SYRACUSE ORANGE
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
What opposing ACC coaches told Athlon Sports about the Orange ... "They had some great moments last year and won some games, but when I take a step back, I'm not sure how much has changed here. They won enough games for Dino (Babers) to hold on, and not a lot of folks thinks the school was ready to push him out anyway. They're down a good OC (Robert Anae) again, they lost a really good back to the NFL and a DB to the portal and this isn't the kind of place you can rely on 'next man up.'"
Babers entered the 2022 season on one of college football's hottest seats, but hasn't received that sort of negative connotation this offseason ahead of 2023. Former Mississippi State transfer quarterback Garrett Shrader returns after a notable first season and this team should feel pretty good about its group of linebackers. Losing starting edge Jatius Geer to South Carolina after spring practice really hurts.
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
(Photo: Ryan M. Kelly, Getty)
What opposing ACC coaches told Athlon Sports about the Cavaliers ... "Maybe one of the toughest first seasons every for a first-time Power Five head coach with what happened on and off the field. On the field, you can't be ripping your assistant in press conferences after the game. They were a mess on both sides, what's likely is that Tony (Elliott's) eyes got too big when he got there. It takes more than one season at a place like that."
Give the football to Perris Jones 250-plus times and see what happens? The offensive strategy for the Cavaliers is up to Elliott, whose pro-style, timing based scheme fell flat last fall, resulting in quarterback Brennan Armstrong's transfer to NC State. Virginia does return six starters defensively, including the bulk of the pass rush. That's an area the Cavaliers may be able to hang their hats on once they get past the opener against top 15 Tennessee.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
(Photo: Michael McCammon, 247Sports)
What opposing ACC coaches told Athlon Sports about the Cardinals ... "One thing you know is they're going to give (Jeff) Brohm a lot of time here, so they won't rush things or try to reach into the portal to fix their problems. And they have problems, too — they're not going to be good on defense they're losing a lot and transitioning to a new scheme. Last year was definitely their best on defense under Satt (Scott Satterfield), they fixed a lot of those problems and finally developed some dudes up front."
Louisville fans love the Brohm hire, which was met with rave reviews, too. The Cardinals may not see much of a return on their investment this fall, but it's coming. You know this team is going to score points with Brohm calling the shots offensively, but as other ACC coaches have mentioned, whether or not Louisville will be able to stop the opposition may ultimately decide where this team stands in