To get us rolling, here is a link to one preview of each P5 conference's 2017 football season, with a comment for each.

ACC
I'll agree with this one. FSU is the clear favorite, and it looks like a toss-up between Miami and VT in the other division.

Big Ten
Ohio State is the obvious favorite. Picking Michigan to go 10-2 this year is putting an awful lot of faith in Harbaugh. I wouldn't go that high.

Big 12
CFN may have put this preview together before OU changed coaches and just decided not to change it. But even if only because of coaching changes, I'll take Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 this year.

Pac-12
Thanks to Mr. Fiutak for not listing my Bears in 12th place, I suppose. I hope he's right. In all seriousness, I think the Bears will at least be better than Arizona in 2017. At the other end of the standings: Tough to choose between Washington and USC, but I agree they're the favorites to win the divisions.

SEC
Pretty safe prediction here, listing Bama as the clear favorite with the east division a toss-up. Don't see any reason to disagree about the Tide, and I'll guess the Gators over Georgia in the east.

SEC Media Poll:

West: 1) Alabama 2) Auburn 3) LSU 4) Arkansas 5) Texas A&M 6) Mississippi State 7) Ole Miss
East: 1) Georgia 2) Florida 3) Tennessee 4) South Carolina 5) Kentucky 6) Vanderbilt 7) Missouri

Big 12 Media Poll: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oklahoma State 3) Kansas State 4) Texas 5) TCU 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Texas Tech 9) Iowa State 10) Kansas

(07-14-2017 11:43 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Big 12 Media Poll: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oklahoma State 3) Kansas State 4) Texas 5) TCU 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Texas Tech 9) Iowa State 10) Kansas

I'm very skeptical about WVU at #6. Seems too low.

(07-14-2017 01:07 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 11:43 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Big 12 Media Poll: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oklahoma State 3) Kansas State 4) Texas 5) TCU 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Texas Tech 9) Iowa State 10) Kansas

I'm very skeptical about WVU at #6. Seems too low.

I'd agree, to me Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are interchangeable 1/2 then I'd have K-State and WVU as interchangeable 3/4.

Media seems to be overly optimistic about Texas, like Michigan, based on name brand and/or the head coach's celebrity. They'll be better in a year or two, but it would be a big surprise if they were contenders this season.

How is Texas A&M down so far? #1 revenue athletic dept in the nation.

Deep south high school players are just better than Texas high school players?

(07-14-2017 02:10 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  How is Texas A&M down so far? #1 revenue athletic dept in the nation.

Deep south high school players are just better-coached than Texas A&M players?

FIFY.

I'm sure there is the whole spectrum of opinions on this topic ... but myself, I'm not a huge believer that coaches can make a player much better than he is, at playing a position. Not when NFL teams still routinely spend draft picks on raw talent and potential.


Where college coaching is huge IMO -- beyond recruiting, of course -- is teaching scheme and installing the right scheme for that particular team, that year, and adjusting it for a particular opponent and even during the game.

(07-14-2017 03:33 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  I'm sure there is the whole spectrum of opinions on this topic ... but myself, I'm not a huge believer that coaches can make a player much better than he is, at playing a position. Not when NFL teams still routinely spend draft picks on raw talent and potential.


Where college coaching is huge IMO -- beyond recruiting, of course -- is teaching scheme and installing the right scheme for that particular team, that year, and adjusting it for a particular opponent and even during the game.

Player development is also huge. Unfortunately, most coaches are under so much pressure to "win now" that they don't bother.

I don't think you can make a 5-star out of a 1-star but you can develop some skills.

(07-15-2017 03:27 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 03:33 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  I'm sure there is the whole spectrum of opinions on this topic ... but myself, I'm not a huge believer that coaches can make a player much better than he is, at playing a position. Not when NFL teams still routinely spend draft picks on raw talent and potential.


Where college coaching is huge IMO -- beyond recruiting, of course -- is teaching scheme and installing the right scheme for that particular team, that year, and adjusting it for a particular opponent and even during the game.

Player development is also huge. Unfortunately, most coaches are under so much pressure to "win now" that they don't bother.

I don't think you can make a 5-star out of a 1-star but you can develop some skills.

Yes you can develop players. OR, you can take them the other direction a la Randy Edsall. Take a 5 star recruit and turn him into a 5th rounder in the NFL draft. Yes, he had an injury. Yes, Maryland had NO one to throw him the ball but damn did Edsall still misuse him!

Part of player development is strength and conditioning.

A raw talent out of high school may be able to dominate at his level without really working at it. Put that same player in a group with others who are on his level and all of a sudden it doesn't come so easy.

At that point he needs not just time in the gym but to retrain his body to do things he's never had to do before. Now, genetics play about as big a role here as coaching here, but I think you get my point.

Another thing about player development...the coaches have to teach the cerebral aspect of the game. Film study...coverages...blocking schemes...the ability of the player to grasp these things depends somewhat on the teaching ability of the coaches. If you're not a good teacher then your players probably won't develop.

(07-14-2017 01:07 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 11:43 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Big 12 Media Poll: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oklahoma State 3) Kansas State 4) Texas 5) TCU 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Texas Tech 9) Iowa State 10) Kansas

I'm very skeptical about WVU at #6. Seems too low.

SSDD... If our offense can get it together, look out!

(07-16-2017 07:25 AM)Otacon Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 01:07 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(07-14-2017 11:43 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Big 12 Media Poll: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oklahoma State 3) Kansas State 4) Texas 5) TCU 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Texas Tech 9) Iowa State 10) Kansas

I'm very skeptical about WVU at #6. Seems too low.

SSDD... If our offense can get it together, look out!

Your offemse has always been pretty good. Its been your defense that has prevented the Eers from really dominating. They seemed to put it all together pretty good last season.

(07-15-2017 03:27 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  I don't think you can make a 5-star out of a 1-star but you can develop some skills.

Sure you can

http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle...M_ID=28500

Clemson coaches can no more work miracles than any other coaching staff. Renfrow had that raw talent to begin with.

(07-17-2017 09:01 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  Clemson coaches can no more work miracles than any other coaching staff. Renfrow had that raw talent to begin with.

It wasn't a miracle, it was following a plan laid out for him by our coaching staff.

Renfrow was an option QB in high school and was good enough to make the Shrine Bowl after his senior season so he had some athletic ability, but he came to Clemson weighing 150lbs and couldn't even bench press his weight. He also had never run receiving routes nor blocked on the perimeter in his life. It was hard work by him, the training and nutrition staff, and the football coaching staff that made him the player he is today.

A friend of mine was on that Shrine Bowl staff for South Carolina that year. He told me when Renfrow announced he was going to walk on at Clemson that he didn't know what position he would play because he was essentially starting over everywhere but punter since he did punt for his HS team and maybe DB since he played there early in his career. He didn't think he would be an offensive skill position player because he was so small and weak and didn't know the fundamentals at all. In the span of one redshirt season he went from that to a starting position over 4 star recruits as a wide receiver and catching three TDs in the 2015 playoffs.

Appreciate the information. Hope it didn't come across that hard work wasn't put in, by the staff. Of course, they all worked hard.

I'm just stating what's true: Renfrow could have just as easily worked that hard at NC St or Virginia Tech, and achieved the same personal growth (though not the same team results, obviously). Clemson staff don't turn water into wine. Renfrow had that genetic potential, to start with. You can't teach that.

ACC Media Poll

Atlantic: 1) FSU 2) Clemson 3) Louisville 4) NC State 5) Wake Forest 6) Syracuse 7) Boston College
Coastal: 1) Miami 2) Virginia Tech 3) Georgia Tech 4) Pitt 5) North Carolina 6) Duke 7) Virginia

The last FIVE seasons have been more or less dominated by FL St and Clemson, with Louisville breaking through last season and rounding out the top three the two seasons before that (since being added).

Could this finally be the year where NC St breaks that stranglehold on the top of the Atlantic division?