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Out with the old, in with the new. The ACC has lost a lot of talent from 2011, including arguably the best player in the conference in former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. There are still a lot of names for fans to be excited about, though, as we get closer to summer camp. Which players in the conference will emerge as the best? Well, based on past performances and their bubbling potential, here’s the first guess. As part of the “College Football Live” 100 Days 'Til Kickoff countdown, here’s a look at the top 10 players in the ACC.

1. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: He broke all the ACC’s single-season pass receiving records, finishing the 2011 season with 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was one of the most exciting, explosive players in the country as a true freshman. Watkins averaged 25 yards on 33 kickoff returns, including an 89-yard touchdown against Maryland.

2. David Amerson, CB, NC State: He led the FBS with 13 interceptions -- six more than any other player. It was the most in the FBS since 1968 and tied as the second-best total in FBS history. He broke the ACC’s single-season interception record in the upset of No. 7-ranked Clemson. He also broke the school’s 73-year-old single-season interception record of nine.

3. Giovani Bernard, RB, UNC: He was the leading freshman rusher in the nation. His total of 1,253 rushing yards was third-best by a freshman in ACC history. He also had 13 touchdowns on 239 carries and was third in the ACC with 96.4 rushing yards per game. He had 45 catches for 362 yards and a touchdown.

4. Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech: Thomas set a school record for rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback with 11, and he broke the school's single-season total offense record set by Tyrod Taylor in 2010. His 234 completions, 391 attempts and 3,013 yards passing all rank second in school history for a single season.

5. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson: He completed 298 of 499 pass attempts for 3,828 yards, 33 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over 14 starts. He completed 59.7 percent of his passes and had a 141.2 pass efficiency rating. He also had 218 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He had 4,046 total yards and was responsible for a school-record 38 touchdowns.

6. Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech: Fuller played at nickelback/whip linebacker and corner. He had an interception in the Sugar Bowl against Michigan and eight tackles against Clemson in the ACC title game. He finished 2011 with 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also had two interceptions, nine passes defended, five quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

7. Joe Vellano, DT, Maryland: Vellano led the FBS in tackles by a defensive lineman with 7.8 per game. He finished third on the team with 94 tackles, had 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. His jaw-dropping 20 tackles against Georgia Tech were unforgettable.

8. Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State: He was second in the ACC with eight sacks for a loss of 62 yards and had 12 tackles for a loss of 79 yards. He finished with 41 tackles, a pass breakup and five quarterback hurries. He was the defensive MVP of the nation’s No. 4-ranked defense, and he was still disruptive despite facing double-teams throughout the season.

9. Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech: He only played in eight games in 2011 before a season-ending injury, but Taylor still had 53 tackles, seven TFLs and five sacks. He led Tech in tackles in 2010 with 91 and in TFLs (15.5) and was second in quarterback sacks (6.0). He also had four pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries.

10. Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State: Despite missing four games with injuries, Greene led FSU in receiving with 38 catches, 596 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches as a true freshman. He averaged 15.7 yards a catch and 14.7 yards on three runs from scrimmage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a look at those who made names for themselves, those who fine-tuned some strengths and those who burst onto the scene this spring in the ACC.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson: Hopkins had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' spring game, including five for 100 in the first quarter. Coach Dabo Swinney called him the team's spring MVP, and he and Sammy Watkins could form the top receiver tandem in the nation.

RB Rolandan Finch, Boston College: Finch will have to carry a bigger load with Montel Harris off the team, and he stepped up in the spring game when the three men ahead of him were all banged-up, rushing for 196 yards on 27 carries. He will likely battle with Andre Williams for the top spot this fall, though both figure to see plenty of time.

LT Cameron Erving, FSU: The converted defensive tackle impressed this spring, as the sophomore is one of two new tackles the Seminoles are breaking in on the offensive line, a unit that may just be the deciding factor on whether FSU can return to the national elite this season. Coach Jimbo Fisher has called the 6-foot-5, 304-pound sophomore a future NFL starter.

QB Ryan Williams, Miami: Coach Al Golden said this week that Stephen Morris has been medically cleared, and he will likely enter a full-on quarterback competition with Williams, the Memphis transfer who saw most of the action this spring and played well, despite a sub-par spring game.

TE Jake McGee, Virginia: The converted quarterback caught two passes for 81 yards and figures to be a reliable target this fall after a subpar performance for the Cavaliers' tight ends last season.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia: Coach Mike London named him the team's most distinguished freshman this spring, but he will have to grow up fast. After playing almost every snap last fall, he is the veteran of the Cavaliers' secondary in 2012.

DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech: Maddy was named the Hokies' defensive MVP of this spring. The rising sophomore has said he has adjusted to the speed of the game after a freshman year that featured seven starts, and he figures to be a key on a line that will anchor Virginia Tech's defense this season.

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

Thanks, Jimbo, for keeping the expansion talk alive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams said through a spokesperson that he is not concerned that basketball players made up 3 percent of the students enrolled in suspect classes within a department the school investigated for academic fraud, our Robbi Pickeral reports.

Should UNC's football program be worried? Tar Heels football players represented 36 percent of the enrollment in the 54 courses within the Department of African and Afro-American Studies between summer 2007 and summer 2011.

From Dan Kane of the Raleigh News & Observer, which first reported the story on Tuesday:

University officials say they found no evidence that the suspect classes were part of a plan between [Julius] Nyang’oro [the department’s chairman, who was listed as the professor of 45 of the suspect classes] and the athletic department to create classes that student-athletes could pass so they could maintain their eligibility. They said student-athletes were treated no differently in the classes than students who were not athletes.

But the high percentages of student-athletes in the classes suggest to some that academic advisers, tutors and others in the athletic department may have guided them to the classes.

"These kids are putting in enormous amounts of time, and in at least some of the sports that are very physically demanding, they are missing a number of classes because of conflicts, and then if they are a marginal student to begin with, you’ve got to send them to Professor Nyang’oro’s class," said former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr. "I think the academic counselors realized that and the tutors recognized it, and frankly the folks up the food chain for the most part recognized it. But nobody wants to rock the boat, because it’s big money."

A key, Pickeral notes, could be that both athletes and non-athletes appear to have been affected, something the NCAA would likely consider. The fact that there is no evidence of athletes receiving preferential treatment has to make football coach Larry Fedora and company sleep better at night, though this is still more uneasy news for a school nearly two months removed from NCAA sanctions that came following a football saga that must have seemed like it would never end.

1. A seven-member majority of ACC schools came one vote shy of adding a $100,000 fine to the heap of penalties that the NCAA announced for North Carolina last month. That did not leave the majority happy. Neither will this: North Carolina announced that it has uncovered widespread academic fraud in its African and Afro-American Studies program, including classes in which a significant number of football and mens’s basketball players enrolled. But ACC commissioner John Swofford said in an email that the league “doesn’t review institutional reports of this kind.”

2. In case you missed it, on Tuesday night authors Buzz Bissinger and Malcolm Gladwell debated author Tim Green and sportswriter Jason Whitlock on whether college football should be banned (Yes, banned). Bissinger and Gladwell “won” the debate, the sponsor said, because surveys taken of the audience indicated more people sided with them afterward than before. The debate took place at NYU, which means, if nothing else, Bissinger/Gladwell understand home field. If they want to impress somebody with the sparkle of their intellects, hold the next debate at Ohio State. Or Texas. Or Alabama….

3. Dozens of football players who can’t crack a lineup at a football power transfer down a rung or two on the FBS ladder so that they can play. A few make lateral moves because of family concerns or scheme changes. But it’s hard to recall a player like Fresno State junior Jalen Saunders, an All-WAC wide receiver who is climbing up the ladder to Oklahoma. Saunders, who didn’t like his role in the spread offense installed by new Bulldogs coach Tim DeRuyter, will be eligible for the Sooners in 2013.

Here are the five things we learned in the ACC this spring.

1. We've been saying this for the last couple of seasons, but it might finally ring true in 2012: Florida State has enough talent to return to the upper echelon of college football. The Seminoles are going to be as talented as any defense in the country. Quarterback EJ Manuel returns for his senior season, and the Seminoles did a good job rebuilding their offensive line this spring. FSU is going to have to stay healthy and run the ball more effectively to play in a BCS bowl game.

2. Don't sleep on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets return what many believe might be the best offensive line in coach Paul Johnson's tenure at Tech. Quarterback Tevin Washington doesn't do anything spectacularly, but he avoids mistakes and operates Johnson's triple-option spread offense well. If Tech can find a nose guard to run defensive coordinator Al Groh's 3-4 defense, it will be a tough out in the ACC.

3. Clemson might have the best receiver tandem in the country. We knew sophomore Sammy Watkins was a superstar and one of the best playmakers in the country. But DeAndre Hopkins would be the No. 1 receiver on any other team in the conference -- and maybe the country. Quarterback Tajh Boyd has two receivers who will give ACC defensive coordinators some sleepless nights.

4. North Carolina is going to play really, really fast under new coach Larry Fedora. The Tar Heels won't be eligible to play in a bowl game this coming season because of NCAA probation, but it might end up being a blessing for Fedora. The Tar Heels will learn Fedora's no-huddle spread offense without much pressure or expectations.

5. Virginia Tech has won at least 10 games in eight consecutive seasons, the longest such streak in the country. We're used to the Hokies simply reloading every season under coach Frank Beamer. It might not be as easy this season, though. Virginia Tech must replace four offensive linemen, tailback David Wilson and top receivers Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin. The Hokies will probably be slow out of the gates.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- When Andy McCollum was hired to guide Middle Tennessee State from a fledgling Division I-AA program to Division I-A in 1999, he knew the Blue Raiders had to find some sort of an advantage to compete with the sport’s heavyweights.

So McCollum hired Air Force assistant Larry Fedora, who had worked with him on Baylor’s staff in the mid-1990s.

“The first thing we thought was we were either going to run the option because of our personnel, or we were going to be wide open, because we didn’t think we had the linemen to knock people off the ball,” said McCollum, now Georgia Tech’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. “We had a couple of good wide receivers, and a quarterback who could throw the ball.”

Fedora and McCollum decided the Blue Raiders would play at an ultra-fast pace, wasting very little time between snaps, and would try to beat opponents with their tempo and conditioning.

Fedora and McCollum visited Tulane, where Tommy Bowden used a high-paced attack to lead the Green Wave to an 11-0 record in 1998. At the time, the Green Wave was about the only team in college football using a spread attack.

Fedora wanted the Blue Raiders to play even faster than Tulane. He added his own wrinkles to the offense, and has developed it even more over the years.

“Nobody was prepared for it,” McCollum said. “We practiced fast and had a lot of energy on our staff. We were looking for an edge, and it was to snap the ball before they were ready. We weren’t going to whip anybody off the ball.”

Fedora, who is set to begin his first season as North Carolina’s coach, hasn’t slowed down yet. He says his offense is different than the spread attacks run by Washington State’s Mike Leach and West Virginia’s Dana Holgerson.

“We still believe we’re going to be able to run the ball also,” Fedora said.

Fedora’s offense also utilizes the tight ends, which are sometimes overlooked in favor of more receivers in a spread offense. Tight end Ben Troupe excelled at Florida, and Brandon Pettigrew was an All-American at Oklahoma State.

“We’ve had some tight ends who have excelled in this offense,” Fedora said.

Now Fedora just has to find the right personnel at North Carolina.

Larry Fedora has used his fast-paced spread offense to set a myriad school records at previous college football stops. Now he’s ready to pick up the pace at North Carolina.

Fedora was hired at North Carolina on Dec. 8, replacing interim coach Everett Withers, who guided the Tar Heels to a 7-6 record in 2011, after former coach Butch Davis was fired before the season.

But Fedora’s offense comes with a steep learning curve. He has spent much of spring practice trying to teach the Tar Heels how to play at a faster pace. North Carolina will no longer huddle, and Fedora’s goal is to run at least 80 plays per game. The Tar Heels averaged 62.5 plays per game last season; Southern Miss averaged 74.4.

Fedora wants the Tar Heels to spend about five seconds between snaps to increase their productivity.

“The things we’ve been focusing on are the different speeds we want to play at because it’s new to us,” UNC quarterback Bryn Renner said. “Once we get the tempo down, we can focus on the plays and formations.”

UNC’s offensive linemen have to learn to run back to the line of scrimmage, instead of huddling, and receivers and running backs have to hurry back to their positions as well.

“There’s a huge learning curve for the offensive linemen,” Fedora said. “In the past, they went to the huddle and were holding hands or whatever. They were able to catch their breath. In this system, they’re up and in a stance. Eventually they’ll see the advantages in it.”

Renner, who completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 3,086 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first season as a starter in 2011, will carry the biggest load in Fedora’s offense. Renner underwent surgery on his left ankle in December and then spent much of his recovery time digesting Fedora’s playbook.

“For about three weeks, I sat on the couch in a cast and studied it,” Renner said. “It helped me a lot, just having his playbook.”

For the Tar Heels to be successful in Fedora’s first season, Renner will have to play well.

“I think a lot of it depends on your quarterback,” Fedora said. “You’re only going to be as good as that guy. He’s got to have the intangibles and the willingness to learn and be able to process information quickly. A lot of it is on his shoulders.”

It helps that Renner played in a spread offense while playing for his father, Bill Renner, at West Springfield (Va.) High School.

“Right when I first met [Fedora], he told me the offense is going to go with how well the quarterback knows it and how he can relay it to his teammates and make the plays work,” Renner said. “It’s all in my hands to get this offense moving.”

While much of the burden falls on Renner, Fedora also wants the Tar Heels to be balanced. In Fedora’s last season as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator in 2007, the Cowboys ranked No. 7 nationally in total offense, averaging 243 rushing and 243 passing yards per game. He wants similar balance at UNC.

Tailback Giovani Bernard is back after rushing for 1,253 yards with 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2011. But there’s a dearth of wide receivers -- only five scholarship wideouts are coming back; Fedora likes to have at least 12 to rotate into games.

There’s another big obstacle in Fedora’s first season -- the Tar Heels won’t be eligible to play in a bowl game. In March, they were placed on three years’ probation by the NCAA, which included a one-year bowl ban and the loss of 15 scholarships.

But it might actually end up being a blessing for Fedora, who can install his complex system with lesser expectations.

“What are you going to do?” Fedora said. “Sit around and complain about it? That’s just not the way I am. We’re going to move forward. How we react is how we’re going to be remembered. We’ll grow from it. We’ll be better and we’ll be stronger.”

And, of course, the Tar Heels will be a lot faster.

Larry Fedora has walked into a less-than-ideal situation. North Carolina hired Fedora, the former Southern Miss coach, on Dec. 8, nearly two months after the Tar Heels appeared before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. A ruling came down on March 12, leaving UNC without a total of 15 scholarships over the next three years, during which the program will be on probation.

Fedora kicked off his first spring practice with UNC two days later, the start of a season that will end without a postseason appearance, as well, after the program was given a one-year bowl ban. We caught up with the new coach on Wednesday to get his take on his new squad. The Tar Heels' spring season concludes with their annual spring game April 14.

What have been your impressions so far from spring practice?

Larry Fedora: I can tell you this: Our players have had a tremendous attitude. They're working extremely hard and learning as quickly as they possibly can. And I've seen some early good things out here. But I've seen some really bad things out there. We've got a long way to go to get to where we want to be, but we're gonna get there, because of just the effort they're putting in and their attitudes. You know, when you're installing a new offense, new defense, new special-teams philosophy, it's like trying to teach them a new language, and doing it at a very fast tempo. But as long as they continue to have the attitude they're having, it's gonna be fine.

There's obviously a new staff and new system -- what are you really hoping to accomplish this spring? Is there a slower learning process? How do you go about it?

LF: Well, I mean, the things we wanna accomplish when we come out of spring is for the guys to have a very good understanding of our base offense, our base defense and our base on special teams, in all of our phases of special teams. So when we finish up they have to have a very good understanding of the base. We're not putting in any of the thrills, it's just the base, they've gotta understand the system. And once they understand that, then we can go from there. That's the first objective. The second object is to learn how to practice The Carolina Way -- the tempo, the energy level, the enthusiasm that we expect in practice each and every day. They can learn that. And then the third thing is to find out who are the guys that are gonna make plays for us next year.

Anyone stand out so far who has really caught your attention?

LF: Too early to say. We've got our first full scrimmage today, so I'm gonna have a better feel after that. But we have definitely had guys that have stepped up and shown leadership ability on defense, like Sylvester Williams, and [Kevin] Reddick; on offense, Bryn Renner, Jonathan Cooper, guys like that who have some experience. So they're able to step up and show some leadership. At the same time, they're learning everything for the first time also.

It's been a couple weeks now since the NCAA sanctions came down, that's out of the way. You know what you got and what's coming your way. How much of a relief was that, especially before spring started, to get that out of the way?

LF: I think it was a huge relief, not just for our staff but for our players. Just to get this thing behind them. I think a lot of people overlook the fact that these guys have had this cloud of uncertainty hanging over them for about two years now. And that's difficult for an 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kid. So I think there's just a huge feel of relief that it's over -- "Hey these are the sanctions, these are what they are, it is what it is. Now let's have a plan, let's move forward from here and let's go."

What was the hardest part, in your mind?

LF: I don't know. I just don't look at it that way. I really don't. I just look at it: These are the consequences for the actions. Because it's something that we talk about with our players all the time. Life's about choices, and when you make choices there's consequences to every choice. And a man faces the consequences of his choices. And so that's kind of just the way we've looked at it. "Hey, these are the consequences. Whether we're the reason that we have this consequence or not, it doesn't matter. It is what it is. So we've got to face them, we face them like a man, we keep our head up and we work hard and we move on."

What do you set for them in terms of a carrot that you dangle postseason-wise? Obviously the bowl game's out of the realm of possibility this year. How do you keep them going?

LF: You've been around college football. Not everybody's just playing for a bowl game. You have enough pride within you as a football player and as a person that you want to go out and you want to compete at the highest level and try to win each and every game that you can possibly play. Our goal is not gonna change as far as, we want to be competing for the Coastal Division championship. That's what we want to do. Whether it's recognized or not, we will know.

You mentioned earlier about The Carolina Way and a new beginning. How much of a sense of duty is there from you to kind of restore that and make this a new beginning, and for this program to really take in a new era here?

LF: Well, if you think about it, with all the circumstances that happened, it is a new era. It is a new beginning. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. So that's over with. We started something new. You're talking an entirely new program, basically -- when you talk about a philosophy change, a total coaching change. So the players have to buy into this and they've got to learn this entirely new way. Everything that they've been used to, they've got to change. And it's important that we get going and move forward from here, because there's been so much uncertainty in the last couple years.

You sound like a man with a lot of energy. My colleague Heather Dinich has said you can be a walking advertisement for Red Bull. Where does that energy level come from, and how important is it, especially with this situation and this team?

LF: I'm a high-energy guy, and I'm a very positive guy. The coaches that I have on our staff are very high-energy and they're very positive. I think the team will take on the personality of the coaches. And so it's important when we're moving around and we're fast and we're talking and we're getting after it and we're positive, then I expect our team to practice the same way and also, hopefully, play the same way.

You've got to hand it to Dabo Swinney. On Wednesday, the Clemson coach told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Carvell that he would like to see the NCAA permit a spring scrimmage against another team.

The basics of Swinney's plan:

• Teams have the option of a normal spring game or one against an opponent.
• The opponent must be out of conference but within driving distance.
• The coaches must agree on scrimmage rules beforehand.

Win. Win. And win.

More money for athletic departments. More exposure for both schools. More for coaches to learn about their teams, not having to monitor both sides of the ball and measuring them up against another team of equal stature.

Here's more from his interview with the newspaper:

"The good thing about doing something like this is that in the spring time, you don't have your whole team there. Like last spring, for example, we were missing 31 guys for spring ball. So we were very, very thin. This year, we have more bodies on hand. But still, every time you practice against each other in a scrimmage, you're 100-percent invested with your personnel, as opposed to if you go and scrimmage somebody else. You're scrimmaging their defense, while your defense is on the sidelines. When your offense is out there, your defense is on the sidelines. You’re not 100-percent vested with what’s going on. I just think there’s something good with that.

"Plus I think a scrimmage would be a great way to further teach our guys and prepare them for the season … to be able to implement your schemes against another opponent, and it could be against anybody. Obviously, I don't think you should do it against a team in your conference. But anybody else … maybe the NCAA could put stipulations like it's got to be a team within a 100 or 200 miles or something like that. Most everybody could find somebody to scrimmage against.

"I think it would be fun. I think the players would enjoy it. I think the fans would enjoy it. But that’s just one guy's opinion."

Injury is obviously a risk, as it is every time a players steps onto the field. But it's not like players aren't going hard in practice when starting positions are up for grabs.

The newspaper surveyed a number of college coaches on the idea, including North Carolina's Larry Fedora, Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson and Virginia's Mike London, each of whom appears open to the idea.

Some of these matchups seem natural — Clemson vs. Georgia, Georgia Tech vs. Auburn, Miami vs. Florida, North Carolina vs. South Carolina, Maryland vs. West Virginia, Boston College vs. a number of Big East schools, to name a few. Colleague Edward Aschoff of the SEC blog offers up a few not-so-convenient options, though they'd be every bit as entertaining — namely, Alabama-Florida State and Tennessee-Virginia Tech.

I know I'd be more entertained by this than by teammates hitting each other and switching sides for three hours. Interested to hear your takes.

ESPN The Magazine senior write Ryan McGee takes a look this week at the effect North Carolina's sanctions could have on the next schools in line, Oregon and Miami.

If the details of Yahoo! Sports' August report prove true, McGee says, the results will not be pretty for the Hurricanes.

Nothing angers the Committee on Infractions, no matter who is on the panel, quite like someone on the coaching staff knowing about a rogue booster or agent and doing nothing about it. USC running backs coach Todd McNair was believed to have known about the Reggie Bush-Lloyd Lake relationship. That was pretty much the NCAA's whole case. It cited Ohio State's inability to track Bobby DiGeronimo, who at worst paid players a few hundred bucks and got them sham jobs.

But in the case of Nevin Shapiro at Miami, the Yahoo! guys present evidence that suggests at least seven members of the Hurricanes football and basketball staffs not only knew about him, they steered athletes and recruits toward him. Then he "provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010."

Honestly, if all of that ends up being proven by the NCAA, the UNC and Ohio State cases won't matter. They might be the NCAA's new baseline, but the Miami situation won't be concerned with baselines. It might be establishing a new ceiling.

The current committee ruled on both the Tar Heels' case this week and Ohio State's case in December. With the majority of the committee staying on through at least the next year — and with the committee's seemingly newfound references to precedent — McGee feels those two cases could provide a template for high-profile football cases in the future.

The Butch Davis era began at North Carolina in November 2007 with high hopes. It ended Monday in the dreadful, funereal ritual of the release of a report of the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

Just coincidence, said committee chair Britton Banowsky, the Conference USA commissioner, that the report came out the day after North Carolina became a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament for a national-record 14th time. But the timing provided a reminder of what the university hired Davis to achieve and how spectacularly he failed to do so.

Over the course of the 1990s, Mack Brown had built the Tar Heels into a national power. He commandeered the resources to build one of the first Taj Mahals in the sport -- a $50 million palace of offices and facilities that announced to recruits and rivals that North Carolina took football seriously.

As much as Brown achieved, he couldn't lift the Tar Heels into the BCS hierarchy where the Florida States played. Though Brown left for Texas after the 1997 season, he had planted the seed. Nine years of mediocrity under Carl Torbush and John Bunting failed to dim the potential that Brown had kindled in the program.

Davis rebuilt a Miami team struck down by NCAA penalties and took them to the precipice of a national championship. When Davis left after the 2000 season for the Cleveland Browns, Larry Coker, his top assistant, took over and won the next 23 games. With the foundation assembled by Davis, Coker coached the Hurricanes within a double overtime of two consecutive crystal footballs.

That builder is who the Tar Heels assumed they hired. And Davis, a coaching lifer who traveled from Oklahoma high schools to the NFL, wanted to create a football empire on Tobacco Road.

For Ivan Maisel's full column, click here.

There is still "The Carolina Way," former North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour insisted during a teleconference Monday, a message that was echoed by both chancellor Holden Thorp and current AD Bubba Cunningham.

"Obviously this has been a painful, difficult experience — we don't like to have this kind of attention brought to any part of the university, especially one as visible a part of the athletic program," Thorp said. "But again, I think the recovery plan that we have with the hirings we've made and the steps we've taken I think shows that we're serious and we understand the seriousness of the case, but we also understand the importance of Carolina football to the UNC family. And I feel like we've done a good job of balancing all of those things."

Holden said the school considered appealing the sanctions this morning but came to the conclusion that it would not make sense given how long it would take, along with previous schools' successes with such procedures. Ultimately, he said, the Tar Heels wanted to move forward.

Cunningham said the additional six scholarship losses — in addition to the self-imposed nine — is the harshest of the penalties. The school discussed a self-imposed bowl ban for several weeks but decided against it because the school cooperated directly with the NCAA throughout the process.

The school will still receive an equal share of bowl revenue from the ACC, despite its bowl ban for the 2012 season. Current seniors on the roster are eligible to transfer without penalty because of the bowl ban.

North Carolina officials also stressed that former head coach Butch Davis "absolutely" gave full cooperation throughout the investigation.

Britton Banowsky and Gregory Sankey of the Committee on Infractions held a nearly 27-minute teleconference with reporters to discuss the findings and penalties of the North Carolina football program. Here's a roundup of what was said on the call:

• The committee repeatedly praised North Carolina for its job with the investigation.
• The NCAA was not going to impose a blanket duty on members to monitor social-networking websites, citing issues regarding privacy and where to strike a balance. If information was available and came to the attention of the school, that's one thing, but to expect every school to monitor all the social-networking sites of all of its student-athletes would be too much.
• The committee dealt with the particular circumstances of this case as it pertains to agents and was not looking to draw upon past cases.
• The postseason ban does include the ACC title game, in the event the Tar Heels win the Coastal Division. Also, the scholarship reduction is adding six to the already self-imposed total of nine over the next three years.
• The committee said John Blake's three-year "show cause" is not out of the ordinary and stressed to read the particulars of his penalty when comparing to other cases. Blake is prohibited from any recruiting activity.