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.

One of the topics discussed at last week’s ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla., was the idea of reserving the final week of the regular season for built-in rivalry games.

There’s only one problem: Pitt-West Virginia doesn’t exist anymore.

For half the ACC, this is a no-brainer. It’s already become an expected date on the schedule for many schools, like Virginia Tech-Virginia, Wake Forest-Vanderbilt, Clemson-South Carolina, Florida State-Florida and Georgia Tech-Georgia. NC State-North Carolina is another logical option. With the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to league this July, though, the idea of a rivalry week becomes a little more complicated.

Virginia Tech should be Pitt’s top ACC rival -- and that doesn’t have to diminish or replace what the Hokies already have going with (or, more accurately, against) Virginia.

Virginia Tech fans will gladly tell you the Hokies have owned UVa for nine straight seasons and 13 of the past 14. It is a rivalry in proximity and between the fan bases, but it has lost much of its luster on the field because of the lopsided results in the series. That doesn’t diminish the importance of the game. Last year, bowl eligibility was on the line for Virginia Tech. In 2011, the Hokies clinched the Coastal Division title against a surging Virginia team that had won four straight and finally appeared ready to make a serious run at the Commonwealth Cup. It was a similar situation to 2007, and again the Hokies came out on top.

In order for a rivalry to truly exist, there must be geographical and recruiting relevance, familiarity, meaningful games and history between the programs. Pitt and Virginia Tech have all of the above as former members of the Big East. In 2000, Virginia Tech beat Pitt on a last-second field goal. In 2002, Larry Fitzgerald had his breakout season, and Pitt rallied from a 21-7 deficit to beat Virginia Tech 28-21. In 2003, Pitt scored a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining to beat No. 5-ranked Virginia Tech in what would become one of the best games played at Heinz Field, college or pro. And last year? Ugh. If Virginia Tech isn't ready to pounce on Oct. 12 in Blacksburg and redeem itself, somebody should make sure the Lunch Pail hasn't been painted pink.

Virginia Tech-Pitt is a rivalry that can continue to grow, even if it’s not played on the final week of the regular season.

Two other top rivalry options for Pitt would be Boston College and Miami -- because of their obvious history in the Big East -- but with BC in the Atlantic Division, those games could have less relevance to the division standings and their meetings would be less frequent. BC and Pitt haven’t played since 2004, but their history dates back to 1959. If you’re looking for the regular-season finale, though, Miami seems like the most logical option. The two have history in the Big East, the Canes aren’t tied up with an SEC game and the game will have meaning to the Coastal Division standings. This year’s scheduling might be the first step toward building that rivalry, as Miami ends the season at Pitt on Friday after Thanksgiving in a nationally televised game. Pitt hasn’t had much success against the Canes in recent years, though, as Miami leads the series 22-9-1 and Pitt hasn’t won since 1997. How the series with Georgia Tech evolves will also be intriguing, but the two city schools have little recent history.

The good news for Pitt is that there are plenty of options in the ACC for a rivalry to be either renewed or created -- regardless of whether or not it's played on the final week of the regular season. Which one gets your vote?

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Earlier this month, the NCAA suspended recruiting deregulations that would have allowed unlimited text messaging from coaches to prospective student-athletes.

You can bet the ACC coaches let out a collective cheer. Duke coach David Cutcliffe, the coaches' chair, reiterated during the ACC spring meetings that his group is completely against recruiting deregulation.

"We far more favor regulation than total deregulation," he said. "We have concerns with deregulation, that it turns into a free-for-all. We are not in favor of earlier communications with prospects. We are not in favor of unlimited calling or text messaging. We feel that’s a distraction to the student-athlete, particularly juniors or even seniors for that matter.

"The theme coming out of that room is regulation as opposed to deregulation. We also took the approach and I think our coaches did a great job of this, not voting or talking legislation based on what’s good for our program but what’s good for the student-athletes and what’s good for the game. As the chair this year I would commend our entire group of ACC coaches. It was well done in that regard."

On one more recruiting issue, Cutcliffe said the ACC coaches still want an early signing period. That issue has been debated for years now without a resolution.

"When it comes to the recruiting rules, we’re not really in favor of any big changes to our calendar," he said. "The one thing we think needs to have serious study is an early signing period, with not any change to the calendar."

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."

Duke running back Josh Snead said he can remember when he first came to Durham, and the offensive linemen blocking for him “barely went over 270” pounds.

“Now we’ve got O-linemen in the 300s who can move, are very athletic,” Snead said. “It’s a blessing.”

“In the past, it’s been a very West Coast, pass-heavy offense,” Snead said. “Now we’re stronger up front. With us being a team that’s not really been on the radar with football, it’s been hard getting great recruits and big linemen and stud athletes up front to protect, so we had to be pass heavy. It’s the quickest way to get the ball out. Now, we’ve got great guys who are strong and powerful up front that can pass protect and run protect, which makes the game much easier.”

With four starters returning on the offensive line, all four running backs returning from 2012, and a new starting quarterback who is much more mobile than his predecessor, expect Duke’s running game to finally be a factor this fall. Those within the program certainly do. In the past, Duke has depended heavily on the arm of former quarterback Sean Renfree and his favorite target, ACC record-setter Conner Vernon, but with new faces came a new philosophy this spring -- run first.

Last year, Duke’s running game was No. 98 in the country at 125.23 yards per game -- and that was its highest ranking in at least six years. Overall, the top six rushers from a year ago return, including quarterbacks Anthony Boone and Brandon Connette. Last fall, Jela Duncan, Snead and Juwan Thompson combined for 1,403 yards on 283 attempts. It should again be a running back-by committee approach.

“Whoever has the hot hand, we’re going to encourage them,” said Duncan, who led the team in rushing last year with 553 yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries. “We’re going to be there rooting him on and pushing him to do his best in the game.”

The difference this year is that they’ll have an added dimension in Boone, who will be in his first season as a starter.

“With Anthony being a dual-threat quarterback, teams have to realize they’ll have to handle 11, not just 10,” Snead said. “We’re going into it this year looking at it as a great running dimension, whereas in the past, we had a quarterback who was very good at throwing the ball, but we knew when it was time to run the ball, we knew we were getting the ball instead of Boone just taking off with it at any given moment.”

Boone has played in 22 games over the past two years and has rushed for 211 yards and six touchdowns. Boone knows to give credit where it’s due -- up front. For the second straight season, Duke’s offensive line will lose just one starter: center Brian Moore.

“They’re very experienced,” Boone said. “We’re going to feature them. I tell them every day, I may not buy you a dinner tonight, but without you guys, nothing in our offense is possible. You guys have to be the heart of our offense. I know the quarterback is supposed to be the heart and voice, but in my mind, the guys up front are the guys who are going to take us places.

“From there, our running back corps is unbelievable. They’ve basically mastered the zone and the footwork and the reads. They’ve built a really good relationship with our offensive line. They joke around, they hang out. There’s a lot of trust and backing each other up. With our running backs, they’re obviously an experienced group. They’re all capable of making explosive plays and being very physical. They don’t back down from any physical challenge at all, which I love about every single one of them. They feed off each other. They talk trash, like, ‘Oh man, how’d you miss that,’ but at the same time, it’s a love, a brotherhood they have that I really can’t say anyone can get in the way of.”

How many times have you heard fans and coaches shaking their fists at the scheduling gods whenever a new conference slate is announced?

Well, my friends, Friday's Notre Dame-ACC scheduling announcement should not be one of those times. Both the Irish and the league should be applauded for the way they handled an often maddening process to provide a win for all parties involved.

The schedules for 2014, 2015 and 2016 are perfectly balanced. Each season features one major high-profile game with national implications. Simply put, it was a wise move to have the Irish play Florida State in 2014, Clemson in 2015 and Miami Hurricanes in 2016.

Both the Seminoles and Tigers have elevated themselves back into the national spotlight and appear to be annual Top 25 programs again. Both the Irish-Noles and Irish-Canes rivalries are classics with huge national interest (even if the Miami game last season was decidedly one-sided).

In addition to those games, Louisville snagged a huge spot in Year One of the three-year rotation -- potentially adding two more Top 25 teams onto the Irish schedule from the ACC. Not a bad way for the Cardinals to start off their first year in a new league, especially with the subpar nonconference slate they have for 2013.

As for some of the games that had already been on the Irish schedule, Notre Dame was able to keep its two-game series with Syracuse intact. The Orange are actually the only one of the 14 ACC teams that will play Notre Dame twice in this three-year cycle. But, as expected, Pitt and BC will lose games previously set.

Pitt -- the ACC team that has played the Irish the most with 68 previous appearances -- remains on the schedule for 2015. That means its games against Notre Dame for 2014 and 2016 are off. Pitt will play Delaware, FIU, Akron and Iowa in nonconference in 2014.

Boston College remains on the schedule for 2015 as well. That means its game against Notre Dame scheduled for 2016 is off as well.

Folks in Pittsburgh and Boston have had time to come to terms with these expected changes as part of the ACC-Notre Dame partnership. Looking at the bigger picture, the ACC stands to benefit from what should be an overall stronger nonconference schedule -- especially since that is going to play such a large factor in the future playoff. Should Notre Dame continue what it started last season, the ACC benefits even more.

As for the Irish, their future ACC schedules are not totally daunting. On paper, 2014 looks to be the most difficult with Florida State, Louisville and North Carolina all on the slate. But the Louisville and UNC games are in South Bend. Even in 2016, both Miami and Virginia Tech play at Notre Dame.

Of course, predicting the ease or difficulty of future schedules is an exercise in the unknown, since teams change so much year-to-year. But at least today, the schedule split looks exactly right.

Seven ACC teams held their spring games this past weekend as practice begins to slowly wind down until August.

Heather provided her Pitt recap earlier this morning. Here is a quick look at the headlines from the other spring games across the league:

CLEMSON

The Tigers suffered a big hit during their spring game last Saturday, when the team lost backup quarterback Chad Kelly to an apparent torn ACL. Kelly was in a heated competition with Cole Stoudt for the backup job, but it now appears he could be lost for the season. Coach Dabo Swinney said Kelly was hurt while making a cut at the end of a run. Starter Tajh Boyd was held out of the game so the Tigers could get a good look at Kelly and Stoudt. The backup last season, Stoudt set a Clemson spring game record with 304 yards passing and threw four touchdown passes, but his White team lost to the Orange team 34-26 in front of a spring-game record crowd of 30,000.

Sammy Watkins led all receivers with seven catches for 156 yards and two scores, while Grady Jarrett had three sacks. Vic Beasley had two sacks, giving him 10 sacks in four scrimmages.

Tight end Sam Cooper and tackle Kalon Davis also sustained knee injuries in the game, but they are not believed to be as serious.

DUKE

Anthony Boone and Jamison Crowder were the stars of the spring game as the Blue Devils showed a glimpse of how good they can be on offense this season. Boone went 18-of-30 for 273 yards with two touchdown passes to Crowder, and two interceptions. Crowder finished with four catches for a team-high 71 yards as the Blue team beat the White 27-12.

Blue team end Britton Grier had two sacks and seven tackles, including three for loss. Lucas Fisher, Sam Marshall and Keilin Rayner each added sacks for the Blue team.

“I like where we’re headed,” coach David Cutcliffe said. “We’re building some depth. I think we can be a more energetic defense. The big thing is focusing on why we give up big plays, but trying to play defense, trying to force longer drives. It’s going to be interesting film to study. We got a lot out of this game.”

FLORIDA STATE

Coach Jimbo Fisher did not name a starting quarterback after the spring game, so the competition will go on into the offseason. But highly touted Jameis Winston sent jaws dropping with his standout performance, going 12-of-15 for 205 yards with two touchdown passes before leaving the game early to play in the Noles' baseball game against Duke.

"He came in there and he took advantage of opportunities," Fisher said. "That's what you got to do. You've got to go make plays and he's done a nice job of making plays. He took the opportunity to take the day with the stage he had and I thought he played pretty well for the most part."

Winston and Clint Trickett split time with the first team for most of the afternoon. Trickett was just 10-of-16 for 98 yards and an interception before switching to the second team, where he was 12-of-16 for 161 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Coker, also competing for the starting job, went 15-of-26 for 186 yards, a touchdown and two late interceptions.

MARYLAND

Running backs Brandon Ross and Albert Reid took center stage, as both ran for over 100 yards in a 13-13 tie between the White and Red teams on Friday night.

Ross had 123 yards on 10 carries, while Reid had 138 yards on 23 carries in the game. Wes Brown, who missed the spring with a shoulder/ankle injury, is expected to be healthy in the fall so the competition at this position is going to be an intriguing storyline during the offseason.

"I limited what the defense could do. It was still good to see them," coach Randy Edsall said. "That is what we have seen out of Brandon and Albert all spring along with how they run. The one thing we have to be able to do is run the ball efficiently. When we do that it opens up the passing game. With the skill guys we have at wide receiver it will make us more productive and a chance to get big plays. They ran the way they have been running all spring.”

MIAMI

Stephen Morris threw for a game-high 256 yards and four first-half touchdowns to lead the Orange team to a 35-20 win over the White team. Meanwhile, ACC freshman of the year Duke Johnson led all rushers with 120 yards on 10 carries as the Hurricanes showed how explosive they can be on offense this season.

“We’re pretty dominant,” receiver Rashawn Scott told local reporters. “Everyone is communicating and … no one is frustrated. If we mess up, we all talk instead of yelling at each other.”

At halftime, the Canes handed out four Spring awards to Nantambu-Akil Fentress (305 walk-on award), Olsen Pierre (defensive most improved player), Danny Isidora (offensive most improved player) and Herb Waters (special teams most improved player).

NORTH CAROLINA

Bryn Renner went 16-of-27 for 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue team to a 34-10 win over the White. The running back who took center stage in the game was not A.J. Blue or Romar Morris but true freshman Khris Francis, who ran 20 times for 101 yards to lead the White team. Blue had eight carries for 30 yards, and Morris had 15 carries for 80 yards to lead the Blue team as the Tar Heels work to replace Giovani Bernard. Blue added a 33-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass.

"I thought all three of our running backs played well," coach Larry Fedora said. "But Khris, for his first time out there in a game-type atmosphere, he did a good job. He hit some holes and exploded in them. One time I thought he got stood up. I said something to him and the next time he's got his shoulders down and he's running north-south. That's what he's got to do, so he did some nice things."

Defensively, end Kareem Martin had seven tackles, including four sacks. Travis Hughes added a team-high 14 tackles, including two sacks.

With half of the conference playing spring games this weekend, here’s a look at what to watch if you’re keeping an eye on the ACC as spring ball comes to a close:

CLEMSON

When: 4 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN3)

What to watch:

• Quarterbacks of the future. You know Tajh Boyd is good. Expect Cole Stoudt and Chad Kelly to take most of the snaps. Boyd played just four snaps in the last scrimmage. Let's see his backups.
• The tight ends. Clemson tight ends Dwayne Allen and Brandon Ford have been the first team All-ACC tight ends the past two years. Clemson tight ends have 118 receptions and 21 touchdowns the past two years, perhaps the most underrated area in Chad Morris’ offense. So who moves in there this year? Sam Cooper is the most experienced, but freshman Jordan Leggett has been impressive this spring.
• How much better is the defense? All eyes will be on Brent Venables' group to see how much progress it has made this spring. If the D gets better, it could be a special season in Death Valley.

FLORIDA STATE

When: 2 p.m. Saturday, (ESPN3)

What to watch:

• The quarterbacks. It's been one of the hottest topics this spring in the ACC and arguably the biggest position battle in the conference. Check out Clint Trickett, Jacob Coker and Jameis Winston as they all battle to replace starter EJ Manuel.
• The defensive line. The competition is on to replace Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine. Mario Edwards Jr. is ready to jump in, along with Giorgio Newberry.
• Don't forget the kicker. It's big at FSU. The Noles have to replace Dustin Hopkins, the ACC's all-time leading scorer and the NCAA's all-time kick scorer. It's your chance to see Roberto Aguayo, who was one of the nation's top kickers coming out of high school.

MARYLAND

When: 7 p.m. on Friday in Byrd Stadium

Parking/admission: Free

What to watch:

• The running backs. Both Brandon Ross and Albert Reid have had strong springs and will be competing for playing time come the fall.
• The receivers. This group should be a strong point for the team this year, as Stefon Diggs, Deon Long and Nigel King are a talented trio.
• New faces on defense. The Terps have to replace six starters on defense, including some of their best leaders in Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis.

DUKE

When: 4 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN3) in Wallace Wade Stadium

Parking/admission: Free

What to watch:

• Booooooone. Anthony Boone takes over at quarterback, and there have been rave reviews about him from within the program all spring. He's got a strong arm and is mobile.
• New faces at safety. Some big names are gone, as Duke has to replace graduates Jordon Byas and Walt Canty, and Brandon Braxton, who moved back to receiver. Jeremy Cash, eligible now after transferring from Ohio State and sitting out last fall, headlines the group that includes sophomore Dwayne Norman (60 tackles in 2012 as true freshman) and redshirt freshman Corbin McCarthy.
• Front and center: There is one hole to fill on the offensive line and Matt Skura takes over at center for Brian Moore.

MIAMI

When: 3 p.m. ET at Sun Life Stadium (ESPN3)

Gates open: 12:30 p.m.

Parking/admission: Free

What to watch:

• Defensive improvement. Is there any? The Canes were one of the worst in the country last year, but they return every starter up front.
• The No. 2 QB. Who is it? Gray Crow started the last scrimmage as the backup to Stephen Morris and completed 8 of 13 passes for 73 yards, with a touchdown and interception. Ryan Williams, who entered the spring as the expected No. 2, completed only six of his 12 passes with a touchdown and an interception. The coaches will be watching these guys closely on Saturday, so should you.
• Running back Dallas Crawford. You know Duke Johnson. It's time to get to know this guy. Those within the program have said Crawford has had a great spring and could be a rising star this fall. He scored two touchdowns in a scrimmage in Naples earlier this month.

NORTH CAROLINA

When: 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kenan Stadium (ESPN3)

Admission: Free

Parking: $5/vehicle

What to watch:

• Gio's replacement(s). A.J. Blue and Romar Morris have been working to ease the loss of leading rusher Giovani Bernard. Can they be as effective as he was, how much progress have they made and who will replace Bernard in the return game?
• The O-line. Former guard Jonathan Cooper should be a first-round draft pick later this month, and it won't matter how good Blue and Morris are if they can't find anyone to help block for them. A total of three starters have to be replaced on the offensive line.
• Replacing big names on D. Cooper and Bernard aren't the only big names that will be missing. The defense is going to miss tackle Sylvester Williams, who could be another first-round draft pick, and linebacker Kevin Reddick (85 tackles, 8.5 for loss). How does the D look without them?

PITTSBURGH

When: 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Bethel Park High School (ESPN3)

Gates open: 5:30 p.m.

Admission: Free

What to watch:

• The quarterbacks. Fifth-year senior Tom Savage has taken most of the reps with the first team, and redshirt freshman Chad Voytik appears to be the backup, but coach Paul Chryst has yet to name a starter.
• The running backs. Earlier this month, it was announced that Rushel Shell has decided to transfer. Since then, the bulk of the carries have gone to junior Isaac Bennett, sophomore Malcolm Crockett and senior Desmond Brown. How they fare will go a long way in determining how Pitt fares in its first season in the ACC.
• The offensive line. It's been problematic for the Panthers in each of the past two seasons, and Pitt now has to break in two new starters in Gabe Roberts and Adam Bisnowaty.

Max McCaffrey’s Duke family tree has more branches than the federal government.

His grandfather, Dave Sime, was an All-ACC outfielder who led Duke in batting average, home runs and stolen bases. He won 12 ACC titles in track, was an All-American, and set seven world records. He played one season of football as a wide receiver and went on to win a silver medal in the 100-meter dash in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Oh, and he found time to graduate from Duke’s medical school in 1962.

And that’s just gramps.

McCaffrey’s grandmother, Betty Conroy, graduated from Duke in 1959. His uncle, Scott Sime, lettered in four seasons (1981-84) as a fullback at Duke before graduating in 1986. Another uncle, Billy McCaffrey, lettered two seasons (1990-91) in basketball at Duke.

And that was just at Duke.

McCaffrey’s dad, Ed, was an All-American receiver at Stanford and went on to play 13 years in the NFL. His mother, Lisa, earned three letters in soccer at Stanford. Oh, and aunt Monica lettered four seasons in hoops at Georgetown.

That must make for some family picnic.

“I guess it’s a pretty competitive family,” Max said.

There’s no question he has inherited the trait.

“Oh, man, Max McCaffrey has opened up every single person’s eyes here,” Duke quarterback Anthony Boone said. “I don’t know if he wants me to say this, but he came out a little bit of a fighter, like he’s not gonna back down from nobody. He’s been making a lot of plays. He’s our blue-collar guy. He’s going to work. Even when he’s tired, he’s going to push through. He’s smart, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s tough. He’s going to stick his nose in there in the run game. Even if he gets smacked and hits the ground, he’s going to get back up and try and push the guy a little extra. He’s a hard-nosed player and he’s really stepped up and shined bright for us this spring. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s going to do this year in the ACC.”

Despite his remarkable pedigree, there’s no pressure from McCaffrey’s family to be the next All-American wide receiver. There is, however, a wee bit of pressure on Duke’s receivers to fill the void left by record-setter Conner Vernon, who closed out his career as the ACC’s all-time leader in pass receptions and receiving yardage. McCaffrey only caught two passes last year, but he's proven more than worthy this spring of stepping in opposite Jamison Crowder, who started all 13 games last year and had five 100-yard games. Crowder is poised to be the next go-to player, but McCaffrey will be equally important in keeping defenses honest.

“He’s had a great spring,” said offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. “I think the thing that I like the best about him is he’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s a guy who, every day -- it doesn’t matter if you’re at the beginning of practice or the end of practice -- his effort level is the same. His competitiveness is the same. I don’t think I really understood how tough he was, but he’s a tough guy, too, so he can make the contact area catches. He doesn’t mind mixing it up when he has to block in the run game. I can’t say I’m shocked by how well he’s doing. I obviously couldn’t be happier about it, because we need him to step up in a big way. I think spring is about getting guys game ready, not about beating your defense, and I think Max is ready to play on Saturday, quite frankly.”

McCaffrey, a sophomore, caught two passes for 31 yards against Florida State last year and played a total of 196 snaps in 13 games. He said he knows more will be expected of him this fall. At a scrimmage earlier this month, McCaffrey caught five passes for a team-high 76 yards.

“Last year just getting a little bit of experience was awesome, but this year I definitely need to step it up,” he said. “I’ve been working real hard this spring just perfecting the offense, learning coverages on defense, just being able to read the coverages, and I’ve been trying to get a lot stronger and faster, just working on basic fundamentals of the game.”

He’s already mastered the competitive part. After all, it’s in his genes.

Last Wednesday's announcements that Connecticut had agreed to a home-and-home series with Boise State and that Cincinnati would be heading to the Big House in 2017 were the latest in a trend that has seen BCS-conference schools boost their nonconference schedule strength.

While the soon-to-be-former Big East is entering its last season as a BCS school, before the four-team college football playoff takes into effect in the 2014-15 season, aggressive scheduling is one way to keep the league on the national radar.

The slates will provide several opportunities for big national upsets in the coming years, so here's a look at some of the notable future opponents for each current conference school.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats host Purdue this season and will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., in 2016. They go to Illinois this year as well, a return trip from the schools' 2009 game at Nippert Stadium. In addition to going to Michigan in 2017, Cincinnati goes to Ohio State in 2014 and 2016 and has a home-and-home with BYU set for 2015 and 2016 (at BYU, at Cincinnati).

Connecticut: The Huskies host Michigan and Maryland this year, the second parts of home-and-homes from 2010 and 2012, respectively. In addition to the Boise State home-and-home set for 2014 and 2018 (at UConn, at Boise), UConn has a home-and-home with BYU in 2014 and 2015 (at UConn, at BYU), a home-and-home with Tennessee set for 2015 and 2016 (at UConn, at Tennessee) and a home-and-home with Virginia scheduled for 2016 and 2017 (at UConn, at Virginia).

Houston: The Cougars host BYU this year and head to Provo, Utah next year.

Louisville: The Kentucky series is the only one the Cardinals currently have scheduled with a BCS-conference opponent through 2016, going to Lexington this season and in 2015, with the Wildcats visiting in 2014 and 2016. Perhaps that will change when the Cardinals begin ACC play in the 2014 campaign.

Memphis: The Tigers host Duke this season after visiting the Blue Devils in 2012. They have a home-and-home with UCLA for 2014 and 2017 (at UCLA, at Memphis), a home-and-home with Kansas for 2015 and 2016 (at Kansas, at Memphis), a home-and-home with Missouri for 2015 and 2016 (at Memphis, at Missouri) and a four-game home-and-home with Ole Miss from 2014-17, beginning in Oxford, Miss.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights host Arkansas this season after traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., in 2012. They will host future Big East member Tulane in 2014, each's first season in its new conference, after playing the Green Wave in Piscataway, N.J., in 2010 and in New Orleans last season. Miami (FL) visits Rutgers in 2018 and hosts it in 2019, and the Scarlet Knights have future home-and-homes with UCLA (2016 at Rutgers, 2017 in L.A.) and Kansas (2015 at Rutgers, 2018 in Lawrence, Kan.) To Rutgers' credit, it had also originally scheduled home-and-homes with Maryland and Penn State before it had announced that it was moving to the Big Ten.

SMU: The Mustangs have quite the in-state home-and-home lineup. They canceled this season's home game with Baylor, and while it is unknown if the 2013 game will be made up or bought-out completely, the schools still have a home-and-home scheduled through 2019. The Battlle for the Iron Skillet with TCU will continue through 2017, with the Horned Frogs playing host this season. SMU will go to Texas A&M this year and host the Aggies in 2014, closing out a four-year home-and-home. They begin this season with a Friday night home contest against Texas Tech.

Temple: The Owls begin the Matt Rhule era at Notre Dame this season, a place they will re-visit in 2017. The Irish will visit Philadelphia in 2014. The two-for-one Penn State series continues from 2014-16, with the Nittany Lions visiting Philly in 2015. Temple will host Maryland in 2014 and travel to College Park at a future date to be determined, after a home-and-home in 2011 and 2012 that saw the visiting team win each time (Temple, then Maryland).

UCF: The Knights aren't backing down as they move up a level of play. They go to Penn State this season and will host the Lions in either 2014 or 2015. They host South Carolina this season and visit the Gamecocks in 2015. They go to Missouri in 2014 after hosting the Tigers this past season. They host BYU in 2014 after visiting the Cougars in 2011. And they go to Maryland in 2016 before hosting the Terps the following season. UCF has a 2017 date at Texas, too, as part of an agreement that saw the Longhorns visit the Knights in 2007 for UCF's first game in its new stadium before hosting them in 2009.

USF: The Bulls host Michigan State this season as part of a two-game home-and-home that will be returned in 2017. They will play the final game of a five-game series with the Miami (FL) this fall at home as well. USF will host North Carolina State in 2014, have a two-game home-and-home with Indiana in 2015 and 2016 (at USF, at Indiana) and play at Florida sometime in the future.

Kurt Roper has several titles for Duke: He is the assistant head coach, the offensive coordinator, and the quarterbacks coach. He joined Duke in January, 2008, and was promoted to assistant head coach this past February. Last year, Roper guided Duke’s offense to an average of 31.5 points per game, the fifth-highest total in school history. This year, he has a new quarterback in Anthony Boone and a new center in Matt Skura. I caught up with Roper recently to get his take on the offense this spring. Here are the highlights of our conversation:

Looking at the quarterback position, obviously that’s been a big change for you guys. How has Anthony looked this spring?

Kurt Roper: He’s done a good job. It’s obviously a different role in the fact he’s a starter, so you have to walk, talk, look like -- everything you do has to be as the starting quarterback. I think he’s taking that responsibility the way he should. It still has to show up on the field in productive play, and he’s doing that. He’s a guy who’s really skilled. He’s a guy who, his feet are great, his throwing motion is really fast-twitch. His arm is really strong. He’s a good decision-maker. He has command of what we’re doing at the line of scrimmage. I guess what I should say is, he has a quarterback’s charisma. He’s playing like a starter for the most part. There are things we always need to improve on. His accuracy is a thing we stress all the time, but he’s a guy who can help us win games on Saturday, and he was able to do that last year.

Who else is having a good spring for you offensively?

KR: Isaac Blakeney is doing a good job for us at his position, he’s really a talented guy who can make plays and needs to keep coming on. Matt Skura and Lucas Patrick in the offensive line have had good springs and are physical guys. When you lose a starting center, that’s a scary thing. It’s nervewracking. Especially with us, the way our offense is built, with the gun snap such a high percentage of the time. If you can’t be good at that, it’s hard to be a good offense, and he’s done a good job of that. If we stay healthy, we’ve got four running backs that can help us win on Saturdays. That’s a position we have some confidence in.

How do you guys look up front on the offensive line?

KR: That’s probably been the area that has been the most transformed since we’ve been here in guys that can help us win. You try to build depth. What happens at that position, if you don’t feel like you have eight guys that can go play -- your five starters and then a third tackle, a third guard, and a second center -- then you have huge depth issues. Every year that we’ve been here, we’ve had those huge depth issues. If the wrong guy gets hurt, then it gets hard for us. I think we’re building that depth. I think we’re closer to saying we’ve got eight guys who can go play against ACC competition and have a chance to help us win.

From your perspective, where do you think the program is at? You guys hit an important milestone getting to the bowl game last year, but I’m sure you would have liked to win more in the second half of the season.

KR: The best thing I can say is it’s going in the right direction. When we got here, it definitely was a challenge in the fact we were fighting people’s perception of us. I think we’ve been fighting that challenge -- and it really shows up in recruiting more than anywhere else. People have to buy in and believe, and I think by going to a bowl game, people are starting to see tangible evidence to what we’re selling in recruiting. It’s going in the right direction. I do think we’re better physically in some places than we’ve been. Each Saturday, it doesn’t matter where you are … if you’re coaching for the Green Bay Packers, it’s still hard to win on game day, but we’re putting guys out there who are really good college football players.

You’ve heard of Cabin Fever?

Duke tight end Braxton Deaver half-jokes that he’s been suffering from Training Room Fever.

In December 2011, Deaver tore his ACL. He went through the rehab, missed all of last spring, came back strong, and then broke his thumb in June and was out for five weeks. As soon as he came back, he fractured his patella, essentially ripping his kneecap in half.

“At one point,” he said, “I was just angry.”

Understandably so.

It’s been a long road to recovery, but Deaver has finally rejoined his teammates this spring with the hopes of being a major contributor this fall. He’s still not 100 percent healthy, but Deaver is participating in spring drills and expects to play again for the first time since 2011. When he’s at his best, those within the program say Deaver can be a complete tight end for the Blue Devils -- a strength the team was lacking last year. Deaver, though, is versatile enough to help the running backs get to the perimeter, help the tackles with the linebackers, and be a threat as a pass catcher.

He just hasn’t been in a starting role yet.

“I love his mentality,” said offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. “He’s a guy that just loves football, lives and breathes it. It’s who he is. It’s kind of his identity, if that makes sense. He’s really talented. I’ve been around some guys who have gone on to play in the NFL at the tight end position, and Braxton is like that. When he’s healthy, I don’t think the size, speed, strength, football IQ combination could get better.”

Deaver is eager to prove it.

Roper said Deaver was about 205 pounds coming out of high school, and some recruiters doubted if he would be big enough to be a tight end and fast enough to be a wideout. He was recruited by Wake Forest, where his father, Jay, lettered four seasons as an offensive guard (1985-88). Duke, though, showed more interest, and Deaver gravitated toward the offense and the coaching staff.

Now, at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Deaver is more than capable of both blocking and catching. He also has added motivation from the injuries he suffered.

“I wanted to come back and really show everyone exactly what I can do,” he said. “Everyone says he’s got the potential, but you know what? I’m done with that. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is.”

Deaver said he puts the team goals first, but that he wants to catch over 50 balls, be a first-team all-ACC selection, and be “the absolute best” he can be. He’s finally healthy enough to try and do that.

“I’ve never felt better in my sport-playing career,” he said. “We have an unbelievable staff here as far as the training room and everything else. I’ve been really diligent. I knew it was going to be hard, but I really put my nose to the grindstone and now I feel great.”

Here is one trend to keep an eye on this spring in the ACC.

The potential rise of dual-threat quarterbacks.

Last season, four teams had true dual-threat signal-callers starting -- EJ Manuel at Florida State, Tajh Boyd at Clemson, Logan Thomas at Virginia Tech, and Tevin Washington at Georgia Tech. Depending on how some of the open quarterback competitions go, the ACC could see as many as nine dual-threat starters at the position.

We already know that Duke is trying to install some option principles with Anthony Boone taking over for pro-style Sean Renfree. Wake Forest has said it wants starter Tanner Price to run more out of designed plays. NC State coach Dave Doeren has succeeded the past two years at Northern Illinois with a dual-threat quarterback. Syracuse and Virginia also have dual-threat quarterbacks competing for the starting job.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe explained his decision to shift philosophy in an interview earlier this month with fellow blogger Heather Dinich.

Cutcliffe said of Boone, "He is the new era of quarterback. Anthony is going to change our run game a good bit. He can prolong plays better. Just watch football, I don’t care what level -- it’s not just the zone read. Ben Roethlisberger is not that kind of guy, but he prolongs plays really well for the Steelers through the years. That’s how a lot of big plays occur. That wasn’t Sean’s strength. It is Anthony’s. Anthony is always dangerous back there. I think that adds a little bit of life to your offense."

Here is a look at the type of quarterback each team has across the ACC.

Boston College: Pro-style with Chase Rettig. The Eagles are sure to feature a running quarterback in the future as coach Steve Addazio prefers dual threats to run his spread offense.

Clemson: Dual threat. Boyd is one of the best in the nation.

Duke: Dual threat with Boone. Changed from pro-style.

Florida State: Dual-threat Jameis Winston will compete for the starting job against pro-style QBs Clint Trickett and Jacob Coker.

Georgia Tech: Triple-option, with Vad Lee taking over.

Maryland: Pro-style, C.J. Brown.

Miami: Pro-style, Stephen Morris.

North Carolina: Pro-style Bryn Renner.

NC State: Dual-threat Manny Stocker competing against pro-style Pete Thomas. Dual-threat Jacoby Brissett also transferred from Florida but has to sit out a year.

Pittsburgh: The only school with an open competition featuring two pro-style quarterbacks: Tom Savage and Chad Voytik.

Syracuse: Pro-style Charley Loeb is competing with dual-threat quarterbacks John Kinder and Terrel Hunt.

Virginia: Pro-style Phillip Sims is competing with dual-threat David Watford and pro-style Greyson Lambert this spring.

Virginia Tech: Dual-threat with Thomas.

Wake Forest: Working toward making Price more dual threat.

Head coaching salaries have been on the rise for years. So have assistant coach salaries, sparking a further separation between the programs that can pay and the programs that cannot.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that athletic directors have seen their salaries grow as well.

USA Today, which annually compiles head coaching salaries, recently found FBS athletic directors make an average of $515,000. That is an increase of more than 14 percent since USA Today last reported on AD salaries in 2011.

The ACC beats that average. Of the available salaries compiled by USA Today, ACC athletic directors were set to make an average of $602,829 in 2013. All but two made more than $500,000 -- Kevin Anderson at Maryland ($499,490), and Randy Spetman at Florida State ($350,00).

That doesn't count incoming Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, who makes a cool $1.4 million -- the highest paid athletic director at a public school. Only nine athletic directors make $1 million or more. The next highest paid public school AD is Dan Radakovich at Clemson, checking in at $725,000.

Boston College and Miami, two private schools, did not disclose figures.

While Spetman's salary has remained the same for the past several years, it still surprises me that the athletic director at one of the most high-profile football programs in the nation is the lowest paid in his league. And one of the lowest paid in the entire state of Florida. Florida AD Jeremy Foley makes more than $1 million; USF AD Doug Woolard makes nearly $500,000; Todd Stansbury at UCF makes just a smidge more ($375,000); and FIU AD Pete Garcia makes $441,832.

I know Spetman has faced his share of criticism, and the Noles have fought through some financial problems. They do pay Jimbo Fisher $2.75 million -- the highest paid coach in the ACC. But something seems off when the ADs at FIU, UCF and USF make more than the guy at Florida State.

Here are is the complete list of AD salaries in the ACC, thanks to USA Today.

• Tom Jurich, Louisville: $1.4 million*
• Kevin White, Duke, $906,536
• Dan Radakovich, Clemson: $725,000
• Ron Wellman, Wake Forest: $688,000
• Mike Bobinski, Georgia Tech: $625,000
• Jim Weaver, Virginia Tech: $621,529
• Steve Pederson, Pitt: $596,595
• Craig Littlepage, Virginia: $586,750
• Daryl Gross, Syracuse: $570,057
• Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina: $565,000
• Debbie Yow, NC State: $500,000
• Kevin Anderson, Maryland: $499,490**
• Randy Spetman, Florida State: $350,000
• Brad Bates, Boston College: NA
• Blake James, Miami: NA

*Louisville expected to join ACC in 2014

** Maryland will depart ACC in 2014

With 14 teams and 113 games on the 2013 ACC schedule, there is a lot to digest in a short period of time. Here are a few quick notes and nuggets on each team's slate to get you started.

No ACC school will play fewer than six teams with six or more wins. Virginia which will face a league-high 10 opponents that fit the category, followed by Georgia Tech and Pitt, which will each face nine opponents with six or more wins in 2012.

BOSTON COLLEGE

• With Villanova now on the schedule, the two teams will play for the first time since 1980 and the 46th in series history.
• The Eagles' home schedule is front loaded. They close the season with three of their final four games on the road, including a date at New Mexico State on Nov. 9 in the middle of ACC play.

CLEMSON

• The game between Georgia Tech and Clemson on Nov. 14 is the first home Thursday night game for the Tigers since Oct. 25, 2002, when Clemson played NC State, and just the third in history.
• This also marks just the second season that Clemson has played a pair of Thursday night games. The 2002 season was the only other year it has happened. With the two Thursday night games and byes, Clemson will not play on four Saturdays once the season begins (Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Nov. 9 and Nov. 16).

FLORIDA STATE

• Florida State does not have a Thursday night game for the first time since 2005.
• The Noles open at Pitt on Labor Day, the sixth time Florida State has played in the Monday night contest.
• Coach Jimbo Fisher says, "I am really excited about the 2013 schedule and it will provide great exposure for Florida State and the ACC. We are excited to open up the season with a great opponent like Pitt and getting to play a new opponent at their venue to welcome them to the ACC. We are looking forward to that.”

PITT

• To accommodate the Florida State opener, Old Dominion replaces Villanova on the Panthers' schedule. The Panthers will host Old Dominion on Oct. 19. Villanova, Pitt’s original season-opening opponent, will now open the season at Boston College.
• Says coach Paul Chryst, "Each and every week will present us with a significant challenge and opportunity. And season openers don’t get any bigger than facing the defending ACC champion, Florida State, on national television."

VIRGINIA

• For the first time in Virginia’s history, the Cavaliers will play eight home games. Two are against top nonconference opponents BYU and Oregon to open the season.
• Coach Mike London says, "This is a very challenging schedule, but it is the type of schedule I want us to play each and every year. We will have to be our best in every practice and every game. With eight home games, our fans can really make a difference. We can’t do it without them."

VIRGINIA TECH

• Virginia Tech will have a short week to prepare for Georgia Tech and the conference opener as the Hokies take on the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on Thursday, Sept. 26, after playing Marshall on Sept. 21. Georgia Tech has a short week, too, against a tougher opponent -- hosting North Carolina on Sept. 21.
• This is the first time since the 2001 season that Virginia Tech has not been the host for a Thursday night ESPN game.

WAKE FOREST

• The first Saturday the Deacs play on will be Week 3. They open the season Thursday, Aug. 29 against Presbyterian and then play at Boston College the following Friday, Sept. 6.
• That BC game marks Wake Forest’s first regular-season Friday game since playing at Miami on Nov. 21, 1969.