Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Florida State's Fall + SMU's Rise: ACC's Media Dilemma

Starting point is 00:00:00 We all know the ACC just doesn't get enough media coverage. What are the storylines that they should be talking more about that they're just not? You are locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Happy Friday, shout out to the everydayers. And thank you so much for making Lockdown ACC your first listen and your first watch today. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube.

Starting point is 00:00:37 We're part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. You can start the season with a big return on Fanduel because new customers can place a $5 bet and you'll get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win that first $5 bet. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. We'll talk about which of the ACC contending teams would be best equipped to make a college football playoff run. We've heard some thoughts on this, courtesy of ESPN on

Starting point is 00:01:05 what college football coaches think of the ACC contenders. Kent and Gibbs, in terms of a biggest ACC football storylines, I am happy that the team that I cover, the season that Cam Ward has been having does get covered plenty. We have not been short on Cam Ward coverage. I do feel like a little miff that, you know, his team loses one game where he still put up big numbers and he goes from Heisman favorite to fourth.

Starting point is 00:01:35 So I don't know. I mean, very, very fickle when it comes to the, the Heisman trophy odds. But Cam Ward has gotten a lot of coverage. I think there are other stories in this league, both good and bad, that I'm surprised aren't being covered a little bit more. Is there anything that you look at

Starting point is 00:01:50 as we're about three-fourths of the way through the ACC football season that you just can't believe the media and the fans aren't talking more about? I mean, I struggle to come up with one story, because I think there's an overarching theme that the ACC just matters less that keeps coming out here.

Starting point is 00:02:08 You know, you just talked about it in terms of not only is it the teams, but also the individuals. Since when did Cam Ward become the fourth best player in America in terms of what they were talking about with Hinesb? Since when did that happen? Yesterday, you and I talked about, or we talked on this show about,

Starting point is 00:02:28 or two days ago, rather, we talked about the situation going on on in terms of is, is, the ACC of one-bid league. We talked about it on the squad as well. So, you know, it's, there are so many things. There are so many overarching stories where it's like, there isn't a singular moment where you say, ah, it's clear that this doesn't matter.

Starting point is 00:02:55 But there are multiple times where you look up and say, oh, something fishy is a foot. something ain't quite passing the smell test with the treatment of the ACC national. Well, I'll give you a couple of players that I feel like if they were, if they were in the SEC, they'd be getting a lot more coverage. Isaac Brown, the freshman sensation at Louisville, is a big one for me. I mean, he's got 800 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns. He's averaging seven and a half yards per carry, and that's with a heavy workload.

Starting point is 00:03:30 and I watched a lot of Louisville this season, and Isaac Brown has been, he's been a revelation, right? I even thought, I know that Eli Holstein at Pitt has tailed off a bit, but those first five or so games, Kenton, when he was just slinging it, winning ACC rookie of the week every week,

Starting point is 00:03:48 I didn't really feel like I heard anybody outside of ACC network that was talking about Eli Holstein for what he was doing earlier on in the year. Now, I mentioned I'm pretty satisfied with the coverage that Cam Worn, has been getting at Miami. At the same time, I feel like a guy like Xavier Restrepo deserves more coverage than he's gotten, right? And if the players I'm talking about,

Starting point is 00:04:12 I feel like if they were in the SEC, they would get a lot more coverage. And I've also, I've noticed something that's been going on, and I know, you know, people will see the colors that I'm wearing for those who are watching on YouTube, and they'll say it's easy for Dono to pile on this one. But, I mean, I still can't, doesn't it kind of feel like for the past month or so national college football shows just

Starting point is 00:04:36 kind of pretend that Florida State doesn't exist anymore. Like there's not really not really anything to talk about with Florida State, but it's still, I'm still dumbfounded by the idea that they went from, you know, a preseason college football playoff pick, almost a consensus pick to win the conference again, 13 and 0 last year to 1 and 9 this year. Some people like Ryan Smith of Locked on Seminoles is wondering if they're even going to beat Charleston Southern this week. Like that's how far they've fallen. And I pull up this stat that I came across today on X, you know, Florida State's 1 and 9. The only winless team in college football is Kent State. And Ken State has actually scored more points this year than Florida State has. They've outscored Florida State 143. to 133. You know, there's like 14 individual players, not counting quarterbacks, but like players who've actually scored touchdowns. There's like 14 players in college football individually who have scored more touchdowns than Florida State's entire team this year who scored just 14

Starting point is 00:05:47 touchdowns on the season. So in a negative way, Kent, and I feel like people probably should be talking about Florida States fall from grace a little bit more. This was one of the most unceremonious, most unprecipitous drops that we have ever seen. Donald, can you remember a time where a team was predicted to be better? Or even in the same stratosphere that fell off this far. For context, everybody, for context. This team was knocked out of all eligibility by week seven or eight. Yeah, week seven.

Starting point is 00:06:25 Because they played week zero, everyone. It was actually Miami who knocked them out of bowl eligibility in their seventh game of the year. P you. P you. But in all seriousness, this is unlike anything we've ever seen. So I get the idea of not wanting to kick a dead body. I understand, right? Not one to say, we picked apart how bad they were all year.

Starting point is 00:06:56 I really do think it was like two weeks. like after they beat Kyle and I want to say the next two games they lost it was like oh man this team's falling pretty far that was it that was it nobody really broke down and got into the numbers like you just did

Starting point is 00:07:10 Donald on terms of this is I and I also want to say this somebody said that the most disappointing team I can't remember who it was I believe it was some national funding said the most disappointing team in the ACC was NC State I said

Starting point is 00:07:23 what I mean how I mean don't give me what I'm saying, Kenton. People just forgot that Florida State existed. Exactly. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that NC State is playing good football. I'm not saying that they have not disappointed. They absolutely have disappointed. But it's like, hmm, which kid is more disappointing to you? The one that bought home a 2.0 GPA or the one that burned down to school.

Starting point is 00:07:51 Like what? Huh, which kid did a worst thing? I struggle to wonder who did a badder job. Like, come on, man. This is, you know, so I absolutely agree with you, don't know this. And it's not just you because you're a Miami guy. Here's the thing, right? A lot of people don't know this about it.

Starting point is 00:08:12 I actually like a lot of ACC schools. A lot of them before I knew anything about the ACC before I came to play in the ACC. I knew a lot about a lot of these schools because I loved Michigan so much growing up. I couldn't like anybody else in the Big Ten. I had to hate everybody else in the Big Ten. And I had to hate USC. And I had to hate Notre Dame. And it was like, all right, well, the Pac-12 is out because they're buddies with USC.

Starting point is 00:08:38 You know, everybody else is like not in the same row. So I was like, all right, the SEC seems kind of weird. The ACC, I don't seem like some cool guys. Some of the Big East teams that end up in ACC. It seemed like some cool guys over there. I loved. I mean, and listen, if the Big East still existed, I would want to do locked on Big East, like for football, if they still exist.

Starting point is 00:08:57 I would also want to be locked on Biggies. I love the Biggies. I'm not against that. That's not ridiculous. That's not ridiculous to say that. So, you know, I really do look at Florida State and how far they've dropped and say, this needs to be a bigger talk because, and Florida State fans shouldn't get upset when they hear that.

Starting point is 00:09:15 But you shouldn't get upset because if you are a program that has a certain standard and you fall below it, you need to be talked about in this way. There's nothing worse in this world than to be a man with no expectations because that means you're constantly pissed on. You're constantly doing the wrong thing. Okay. If Donald didn't come home for three days straight, he would have people to answer to because he's a man that he comes on. He does what he's supposed to do. Now, if Donald was a Rolling Stone, it's just going for three days, we'll figure it out.

Starting point is 00:09:48 Yeah. It's just who it is. Florida State has been a team that has come home. time and time again. They have dominated time and time again. They have had many more highs than they have lows of this level time and time again. So when we are looking at a historic load, it needs to be talked about in a historical way. Yeah. Yeah. And I want to pick your brain a little bit. And of course, Kent and Gibbs, who hosts Locked on Wolfpack, he played defensive line for NC State. So I've just, you know, how they could go from what they were to what they are now. There's a

Starting point is 00:10:25 couple more ACC storylines I'd like to get into. And I'd like to have a chat about which of the ACC championship contenders would be best equipped to make a run in the college football playoffs. You guys want to keep it locked. Not only are we not done yet. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC.

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Starting point is 00:11:58 minimum purchase may apply. Thank you for making Lockdown ACC, your first listen and your first watch today. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. All right. So Kenton, did Florida State just run into a situation where, and yeah, like they've lost nine of the 10 games that they've played this year, but not all of the losses are created equal, right? I mean, it came down to a final play against Georgia Tech.

Starting point is 00:12:31 It was a close game at a loss against Boston College. They did manage to beat Cal. You notice week by week, though, the score lines get more and more lopsided in the favor of the other teams. They just lost 52 to 3 against Notre Dame. You know, they lost by Miami to 22 by 22 points, and people felt underwhelmed by Miami, only beating them by 22 points. Has this just become a point where have most of the current players just, kind of quit on the season.

Starting point is 00:13:03 Is that what's happening, Kenton? Because I don't see any fight whatsoever. Have they quit? Do you remember the old Roberto Durand and Sugar Ray Leonard? No Mas. This is what has happened to this team. Florida State has been no-mast on this season. They have officially told everybody,

Starting point is 00:13:26 no-mas, we are good. No-me-gust. We are done. It is over. We are, we don't want anything to do with being competitive this season. And it's, to me, that's the most embarrassing part. I can deal with a team that does not have the aptitude for success, but they continue to fight.

Starting point is 00:13:47 They literally do not have the ability to, they just don't have the horses in the stadium. You got a bunch of two stars. You got a bunch of guys that are rejects from the other schools. You got the island of misfit toys. You got a rag-tag bunch, and they're fighting. for their lives, they just can't get it done. I can live with that.

Starting point is 00:14:06 I could go to bed and night with that and say, well, hell, the results are still terrible. We're still losing. I ain't Fran Brown, so I'm going to take a long hot shower and be sad about the loss, but I'm going to move on. But to have got that honestly and truly, on paper, if you maximize this team's talent, right, even if we say, hey, DJ is legitimately not a five-star, he should have been a three-star. of high school. We'll pretend that. Okay. What do you think this team's ceiling is had they played their best football issue?

Starting point is 00:14:38 What do you think of it? Um, I don't, the ceiling? I mean, 10, 11, 12 wins. I mean, they, they, they were supposed to be a really good team. There you go. There you go. That's my biggest problem with this team. So if you're asking me, has this team quit? They have waved the white flag. Then they took that white flag off of the stanch it and turned it into a towel. And then they threw in that towel. They went and grabbed that towel and said, they tapped out

Starting point is 00:15:11 on the mat that they threw the towel on. And they got up and said, no mas. We are good. They have quit in more spectacular ways than I have ever seen. And the person from Warcham, who keeps posting the race, is the prime example of just how bad

Starting point is 00:15:29 this team has quit. Because that race got lighter and lighter. and then there was one guy that lost to the head coach. Tough times in Tallahassee. So from the tough times to the good, because, all right, when we're talking about stories that just don't get talked about enough in the national media, SMU's season, do you feel like it gets enough coverage, Kenton?

Starting point is 00:16:00 because again, like they'll, you know, Mark Packers going to talk about it on ACC network. You and I talk about it on locked on ACCC. But you've got, you know, SMU that and we both thought there were, and listen, they still have, you know, three games to play. But we thought that there would be growing pains, you know, making the jump to Power 5. Have they been perfect? No, there's no perfect team in the ACC right now, not, you know, not Miami, not Clemson, not SMU.

Starting point is 00:16:28 but they've gotten it done outside of a close loss to BYU, who's really good. They're undefeated. They're in the top six, I think, of the college football playoff. And SMU, to this point, they've made the most successful jump from group of five to power four that we've ever seen in college football. And also, that team's really fun to watch, Kenton. I mean, Kevin Jennings, their quarterback, the weapons that they have on the outside, Breschard Smith, at running back, who's having a tremendous year. They're very easy on the eyes.

Starting point is 00:17:00 I don't really feel like they've captured America's attention the way that they should. Here's my biggest problem about to not capture that attention in the way that they should. This team is not beating people. They're beating on people. Yeah. You understand? For those of you who don't understand the difference, maybe it's a cultural thing. It's all right.

Starting point is 00:17:20 I'll break it down for you. To beat somebody means that you have more points than them at the end of the game. To beat on somebody, that means you're going to. that mean you're getting the wheels whoop off you. That mean you are getting spanked and put to sleep. I mean, you know, that good whooping, you know, that one where you didn't even need dinner to go to sleep. You just went to bed, tucked yourself in, and that was it. And that's what they're doing.

Starting point is 00:17:41 This team is winning by an average of 20 points per game. Wow. I didn't realize it was that high. Sheesh. The average score of an SMU game, ladies and gentlemen, the average score that we're looking at. They're the second best scoring offense in the league behind only Miami. They are the second best scoring defense in the league behind only cow. The average scores to their game is just about 30.

Starting point is 00:18:14 I'm sorry, not 30. I got that incorrect. 40 to 22. So they're winning by an amazing margin. And we're sitting up here saying, hmm, are they good enough? Can they do it? No other Power 14 could do that. No other Power 14 could win by an average of damn near three touchdowns.

Starting point is 00:18:35 Have their only loss come to an undefeated fellow Power 14. And people look at them and say, are we sure there for real? Are we? Hmm. You know, I'm not just, I don't believe them. they need more people. Well, does Texas need more people? Because I don't believe them.

Starting point is 00:19:00 Same. Texas looking like Penn State in the South. They might need more people. And yet, here we are sitting here saying, is SMU legit? Again, I can understand when people underrate group of five teams to some extent, because I get it generally, generally, the strength of schedule is not as high, right? you have your exceptions like Boise State having a higher strength of schedule in Colorado this year and all that type.

Starting point is 00:19:28 So you have your exceptions here. But by and large, a group of five team will have a worse strength schedule than a power four. The power four, though, within the power four, this is what's our guy. This is what you wanted with all that expansion. One of the unintended consequences is that people will not play the best teams all the time. Yeah. It's just how it works. Well, and I think part of their problem is that it's that, you know, not only not only does the ACC,

Starting point is 00:19:53 not get much respect, but they've got what's seen as an easy schedule even within the ACC. Now, of course, they thought preseason that game that they had against Florida State, that that was going to be their bell cow opportunity. Didn't work out that way. Florida State's terrible. They do have a real quality win, though, over Louisville. So that I think that should And, yeah, and Duke. Two wins over right teams. Yeah, so I think those should probably carry more weight. and SMU is, they're in the best position right now to play in the ACC championship game. Let's talk about what, according to this ESPN article, I want to read some quotes from it when we come back. What coaches in college football are saying about the ACC contenders.

Starting point is 00:20:39 So you want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC. We've been having a blast all season long on Fan Duel, placing wagers, getting all the live stats, live betting is a game changer, get ready to tackle the NFL action with Fanduel, America's number one sports book, because right now, new customers can bet $5 and get $150 and bonus bets if you win. The Fandual Sportsbook app gives you everything you need to place live bets on the NFL all in one place. So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you get check out the latest stats, if you live play-by-play and so much more, right on the same page where you place your bets.

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Starting point is 00:22:11 Here's so, Heather Dinnich writes, in the ACC, Miami, SMU, and Clemson can still make it to the conference title game. Hopefully that Louisville fan writes back to her and say, don't forget about us, though the one that called me out the other day. You better know. She left out Louisville the same way that I did the other day. She says one coach told me that, quote, when Clemson is on, I think they're the most complete team. Miami and SMU would follow, he said, but unless they play each other, they're hard to sort out.

Starting point is 00:22:43 If the coach had to pick, though, he says SMU might be the more complete team. That was from Heather Dinnich. Here's from Adam Rittenberg. He says, Clemson's surprising shakingness, shakiness on defense has most eight. CCC coaches that I've talked to choosing between Miami and SMU. So it's interesting. There's a difference of opinions based on who they talk to. Quote, Miami's the most talented team we've played against.

Starting point is 00:23:08 One coach said their offense is probably by far better than anyone else we've seen. He said that's all they moved on to some other conferences after that. So basically Heather Dinnich's source is saying that Clemson's the most complete team when they're on. then maybe SMU over Miami, Rittenberg. It sounds like Miami is what he's hearing is the biggest threat talking to ACC coaches. I think, Kent, like my consensus is,

Starting point is 00:23:34 there's not really a great consensus because I think, you know, if everything's clicking for Clemson, they're a complete team, but they failed an important test against Georgia. And they obviously failed against a very good Louisville team at home. You know, Miami, Miami has, you know,

Starting point is 00:23:51 passed a lot of tests, but with a lot of shakiness on defense, you know, a lot of people still, like you just talked about, aren't really buying in on SMU yet. Maybe they don't have as much upside as Miami or Clemson, but they've been more consistent this year. So do you have kind of a read on which of those teams would give the ACC the best shot of making a college football playoff run? Quick question.

Starting point is 00:24:16 From what standpoint does SMU not have the same ceiling as those other two teams? don't get me wrong. I think the Cam Moore and Kevin Jennings, two totally different. Hey, no disagreement for me there, right? I think Breschard Smith is a really good back. I don't think he's better than Fletcher and Martinez combined. Right, right, right.

Starting point is 00:24:35 I think that the Robb receiving corps, I give Miami a slight edge because I really love SMU's receiver core. I really do think their past caps are special, those special dudes. But defensively, right? In terms of how they gel, mesh play as a unit, they are light years ahead of what my name is. And then, and then I look at Clemson with all due respect. And what world are we like seriously saying, hey, Clemson's right?

Starting point is 00:25:06 You know, they're the best. They've got the highest upside. They can do it with anybody. Because what have we seen for Clemson this year to indicate that? And I'm not joking when I say that. Quick question, Dono, who's their best win on this year? Who's the best win? I don't know.

Starting point is 00:25:25 Florida State. Okay, come on now. Let me pull up their schedule. I'll tell you. In all seriousness, I think Virginia Tech, who they just had to come back against is their best win of the season. That was the best one. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:25:39 So your best win is a comfort behind win against a Virginia Tech team that has massively underperformed this year, and you're still getting credited love? baby it's because of that Paul on the side of your helmet if this was wake forest nobody would get them nobody be sitting up here screaming oh this wake forest team is legit they'd be saying they got embarrassed and dressed down by georgia and they lost to the only other good team they played in louis i thought that i was wrong and i got on here and i ate crow that crow turned out to be the finest of chicken not just with the colonel's 12 special season and spices. It was that chicken that grandma

Starting point is 00:26:20 made. You know, the one to stick to your ribs a little fit. It was that. It was that chicken. Because once again, when faced with real competition, when faced with actual good teams, Clemson just showed us who they were. Clemson just showed us who they were. Is App State

Starting point is 00:26:36 a really good team this year? No. NC State, no. Stanford? No. Florida State? No. Way Forest? No. Virginia? No. Virginia Tech? No. So I'm sorry to tell you. I'm so sorry to tell you this, Clemson, friends. This idea that when they're clicking, they're this great team, they're front runners that beat up on lesser teams. Good for them.

Starting point is 00:27:00 It's just, we're not in the Big Ten. So unfortunately, it's not enough. Fortunately, for Clemson, they built up the brand equity to be given that benefit of the doubt regardless. That's the only thing because if there were any other team in the ACC, see, nobody would take this seriously. That's a contender. That's a contender there.

Starting point is 00:27:19 If it was cow with this same schedule doing this, people would be like, ah, we'll figure it out when they get to a real team again, who they are. But for whatever reason, we give dab on them the benefit of the doubt. Well, not for whatever reason, because historic McClinton has done what they've done, they get the benefit of the doubt. And I get that. Unfortunately, I can't remember what character was.

Starting point is 00:27:40 But to quote one of my favorite saying from the wire, That's the thing about the old days. Well, they're the old days. I love the wire. I don't remember who that quote was either. Who do you think had the best quotes, Omar? Oh, Omar's quotes for it. I mean, boy, you really can't.

Starting point is 00:28:01 It is hard. You best not miss. Listen, and one more thing. Tell them the price of the brick with us. Oh, my God. What? Come on, man. Come on.

Starting point is 00:28:11 You can't beat him. You can't beat it. Mark still has a minute. pretty good. But you can be, though. Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, we appreciate everyone for making Lockdown ACC your first listen and your first watch today. Enjoy all the games this weekend. Hit that thumbs up button. Make sure to subscribe to Lockdown ACC on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your pods. He is Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono from Lockdown Canes. And we'll talk to you next time on another episode of Lockdown ACC, part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network.

Starting point is 00:28:41 Your team every day. Thank you.

Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Florida State's Fall + SMU's Rise: ACC's Media Dilemma

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