ESPN College Football

As of today, there are 100 days until the start of the college football season.

You bet we’re counting.

If you’re Scot Loeffler, Virginia Tech's new offensive coordinator, 100 days must feel like a nanosecond. The Hokies aren’t the only ones, though, with plenty of work to do before the season begins. Here’s a checklist of five things the ACC and its teams must accomplish before the opening kickoff:

1. Name starting quarterbacks. Syracuse can’t even talk about Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen yet because he’s not on campus and won’t enroll until next month, but the Orange are just one of several teams in the ACC that still have an ongoing quarterback competition. Virginia’s quarterback controversy has seemingly gone on for years, and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has yet to officially anoint Jameis Winston as EJ Manuel’s successor. Pitt is also still searching for a dependable leader, along with NC State.

2. Find an offense in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech has become one of the ACC’s brand-name programs, a consistent winner and a representative in the Top 25 and BCS standings. That changed last season when the Hokies bumbled their way through their most disappointing season in 20 years. Coach Frank Beamer made sweeping changes to his offensive staff, but little improvement was seen in the spring game. Loeffler said it wasn’t a true indication of the progress that was made in the other 13 practices, but also conceded there is still a lot of work to be done. With Alabama looming in the season opener, all eyes will be on the ACC in Week 1. When the Hokies are good, the ACC is better.

3. Improve defensively. With the exception of Florida State, which finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country in scoring defense, 2012 wasn’t a banner year for ACC defenses. The conference usually has some of the nation’s best defenses -- including Boston College -- but there was no Luke Kuechly and no identity for the Eagles last fall. Miami beat Duke 52-45. Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 68-50. Clemson beat NC State 62-48. Clemson took a major step forward defensively with its bowl win against LSU, but the defense must become elite in its second season under coordinator Brent Venables if Clemson is going to be a national-title contender.

4. Minimize the turnovers. Virginia Tech was No. 86 in turnover margin last year, and quarterback Logan Thomas threw three picks in the spring game. Boston College was No. 88 in the country in turnover margin, FSU No. 93, NC State No. 99, Maryland No. 104, Virginia No. 110. That’s almost half the league ranked among the worst in the country in turnover margin. The Hokies play Alabama. Virginia plays Oregon. BC plays at USC. FSU is at Florida, and the Seminoles turned it over five times versus the Gators in FSU's 37-26 loss last year. The Gators scored 10 points off turnovers in that game. If the ACC is going to stand a chance, it can’t give away freebies.

5. Stay out of the trainer’s room. Virginia Tech standout corner Antone Exum is still rehabbing from the torn ACL he suffered in a pickup basketball game. The bulk of Wake Forest’s offensive line was walking wounded all spring, and that group will make or break the Deacons' season. Clemson backup quarterback Chad Kelly and starting tight end Sam Cooper both tore their ACLs this spring. If the ACC is going to beat the best this fall, it needs its best players on the field. For some programs, like Boston College, the depth isn’t there to afford injuries.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Commissioner John Swofford has floated the idea of potentially playing some games overseas, but that was not a large topic of discussion during the ACC spring meetings.

Still, coaches and athletic directors weighed in on the idea. On the surface, it sounds like a game in Ireland or England could be intriguing.

"Or a nightmare," one coach said.

Depends on your point of view.

But Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick gave his enthusiastic recommendation to playing overseas after his team opened last season against Navy in Ireland.

"I think it ranks at the very top of the experiences I've had at the university," Swarbrick said. "It was remarkable. Our student athletes had a great time. It was interesting because I would tell you they were probably reluctant when we boarded the plane. Not sure they wanted to be there. To a person, they just loved it. There's a lot of magic in what happened over there in those days. It's a great thing for American universities to do. So many of them have overseas campuses. It's really great for football."

A handful of coaches who discussed the topic said they would be interested, but they needed more information about logistics.

"I think it’d be kind of exciting," North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. "I don’t know how it would work or how it would fit into your schedule. I’d have to know how it’s all going to work around it. It’s not necessarily that game or preparing for that game, but it’s the next one or the one before it."

Interestingly enough, Notre Dame did not have a bye after opening in Ireland. The Irish returned home and played Purdue the following week. Navy, on the other hand, did have a bye the following week.

"I think as long as nobody has a home-field advantage, it would be OK," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "When we went out to play Stanford, that was a nightmare for us. Time wise, the trip and playing late was crazy for us, but I think if both teams are traveling, it would be great. The trick is in scheduling, finding a way to recover when you get back. But I think it would be really cool."

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Though league scheduling was not a major topic on the spring meetings agenda, ACC coaches unanimously support an eight-game conference slate.

And they told the athletic directors as much.

The ACC scaled back from a nine-game league slate to an eight-game league slate last October after Notre Dame entered into a football scheduling partnership with the schools as part of their membership in all other sports. Notre Dame essentially takes up one nonconference spot every three years. For those teams with long-standing rivalry games like Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech, playing nine league games, plus Notre Dame, plus a rivalry game is untenable.

"When you’re a school like us, when you’re playing Notre Dame, South Carolina plus nine conference games, it limits you in what you can do in our out of conference scheduling," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "We like the flexibility that comes with being able to do a Clemson-Georgia. We’re all comfortable with eight."

And if the SEC goes to nine league games? Would the philosophy change then?

"They don’t have Notre Dame," he said. "If they had a lock-in with Michigan for five games then it might be a little different. Everybody has to pave their own way. That’s the consensus of the ACC coaches. A lot of us already have really quality nonconference opponents, plus you’re adding Notre Dame in there. If we were playing Notre Dame this year and you’ve got eight conference games, Notre Dame, Georgia and South Carolina, nobody in the SEC is playing a schedule like that."

Given the strength of schedule that is going to be a component in the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten decided to move to nine league games. But there is a delicate balancing act that schools must follow.

"You can overschedule, too," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "If your schedule’s too tough it may give you two or three losses. You may be a heck of a team but you’re not getting in at the end if you have 2 or 3 losses. There’s a balance. You want to have strength of schedule, but you don’t want your schedule so strong that throughout the course of 12 games you’re not going to win but eight or 9."

Though Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski is not in favor of a nine-game league schedule, he wants to hear more about the possibilities. And not every single AD is in favor of eight league games. Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver, for one, remains in favor of a nine-game league schedule.

Athletic directors are the ones with a final say, not the coaches. But it doesn't seem like there will be any movement for now.

"I wouldn't necessarily be in favor of the nine-game model although I’d like to hear more conversation about it, and there are several of us in that room with the same dynamic as us," he said. "We haven’t gotten together as a group and talked through that yet."

The current bowl math doesn’t favor the expanded version of the ACC.

With eight bowls and 14 teams in the conference, that means only 57 percent of the ACC will make the postseason this year, at most.

3682361With 14 teams in the conference, including Pittsburgh and Syracuse, there has to be more than the current eight guaranteed bowl slots moving forward, but what number will constitute the “sweet spot” ACC commissioner John Swofford said he is looking for? Especially considering how Notre Dame will soon be elbowing its way into the league’s bowl lineup and taking one of those coveted spots? (If Notre Dame is ranked higher than or equal to an ACC bowl-eligible team, or is within one victory of a bowl eligible team, the Irish can be selected for that bowl spot.) Swofford recently told ESPN.com that the league could increase its bowl tie-ins to nine or 10 games. Will that be enough? Too many?

Last year, when the SEC went to 14 teams, it added the Independence Bowl as its 10th bowl tie in, but only nine teams qualified, and one -- Alabama -- was playing in the national championship. With the new College Football Playoff system to start in 2014, the ACC will have to replace the Chick-fil-A Bowl in its lineup, as that bowl will be one of the host bowls in the playoff. The ACC also has to consider the possibility of having a team in the playoff. It also has to acknowledge the reality of having only eight bowl-eligible teams on average:

ACC’s bowl eligible teams during 12-team era

2012: 6 (not including UNC and Miami, which were ineligible)

2011: 9

2010: 9

2009: 7

2008: 10 (ACC record)

2007: 8

2006: 8

2005: 8

The number of bowl games is currently up for debate. Cast your votes now.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- ACC coaches are in favor of having the coaches' poll be a part of the criteria used by the selection committee to determine the four teams in the College Football Playoff.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe, serving as league coaches' chair, told ESPN.com on Wednesday during the league's spring meetings that his group also is in favor of having every single coach have a vote in the poll and complete transparency in the voting. They also favor doing away with a preseason poll, and releasing their first poll at some point during the season -- much in the way the BCS standings are released.

League coaches also favor the model used by the NCAA basketball selection committee, with either current athletic directors or conference representatives serving on the committee, as opposed to retired coaches.

"For the most part, we wanted to see conference representation and institutional representation rotated to some degree but the biggest item for us is the criteria of selecting those four teams. We want our coaches’ poll to matter," Cutcliffe said. "In another sense, all the coaches have a vote on the committee, and we think that’s good for the game, for the coaches to be good stewards of who’s in that national championship picture.

"All of us having a vote, the vote becoming transparent and the vote being conscientiously done. We think we’re qualified. We’re not watching every game on the East Coast, on the West Coast, but no one else is, either. We see a lot of film of a lot of people. We know who’s good, and who’s best -- maybe moreso than anybody else is looking at the game."

The one key piece to the College Football Playoff puzzle that remains unresolved is how the selection committee will look, and how they will go about selecting the four teams to make the playoff. Conference commissioners left meetings last month without any clear consensus, though it appears unlikely the committee will feature a representative from all 10 FBS leagues.

Cutliffe said there was no consensus from the coaches on who should serve on the committee, only that they favored having various leagues represented.

The coaches' poll is currently used in the BCS formula, but those with a vote have come under some heavy criticism in the past for their final votes. Some have shown bias in favoring their own conference in their final rankings. Others have pointed out that some coaches do not even do their own voting.

The BCS standings are being eliminated this year.

"Part of our concern was when you start naming individual coaches, it’s so hard to not have bias by coaches that have coached in certain leagues so the way we looked at it is if we allowed all the coaches to vote in the coaches poll and the coaches poll was looked at as a major contributing factor to the selection process, then all college coaches would have some input into the selection process," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "We’re just throwing things out right now because I don’t think anybody has a firm grasp of things.

"Will you have some bias from each coach? Absolutely you will, but through the country if it got balanced out, you’d probably still have a pretty legitimate idea of at least who the coaches thought the top four teams were."

Coaches agree bias cannot be completely eliminated in this process. That is why they are hopeful football adopts the basketball committee model. Ten members serve on the NCAA Division I basketball committee, and the group is balanced geographically. Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski served as committee chair for the last two tournaments.

"There is a model because basketball’s had a committee for a long time," North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. "You’re going to have some of that. There’s nobody going to be out there that’s an expert on football that doesn’t have some affiliation somewhere in the past with a league or a team or anything so I don’t think you can do away with that."

Ingrained biases or perceptions do not concern at least one league coach.

"With the schedule that Clemson plays every year, if we take care of our business, all that stuff takes care of itself," Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said. "All I can tell you is Clemson worries about Clemson. We go and handle our business on the field, if we’re a one-loss team or no-loss team, Clemson with the brand we have, we’re right there."

Fifty-one players from ACC schools have signed free-agent contracts or received invitations to attend free agent camps from teams in the NFL, the league announced Thursday.

Combined with the 31 ACC players drafted by the NFL, a total of 82 players from ACC schools will head to NFL training camps this year.

When draftees (3) and free agents (10) from Pittsburgh and Syracuse are included, the number of players headed to the NFL grows to a total of 95 players.

ACC NFL Free Agent signees (as of May 9)

Boston College (5)

Nick Clancy, LB, Atlanta Falcons

Emmett Cleary, T, Indianapolis Colts

Jim Noel, DB, Seattle Seahawks

Chris Pantale, TE, New York Jets

John Wetzel, T, Oakland Raiders

Clemson (6)

Dalton Freeman, C, New York Jets

Xavier Brewer, DB, Dallas Cowboys

Spencer Benton, PK, Dallas Cowboys

Tig Willard, LB, Tennessee Titans

Brandon Ford, TE, New England Patriots

Jaron Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Duke (3)

Jackson Anderson, LS, Houston Texans

Tony Foster, DB, Kansas City Chiefs

Conner Vernon, WR, Oakland Raiders

Florida State (3)

Anthony McCloud, DT, Minnesota Vikings

Lonnie Pryor, FB/RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Rodney Smith, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Georgia Tech (5)

T.J. Barnes, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars

Izaan Cross, DE, Buffalo Bills

Rod Sweeting, CB, New Orleans Saints

Orwin Smith, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (invited to free agent camp)

Tyler Morgan, LS, Carolina Panthers

Maryland (5)

Devonte Campbell, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Darin Drakeford, LB, Kansas City Chiefs

A.J. Francis, DE/DT, Miami Dolphins

Matt Furstenburg, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Joe Vellano, DE/DT, New England Patriots

Miami (3)

Dalton Botts, P, (Tryouts with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints)

Ramon Buchanan, LB, Seattle Seahawks

Jeremy Lewis, OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

North Carolina (4)

Casey Barth, PK, Atlanta Falcons

Jheranie Boyd, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Erik Highsmith, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Kevin Reddick, LB, New Orleans Saints

NC State (6)

Zach Allen, G, Carolina Panthers

Brandan Bishop, S, Minnesota Vikings

R.J. Mattes, OL, New England Patriots

Tobais Palmer, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Cameron Wentz, C, Minnesota Vikings

C.J. Wilson, CB, Chicago Bears

Pittsburgh (4)

Ray Graham, RB, Houston Texans

Hubie Graham, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Shanahan, WR, New York Jets

Ryan Turnley, C, New York Giants

Syracuse (6)

Lou Alexander, T, New Orleans Saints

Zack Chibane, G, Buffalo Bills

Dean Goggins, DE, Atlanta Falcons

Alec Lemon, WR, Houston Texans

Marcus Sales, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Brandon Sharpe, DE, Washington Redskins

Virginia (5)

Paul Freedman, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Steve Greer, LB, Washington Redskins

Perry Jones, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Colter Phillips, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

La’Roy Reynolds, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Virginia Tech (5)

Nick Becton, T, San Diego Chargers

Marcus Davis, WR, New York Giants

Antoine Hopkins, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bruce Taylor, LB, Cincinnati Bengals

Alonzo Tweedy, LB, New York Giants

Wake Forest (1)

Kenny Okoro, DB, San Diego Chargers

The ACC’s leading active career rusher does not play for heavyweights Florida State or Clemson.

Surprise: That distinction belongs to Wake Forest, which had one of the worst running games in the country last year.

Senior Josh Harris enters this fall as the league’s leading active career rusher with 1,760 career rushing yards and a 4.8 per-carry average. Needless to say, the Deacs are still looking for more this fall from both Harris and the entire running game. Wake Forest ranked No. 113 in the country last season in rushing offense.

While Harris has been a highlight for the Deacs’ offense, his success has been fleeting and his durability questioned, thanks in part to a nagging hamstring injury. This spring, emphasizing the run was a priority in the playbook, and offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said three running backs the staff thinks it can count on have emerged.

Heading into fall camp, Harris is leading the depth chart as expected, followed by Deandre Martin and Josh Wilhite, who redshirted last year. Lobotzke compared Wilhite to former Deac and all-time leading rusher Chris Barclay in that he’s quick, shifty, and can stop and start. The staff is also willing to give Dez Wortham from Texas a shot at playing time.

"Last year we were just abysmal at running the ball, from start to finish," Lobotzke said. "We really couldn’t get much going. We dedicated most of the spring to trying to run the ball better in different ways to get them between the tackles, get them in space, one-back sets, two-back sets, gun, pistol, everything, just trying different things and studying every good running team that’s out there in college football, trying to steal stuff from people."

They’ve also asked quarterback Tanner Price to get more involved in the running game.

“We've really got to get back to running the football,” coach Jim Grobe said. "The key to that is having him run the football. We did that as a freshman, then we got him knocked out at Florida State running the football. It panicked us a little bit. Then we went back to being more of a pocket football team and making him throw the football all the time. You know, you really need a good offensive line and a great group of receivers to do that.

"But this past year when we weren't as strong at receiver and had all those issues with injuries and whatnot on the offensive line, we just put too much on Tanner to throw the football," he said. "So we've got to get back to where we know Tanner can throw the football, but we've got to get back to where we don't live and die with the throw game. I think asking him to run the football more is going to be the thing that our offense needs.”

USA Today does a great job of collecting and researching data, and the latest report details revenues and expenses for 228 Division I athletic departments in the country.

There is good news for the ACC: In comparing this year's database with last year's, it looks like every school that reported saw an increase in total revenue. Keep in mind that private schools like Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, Wake Forest and Syracuse don't have to report their financial information, and Pittsburgh is protected by restricted Sunshine Laws, so its database wasn't available, either. A few quick observations:

• Louisville will be a money add to the ACC, as it would be ranked No. 2 in the ACC in total revenue right now.
• The Terps are heading to the Big Ten for financial reasons, and the athletic department depends heavily on subsidies -- more than any other school in the ACC at $17.2 million.
• Florida State made the biggest increase in total revenue from last year, jumping from $78.5 million to $100 million. Rival Florida, though, dropped from $123.5 million to $120.7 million.

Here is the breakdown of ACC revenues and expenses, according to the USA Today database:

Clemson

Total revenues: $70,002,280 (No. 37)

Total expenses: $67,783,797 (No. 38)

Florida State

Total revenues: $100,049,444 (No. 13)

Total expenses: $90,278,878 (No. 15)

Georgia Tech

Total revenues: $63,184,163 (No. 44)

Total expenses: $61,179,789 (NO. 44)

Louisville

Total revenues: $87,840,501 (No. 20)

Total expenses: $84,133,793 (No. 21)

Maryland

Total revenues: $68,142,660 (No. 39)

Total expenses: $68,109,639 (No. 35)

North Carolina

Total revenues: $82,424,430 (No. 25)

Total expenses: $81,921,783 (No. 24)

NC State

Total revenues: $59,757,911 (No. 46)

Total expenses: $56,332,313 (No. 48)

Virginia

Total revenues: $80,835,566 (No. 27)

Total expenses: $75,437,849 (No. 30)

Virginia Tech

Total revenues: $70,723,748 (No. 34)

Total expenses: $66,970,798 (No. 40)

Subsidies

• Clemson $5.3 million
• NC State $5.4M
• Georgia Tech $6.9M
• Virginia Tech $7.6M
• Florida State $7.7M
• UNC $9M
• Louisville $10.7M
• UVA $13.1M
• Maryland $17.2M

1. Clemson: The Tigers reinforced their spot atop the power rankings after a spring that featured the re-emergence of Sammy Watkins in the receiver group, and what appeared to be added growth of the front seven on defense. Questions remain in the secondary, but with Watkins and Tajh Boyd leading the way, the Tigers remain the favorites to win the ACC.

2. Florida State: There is no doubt the Seminoles have a lot of production to replace. But Jameis Winston looked like an emerging star this spring, there is depth at running back and the Noles should be dominant again on the offensive and defensive lines. A new aggressive defensive style has hopes high in Tallahassee that this team can reload rather than rebuild.

3. Miami: Stephen Morris and Duke Johnson looked fantastic throughout the spring, raising hopes that Miami can once again get itself back into the Top 25 and perhaps even make some noise nationally. Defense remains a concern, though with 20 starters returning on both sides of the ball, something should be said for having a more experienced team coming back.

4. North Carolina: The Tar Heels have found some answers for their holes on the offensive and defensive lines and believe they will be able to replace Giovani Bernard with the trio of A.J. Blue, Romar Morris and Khris Francis. The big key this spring was having a second season learning Larry Fedora's offense. With Bryn Renner back, the expectation is for this group to play even faster and score even more.

5. Georgia Tech: Vad Lee and Justin Thomas impressed coach Paul Johnson this spring, and so did the way the defense took to the new scheme coordinator Ted Roof has brought in. There is some major depth at the A-back and B-back positions as well, putting the Jackets in position to make another run at the ACC championship.

6 Virginia Tech: The Hokies might have been ranked higher on this list if their offense did not have such a letdown in the spring game. Questions still remain at every single position on that side of the ball, from Logan Thomas to the running backs to the receivers to the offensive line. The defense, however, should return to the form we have often seen out of Bud Foster-coached groups.

7. Wake Forest: The Deacs are a senior-laded team, and as such, they should be expected to make it back to a bowl game. Watch out for a more versatile offense and some more explosiveness out of Tanner Price, Michael Campanaro and Orville Reynolds. After the nightmarish injury bug that hit this team last season, everybody should be healthy and ready to go for fall practice.

8. Syracuse: The Orange are still searching for candidates to replace several big-time players in Ryan Nassib and top receivers Alec Lemon and Marcus Sales. The quarterback competition continues, but the depth Syracuse has at running back will be tough to beat. The Orange should also be stingy on defense, with nose tackle Jay Bromley and linebackers Marquis Spruill and Dyshawn Davis returning.

9. Maryland: The Terps' running game took a major step forward this spring with the emergence of Brandon Ross as a dependable ball carrier, and quarterback C.J. Brown is expected to be cleared for full participation again this summer after tearing his ACL last year. The receivers should be a strength with Stefon Diggs and Deon Long, but can the defense hold its own?

10. Virginia: The tired storyline of a quarterback competition continues under Mike London, as Phillip Sims, David Watford and Greyson Lambert expect to learn who the starter will be in August. The running game remains a question, and the Cavaliers also have big shoes to fill at linebacker with the departure of leading tackler Steve Greer.

11. Pitt: It was a rough spring for the Panthers, who saw leading returning rusher Rushel Shell transfer and also had to dismiss three backups from the team. Tom Savage is leading the quarterback battle, but he's not a lock after Chad Voytik had an impressive spring game. Pitt also needs a second dependable receiver to emerge to help free up Devin Street.

12. Duke: Quarterback Anthony Boone drew high praise from those within the program as he took over the offense for the first time as the team's projected starter. There is plenty of talent returning on offense, but until proven otherwise, Duke's defense remains the weak link.

13. NC State: First-year coach Dave Doeren and his staff increased the tempo of the offense, and quarterback Pete Thomas got the most reps with the first team, but the competition with Manny Stocker continues. There is still a lot of work to do in Raleigh, as NC State has an entirely new coaching staff, new schemes and 12 starters to replace, including standout quarterback Mike Glennon.

14. Boston College: Nobody in the ACC has more work to do that first-year BC coach Steve Addazio, but he came out of the spring as enthusiastic as ever. Depth at all positions remains a concern, but particularly at running back. The good news is that veteran quarterback Chase Rettig returns, and he has a familiar face in former BC wide receivers coach Ryan Day, who is now the offensive coordinator.

The best thing to happen to the ACC this spring had nothing to do with the 15 practices each team was allotted, and everything to do with the 15 teams that will soon comprise the conference.

On April 22, the ACC announced that all 15 university presidents -- including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville, and excluding Maryland -- signed a grant of media rights agreement, effective immediately. With one swift, unanimous motion, the conference put a halt to any rumors of defection and reinforced the message it had been repeating but many still refused to believe: The ACC is sticking together. It was a historic moment for the conference, and one that overshadowed Florida State's spring quarterback battle, Virginia Tech's subpar spring game and Miami's never-ending wrestling match with the NCAA.

Despite all of the instability on the field this spring in the conference -- new coaching staffs, new quarterbacks and new schemes -- the ACC will enter this fall on more stable ground than ever before.

And that is easily the biggest win the ACC has had in years.

The next step is to come out on the winning end of what will be arguably the toughest nonconference schedule in league history, but this spring revealed few concrete answers for many programs in transition.

Florida State, NC State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia still have ongoing quarterback competitions. Duke and Georgia Tech will have first-year starters at quarterback, leaving half of the conference with unproven players at the most important position. The transfer of quarterback Clint Trickett at Florida State opened the door for Jameis Winston, and he knocked it down in the spring game with one of the ACC's most impressive performances. Still, coach Jimbo Fisher is keeping the competition open with Jacob Coker.

The Hokies' offense under first-year coordinator Scot Loeffler left Virginia Tech fans in a panic after totaling just 23 yards on the ground, and the situation only worsened when running back Michael Holmes was charged with a felony. Pitt's running game also took a hit when leading returning rusher Rushel Shell decided to transfer, and three Panthers, all reserves, were suspended from the team.

Several potential stars emerged, as Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett, North Carolina running back A.J. Blue, Wake Forest receiver Orville Reynolds, Duke quarterback Anthony Boone and Boston College running back Andre Williams drew rave reviews from within their respective programs. Miami running back Dallas Crawford showed the potential to emerge from the shadow of Duke Johnson, and Maryland's running backs highlighted their spring.

For Boston College, Syracuse and NC State, this was a spring of transition for first-year head coaches Steve Addazio, Scott Shafer and Dave Doeren, respectively, but they were hardly the only ones in the league in need of introductions. Fisher had six new assistants on his staff and Virginia coach Mike London had a staff overhaul, as did Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer. This spring was spent learning the foreign languages in the playbooks and working on fundamentals and techniques.

More importantly, it was spent solidifying the future of the conference.

Thanks to the grant of rights, the ACC has all of the pieces in place to remain one of the country's power conferences, but on the field, it will have to find more answers this summer if it is going to move up in the conference power rankings.

2012 record: 5-7

2012 conference record: 3-5 (fourth in the Atlantic Division)

Returning starters: Offense: 8; Defense: 8; Kicker/punter: 2

Top returners:

QB Tanner Price, WR Michael Campanaro, TB Josh Harris, G Frank Souza, G Antonio Ford, CB Kevin Johnson, CB Merrill Noel, FS A.J. Marshall, LB Justin Jackson, LB Mike Olson, NG Nikita Whitlock, DE Zach Thompson

Key losses:

FB Tommy Bohanon, C Garrick Williams, LB Joey Ehrmann, LB Riley Haynes, CB Kenny Okoro

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Harris* (608 yards)

Passing: Price* (2,300)

Receiving: Campanaro* (763 yards)

Tackles: Jackson* (81)

Sacks: Jackson* (4)

Interceptions: Johnson* (3)

Spring answers:

1. Camp’s complement: An ankle injury to Campanaro opened the door for Orville Reynolds to emerge as a dependable No. 2 receiver. Reynolds was voted by his teammates as the most improved player on offense this spring. The staff is trying to get the receivers more involved in the running game, and Reynolds, a converted running back, could be the perfect match for it.

2. Depth on defense: The defensive line found a solid rotation two-deep, and the linebackers emerged as a group that should be the strength of the defense this season. Inside linebacker Brandon Chubb had a particularly good spring and got some first-team reps at the expense of Olson, who had some nagging shoulder issues.

3. Opting for the option: The Deacs have changed their offense to incorporate more option and get Price running more. Offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said the staff is interested in integrating standard spread-option runs, zone reads and quarterback draws.

Fall questions:

1. The offensive line. It’s the biggest concern on the team, and was the weak link last season. With so many injuries in 2012 that carried into the spring, there was little time for a five-step drop, and Price was constantly making throws under pressure. Until this group is solidified, Lobotzke won’t rest easy.

2. Impact freshmen. The redshirting policy is on hold for now, as the staff has made it clear that they are willing to play whomever is capable of helping the team win now. True freshmen will be given a legitimate chance to contribute immediately, but until they arrive this summer, nobody knows who or how many will contribute.

3. Can running back Josh Harris be consistent? Harris made a name for himself in 2010 when, in his first career start, he ran for 241 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against Virginia Tech. Since then he has battled injuries and his durability has come into question. Now, as a redshirt senior, he has a chance to lead the Deacs’ ground game, but can he stay healthy enough and be consistent enough to reassert himself as one of the ACC’s best backs?

Heather Dinich talks about Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson as the Deacs' top performer this spring.

The Wake Forest coaches are big fans of receiver Michael Campanaro. The Deacs love their top receiver. They know what he can do.

Which is why they didn’t really miss him all too much this spring as Campanaro sat out to recover from ankle surgery.

It was the perfect opportunity for the program to find a complement to “Camp.”

With Campanaro sidelined, receiver Orville Reynolds emerged as a dependable second option for veteran quarterback Tanner Price -- so much so that Reynolds was voted by his teammates as the most improved offensive player this spring. In fact, Reynolds was impressive enough that he actually put the coaches in a bit of a predicament -- now they feel obligated to find a place for him on the field this fall.

“He took advantage of his opportunity,” offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said. “He made a lot of big plays for us. We’re trying to do more things in the run game with the receivers, kind of like we used to do with Kenny Moore back in the day. He’s really good at that, that’s really his forte, and he’s getting better at doing those slot receiver routes that we do, those balls that Camp catches over the middle and stuff, he’s getting better at those things.

“The biggest problem we have right now is, when Camp comes back, what do we do with Orville?” Lobotzke said. “We’re trying to figure out if we’re in a three receivers set, is Orville good enough to play one of the other positions and not just slot? Can he slide in outside, or put him in the boundary, or whatever? Because right now, he and Camp are overlapping. We want to have two of those guys, but we hate to have two of our faster, better players stacked up behind each other on the depth chart. We’re trying to figure out where Orville fits right now, but he’s got a bright future. After Camp graduates, I think the show will be his at slot.”

Reynolds, a converted running back, is so thrilled to be a part of the offense he’ll play just about anywhere they ask him to lineup.

“I’m just ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do, wherever I have to be on the field,” Reynolds said. “I know that a lot of eyes are going to be on Camp, so maybe I’ll free up somewhere else, but wherever the coaches want me to play, then that’s where I’ll play. I’m just excited that I can be used in the offense.”

Midway through last season, the staff decided to move Reynolds from running back to slot receiver. Lobotzke kindly described Reynolds as a “fish out of water,” getting limited playing time behind superstar Campanaro.

That clearly changed this spring.

“I was a lot more comfortable,” Reynolds said. “It was a lot of work to get the feel for everything. I just thank God I got a shot to show everybody what I have.”

As a former running back, one of Reynolds’ strengths is catching the ball in open space and gaining the yards after the catch. Reynolds said he and Campanaro are good friends, and that Campanaro has given him advice on the position. Despite missing two full games and most of a third last fall, Campanaro still set an ACC single-season record for per-game pass reception average (7.9), making 79 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns. He had over 12 catches in a game on three different occasions, including an ACC record-tying 16 grabs in the Deacs’ win over Boston College.

This fall, he might be even more productive if Reynolds continues to be another option the defenses must be concerned about.

“He's kind of embraced the slot position,” head coach Jim Grobe said. “Going through spring, as much as we love Camp and we know he can play, I thought it was a perfect scenario for Orville to show whether he could play or not. He had a great spring -- did some good things running the football, catching it. Just a completely different kid from what we've had the past couple of years. So I do think we have a guy that can back-up Campanaro. But what he's done for us is he's probably made us look at having two slots on the field sometimes.”

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This past spring, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe spent more time in the offensive staff meeting room than he has his entire tenure with the program, according to offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke.

Together they picked apart everything they did last year -- looked at how they used personnel, where they might have been wasting time, what they can do better. They changed the offense, and they changed one of the staples that has come to help define Grobe’s philosophy as a coach: redshirting.

Since Grobe was hired in 2001 -- through 12 seasons -- he has only played a total of 22 true freshmen. To put that into perspective, consider that Miami alone played 16 true freshmen last year. Wake Forest played two. During the 2006 season, not one true freshman played for Wake Forest and Grobe has never played more than three in a season.

If that’s going to change, this will be the year.

“We’re opening it up now,” Lobotzke said. “We’re telling everybody we want to win this year, we’ll play anybody it takes on either side of the ball to do that. The redshirting policy is kind of on hold right now. We just want to win. We want to win, we want to win right now, so we’re going to play anybody if it will help our depth.”

That includes offensive linemen, quarterbacks, running backs -- you name it. Lobotzke said the staff recruited four offensive linemen in its 2013 class who have the potential to see immediate playing time. They also have five quarterbacks -- the best depth the program has seen in years at the position -- and Lobotzke said the staff won’t hesitate to “pull a shirt off” one of those rookies if need be.

After finishing 5-7 last fall, there has been a greater sense of urgency to win this year, especially with a senior-laden team.

“We’ve raised the bar here at Wake Forest,” Lobotzke said. “It used to be, if you went 5-7, everyone kind of said, ‘Oh, OK, good try, guys, get ‘em next year.’ Now we’re really trying to encourage our players to be pissed about 5-7. We’re saying, ‘Hey, look, this is unacceptable. This isn’t the Wake Forest of 10 years ago. This is the new Wake Forest, where we don’t accept 5-7. Something has gotta change right now, and if we don’t go out and win, we’re going to play some young guys. Compete for your jobs and those spots and understand that just because you’re old doesn’t mean you get to be the starter. You have to earn it and you have to go win.”

Redshirting is a plan for the future, but the Deacs are starting to play for now.