss in the first game. Who's your second game? Appalachian. Thank you. Amstate. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:08:15 But you know what? But you know what? It's okay. Because after the giant slayer, they get a break. No, NC State. Yeah. Oh, well, you know, it's okay because they got Stanford after that, and then they probably shouldn't have to play another tough team until Florida State the next week.

Starting point is 00:08:34 I am telling you right now, there is very much a world. I'm not saying it happens. I'm saying that there's a world where I'm not shocked if Clemson comes out of those first four games, two and two or worse. I'd say very real possibility. And when you look at that situation, it's tough to call Virginia Tech a trap game because even if Clemson were to, unless Clemson were to upset Georgia, I don't think there's a world where people look at them as like a two touchdown favorite against Virginia Tech. Where it's like if you fall to them, it's clear you were sleeping at the wheel. I just don't think that's the case, especially traveling into Blacksburg with a game that if they're good will probably be a night game.

Starting point is 00:09:16 Yeah. And I'm with you on like I would define a trap game just like that, like a game. you're favored by 10 points, 14 points, and you come up and lay an egg, right? And then I co-signed App State. App State is my pick for Clemson, Giant Killers. And then the narrative's perfect because that App State game, that's the hangover sandwich right between Georgia and NC State. So if there's a game, you're just naturally going to overlook, it would be the one that

Starting point is 00:09:42 goes between two of those. Now maybe Clemson fans would say, you know, if they do find a way to upset Georgia, they'd be riding so high, they're just going to steamroll whoever's in their way. And then if they get blown out by Georgia, they're going to be so focused on revenge and App State's going to be the team that they make. But still, you've got a lesser opponent in between two really, really big games. I think that's the trap. We'll talk about who Florida State's trap is.

Starting point is 00:10:08 Could it be Georgia Tech week one? I don't know. We'll talk about that when we come back. You want to keep it locked right here. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of LockdowneACC. Guys, the I Bata app has saved me so much money. And it's summertime now, which means it's barbecue season. Stock up on all your grilling favorites and earn cash back on every purchase when you use IBata.

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Starting point is 00:11:41 We're part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Kenton, I might co-sign on this one 24-7 sports considers Florida State's biggest trap game to be on the road at SMU. I'm kind of digging that one. Again, it's a team. I know SMU is like a trendy kind of under the radar pick, but I would imagine the Seminels are going to be favored big in that game, and we know that that Mustang's offense is going to be able to put up points.

Starting point is 00:12:10 Not only that, when you talk about the whole, when you talk about the idea of a trap game and how it happens, right? You talk about the dynamics of all the different things that you will be looking at here. objectively speaking, what happens most times in trap games? We say they're overlooking them and then they lose that game. Quick question, Dono, who's the next game on the schedule after SMU? Let's see, they got SMU and then, oh, they host Clemson the following week. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:12:42 Yeah. They got a Clemson team who's going to be looking to get some get back after they beat them in Death Valley last year. And that team is, you know, that's going to be a team that, again, And just as I said, there's a world where Clemson is up two and two or worse out of those first four games. There's also a world where they're three and one or better potentially. And so how would Florida State look at SMU, who's a first timer in the conference, when they're feeling, when they're looking at this Clinton team is like, damn, they're bad. Double didn't need the portal. They're bad.

Starting point is 00:13:18 There's no fall off here. it's a moment where you have to say to yourself, there is a lot of potential for Florida State to kind of, oh, yeah, we're just going to show up and whoop the wheels off. What did Ratlashley just do? What happened? Preston Stone threw for how many yards? Oh, man.

Starting point is 00:13:38 No, I completely agree. Speaking of Preston Stone and the ACC's quarterbacks, I was looking at, of course, we talked about the Maxwell watch list a couple of weeks back, the ACC, leads nominations for the Maxwell, including the most quarterbacks on the list. The Johnny Unitas watch list recently came out. That's another award that's given out to quarterbacks. The ACCC leads all conferences and nominees there.

Starting point is 00:14:02 And the O'Brien trophy, the Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list also came out, Kenton. And the ACC leads all conferences with eight quarterbacks nominated to that list. And Preston Stone is on it. the Redshirt Jr. quarterback from SMU. You also have Cade Clubnick from Clemson on the list. DJ Ouyangal-Lay at Florida State. Haynes King at Georgia Tech, who actually led the ACC and touchdown passes last year with 29.

Starting point is 00:14:33 Cam Ward, who's now at Miami after putting up huge numbers at Washington State the last couple of years. Grayson McCall, now at NC State after putting up huge numbers at Coastal Carolina. Kyle McCord at Syracuse, Chiron Drones of Virginia Tech is on that. list. And yeah, you know, obviously, uh, the guy who's, uh, going to get the most preseason love on that watch list is Cam Ward, because this, this, the statistical resume hay already speaks for itself for what he's done. Uh, but then I'm wondering, like, man, uh, that Kyron drones. If I, if I can throw a few bucks on that at Fanduel, if there's odds for him winning the O'Brien that you, you could do worse things with a few bucks. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Let me tell you

Starting point is 00:15:16 something. There are people still buying stuff off the TikTok shop. There are absolutely worst things that you can do with a few bucks than put them on caron drums. Okay. What is the TikTok shop? I don't even know what that is. So on TikTok, there's a feature where you can go to a shop that is specifically like, oh, there are all these stores that are aligned somehow through the app that are going to send you your stuff. And it's like, yeah, sure. These companies are actually sending you your price. They're not. Some of them are not. Some of the products don't look anything like what they're advertised to be and so on and so forth. But yeah, I say all that to say. There are many worse things that you can do with your money.

Starting point is 00:15:57 Then put a little, excuse me, then put a little something on that action. So with that in mind, you know, if the odds look right, I'll be there and not. Put a little something on. Put a little dab of ranch on that thing. Is there anybody else on the list? Because again, you know, Cam Ward. is probably the safest pick, and he's got a really good offensive line. He's playing behind at Miami, a lot of talent to throw the football too. I know there's going to be people obviously throwing money on DJU because they expect big things from Florida State this year. Anyone else you want to, you know, I'll give you the opportunity. The floor is yours if you want to make the case for Grayson McCall.

Starting point is 00:16:35 I'm going to make the case for somebody else because his team only has to win seven, maybe eight games for him to win this award. I don't think they will, but if they win seven, eight games, he will win this award. Thomas Costiano's. Yeah, and he's not even on, was he on, he wasn't even on the list that. And I was just about to say, I don't, I don't think that he's on these watch lists, but if you know, if you have seen that young man play, you know that he pulls off some of the greatest backpack jobs I have ever seen.

Starting point is 00:17:05 Again, a team that without him loses to NIU by two plus touchdowns. You saw what I saw last year. Before Castellanos came in that game and saved that team, oh boy, it was going to look ugly. AJ Black was struggling to even tweet through that thing. That's how bad it was. And so if that team, if they can get it to eight, I don't think he needs more than eight. I think if that team gets to eight wins, people will say they will sing his praise as worlds over. They will build him the statue outside of Boston College Stadium because, again,

Starting point is 00:17:40 I don't see it at any position offensively where I'm like, yeah, they're ready to roll up there at BC except the quarterback position. So we'll see how it shakes up. Yeah, and Castellanos, he did make the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Award. Well, let me give you there. It must just be a bigger watch list because there's a lot more, a lot more ACC quarterbacks on there than the eight who made the O'Brien. So for the Johnny Unitas Award, it's Castellanos made the list. Fernando Mendoza of Cal, Cade Clubnick at Clemson, DJU at Florida State, Haynes King, Georgia Tech, Tyler Schock, Louisville, Cam Ward, Miami, Grayson McCall, NC State, Nate Yarnel, Pitt, Preston Stone, SMU, Ashton Daniels at Stanford, Kyle McCord, Syracuse, Kyron, Drones, Virginia, Chack. So the Unitedist Watchless basically said, you get a nomination, you get a nomination, you get it on. But still, the ACC did have more than any other conference. So it seemed like every quarterback in the conference, was nominated, but they still got more than anyone else.

Starting point is 00:18:42 Well, you know, Donno, I was told the ACC don't play no real football. I was told that we just kind of show up and bow at the altar of the almighty SEC and Big Ten. That's what I was told. And now, lo and behold, we've got as many, if not more ball players on some of these watchers and anybody. Interesting. Very stocking, if you will, that those lowly old boys from the ACC on both coasts have found a way to have their lowly little quarterbacks be on these watchlists. Well, one of the quarterbacks who was on both watch lists is DJ Oiyangalole.

Starting point is 00:19:18 Brian Smith from Lockdown Seminoles is going to join the show when we come back, specifically to preview that opening game. Could Georgia Tech be a trap game for Florida State? They're going to be playing in Ireland, FSU big favorites this weekend. So you want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on this brand new episode of Locked on E. And I already know you're keeping it locked to Fanduel. And yeah, you can get action on that season opening game week zero.

Starting point is 00:19:47 How's Florida State's offense going to travel across the pond? How's Georgia Tech's defense going to travel? It's probably the bigger question. And guys, you've heard us talk a lot about Fanduel. And yeah, you can get action on that game with Florida State minus 13. Fanduel is America's number one sportsbook. And we'll have something a little different for you. Now through September 22nd, all fan dula.

Starting point is 00:20:09 Duel customers can bet $5 and get a three-week free trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Then with a YouTube TV base plan, you'll be able to watch every regular season Sunday afternoon out-of-market game. All you need is a Google account and a current form of payment and you can cancel any time. Just visit fandul.com slash locked on to download America's number one sportsbook. Welcome back into Lockdown ACC, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day, guys, make sure you're

Starting point is 00:20:45 you're checking out our ACC preview. It's going to be dropping on Wednesday. Full preview of the conference. It's going to be available free on Locked on ACC YouTube, free where you get your audio podcasts, everywhere you get your audio pods. But we'll talk big picture on Florida State with Brian Smith on that date. But meanwhile, I wanted to talk a little bit more about the game on Saturday.

Starting point is 00:21:07 We got Brian Smith with us from Locked on Seminoles. So in Ireland, Brian, Florida State, defending ACC champs. They're roughly two touchdown favorites, 13 point favorites against Georgia Tech. Any real causes for concerns there on the Yellow Jackets side? Or do you think this is going to be a routine Florida State victory? I think that the jackets have a chance because they can score. Defensively, they brought in Santushy from Duke. He's a good coordinator, but it's first year for their scheme.

Starting point is 00:21:37 They brought in several guys. I don't necessarily believe playing Florida State to their size, experience, and speed. in game one is ideal. But they also have a playmaker and Haynes King a quarterback that had 29 touchdown passes to lead the league last year. Unfortunately, also had 16 interceptions. Part of that is because they knew they had a porous defense that was dead last in the power five last year in yards rushing allowed.

Starting point is 00:22:02 They gave up 221. Even if they go up 50 yards, it's still not where you need to be. Zeke Biggers is a guy that I like a lot of defensive linemen. They got a really good linebacker. but I don't know if their depth is there. They need to have a read in this game and dictate the pace so that they're not playing from behind because I don't think they've got the depth to hang on Florida State

Starting point is 00:22:20 in a game where they're down 10 going into the fourth quarter. I like Florida State to win by 10 or more. Yeah, I'm looking at it the same way. And you talked about it a little bit, that Jackets defense. Kenton, Gibbs and I talk about this all the time. Stiles make fights. And Georgia Tech's rushing defense was so bad. I don't have enough reason to believe they'll be considerably better

Starting point is 00:22:41 this year even in. a new scheme. So it's just going to be a really tough matchup. And then on on the Florida state side, though, Brian, there are there are a lot of new faces. This is a team that just had 10 players drafted into the NFL, including, you know, a lot of the straws that stir the drink on the offensive side of the football, Jordan Travis, no longer a seminal DJ Weunga Lole comes in to replace him, also losing your top receivers and Keon Coleman and and Johnny Wilson from last year. So how are you feeling about that offense, Brian?

Starting point is 00:23:14 And is it going to rely a lot on Toa Feeley in the ground game? Well, there's two parts to this. Number one, the running back depth chart is ridiculous. Crazy. They didn't put one. They put two spots at running back. A bigger back and a smaller back and they're three deep at both. They're good.

Starting point is 00:23:30 Wow. I know they lost the guy to the draft. He's really good. I get it. But Florida State will be fine at running back. My question is at receiver. lose, not one, but two guys drafted. And they're playmaking.

Starting point is 00:23:43 Like Keon in particular, when he's healthy, he's just an incredible playmaker. Johnny was a six, six and a half guy. They didn't know how to guard. Now you got Malik Benson. Okay, he's their guy. He's the transfer from Bama. But who else is really going to step up? Jalen Brown, a kid from Miami, ironically, went to LSU, transferred in.

Starting point is 00:24:01 He's got one outside spot secured. We haven't seen Hakeem Williams ascend yet. he's actually listed behind Malik, which surprised me on the depth chart. Jekai Douglas, a fifth year senior, is a little swat guy that's very consistent. But receiver is the biggest concern going into this season. They have improved quite a bit at linebacker. I feel much better there and their secondary will be very, very talented. And so with the front.

Starting point is 00:24:25 I think the ACC's defensive player of the year, we Patrick Payton, if I had to guess, because he's going to be unleashed. Now, in college football, they don't have like a uniform policy on releasing depth charts, like the way they do in the NFL where you're required to release periodic depth charts and stuff. So, you know, Mike Norvell, he volunteered a pre-Georgia Tech depth chart. Any idea on the psychology behind it, Brian? Might it be maybe to send messages to certain players? Is it just to give the fans and the media something to chew on for the next several days?

Starting point is 00:24:59 It's amazing because all fall camp, I was surprised that people were like expecting more. for those that did. Norval talks around a lot of points. He doesn't want to give much. But then he releases the depth chart. The two don't match. No. I'm a little baffled, but I give him credit. In the 90s, the only two teams that constantly did this kind of stuff were Nebraska and Florida State. Why? Because they were better than everybody. They didn't care. So it's different. Now you're looking at it like, okay, they're climbing up, but Florida State's not the best program. You may not even be the best program of the ACC, you could argue otherwise. And he goes, so here you go.

Starting point is 00:25:36 So I wonder if it's a little bit of what Bowden used to do, okay, come and beat us or not. But he was very confident at his media press conference on Sunday. Like he was really giddy. He was super happy at how camp ended. And to their lock, knock on wood, they haven't had any significant injury to my knowledge all through. That's huge. So he's pretty happy about it.

Starting point is 00:25:58 But now you've got to show it. People shouldn't take Georgia Tech likely. Again, they could definitely score. Got a great running back returning, got a good quarterback, et cetera, got a lot of speed. But they got to stop Florida State up front. They are very experienced. So we'll see what happens. But the depth chart thing, that just blew me away.

Starting point is 00:26:14 I did not see that coming. Well, when that thing dropped, because I did see a few Florida State fan posts that were, like, complaining about certain things or like, I don't know if those are just the outliers of the fan base. But how was that received and are there any, you talked about a few of the finer points of it, but were there any seismic surprises that made Florida State things? fans go look what is that well heim is the one that maybe it's just because i've seen him play in high school and everybody wants to see a six to two two hundred fifteen pound guy that could run

Starting point is 00:26:44 like a deer in the starting lineup i get it but he apparently is not quite ready so that's one otherwise i mean cam riley the guy that transferred from auburn kind of ascended towards the middle of fortistates fall camp he has a spot but it's listed as or with blake nicholson the young guy that got out of California. There's a bunch of oars. People don't know. Kevin Knowles sometimes gets beat on a little bit. I think he's a pretty good player, but Earl Little, the guy that transferred in from Bama, it's either him or Knowles at the nipple spot. There's a few things like that, but like nothing is shocking to me in the offensive line in particular, it's super deep. That's very deep, yeah.

Starting point is 00:27:26 Fort of State fans, I think they're just kind of getting used to win it again. Nothing is perfect in fall camp. There will be somebody laying egg this this coming Saturday for them and it won't start next game. That's my guess. It's just part of football. So let's play the first game before we complain too much. Totally. He does an awesome job. Host of Locked on Seminels. He is Brian Smith. You can follow him on X at FB Scout underscore Florida. So over in Ireland, this Saturday, it's going to kick off college football, kick off the ACC schedule. Florida State taken on Georgia Tech. Awesome info is always from Brian and we will talk to you guys again next time on another episode of locked on acc part of the awesome lockdown podcast network your team every day

Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Dangerous TRAP GAMES For These ACC Title Contenders | Conference of QB | Seminoles vs. GT

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