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• Georgia Tech WR Micheal Summers was set on the Jackets from the start.
• Miami running back Mike James has earned his way to the top of the depth chart.
• ESPN Insider Travis Haney took at look at Clemson's BCS chances.
• Miami has made drastic improvements in the weight room this offseason.
• At least two athletic directors in the ACC don't sense any real change in the league anytime soon.
• This just in: ACC football is relevant, and it's paying off.
• Clemson coach Dabo Swinney saw red flags during Mike Bellamy's recruiting process.

Florida State. Big 12. SEC. Rumors. Sigh ...

• On second thought, maybe this is a good time to jump ship ...
• What kind of a ripple effect will the new SEC-Big 12 bowl have?
• The ACC could lose its spot at the playoff table.
• That means FSU, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Miami should start looking out for themselves.
• Is luring Notre Dame to the league the answer?
• In other news, Virginia Tech kicker Cody Journell could have his suspension lifted.
• Heart problems haven't deterred NC State tight end Asa Watson.
• Miami's quarterback situation just got even more interesting.
• Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson doesn't see much merit in Twitter.

My colleague Mark Schlabach has released his post-spring top 25, and the ACC has fared well:

7. Florida State
16. Clemson
23. Virginia Tech
25. Georgia Tech

I've got the first three in the same order in my post-spring conference power ranking, but I've apparently got more faith in NC State than Schlabach (and probably a lot of other people). Call it instinct. Call it a gut feeling. Call it Mike Glennon's ability to throw the ball, but I think the Wolfpack have the potential for a special season this year -- more so than Georgia Tech.

I do believe the Yellow Jackets can win the Coastal Division this season, but I'm still not sold on Al Groh's defense or on Tevin Washington as a difference-maker at quarterback. Washington is good -- he has proven he can run the offense. But can he PASS the offense? Especially without two of the top receivers from a year ago? Georgia Tech still seems to be lacking the player who can dazzle us like Jonathan Dwyer and Joshua Nesbitt did in years' past. And up front, there are questions on defense.

NC State, on the other hand, has a drop-back passer who is ready to show the rest of college football that he can hit his receivers just about anywhere on the field, and he's got an experienced offensive line to work with. This program seems ready to turn the corner under coach Tom O'Brien, and if there is a fourth ACC team worthy of a preseason top 25 nod, NC State would get my vote.

Now that spring practices are over, it’s time to re-evaluate the ACC pecking order for 2012. There wasn’t much change at the top from the pre-spring power rankings, but Georgia Tech did get a slight bump, along with two teams on Tobacco Road. Here’s a look at the latest ACC power rankings:

1. Florida State: The Noles’ defensive line should be one of the deepest and best in the conference, if not the country, and they’ve got an outstanding quarterback in EJ Manuel. If the young offensive line can mature quickly and the running game improves from 2011, there’s no reason the Seminoles shouldn’t be contending for the ACC title.

2. Clemson: The Tigers could open the season without star receiver Sammy Watkins, who is awaiting his punishment after he was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges, but as long as he’s in the lineup and the offensive line is playing well, Clemson has enough talent to defend its 2011 ACC title.

3. Virginia Tech: It’s hard to forget how the Hokies fared against Clemson in two meetings last season, but they enter this season with the better defense. The question is how quickly the revamped offensive line can come together, and who will emerge as the next star running back.

4. NC State: This team is quietly preparing a championship-caliber roster. Quarterback Mike Glennon is still under the radar, and he’s got an experienced offensive line to work with. This is a team that could surprise some people.

5. Georgia Tech: The Jackets had a promising spring, but the defensive line has to replace two of three starters, and last season’s atrocious special teams still have a lot to prove. One thing is for sure: These guys will be able to run the ball on just about anyone.

6. Wake Forest: Much like the rest of its division, Wake Forest’s success will hinge in part on how quickly the new starters on the offensive line come together. The Demon Deacons have an experienced and much-improved quarterback in Tanner Price, and last year they made a statement that they’re not to be overlooked in the ACC race.

7. North Carolina: The two biggest questions for the Tar Heels are how quickly they can adapt to and execute a new system under first-year coach Larry Fedora, and where they will find their motivation now that the NCAA has banned them from the postseason. This spring revealed a positive outlook for the new offense, which should give quarterback Bryn Renner a chance to shine.

8. Virginia: The ACC’s 2011 Coach of the Year has quickly raised expectations, but they should be tempered because seven starters have to be replaced on defense. Michael Rocco is the undisputed starting quarterback -- unless Alabama transfer Phillip Sims has something to say about it.

9. Miami: With Stephen Morris out this spring with a back injury, quarterback transfer Ryan Williams had a chance to impress the coaches. The position is one of many questions still looming for the Canes, a young team still waiting for closure from an NCAA investigation.

10. Maryland: The Terps had a good spring and were able to move forward with players who wanted to be there. It was a positive vibe, but coach Randy Edsall is still tangled in the shadow of last year’s two-win season. He’ll have to improve upon it without the services of former quarterback Danny O’Brien.

11. Boston College: Several offseason staff changes were embraced this spring, and quarterback Chase Rettig made strides under yet another offensive coordinator, Doug Martin. The Eagles have to find a way to win without two of their most valuable players in running back Montel Harris, who was dismissed from the team, and linebacker Luke Kuechly, who left early for the NFL.

12. Duke: The Blue Devils had a good spring and are still buying into the philosophies of coach David Cutcliffe. They’ve been on the verge of making the postseason before, but fans are looking for them to finally break through in Year 5 under Cutcliffe. Quarterback Sean Renfree can get them there if they minimize the turnovers and play better defense.

The ACC has announced game times and TV networks for all home games for the league in its first three weeks of the season, as well as for all of its 2012 Thursday night games on ESPN and all of national television games confirmed to date.

The 2012 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, which will be played Dec. 1 in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., will be nationally televised by either ABC, with an 8 p.m. kickoff, or ESPN at 7:45 p.m.

This year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff will feature both NC State and Clemson. NC State faces Tennessee on Friday, Aug.31, in a 7:30 p.m. game which will be nationally televised by ESPNU. Clemson will play Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 1, in a 7 p.m. contest that will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The ACC's full schedule for the first three weeks is as follows:

Heard any news about FSU? Me either ...

• ACC commissioner John Swofford isn't worried about something that hasn't happened yet, and might not happen.
• He remains confident in the current and soon-to-be-expanding structure of the league.
• The topic of Florida State and the Big 12 was not a formal discussion at the ACC spring meetings.
• This recruit picked Georgia Tech over FSU strictly because of the academics.
• Georgia Tech's beat writer answers some important questions about the Yellow Jackets.
• The ACC coaches believe conference champs should matter when it comes to a playoff format.
• Concussions ended the NFL career of a former Clemson fullback.
• NC State quarterback Mike Glennon is ready for the Pack to have a big year.

This is your ticket -- a free ride to each of the best games in the ACC every week. These are the games that -- if you had the money and the time -- you would want to be at this fall.

It’s the ultimate ACC road trip.

We’ll start today and go week by week in the ACC schedule looking at the can’t-miss game of the week. In reality, my travel schedule unfolds with the season, and the conference race usually dictates where I wind up. For now, I’ll compile this itinerary based on what I think will happen this year, and which games will have the most meaning.

Welcome to Week 1.

Schedule:

Friday, Aug. 31

• Tennessee vs. NC State, ESPNU, Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.

Saturday, Sept. 1

• Auburn vs. Clemson, ESPN, Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
• Miami at Boston College
• Florida International at Duke
• Murray State at Florida State
• William & Mary at Maryland
• Elon at North Carolina
• Richmond at Virginia
• Liberty at Wake Forest

Monday, September 3

• Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech ESPN, 8 p.m.

My choice:

• Tennessee vs. NC State
• Clemson vs. Auburn
• Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech

This is only kind of cheating. If I really could swing it (and it’s definitely possible), I would go to all three of these games. Fly to Atlanta, camp out there until Sunday, and then head to Blacksburg. Hey, it’s the ultimate road trip, right? Gotta start off with a bang.

Why: The doubleheader in Atlanta is going to be a statement weekend for the ACC. It’s yet another chance (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) for the league to boost its reputation on a national level, and wins against the SEC would do wonders for the ACC’s image. I also think that the ACC has a great chance to come out of the Georgia Dome with a 2-0 record. As for the game in Blacksburg, it’s THE most important game of Week 1, and you could even argue of the Coastal Division season. This game has determined the Coastal Division winner every year since the ACC split into two divisions. It has the potential to be that important again.

How many more days 'til kickoff??

• Florida State and Miami only have themselves to blame for the ACC's image problem.
• Georgia Tech lured a running back into its 2013 recruiting class.
• One ESPN executive provided some background on the ACC's latest TV contract.
• You can expect ACC commish John Swofford to try to portray the deal in a better light today.
• Former Miami coach Jimmy Johnson has earned his place in the Hall of Fame.
• Mike Bellamy's career at Clemson has come to a close.

Earlier this morning we looked at who in the Atlantic Division has the most to prove. The Coastal Division is up next:

1. Duke coach David Cutcliffe. It’s time for Cutcliffe to prove his program is still heading in the right direction, and the most obvious way for him to do that is to lead the Blue Devils to a bowl game. Cutcliffe will be entering his fifth season in Durham, and while he’s been painfully close to a breakthrough winning season -- losing eight games over the past two years by seven or fewer points -- he will ultimately be judged by the win column.

2. North Carolina. The Tar Heels have to prove they can run Larry Fedora’s new offense. They have to prove they can run defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s new 4-2-5 scheme. But most of all, they have to prove that once again, they can overcome change and the NCAA. There is no bowl game to play for this year. They’ll have to prove they can find their own motivation.

3. Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh. It will be the third season in Groh’s 3-4 scheme, and Georgia Tech fans are looking for more improvement from the group. That could be tough to come by, considering the Jackets have to replace two starters up front.

4. Miami quarterback Stephen Morris. We learned this spring that Memphis transfer Ryan Williams can and will challenge Morris. With Morris sidelined this spring with a back injury, Williams had his chance to shine -- much like Morris has had his opportunities at the expense of former starter Jacory Harris. It’s up to Morris to reassert himself as the leader of the offense.

5. Virginia Tech’s offensive line. Yes, all of the hype is around who will be the next great running back after the early departure of David Wilson, but they’ll all be going nowhere fast if the guys up front don’t get it together. The good news for the Hokies is that this group had a good spring. The key now is to build upon that in summer camp.

6. Virginia’s secondary. This group has to replace three starters from a year ago and more than 90 combined career starts. The Hoos will depend on young players this year, and Demetrious Nicholson, who has 13 starts, is now the veteran of the group.

Don't forget the chat today!

• Feeling lucky? Might want to bet on a few ACC quarterbacks this fall. The league is loaded.
• Here's a look at what the new ACC/ESPN deal could mean for Georgia Tech.
• FSU and the Big 12 haven't talked, but everyone is still talking.
• FSU is the ACC's top money maker, but it still trails nine SEC schools.
• There are plenty of mixed messages coming out of Tally.
• Syracuse has no immediate plans to join Pitt's fight against the Big East.
• Is Miami's new football policy fair to its athletes?
• Just how big are the nonconference openers for NC State and Clemson this year?

This just in: Florida State will be in attendance at today's ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. The Noles are still a part of the ACC. Jimbo Fisher has been spotted at the posh Ritz-Carlton resort, and he didn't appear to be running toward the Big 12 -- at least not yet.

Thanks, Jimbo, for keeping the expansion talk alive.

Not that today's meetings needed any help. Representatives from Pitt and Syracuse are also in attendance, and Pitt has sued the Big East to leave early and join in 2013.

It's a Monday in May, but there will plenty on the coaches' agenda to talk about at this year's spring meetings. Here are three hot-button issues to keep an eye on:

1. The BCS and current bowl structure. This should be one of the more time-consuming topics on the agenda, as the league aims to find out where the ACC and its coaches stand on the future structure of college football. BCS executive director Bill Hancock will be there.

2. The NCAA. Julie Roe Lach, the NCAA's vice president of enforcement, and Kevin Lennon, the NCAA's vice president of academic and membership affairs, will be there to meet with all groups about enforcement in general and some of the legislation dealing with APR requirements for the postseason. Will the vote on North Carolina come up?

3. Expansion. As mentioned above, Pitt and Syracuse coaches will be there to start their orientation with the league so they are prepared to join when the time comes. Fisher's recent comments about the Big 12 have already made things interesting.

Odds n' ends. As usual, the coaches will also talk about officiating, with a specific focus on any rule changes, and they'll watch film on flagrant hits, etc. The coaches will also meet with ESPN and Raycom executives.

My colleague Andrea Adelson will be there to get the news, so check back for any updates.

Who doesn't love lists or rankings?

And, to take that one step further, who doesn't love lists that include 124 people?

Steve Greenberg and Matt Hayes over at The Sporting News took the unenviable task of rankings every single FBS coach, Nos. 1-124. It should come as no surprise that Alabama's Nick Saban topped all coaches after winning two of the past three national titles.

Frank Beamer tops the ACC contingent, and is the only coach from the conference cracking the top-10, as Virginia Tech's leader is ranked ninth.

The average ranking of the 12 ACC coaches was 45.6, fourth-best among conferences.

Here's how they stacked up:

9. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
19. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
27. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
31. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
34. Al Golden, Miami
38. Jimbo Fisher, FSU
45. Mike London, Virginia
49. Tom O'Brien, NC State
53. Larry Fedora, UNC
65. Randy Edsall, Maryland
67. David Cutcliffe, Duke
110. Frank Spaziani, BC

The Sports Business Journal compiled a list of spring game attendance this year for every school in the big-six conferences.

Florida State had the largest spring game attendance of any ACC school, with 40,631. Just a guess here, but I'm thinking the large turnout was because everyone wanted to see the illustrious coaching debuts of Mark Schlabach and Ivan Maisel. Take a bow, colleagues.

The Seminoles' spring game attendance was ninth in the nation. Here's how the rest of the ACC fared. (Figures were not available for Duke.)

• FSU (40,631)
• Clemson (28,000)
• NC State (24,797)
• Georgia Tech (18,125)
• UNC (17,000)
• Miami (10,000)
• Virginia (8,500)
• Wake Forest (5,500)
• Virginia Tech (4,000 ... game ended up being called because of weather)
• Maryland (1,000)
• BC (200)

We've gone over mock drafts, position rankings, draft boards and all the other stuff out there that's fun to predict this far away from the next NFL draft. Today, Mel Kiper does all of that. And, he is very high on Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas.

Kiper ranks Thomas as the No. 4 overall prospect on his 25-man Big Board. NC State's David Amerson (No. 8) and Florida State's Xavier Rhodes (No. 20) are the other ACC players on the board.

Virginia's Oday Aboushi just missed the cut.

Kiper also ranks the top-5 players at each position, this time breaking it down by senior and junior classes. The ACC contingent:

SENIORS
Mike Glennon (NC State), No. 4 QB
Andre Ellington (Clemson), No. 4 RB
Marcus Davis (Virginia Tech), No. 3 WR
Aboushi, No. 2 OT
Jonathan Cooper (UNC), No. 1 OG
Omoregie Uzzi (Georgia Tech), No. 5 OG
Brandon Jenkins (FSU), No. 4 DE
Kevin Reddick (UNC), No. 2 ILB
Ray-Ray Armstrong (Miami), No. 5 S
Dustin Hopkins (FSU), No. 5 K

JUNIORS
Thomas, No. 1 QB
James Hurst (UNC), No. 4 OT
Andrew Miller (Virginia Tech), No. 5 C
Christian Jones (FSU), No. 4 OLB
Amerson, No. 1 CB
Rhodes, No. 2 CB
Chandler Catanzaro (Clemson), No. 5 K
Dalton Botts (Miami), No. 2 P

Josh. Hamilton.

• From yesterday: Our ACC spring wrap, along with team-by-team breakdowns.
• The Sporting News ranks the ACC's head coaches.
• Virginia Tech wide receiver Marcus Davis makes CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman's list of the game's 10 craziest athletes. FSU LB Kelvin Benjamin just misses the cut.
• Paul Johnson was not happy with Georgia Tech's finish last season, Chris Gay writes in the Augusta Chronicle.
• The Virginian-Pilot's Andy Bitter has an interesting story here on defense attorney Jimmy Turk, who is the go-to guy for Hokie athletes facing trouble.