Basketball Conference: The Acc Football Podcast

It's Pittsburgh season preview time. Can Kenny Pickett improve? Can the defense continue its dominance from a year ago? All that and more as we talk with Jim Hammett of Rivals' Panther-Lair.com. *Editor's note: This was recorded before the news of the scheduled non-conference game against Austin-Peay*

What will the 2020 football season bring to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons? That is the question we posed to Wake Forest Football beat writer Conor O'Neill of the Winston-Salem Journal. As always, Conor brings a wealth of knowledge to the program and an informed voice on all things surrounding Wake Forest Football. **Editor's Note: This was recorded prior to the news of Sage Surratt opting out of the season**

The Big Ten and the PAC-12 have elected to postpone the 2020 fall college football season, but the SEC, Big 12, and the ACC continue to press forward. Mike and Joey sound off on a wild week in the ACC. As always, make sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

Our season previews feature rolls on as we catch up with Norm Wood (@NormWood) on Mike's Virginia Tech Hokies in 2020. Justin Fuente enters year 5 with some growing unrest within the fanbase for him and his staff -- how critical of a year is this for him? We look into what it means for the defense to have Justin Hamilton stepping in at defensive coordinator following the departure of the legendary Bud Foster, along with the value of having lots of continuity on both sides of the ball as the Hokies look to build on a solid 2019 campaign. Finally, the schedule is reasonably balanced between home and away games -- what should we expect from Virginia Tech in that context? All of that, and more!

The guys are back, continuing the season preview series with a look at Louisville's 2020 season, thanks to some brilliant inputs from 93.9 The 'Ville's Ethan Moore (@_EthanMoore). A year ago, Louisville fans weren't sure what to think of Scott Satterfield -- when was the moment where that truly changed? The Cardinals did a brilliant job of putting Micale Cunningham, Javian Hawkins, and Tutu Atwell in positions to succeed all of last year -- can they continue building this year? Shouldn't plenty of returning production and another year under the tutelage of Bryan Brown mean the defense will improve from a rough 2019? Plus, a look at a particularly conducive schedule, and much more!

We kick off our 2020 team previews with a look at the Syracuse Orange, featuring a ton of great insights from Syracuse.com beat writer Nate Mink (@MinkNate). What's the feeling on Dino Babers after a strong 2018 and a rough year in 2019? Can the offensive line protect Tommy DeVito this year...even just a little bit? The Orange also go through a schematic change on defense, replace a first-team All American punter, and go up against a schedule that could see some really unique results. All of that and more as we start to officially get back into the swing of things!

We kick off season 5 on the back of a fortuitously-timed announcement from the ACC on Wednesday afternoon about the schedule for the 2020 season. Who are the winners and losers from the ACC's total rebuild of the schedule into a 10+1 scheduling model? Whose matchups set up particularly well, and who's getting a little bit screwed? What are the considerations that still need to be made regarding non-conference opponents? PLUS, one of the ACC's biggest stars will opt out of playing this fall with an eye turned towards the 2021 NFL Draft, and....let's just go ahead and take a guess at the postseason standings, shall we?

After several weeks away, Mike and Joey are back, taking inventory of what we expect the 2020 season to look like given what we know now. What are the chances that the season gets pushed to the spring, and what are the pros and cons to that? How does Notre Dame get factored in to the equation? Will the schedules be conference-only? How have schedules already been altered? There's a ton to discuss, PLUS a major personal announcement from one of our co-hosts! All of that and more, as we officially wrap up Season 4 of Basketball Conference.

The guys are back at long last, first addressing their take on the recent protests we've seen across the country regarding racism in today's America (3:15). Once that's clarified, they start digging in to some of how those social issues have come into play across the ACC recently, and what it may mean for those programs moving forward (18:25). Finally, they hit on some other ACC News and Notes that have popped up in recent weeks, in particular a story about the career of Clemson's star WR Justyn Ross being potentially in jeopardy due to a congenital health condition (50:00)? All of this, and MORE, on what is undoubtedly the hardest episode of the podcast that we'll ever record.

Mike and Joey are back again, this time talking about the ACC's presence within the NFL Draft. Who were some notable picks, and some notable snubs? They also talk about a key transfer pickup by Virginia and some recent recruiting woes in Blacksburg, before hitting on the strife between being happy with what a program has and is, versus the gambles associated with trying to reach for the stars via a coaching search. All of this, and MORE!

At long last, the guys are back, this time starting with the impacts of COVID-19 -- specifically as it relates to the ACC's football programs. Do Mike and Joey believe there will actually be college football this fall? With spring practice cancelled, who's hit hardest, and who's in better position to handle the lack of practice reps? North Carolina's recruiting has made some massive leaps, so how does that impact the rest of the conference? PLUS, former Boston College QB Anthony Brown has a new home, the long shot that Joey's biased about that you should bet to win the ACC's Coastal Division, and...Tiger King references.

We open the show talking about ACC alums in the XFL, breaking down the teams YOU should be rooting for as an ACC fan. We also discuss Pitt's self-imposed sanctions....and LOL if they weren't going 30 in a school zone on this one... We also dive into Miami as a program, and why they're still an attractive option on the trail...regardless of their on-field success. All that and more in our latest podcast. Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!

The guys are back after a much shorter break this time, breaking down preseason projections for ESPN's two major analytics systems. Which teams are expected to be the best in the league next year? Are there any surprises? Which teams and coaches most need to outperform their projections? PLUS, the guys talk about the ACC's announcement in support of a major change to transfer rules -- would that change be justified? All of that, and MORE!

After a break of nearly a month, we're back and catching up on all of the news around the ACC since the last time you heard from us. There were several coaching staff changes around the conference -- which ones will have a real impact on their teams' performances? Also...what happened with Justin Fuente's participation in the Baylor coaching search? Elsewhere, there have been QB transfers galore, both in and out of the conference -- and even one inside of the conference! Finally, we hit some listener mailbag questions before catching up on the winners and losers after National Signing Day. All of this, and more!

The guys are back with one final game recap for the 2019 season, this time discussing Clemson's loss to LSU. Clemson fell 42-25 to one of the greatest college football teams of the modern era, and did so after an honorable performance. How did our "keys to the game" from the preview come into play? What on Earth happened to Trevor Lawrence? And where does Clemson go from here? PLUS -- are we looking at one more coaching change in the ACC this month? All of this, and MORE!

The guys are back for one last preview leading in to the final game of the 2019 season. Clemson travels down to New Orleans to take on LSU, seeking their third national championship in four years. Unfortunately for the ACC's Tigers, LSU has a clear home field advantage in playing this game -- right? Can Clemson's defense get pressure on Joe Burrow and do anything to contain the LSU passing attack? Will Trevor Lawrence and his offense get off to the fast start they'll need to keep up Lawrence's undefeated streak? Ultimately -- is Clemson bringing home another national championship? All of this, and MORE!

Mike and Joey are back, recapping the ACC's ten bowl games that topped off the 2019 season. Clemson won a thriller over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and area headed to the National Championship Game -- what were the keys that led to victory? What should we think of Virginia's Orange Bowl loss to Florida? Elsewhere, Louisville had a comeback win over Mississippi State, Virginia Tech struggled to stop another mobile QB against Kentucky, and....YES, MIAMI WAS, INDEED, SHUT OUT BY LOUISIANA TECH! On the news front, the guys discuss recent coordinator hiring/firing news, and touch on a couple of players who will be moving on from their current ACC stops. All of this, and MORE!

The guys are back, previewing one last bowl game in the ACC slate for the 2019 season....even though it's happening in 2020! Boston College is a touchdown underdog to Cincinnati in a game being played in Birmingham -- let's just say you shouldn't take a vacation day to stay home and watch this one.

The guys are back, previewing what may be a rough couple of bowl games for the ACC teams. Virginia Tech is set to take on a Kentucky team that has given numerous opponents fits over the past couple of months, powered by a rushing attack that may make Bud Foster's last game a tough one. Can the Hokies avoid the upset and send Foster out on a high note? Elsewhere, Florida State is headed to El Paso -- and do any of the Seminoles really care enough about this game to win it?

The guys are back, discussing the fourth day of ACC Bowl-mas with a couple of particularly interesting matchups! Louisville looks to top off a season loaded with overperforming with a matchup against a capable (but largely underwhelming) Mississippi State team in nearby Nashville, while Virginia caps off their big 2019 season with a trip to the Orange Bowl, where they'll face an extremely tough Florida team. Can both of these teams get it done in the postseason?