Dave Sez

ACC Football Roundup

Yeah, it's a bit late this week and pretty much no one is going to read this before the Saturday games, but I'm writing this anyway. I never had a chance to sit down and update my rankings this week until now, so here goes.

This week, along with the rankings, I'm giving each team a mid-term grade. We're just past midway through the season, so it's a fair time to judge. I am grading based on how well the team/coaches have done based on the personnel they have this year. That means a bad team can get a good grade and vice-versa. Otherwise, you could just grade directly off of win-loss records and what fun would that be?

1. Virginia Tech (8-0, 5-0) - Grade: A - I was very impressed with their 27-10 win over Boston College on Thursday night. It was the best I've seen the Hokies play this year, although in fairness, I missed the Georgia Tech bloodletting. Tech was dominant on both sides of the ball and were in control of the game from almost the first snap. Yeah, the Eagles actually grabbed a brief 7-6 lead in the second quarter, but it never felt like they were going to win or even stay close.

This team is BY FAR the best coached squad in the ACC. As a Virginia fan, it's a bit disheartening/impressive to see just how many Hokie starters are from the Commonwealth - almost all of them! Basically, they are playing with the same guys that Virginia has, or potentially could have had, but are doing a much better job of combining them into a team. That is one good football staff.

2. Florida State (6-1, 4-1) - Grade: B - Some might think I'm being a bit kind with my grade, considering they were spanked by Virginia. The thing is though, they did beat Miami in the first week (although they were mostly outplayed) and the Seminoles are a young team. Don't forget, they also traveled up to Boston and beat a solid BC team on their field. Despite the one loss, the 'Noles are still a virtual lock to play in the ACC Championship game, meaning they are really just one game away from a BCS bowl.

On the flip side, this team doesn't give the polished feel that Virginia Tech does. They have some very exciting players and seem more likely to produce a big play, but they also seem just as likely to commit three consecutive penalties and then turn the ball over. I'm also baffled as to why they can't or won't establish a better running game.

Maryland pays a visit to Tallahassee this afternoon and I suspect they'll take an ass-whipping. I think that Virginia loss put a spark in FSU.

3. Miami (5-1, 2-1) - Grade: B - They've had a weird season. They had that big first game and it seems like the Hurricanes have escaped notice for the rest of the season. They followed that up with a thriller at Clemson and then a decent non-conference matchup against Colorado. Since then though, they've played South Florida, Temple and Duke and then had an unscheduled bye week last weekend due to hurricane Wilma. I think this team is good, but they really haven't had a chance to prove it in over a month. Thumping Carolina today will only partly help that image, because let's face it, the Tar Heels can turn in a stinker in any given week.

Still, my hunch is that this team is quite good - possibly even the best in the league. We'll find out next weekend when they take a trip up to chilly Lane Stadium.

4. Boston College (6-2, 3-2) - Grade: B+ - There's a big gap between the play of the top three teams and BC. I think there's an even bigger gap between the talent of those three teams and the Eagles. Other than Mathius Kiwanuka, no player really stands out as exceptional. I think Tom O'Brien is doing a very good job of getting everything he can from this bunch.

In future years though, he's going to need more speed to compete in this league.

5. Clemson (4-3, 2-3) - Grade B- - What's the record for number of teams in one league that finish 6-5? Doesn't it seem like Clemson, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina are all headed that way?

The Tigers have a very interesting game today in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. Like I pointed out, the middle teams of the ACC are all very close to each other and that one will help (maybe) sort things out a bit. I suspect it'll come down to a score in the last three minutes.

As for the grade, the staff gets bonus points for two very close comeback wins to start the year. They then lose points for losing the next two games in overtime. The loss to Wake costs them a full grade, but the impressive win over the Paper Wolfpack got them a few extra points back. A B- just seems about right, although Tiger fans might consider it generous.

6. Georgia Tech (4-2, 2-2) - Grade: B - You have to give Chan Gailey and his staff lots of credit for going down to Auburn and getting a very impressive win. The W over Carolina looks pretty decent now too. Yeah, they got their asses handed to them in Blacksburg, but the really killer game was the NC State loss. If that crazy play in the end zone went even slightly differently, they win that game and are sitting 5-1 right now. And remember, Gailey was very much on the hot seat to start the season.

All that said, if they lose to Clemson today, the Jackets are in trouble. They still have to travel down to Coral Gables and host Georgia, not to mention travel to Charlottesville. Hell, even the Wake game is no gimme. This grade could change immensely by the end of the year.

7. North Carolina (3-3, 2-1) - Grade: B - I freely admit that nearly every prediction I've made about this team this year has been wrong. The only thing I've been right about is that you just never know what you're going to get. Actually, if you throw out the Louisville debacle, they've been fairly consistent. It's just that that game was so bad.

One of my theories about college football is that teams have a set level at which they play, with each game falling just above or below their level. That little variance accounts for most wins and losses. Each year though, most teams have one game that is a complete outlier - they either play out of their minds against a top opponent or crap the laundry hamper. The problem is that when that game happens early in the season, it can be hard to tell if it's an outlier or not. I think it's fair to say now that the Louisville game was UNC's anomaly. But with this coaching staff, don't be shocked if they have another. You can just never tell with Bunting's teams.

8. Maryland (4-3, 2-2) - Grade: B- - The Terrapins have been playing better of late, but they do have three home losses this season. With four games left, it's hard to really project where this Maryland season is headed. They are at Florida State today and follow that up with games at UNC, home against BC and at NC State. Other than the FSU games, all three are about equally winnable and losable.

I have a feeling that they'll be traveling to Raleigh looking for their sixth win to gain bowl eligibility. That's not exactly what the Maryland faithful had in mind a few years ago when they had those back-to-back ten-win seasons.

9. Virginia (4-3, 2-3) - Grade: C - Speaking of outliers, how about that Florida State game? While Virginia fans would love for that performance to be part of the team's natural level, I think we know now that it's just not. When you score 5 points on North Carolina, you just aren't that good. Five points.

The Cavaliers get a much needed week off this weekend to see if they can find their spines.

10. Wake Forest (3-5, 2-3) - Grade B+ - You may have noticed, but I love this coaching staff. There may not be any coach in the country who gets more out of the talent he has than Jim Grobe. The only reason I'm not giving them an A is that they lost to Vanderbilt at home (sort of like being beat up by the Homecoming Queen) and, well, they are only 3-5.

Today the Deacons travel to Durham to play Duke in the annual No-Bowl Bowl in front of a crowd of dozens. Thank God that Raycom is putting that gem on TV.

11. NC State (2-1, 1-4) - Grade: D - One thing that NC State fans to very, very well is turn sour on a coach and team. This bunch is passionate and unfortunately has had a lot of experience with hope followed immediately by crushing disappointment. It's part of their makeup.

Sadly for those fans (and really, I do feel bad. I love to tease State fans, but I do feel for them.), this season could still get worse. Southern Miss is in town today for homecoming, and they ain't no pushovers. After that game are back to back roadies against Florida State and Boston College. Lose today and the season officially becomes a disaster. Someone call FEMA.

12. Duke (1-7, 0-5) - Grade: D - Is there a rule against scheduling VMI more than once a year? Seriously, couldn't they work out a home and home or something? The actual service academies have long since passed Duke by, but the Blue Devils can still handle the second-division military schools. Ooooh, what about the Citadel?

Controversy Corner

For a couple of days now, I've planned on writing an article about the two big "controversies" this week in sports - Sheryl Swoopes coming out of the closet and Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry having to apologize for making comments about black athletes. I just never found the time to actually convert my thoughts to pixels on a screen. Someone needs to get that that thoughts-to-blog technology moving along. Chop, chop!

Aaaaaanyway ... imagine my surprise when blog funny man Chris Chase tackled those very subjects (and one extra one for good measure) using almost the exact same arguments I was going to make. So read Chris' article and pretend I wrote it. Actually, while you're pretending that, go ahead and make it a bit funnier.

The Cliff's Notes versions for those that don't want to click-n-read - Swoopes is gay - not a big deal. Good for her.

DeBerry comments - not offensive at all. He merely pointed out a couple of facts that every single person in the world could (and probably does) recognize. How is that controversial? Are we really to a point where a white man in the public eye can't even say anything about race? Is that what we want as a society?

Miami Twice

Remember the News & Observer's Flash animation Chuck Dynamite? Very funny stuff, right?

Well, they've done another and it might even be funnier. This one's based on John Bunting and it focuses on his tenuous job situation, particularly how he saved his job last year by beating Miami. With the Heels headed to the Orange Bowl this weekend, the question is can Bunting beat Miami Twice?

If you aren't sure if you want to bother watching it, you should know that this is largely a rap video. Yes, with John Bunting rapping.

Are You There Vishnu?

The Eagle in Atlanta is a good blog. I need to get it in my regular rotation. Every time I've visited, I've been impressed with his work.

Today, with Boston College travelling to Blacksburg for a very difficult game in Lane Stadium on ESPN, Bill is seeking divine intervention. Hindu divine intervention. Now that's an angle I haven't yet seen in sports fandom. And I like it.

Unfortunately, I believe that Vishnu is a peaceful God and the Eagles are going to need something with a bit more power to overcome the Fighting Turkeys and all of those jangling keys. Probably should have gone with Shiva.

Van de Velde Is An Idiot

I used to like Jean Van de Velde. I felt sorry for him after what happened at the British Open in 1999 and I liked the way he handled it. On top of that, well, that incident has provided me with a lot of laughs. He's an easy target.

But now I realize that his idiocy on that hole wasn't some sort of temporary condition. No, the man is actually stupid.

How else to explain this? Because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club will allow women to try to qualify for next year's British Open, Van de Velde claims he is going to apply to play in next year's women's British Open.

His explanation? "If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women." I can only assume he was picking his nose and fingering his belly button while drooling out that nonsense.

Christ, people. If you're dumb, try not to talk directly to the media. You should have people do that sort of thing for you.

I haven't heard word yet if Van de Velde also plans on entering any junior golf events next year. Or enrolling in elementary school. Or applying for disaster relief from Oxfam.

Long National Nightmare Begins

You may have heard the news: Mike Krzyzewski is going to coach the US Olympic basketball team for at least the next three years.

It's a tough time for the Duke haters. And they are legion. One of those hater happens to be damn good (and funny) writer. His name is Patrick Hruby and he's thinking of emmigrating to Canada.

My favorite part was this:

Also, we remember Steve Wojciechowski's winning the National Defensive Player of the Year award, pretty much for leading the country in floor slaps. Oy.

Red v. Gold

OK, quick glance - who's stadium is this?

Sucks for Wake, huh? Actually, I guess it's all OK in the end, because despite playing a road game at home, they won.

The good fellas at StateFansNation were obviously disgusted and decided to run a few numbers. Which program, Wake Forest or NC State, is doing a better job with the players they have? Which coach, Jim Grobe or Chuck Amato, has been doing a better job?

I bet you know the answer already! Take a look and see some numbers (and nice little charts) that support the conclusion.

Update: Just found this at 850 The Blog. It's a parody song titled "Strife In The Pack Land." Very well done and quite funny.

Holland Still Impressing

I admit that I'm biased. I liked Terry Holland long before he became the Athletic Director at East Carolina. He was the basketball coach at Virginia when I first discovered college basketball and swore my allegiance to the Cavaliers. Sure, I criticised him plenty, but I always liked and respected him. That respect grew after he left and began his career as an administrator, first at Davidson (his alma mater) and later at UVA. The guy's just classy (ignore, if you will his curiously high technical foul ratio as a coach.).

Since he's been at ECU, he's pretty much cleaned house, but he's not a hatchet man. Instead, he just has very high standards, particularly on the academic side. It seems that Holland is really putting his foot down and stressing academics at a school that's not really known for the bookwork of its athletes. Now, before you Pirate fans send me any hate mail, you have to admit that generally speaking, ECU's entrance requirements aren't as strict as nearby ACC schools, particularly for athletes. In fact, a good hunk of ECU's best players end up there because they can't get accepted to other schools.

And that's fine. Every school can't be Harvard, and those kids deserve a chance. The key though is to make sure that they get the most out of their opportunity. It's very easy for a school to turn a blind eye when Joe Linebacker skips classes while he's averaging 12 tackles a game.

Holland has put in a pretty stringent set of rules though. Miss class and you miss a practice. You know how coaches love it when players miss practice. Miss two or three classes and you have to sit out a game. Miss a fourth and your scholarship is yanked.

Atta boy, Terry! If more ADs were that tough on the student-athletes, the college game would be a whole lot cleaner.

Ranking The ACC - Week 7

It's Friday already? Quick week!

I had so many thoughts about that fantastic Virginia upset over Florida State, but I never got a chance to give them the article they deserved. Instead, I'll do a quick conference ranking and spit out a few thoughts about that game at the end.

1. Virginia Tech - The Hokies looked very solid last night against Maryland. Not perfect by any means, but very tough. Maryland gave Tech all they had and Ron New Mexico and company stood and took it before delivering their own knockout punch. An extremely well-coached squad.

2. Florida State - Yes, they lost, but Virginia played very well and Drew Weatherford actually showed me something. The kid has a nice arm. I just don't understand why they don't try harder to get their running game going. They have some talented backs. The Cavaliers exposed their weakness though - a young and mistake-prone secondary.

3. Miami - I'm sorry, but if you're going to play Temple, you can't stop scoring early in the second quarter. Miami's scout team ought to be able to rout Temple.

4. Boston College - A very lucky comeback against Wake Forest. I think this might be a team that's not quite as good as their record. But they keep winning, and I don't want to belittle that.

5. Clemson - An impressive ass-whupping of NC State last Thursday. This week, they get Temple, who's the ACC's version of the Easy Girl from college - you know you can score as often as you like, but you're not going to brag to your friends about it afterwards.

6. Virginia - So which Cavalier team is the real one? The one that pushed around by Maryland, the sloppy one who played BC or the solid, aggressive unit that savaged Florida State last Saturday? The answer is somewhere in the middle, but given their improving health, I'm going to guess it's closer to the FSU game team.

7. Georgia Tech - An unexpected week off thanks to Wilma, the forty-second Category Five hurricane of the season.

8. Maryland - Does it make sense that they looked good in being trounced 28-9 at home? Well, it's true. Ralph Friedgen and company have finally gotten through to this team.

9. Wake Forest - The conference's tough-luck bunch. Should be a good game this weekend against the Wolfpack, but if Cory Randolph can't go, it'll be much tougher. They might rush for 400 yards though.

10. North Carolina - I'm going to say that the Louisville debacle was an aberration. Clearly it exposed some problem areas, but I don't think the Heels are really that bad. The game against Virginia this weekend should be really interesting and will help clear up the relative standings of the middle ACC teams.

11. NC State - Bad is as bad plays. This team does not have the eleventh best talent in the league. Far from it. When they execute, they're as good as any team in the conference. They just don't execute very often. Remember when they had a fearsome defensive line?

12. Duke - If were a gambling man, I'd bet my mortgage on Florida State this weekend. I don't care how many points they're giving. Duke is completely hapless and the Seminoles are going to be pissed. On top of that, the 'Noles appear to have a group of playmakers like I haven't seen down there in a few years. I have a hunch that they're going to put about 60 points on the Blue Devils in Wallace Wade tomorrow. Fortunately, there will be few witnesses.

And now for a few thoughts about that Virginia - Florida State game. If you didn't get a chance to see it, let me know. I have it on TiVo. You bring the beer, I'll supply the chips.

• Marques Hagans was incredible. Incredible. We've seen a lot of good running quarterbacks in the ACC, with Charlie Ward and Woodrow Dantzler at the top of the list. Hagans is not in their league, but his first half was better than anything I ever saw them do. I mean that - better. Now, he's not the runner that either of those guys were, but what Biscuit was so good at was scrambling out of the pocket under pressure and then finding a man downfield. He did that over and over. Florida State has some quick and aggressive linemen (as always), and they'd routinely break through the line and flush Hagans out. Just as it looked like he was going down, he'd slip to the side run to daylight and then stop and throw to a receiver or tight end 15-20 yards downfield. And hit him right in the numbers.

  Escaping pressure and then still complete passes is probably the best thing a quarterback can do. It forces the defense to be tentative, it keeps the receivers happy, because they know that they can always get the ball and it keeps the defensive secondary from helping out on the scramble. The thing is, it's hard. It's hard to see downfield when you are running for your life. How can you find the second or third read? Even if you find the guy, can you get the ball to him accurately? It's very easy to throw an int in that situation, but somehow Hagans got even more accurate. I think he was something like 16-20 in the first half and almost all of those throws were under duress.

  I've never seen anything quite like it.

  In the second half, FSU got smart and deployed a spy and that worked. Hagans cooled off, but the damage had been done. Virginia was confident and the Seminoles were frustrated and rushing their game.

• Virginia looked very prepared for this game. Despite the frantic complaints of some Virginia fans after the Boston College game, Al Groh and his staff are good.

  Announcer Bob Davie had a good quote during the game - "It's not the X's and O's; it's the Jimmies and Joes." The point is that all the coaching and scheming in the world doesn't do any good if you don't have the players. As I wrote about earlier, due to attrition, Virginia just doesn't have that much depth. On top of that, many of their top players, including Ahmad Brooks, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Wali Lundy have been hurt off and on all year. Both Brooks and Ferguson missed the previous games but both came back and played great on Saturday night. Lundy has been playing, but has been hobbled by an injured foot. Lundy is a very good running back, but in the Emmett Smith mold, meaning he's not terribly big, fast or quick - he just makes plays. He has no speed to spare though and so he's been almost completely ineffective this season. On Saturday night though, Lundy looked better. Not all the way back, but he made several plays that he simply couldn't have made two weeks earlier.

  Take an average team and add one All-American linebacker (Brooks), one All-American left tackle (Ferguson) and an All-ACC running back (Lundy) and suddenly it's a pretty good squad. That's what happened with Virginia. Players make the coaches.

• Florida State has a lot of good, young offensive talent. That is one frightening offense. Drew Weatherford threw three interceptions, but he also made a lot of great throws. He looked nothing like the frightened kid I saw in that Miami game six weeks ago. He's going to be a hell of a quarterback. And any good QB needs talented receivers, and he has them in spades. It looked like the FSU of old at times out there. The problem is that they're all so young. I'm not sure what happened down there to result in so many freshman being on the field, but if they can get some seasoning out of those guys, watch out.
• Naturally, that upset evoked many comparisons to the classic 1995 upset. How does this one compare? To me, it's not even close. While it was a huge win over an undefeated, top-five opponent, 1995 was different. Back then, Florida State was invincible. They were in the midst of one of the great runs in college football history, finishing in the national top four for something like seventy-two years in a row. They were in the middle of their fourth ACC campaign and they had yet to lose a game. Not one! And few had been close. These days, FSU loses an ACC game or two every year and isn't even the clear-cut best program in the conference. Things have changed.

  So, yes last weekend's game was a great, memorable win, but it doesn't compare to what happened ten years ago (man was it really that long ago?).

Eleven - 5 - The Bootleg

For Bobby P's fifth Eleven entry, he breaks down his favorite offensive maneuver, the quarterback bootleg. You're certain to see a bunch of these this weekend, so read up and impress your friends with talk of progressions and third options.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eleven

I know it's been a long time, and to be honest, it's all Dave's fault. See, he'd promised my pick of the ladies, at least one for every piece. I'd decided it was finally time to cash in, found myself a honey, and said "I pick you, Dave said it was cool." Well, I guess Dave's abilities aren't as far reaching as he'd like us all to believe, nor as far reaching as the slap she tossed my way. So I did some thinking and decided I didn't want to work for 'favors' or anything else. So, much like Disco Stu, from now on, Bobby P works pro bono.

Did you watch that beautiful dismantling of the defending Super Bowl champions by the Denver Broncos? Yeah, the Pats came back a bit at the end, but that was all by design; you do know that Shanahan's a genius, right? But if you did watch, in the second and third quarters when Denver built that 28-3 lead, you saw them use the combination of their running game threat and Plummer's mobility and ability outside the pocket to dismantle the Pats. In my last piece, I explained the basics of two different zone-blocking plays, and mentioned the bootleg (also known as the waggle) play action you can run off of one of them. Here and now we'll diagram and discuss the boot.

To make the connection with the run action clearer, we'll start with one of the formations that were used last time to show an inside zone. First things first - play action is only as good as the run fake it starts with. The whole point of play action is to freeze both the LBs and safeties and hopefully cause them to lose crucial seconds in establishing their position for pass coverage. The first thing everyone sees is the ball fake by the QB. We're fortunate now in that we get to watch one of the best ever at this in action in Peyton Manning. Watch him next chance you get and see how his first couple of steps and action with his head and the ball are exactly the same as when he hands the ball off. It's beautiful to watch.

However, that should only work against the defensive linemen, as a good LB should not be reading the QB, but rather the O-line. Because of this, a lesser known aspect of good play action involves the O-line. The quickest pass/run indicator for defensive players is when right at the snap, you see all of the O-linemen sit back in the chair to pass block. Because of this, many good play action teams school their O-line to fire out at the snap as if they are run blocking. They can't, of course, go downfield, but they have a yard or two in which to work. Not only does this greatly improve the run fake, but it will also keep the D-line's hands down, making it MUCH easier for the QB if he has to get rid of the ball quickly (the pass can't get batted down). Now on to the play:

Position instructions:

X: On the run play, he should be working on a direct route at the safety, hoping to get a downfield block for his TB if he springs the run. For that reason, he should take the same initial path on the play action, breaking back to the outside at about the same time as his QB, aiming for a spot about twenty yards downfield along the sideline. Not a first choice, but a definite big play threat.

Y: He has a couple of choices on his release. If the guy on the end of the line is to his outside, he should take at least one outside step, and possibly even make a little contact, but not work all the way to an outside release. If the man is head-up or a bit inside, then he should try to get an outside release as it will induce LB flow to the run fake side. After clearing the DL, he needs to try and avoid LB contact, and run towards a spot ten to twelve yards downfield. A very likely target.

Z: The backside post. He has to work back towards the middle of the field, because if he doesn't, the number of QBs who could even get him the ball is one or two. Ever. It's a long throw and the QB is moving the wrong direction to even throw it. He's not a real threat initially, but is more of what we would call a booth read. Meaning, the QB won't usually look there, but the offensive coaches in the press box will watch and see if the safety in the middle of the field is over-committing to the play side. If you do get the booth read to go here, this can be a HUGE play (think Easy Ed McCaffrey and some of the long balls he used to catch from Elway on the back side of plays).

F: The keystone to the whole deal. On his release, he has to engage the outside shoulder of the end. If he goes inside of the end or misses him on the outside, he can give the end a free up-field release and allow him to potentially kill the QB. Making solid contact with the end will also make him 'disappear' to the LB on his side (it's a natural reaction by a defender to lose track of a pass threat that goes to block someone at the LOS). It's also crucial to the timing of the play. If he gets too far in front of the QB, it makes the throw ten times more difficult, as the angle of the throw is much more severe. It will also stop him from running out of room at the sideline. The depth on his route can be anywhere from a yard behind the LOS to no deeper than 3 or 4 yards downfield. Too deep and he runs into where the TE's route is going. Spacing is crucial to an effective passing attack.

TB: His job is simple: either get tackled, or punish one of those D-linemen who have been twisting his ankle in the bottom of piles all game. Getting tackled is preferred as it will cause a cluster in the middle, and can help hide the ball.

QB: There are three things that are crucial for a QB to understand about the bootleg. The first is to be patient, but not slow. I know, I know, it sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but if he bails on the run-fake too quickly, it ruins the effectiveness of the play. So he needs to be quick to the running back, slow on the fake, and then quick again when he boots back around. That brings us to the second important concept; get depth early so you can attack downhill. The rule we followed was to get to at least seven or eight yards deep from the LOS and then as you are making the corner, run right at your target. Too many QBs have the tendency to drift sideways towards the sideline on the boot, making their throws less accurate and not allowing them to get the same velocity on the ball. The third part of running the boot effectively as a QB is to ALWAYS read low to high. Unless it's third and long, where you need to get the ball to a certain spot, you should never pass up an open receiver to make a more difficult throw. His read progression should always go 1, 2, 3, and then 4 only if given the green light by a coach (except for at the top level. They should be able to make that read on the fly.). As always, he also has the run option, which can also help to freeze the defense (think when Vick is out of the pocket). If you have a good running QB, coaches will sometimes even call the play with the run being the first option, telling the receivers to block for the QB. The run option is also much better if the QB did his job initially and got depth. To get around the containment of the D, if the QB is too close to the line of scrimmage, he has to run at an angle much closer to parallel with the LOS. If he got proper depth initially, the angle he needs to get around the contain is much less acute, allowing him to pick up more yards quickly if he decides to run the ball.

This waggle is a great example of a three level route, which is a common theme in offensive systems as it really simplifies the read progression. It's also a great play to get creative. You can run it out of all sorts of different formations, and still get the same result in the end, but you always want to have a target at each of the following: the LOS, ten yards deep, and twenty yards deep (although you can run it as a two man route as well).

So let's get creative:

Same formation, different responsibilities-

Doesn't change things too much, but a simple change if the safety has been jumping the X's route a bit. If you have a TE that can run, you might be able to sneak him behind and get a big gain. Or you might want to work the X and try to get him matched up with an LB and try the same thing.

Now let's look at the same formation, but with the run fake to the weak side, rather than the strong:

This variation can work well against a cover two, as you send two guys at the corner in the flat, which won't allow him to provide any deep support for the safety on the Y's corner route. If you froze the safety with a good play fake, or even better - got him to commit to the run, the Y can be hit for a long gain. I also like this variation from about the twenty going in. You have the Y going to the deep corner, the Z working the front pylon, and if you get the ball to the fullback, you have both the Z and the Y to provide potential downfield blocks.

One more variation, from a two TE, one RB formation with motion from the Z receiver:

You will see this variation when teams will frequently use motion to help get their wideouts into the box to help block for the running game. It can be very effective, as they tend to get lost in the traffic inside, and then, assuming zone coverage, allow you to work a WR on either a SS or an LB. It it's man, by putting the Z in motion the Corner either has to follow him which can cause confusion inside, or bump responsibilities, which also let's you work the LB or SS with a WR.

As you can see, there are millions of options. It's this diversity and the fact that it allows the QB to get outside and be an athlete, which makes the waggle/boot such an effective play. In my playing days, it was always my favorite. I loved the deception aspect of it both with the hidden ball trick and the footwork. I thought the trick was to get to the RB quick, and then as I carried out the fake, to make sure I was slow, I would force myself to switch my weight from my back leg to my front, and to watch the back of the RB for just a second. I loved the thrill of knowing I'd turned my back on a player who wanted to crush me, and it was up to my ability to convince him we were running the ball to protect me (we ran a lot of naked, where we either didn't have the fullback to chip the end, or he went to the same side as the RB for the play fake on an iso look). I loved finally ripping my eyes back around, seeing the end crash inside out of the corner of my eye, and then seeing all that open grass in front of me. I loved the simplicity of the reads, allowing me to do nothing more complicated than play. I loved hitting my fullback, and then sprinting downfield, hoping to pick up a block. I loved setting my feet, coming back against the grain, and waiting for my tight end from the backside to fill the wide-open second level. I loved it when my backside post would come up to me on the sideline and tell me we have it, the two of us asking the coach if we can go to it, getting the green light, and then getting six. I loved it because no offensive play better exemplifies the fact that it takes all eleven men to do their job, all the time. The play doesn't work if you can't run the ball. The play doesn't work if the O-line doesn't sell the run. The play doesn't work if either the QB or the FB gets in a hurry. The play doesn't work if the QB gets greedy.

But for all that, it's still a simple play and is effective at every level of play. That's the beauty of football.

- Bob Pentland

editor's note: I'm not sure how Bob struck out while invoking my name. He must have had a booger on his nose.

Eleven Archives
-----------------------
Eleven - 1 - Introduction
Eleven - 2 - The Zone Blitz
Eleven - 3 - The Cover Two
Eleven - 4 - Zone Blocking
Eleven - 5 - The Bootleg
Eleven - 6 - Extra Points And Field Goals

Hodge's Jewels Back In News

According to the Denver police, former NC State star and current Denver Nuggets rookie Julius Hodge is being investigated for attempted sexual assault. Not good, Jules.

Now, normally I'm on the side of the women in these cases. I know that there are instances of women making the stories up, but I also know guys. Guys are pigs. Particularly young, rich athletes. They get so many women throwing themselves at them that they can forget that not all women are like that.

But this case is mighty fishy. First off, the woman is 37. 37! I'm a little suspicious that Hodge would be macking on a woman that old. Second, the police have yet to charge him, yet she's already talking to the media about it. It seems that most victims are a bit more bashful.

Since the incident seems to have happened in his apartment and since they are claiming only "attempted" assault, I don't see how they could possibly make this stick. I doubt he'll ever actually be charged. It's purely a he said-she said situation and when you have 37-year-old women bringing accusations against young, naive millionaires and then immediately talking to the media about it ... well, it's more than a little fishy.

Maybe Hodge doesn't need to wear just a cup. Perhaps he needs a codpiece as well.

Mexi-Cam?

If last Thursday's stinker against Clemson weren't offensive enough (and most State fans I know refuse to even talk about it at this point), it turns out the most egregious assault on good taste didn't even happen on the field. No, I'm not talking about Chuck Amato's wardrobe or even a murder in the parking lots.

No, this little piece of high class comedy was shown on the Jumbotron - the same one that showed a clip of Amato that was promptly met by loud boos. Like many other sports arenas trying to generate artificial fun (maybe to offset the lack of fun in the actual product), State's Jumbotron shows little live clips of fans. They have the Kissing-Cam where they show a cute, kissing couple. They have a Fan-Cam, where I guess they try to find some fans. And on Thursday night, they had the Mexi-Cam where they found a "Hispanic-looking" couple and slapped them up on the huge screen for all to see with the text "Mexi-Cam" under their faces.

Nice.

Very nice.

Top 10 Bad Ass Mofos

Now this is a pretty fun list. It's the kind of thing you discuss with your buddies while doing nothing worthwhile.

The list they picked is pretty good except for one GLARING mistake. Terrell Owens? Terrell Owens? You have got to be kidding me. Any man who owns a covertable New Beetle - customized with his own logo, no less - doesn't belong within ten miles of this list.

Replace Owens with Jim Brown, who should have been #1 or #2.

I'd almost say that Tiger Woods should be on here instead of Pete Rose, but then ... well, Tiger plays golf. You can only be so bad ass in a mock turtleneck.

Ranking The ACC - Week 6

This'll be a quickie-style ranking. I already ran down my thoughts on most of the teams this week, so this will be mostly just where I think they lie in the ACC and maybe a thought or two about their next game.

1. Florida State - Should have no problem with a depleted Virginia squad on Saturday night.

2. Virginia Tech - Still a very close #2. They get their first weekend off this week.

3. Miami - HUUUGE game at Temple this week.

4. Boston College - Solidified their position with a solid, if occasionally sloppy, win over Virginia. Don't sleep on the Deacons this weekend.

5. Clemson - This is where it gets hazy. Who can tell the difference between Clemson, NC State, Georgia Tech and Maryland? Should be a good game tonight against NC State.

6. Georgia Tech - They lost to State at home, but juuuuust barely. I'm picking them over the Pack by the slimmest of margins.

7. NC State - A win's a win, right? And a win in Atlanta is always good. Now, how can they do against the Tiggers on national TV?

8. Maryland - Really looked improved in their win over Virginia. But is that saying much? They get a bye this week before their test next week against the Hokies.

9. Virginia - Plummeting. Hey, at least they were the topic of the national media this week!

11. Wake Forest - I told you it would be fun if they beat Clemson!

10. North Carolina - You give up 69 points to a basketball school, you drop in the rankings. Let's see how they do against Bye this week.

12. Duke - Why doesn't Duke play Temple like everyone else?

Gavin Grant Needs Wife

In what is possibly the most bizarre ACC personnel story I can recall, NC State's Gavin Grant is in danger of being deported.

Evidently, his mother brought him from Jamaica without any visas over ten years ago. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency says that he will likely be deported if he does not leave the country willingly and then apply for reinstatement.

It's hard to see how he will be able to play for State this year. Odds are he won't be able to finish the fall semester at school. I guess it's possible he could complete coursework remotely, but I don't know what State's regulations are concerning illegal alien students. If he does withdraw this semester, but can somehow get his visa worked out, will he be academically eligible in the spring?

For the Wolfpack, this is a pretty serious blow. Grant looked and played a lot like the departed Julius Hodge and much was expected of him this next year. Without him, they will be a much slower and unathletic team.

You know what would solve all of this? A wife. Anyone have Andie MacDowell's number?

Dick Butkus Sucks

You know that "reality" show on ESPN about how Dick Butkus is coaching a high school football team? Well, it's a sham.

Not only is Butkus not really the head coach, but now that ESPN is done filming, Butkus is gone - with two games left on the schedule.

The real head coach, Lou Cerro, was mostly hidden by ESPN's clever editing so that it looked Butkus was running things. Instead, it sounds like he stood around and then yelled at everyone when the cameras were rolling. And now that the cameras are gone, so is he.

Nice lesson for the kids.

Hat tip to the Sports Frog for the find.

Weekend Review - Week Six

Never got around to much writing last week, so this one's actually going to refer to the past two weekends of games. As you know, I like to talk about what I learned each weekend. College football seasons are so short that don't really know a team until the season's almost over. Think about basketball. No one pays too close of attention to college hoops teams until about the beginning of January. By then, teams have played about 12 games. It takes about that long. Unfortunately, we don't get that much time for football, but that doesn't stop the talking heads from declaring exactly who the best teams are after one or two games.

Miami 52 - Duke 7 - After that first paragraph, do you like how I picked a game that taught us nothing? That my friends, is some first-class blogging.

Actually, while this game didn't really tell me anything new, it did confirm some things. First, Miami is good. They probably should have beaten Florida State in week one and they've quietly improved ever since. I haven't seen them play much since that FSU game, just bits and pieces of games against Clemson and Colorado as well as highlights, but I think this team is getting better.

As for Duke, well ... I know it's cliche, but they are bad. I mean bad. For years they've been bad, but they often seemed just frisky enough to pull an upset. You always felt a bit queasy when your team had to play them, because they seemed good for one or two upsets a year. Not this year. I don't know what Ted Roof's plan is, but he's been there for about two full years now and things are no better than when he started. It's pretty clear to see now that that great run of games he had when he took over for Carl Franks mid-season was just a placebo affect. Sort of a bad-team version of the Ewing theory.

I know it's only Duke, and maybe they just really don't care, but I wonder how long they'll tolerate this. Roof had little resume for the job, just that great run when he was Interim coach. Maybe they should try firing him and promoting an assistant! Then, they can hire that guy and fire him in the middle of next year. I think I'm on to something. Someone get Joe Alleva on the horn.

Louisville 69 - North Carolina 14 - Oof. Remember way back, like a week ago, when everyone was falling over themselves to write articles about how John Bunting had turned the corner? Remember that? Good times.

Yeah, the thinking was that Carolina that just beaten NC State (on the road) and then avenged their horrific 2004 defeat to Utah. Thing were looking up, right?

Guess not. Nothing like giving up SIXTY-FREAKING-NINE points to send those love songs with a screech of the record needle. Last year Utah broke the all-time yardage record for a Heels opponent. This year, Louisville broke the all-time points record. Who says John Bunting isn't leaving his mark on the program?

Florida State 41 - Wake Forest 24 - See, now I wasn't that surprised that Wake kept this game close. In fact, they were only down a field goal heading into the second half. Sure they lost by 17, but that's not a bad margin against the Seminoles in Tallahassee. The Wake crowd is still somewhat down on Grobe (although last week's win over Clemson helped stem that), but I don't see why. It's incredible what he does with the players he has.

For FSU, I don't really think it was a bad result. Sure the 'Noles of the 90's would have beaten Wake 57-10, but those days are over. The Seminoles aren't the battering titans they once were, but they're still pretty darn good. I don't feel they are any less of a team for playing a close one against the Deacons.

Temple 7 - Maryland 38 - Playing Temple is like playing a scrimmage, only with much less chance of one of your players getting hurt. Maybe that's why the Owls show up on four ACC teams' schedules this year.

No, I didn't learn a damn thing about the Terps this weekend, but the previous game - the very impressive smacking of Virginia, told me lots. In that game, Maryland had an excellent game plan and they executed. It was like the Maryland of two or three seasons ago - mixing up the short and long throws, running inside and then coming at you with an option. Their offensive line was superb and the play-calling was excellent. You might tell that I was impressed. The big question now is can they keep it up. Can they play like that in the next game (in two weeks) against Virginia Tech? If so, they could pull the upset.

Boston College 28 - Virginia 17 - The Eagles played an erratic, but efficient game against Virginia, if that's possible. Sure, they had a lot of penalties - a bunch in the second half after they got fired up by this cheat shot - and they missed three field goals, but they looked good. They are a very solid football team that can win a number of different ways. They do a great job defending the run and they can run and throw it themselves. I've been more and more impressed by them the more I've seen them. Don't get me wrong, I don't think BC is in FSU-Miami-VT class, but they are right below that.

As for Virginia - well the simple truth is that they just aren't that good. They struggled against both Maryland and BC in different ways. Against Maryland, their defensive line was blown off the ball all day. Against BC, they killed themselves with NC State-like play in the first half (nine penalties) and general offensive ineffectiveness throughout.

Here's the thing though, it seems like this Virginia team should be good, doesn't it? I mean they've had nationally ranked recruiting classes every year Al Groh's been there. When you watch them play, it appears that Groh and his staff are doing a pretty good job. They certainly seem to be better coached than UNC and NC State. So, why aren't they good? Well, one poster at TheSabre had an excellent post last week that went a long way to explaining why. In a nutshell, the problem has been attrition. Sure, they've landed a ton of great players, but a surprising number of them have left the program for one reason or another, leaving the team much thinner than it seems it should be. On top that, they've had several key injuries this year (i.e. Ahmad Brooks, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Wali Lundy). So what they are putting on the field is not the team of HS All-Americans I thought they had.

Here's that whole post (I'm including it because I can't link to it):

Subject: The Impact of Attrition...
Posted by: Mikeysurf on Wed Oct 5 2005 11:17:47 AM
Message: I know Groh would never talk about the level of attrition this program has felt over the past several years, but I certainly believe it plays an important factor in the team's progress over the past couple of years. From my view, if many in the media (not the UVa beat guys because they get it) would do their homework, the image that UVa is backlogging class after class of deep talent would not be perpetuated so often.

The '02 class had 23 recruits (Carter and Brooks went to prep school, with Brooks joining the team the second semester and counting on the '02 total and Carter joined the '03 class). We have lost a total of 10 players from that recruiting class -- 3 OLs, 3 DBs, 1 DE, 1 QB, 1 LB, and 1 Punter. Two recruited walk-on have also contributed from that class (Hughes and Miller).

The '03 class had 20 recruits (Philip Brown went to prep school and arrived with the '04 class). 5 players are no longer with the team -- 2 DBs, 1 FB, 1 LB, and 1 DE.

The '04 class had 16 recruits (Albert and Olu Hall went to prep school and joined the '05 class). 4 players are no longer with the team -- 2 DBs, 1 LB, and 1 NT. This is the smallest class since '98 when we brought in 14 players.

The '05 class had 25 recruits. All are still on the team. This is the first class during the Groh era that we used our full allotment of scholarships. I've never quite figured why we did not recruit larger classes in '03 and '04 since we were already shy on scholarship players?

UVa has lost a total of 19 players from 3 of its last 4 classes. That is more players than we recruited in '04 and only 1 shy of our '03 class. If you assess the impact per position, we have lost a total of 7 DBs, 3 OLs, 3 LBs, 2 DEs, 1 NT, 1 FB, 1 QB and 1 Punter. Anyway you look at it, this is a large number of players and certainly has contributed negatively to the depth chart. Moreover, this high attrition level has forced some young players to see the field far before they were fully prepared. Think for a second if UVa had those SEVEN DBs in the mix last year and this year how that may have changed the dynamics of our pass defense? Half of them would have had several years of experience on the field.

It is for this reason why I continue to challenge the hype surrounding our recruiting classes. While we may have signed them, we're also losing an unprecedented number of players because of various reasons. The football program has yet to get full value from most of these classes because of the continued problems with attrition. Now, when you overlay the impact of key injuries over the past two season (Canty, Mines, Bedesem, Lundy, Cunningham, Brooks, Ferguson, Barthlemes, Dias, etc.) it's not difficult to reconcile certain aspects of our on-field performances.

Now, before all of the Groh bashers start use my post as a Groh-apologists essay. I also feel there are other factors in play, as well. There are still some things I would like to see our coaching staff work a bit differently. But that's a discussion for a different day. The fact that our attrition rate is playing a much bigger role than some fans want to admit or accept. Furthermore, there are some in the media who need to do their homework and stop feeding the perception that UVa is underachieving because we're so well stocked with years of great recruiting. The players have to be here for us to capitalize on their skills!

Virginia Tech 41 - Marshall 14 - I don't really have much to say about this one. It pretty much went according to the script which is good for these Hokies. The most interesting thing I can say about them right now is that their success is so great that no one seems to be talking about the 5-0 Florida State Seminoles. That's pretty amazing when you think about it.

Georgia Tech 14 - NC State 17 - And lastly, I get to the most interesting game of the weekend - well, of Thursday. As I wrote about last week, this one was big for both teams. Whoever lost was headed for ten days of newspaper articles and Internet message boards filled with questions about why they sucked and saying the coach should be fired.

Given it's importance, it's no surprise that the game went down to the end. It ended (effectively) on one of the most unlikely plays I've ever seen. All night, GT stud Calvin Johnson was killing the NC State defense. In the second half, the Jackets seemed to be able to get him the ball any time they tried. So there they were, driving for the game winning touchdown, or at worst a game-tying field goal. Actually, strike that, at worst, they'd miss the figgie, a not-unlikely result given that their kicker had already missed twice that night (and had missed five straight overall). So Tech drove straight down the field (what happened to that top State defense?) and got down to the 2 yard line with about 35 seconds left. They had time for two pass attempts to the end zone and if they missed, a spike and a field goal. On the first play, they did exactly what everyone in the stadium and on TV thought they would do - throw to Johnson. As expected, he dusted his two men, got open and then leaped for the ball. He caught the ball and then - oh wait! - the ball bounced out of his hands and straight to Wolfpack safety Garland Heath (who had been beaten) for an interception. Game over. Wolfpack win.

The play may not sound so incredible, but think about it. Johnson was getting open all night. He is by far the best wideout in the conference and probably the country. He has great hands. Nine times out of ten, if you get a ball to him, he's gonna catch it. If he doesn't you assume that since he's at the back of the end zone, it'll be incomplete. If it had dropped to the turf, GT probably scores on the next play or at worst kicks the field goal. But instead, the most unlikely - and worst for the Jackets - thing happened. Int.

You can see a great series of picks of that play here.

So where does that leave the teams? Well, clearly they are pretty evenly matched. Neither are great, but both are capable. For the Yellow Jackets though, the loss was their second in a row after a great start. They get Duke at home next, but every other game on the schedule is a tough one. They could have used the momentum.

For NC State, they'll take the luck, thankyouverymuch. The Pack faithful seemed frustrated not only with their team's struggles, but with the negative attention from the local media (as if they should have just ignored what was going on). The win doesn't mean all the problems are solved - after all it was the slimmest margin possible - but that little spark of momentum could be critical. As I've said all along, this team has talent. They just need to play better. Maybe a little kiss from the Fates is what they need to start a little run. With their next three games against Clemson (home), Wake (road) and Southern Mississippi (home), it's easy to seem them turning that good fortune into a four-game winning streak before they pay a visit to Florida State.

Big Game In Atlanta

Tonight's NC State vs Georgia Tech is an important one for both teams. Obviously, for State and coach Chuch Amato, this game is a chance to get back on track and fight off the critics. The loss to UNC two weeks ago has set off daily arguments in the newspapers, on message boards and on sports radio about how far State has or has not climbed and whether or not Chuck Amato is doing a good job.

The News & Observer's Caulton Tudor wrote an article today saying that State really hasn't improved much on the field during Amato's tenure. Now, I haven't been to any State message boards today, but I can guarantee you that that article has the Wolfpack faithful in an uproar (yep, I checked and here they go - actually many think he was accurate.). First off, they seem to distrust the local media, the N&O in particular. Second, while the article is actually pretty fair, the headline (probably picked by someone other than Tudor) is a bit misleading. It reads "Amato era hasn't improved Wolfpack." If you actually read it though, you'll see that that's not a fair assessment of Tudor's point. He makes it clear that in many ways, NC State has improved, mainly in facilities and recruiting. They've also had more wins over top-tier teams. What hasn't improved much over the O'Cain and Sheridan days is the overall record, especially when you consider how many patsies State has scheduled over the past six seasons. Even the most ardent Amato supporter would have to concede that fact. The numbers don't lie.

All that said, this game isn't only critical for the Pack. Chan Gailey entered this season on nearly as hot a seat as Amato finds himself on now. Gailey cooled that off considerably by winning at Auburn and then beating North Carolina, a win that looks better each week. Unfortunately, nothing cools the fire of an excited fan base like a 51-7 drubbing. Lose a second game in a row and this season for Tech will look like a microcosm of Amato's career - hot start, cool present.

So, yes this game is a big one. It won't decide an ACC champion. It won't even decide a division champion. But it will likely determine the direction of both teams' seasons. And it might well determine the fate of one of the coaches. For sure, after a bad loss and a bye week, both teams will be going at it HARD. And the whole country gets to watch.

Randolph Might Make Sixers

Sometimes you just have to admit when you're wrong. Back in May, I wrote an article about Shavlik Randolph's decision to enter the NBA draft. I might have made a few jokes.

Well, it turns out that joke might be on me. The 76ers are in Durham for training camp and general manager Billy King says that Randolph is currently on the squad and "it's his roster spot to lose." Wow.

Now, that might be King blowing smoke to the local media. It might also be King showing loyalty to a fellow Dukie.

Or maybe Randolph has finally found himself. While I was rarely too impressed with his play in college, I was always impressed with his skill and potential. He can do things that few 6'11" players can. The problem is that he mostly did them in warmups. He'd show flashes here and there, but mostly he just seemed lost on the floor. If a basketball game were a series of drills, he'd be an All-American. If the NBA had an NFL-like combine, he might have been a lottery pick.

The problem with Randolph was never his skill. It was always his play. He just seemed to be reacting instead of acting. Like he was not sure what he should be doing and was afraid to screw up.

But, maybe he's past that. Maybe he's healthy and confident and aggressive again. I hope so. He seems like a really good kid who deserves better than to be forever thought of as a bust.

If he does make the NBA, it will be one of the most bizarre career paths I can recall. It's not unusual for unheard of players to make the big leagues. Who knew of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace in college? In most of those cases though, the guy was a late bloomer who missed out on attending a top school because he just wasn't that good in high school. He bloomed later while at a small school.

In Randolph's case, it was just the opposite. He bloomed early, became a star in high school and then fizzled in college. It's hard to think of another guy who followed that arc and then rose again to make the bigs. Off the top of my head, the closest I can think of is Damien Wilkins who is having a surprisingly productive NBA career after a college career that didn't reflect his hype coming out of high school.

The NBA has expanded rosters by three spots this year (teams can have up to three inactive players on their roster), so Randolph's chances are somewhat improved. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

BTW, I've found it interesting just how popular Randolph is. Since I wrote that article five months ago, "Shavlik Randolph" has been one of the most popular search terms to bring folks to my site. I'm not sure why he interests people so, but he does.

Chad Johnson, Taunter Extraordinaire

Remember Chad Johnson's little river dance celebration a couple Sunday's ago against the Bears? Well, Deadspin has discovered that it might not have been just a harmless little celebration. It may have actually been evil genius.

It seems that Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is involved in a paternity suit. The women who sued him also made headlines when she claimed she was raped by none other than Michael Flatley, the Lord of the Dance himself.

Could Johnson have known that and been sticking the knife into Urlacher? I certainly hope so.

ACC Reads

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. The ACC BasketBlog does a nice job of collecting ACC football links. They have a particularly good batch today.

As they so modestly put it, "The BEST ACC Football Coverage!" Whether or not that's true, they are damn handy, especially because I've been too busy recently to dig up stuff myself.

Tommy Bowden Getting The Amato Treatment

Time for my yearly Tommy Bowden Is On The Hotseat article. Only this year, Jeff Quinton of Fanblogs already wrote it for me. He has a nice wrap up of just why Tiger fans are angry - losing at Wake for the second straight time, largely because of a very curious failed fake field goal attempt.

Fortunately for Tommy, he still has a sweet contract that will cost Clemson big money to buy out at a time when they are trying to raise cash for facility improvements.

On the other hand, Tiger fans have to be getting tired of this - they're good, they're bad, they're good, they're bad. To make things worse, and a bit more urgent, Steve Spurrier's down the road in Colombia. Sure, his team sucks this year, but I think everyone assumes that he'll get it rolling soon and you know how he loves to stick it to rivals.

If Tommy can't right the ship soon (and the schedule is actually pretty favorable) and if it appears that they are losing ground to South Carolina, I bet that buyout won't look like too big of a hurdle for IPTAY.

Name That Site 3

My first two Name That Site entries (1, 2) were pretty easy. I just wanted to get the ball rolling - let you see what it's all about.

Now it gets tougher. I don't think you're gonna know this one right away. It ain't a football stadium this time, but it's still a building with critical ACC significance.

Anyone know what this is (click for larger view)?

As before, I'll wait several days before revealing the answer.

Update: Time for clues!
Clue 1: This building is not in an Atlantic Coast Conference state.