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The official list for the NFL combine has been released. A total of 48 players from the ACC have been invited to audition for the NFL from February 23 – March 1. When categorized by school, it's somewhat of a reality check to see how many of the best players in the conference are moving on, and which programs will take the biggest hit. It's impossible not to wonder how good North Carolina could have been had all of the following players remained eligible. The Tar Heels will send the most players to the combine with 11.

Here are the players who will represent the ACC:

BOSTON COLLEGE (3)

• Anthony Castonzo
• Rich Lapham
• Mark Herzlich

CLEMSON (7)

• Da'Quan Bowers
• Marcus Gilchrist
• Chris Hairston
• Jamie Harper
• Jarvis Jenkins
• Byron Maxwell
• DeAndre McDaniel

FLORIDA STATE (3)

• Rodney Hudson
• Christian Ponder
• Markus White

GEORGIA TECH (3)

• Anthony Allen
• Mario Butler
• Jerrard Tarrant

MARYLAND (3)

• Torrey Smith
• Adrian Moten
• Da'Rel Scott

MIAMI (9)

• Allen Bailey
• Damien Berry
• Matt Bosher
• Orlando Franklin
• Graig Cooper
• Leonard Hankerson
• Brandon Harris
• Colin McCarthy
• DeMarcus Van Dyke

NORTH CAROLINA (11)

• Marvin Austin
• Kendric Burney
• Bruce Carter
• Greg Little
• Shaun Draughn
• Robert Quinn
• Da'Norris Searcy
• Quan Sturdivant
• Johnny White
• Deunta Williams
• T.J. Yates

NC STATE (2)

• Nate Irving
• Owen Spencer

VIRGINIA (2)

• Danny Aiken
• Ras-I Dowling

VIRGINIA TECH (5)

• Rashad Carmichael
• Darren Evans
• John Graves
• Tyrod Taylor
• Ryan Williams

In addition to the emotions that will already be swirling for Saturday's game against NC State, North Carolina has the added motivation of it being senior day, and this is an important group of 17 seniors (16 scholarship) to recognize.

In 2007, the Tar Heels were 4-8 with most of those players logging significant minutes as freshmen. UNC improved to back-to-back 8-5 seasons in 2008 and 2009, including consecutive Meineke Car Care Bowl appearances. Over the last four years, Carolina has won 26 games, the most since UNC won 31 from 1996-99.

The senior class has a wealth of experience, including four players with 40 or more starts, led by safety Deunta Williams (44). Offensively, quarterback T.J. Yates has started 41 games, the most at that position in school history.

Even though the Coastal Division and ACC titles are no longer possibilities, those within the program say they'll never forget the determination it took just to become bowl eligible this year despite the distractions and suspensions from the academic and NCAA investigations.

"It was a goal, but more importantly, guys are playing off pride and their commitment to this team," Williams said. "You're talking about guys who are saying they're not going to miss practice because they need to practice because they're going to play in the game. It's inspiring to see what this team has gone through. I told news reporters after the Florida State game -- I don't care what happens, what the score is, what our final record is. I'll never be able to replace memories of bad things with this team."

"Just being on this team is something that I'll always remember for the rest of my life, this year right here, because of the adversity we had to go through and the things that we did to come up out of the adversity," said Williams. "I've never been part of a team that's fought as hard as we fought this year. We scrapped and clawed and did anything possible to get wins. I've never seen a team with so many players go down, and so many players can't play, walk-ons stepping in and starting at some points in time. It was one of the first times I've ever been around it."

And on Saturday in Kenan Stadium, it will be one of his last.

Here are 10 things to keep an eye on this week in the ACC, in no particular order:

1. Miami freshman offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson. He made his first career start last week in the win at Clemson, and impressed coach Randy Shannon. He’s likely to continue to see more playing time, sharing snaps at right tackle with Jermaine Johnson.

2. Defenses in Miami. Florida State and Miami are among the nation’s best at getting pressure on their opponents. FSU leads the nation in sacks and is second in tackles for loss, while Miami is first in tackles for loss and second in sacks. Quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris will be playing under pressure. Harris has thrown eight interceptions in the past three games while Ponder and E.J. Manuel have been interception free over the past 89 pass attempts.

3. Ailing quarterbacks. Wake Forest is hoping Tanner Price (concussion) is healed in time for Saturday’s game against Navy and the status of Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig (ankle) is expected to be learned today. The injury-laden position has been a disaster for the Deacs, as three have been sidelined. Just when the Eagles seemed to find someone who could manage the offense without turning it over, Rettig hurt his ankle and they’re “back at square one.”

4. Clemson sophomore running back Andre Ellington. He needs 129 more yards in his next 19 rushing attempts to break C.J. Spiller’s school record for fewest rushing attempts to reach 1,000 yards. Ellington leads the ACC in rushing (95.0) and touchdowns (7) so far this season. For his career he has 871 yards in 122 carries. It took Spiller 142 carries to reach that milestone in 2007.

5. NC State’s third-down defense. NC State leads the ACC and ranks seventh nationally in third-down conversion defense. The Wolfpack is allowing opponents to convert on just 26.6 percent of third-down attempts (17-of-64). The Wolfpack has also forced opponents into 23 three-and-outs this season, an average of 4.6 per game. That mark ranks sixth in the nation.

6. North Carolina’s secondary. The Tar Heels will have both starting safeties in the lineup against Clemson with the return of strong safety Da’Norris Searcy and free safety Deunta Williams. Searcy, who missed the first three games of the season, came back last week with a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown. Williams ranks third at UNC with 12 career interceptions.

7. Virginia’s offense vs. the 3-4 defense. The Cavaliers should be well-prepared as they face their former coach in Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh. Groh said this week that Virginia has the advantage because of coach Mike London’s familiarity with Groh’s philosophies.

8. Clemson’s receivers. Coach Dabo Swinney made a change this week. Out: Xavier Dye, Terrance Ashe and Brandon Clear. In: DeAndre Hopkins, Bryce McNeal and Jaron Brown. Why? It took nine minutes into the third quarter until a Clemson receiver caught a pass against Miami. The Tigers will face a similar challenge against the Tar Heels.

9. BC’s running game. Or lack thereof. Despite a veteran offensive line and one of the most productive running backs in the ACC in Montel Harris, the Eagles rank 108th in the country in rushing offense at just 87.5 yards per game. NC State’s rushing defense took a hit against Virginia Tech and is now allowing 164 yards per game. The Hokies ran for 317 and 8.6 yards per carry.

10. Virginia Tech’s secondary. Nine different players have broken up passes this season, and Jayron Hosley is coming off an impressive performance in which he tied a single-game school record with three interceptions against NC State. Central Michigan has the No. 19 passing offense in the country with 290.8 yards per game.

Clemson was in a similar situation last year – a 2-2 record with an ACC loss and a loss to a ranked opponent. The Tigers had actually fared even worse in 2009, dropping to 2-3 after an embarrassing loss at Maryland. Clemson responded with a six-game winning streak punctuated by an Atlantic Division title.

If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that the season doesn’t end in October.

Time is running out, though, for both Clemson and North Carolina to make a move forward in the ACC standings. Both programs are looking for their first league win on Saturday when UNC hosts Clemson. The difference is that Clemson is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses while North Carolina has started to make a turnaround with two straight nonconference wins.

“We haven’t laid an egg this year,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “This team hasn’t done that. We just have some self-inflicted wounds. All we have to do is control the things we can control. We don’t have to play perfect, don’t have to be supermen; we just have to do our jobs.

“The playmakers need to perform their roles. We’ve lost two tough games to good teams. We’ve had chances to win. We need to control what we can control. They can draw from the experience of last year where we didn’t get off to a good start and then won the division. The only thing that’s off the table now is winning a national championship.”

The same can be said for North Carolina, which had high hopes entering this season only to be derailed by the ongoing NCAA investigation which sidelined 12 players for the season opener against LSU. The Tar Heels have since climbed out of an 0-2 start and won back-to-back games against Rutgers and East Carolina.

“Through the first four games I am very proud of the way our kids have handled the off the field distractions and missing some of their teammates,” coach Butch Davis said. “Our kids have shown a lot of resiliency. I think as a football team we have worked each week to improve and there are some areas where we are getting better.”

It’s the first time these two programs have met since 2006, and it will be the first time Davis has coached against the Tigers in his 36-year career. Davis said Clemson is the “most talented and complete team” they’ve played the entire season.

The Tigers do have the ACC’s leading rusher in Andre Ellington, but are still searching for dependable wide receivers. Swinney made a change this week and replaced his veterans with younger players.

“The four guys you’ll see are Nuke Hopkins, Bryce McNeal, Jaron Brown, and Marquan Jones,” Swinney said. “Those are the core guys right now. The other guys will play some, but the majority will go to those four guys. We’ve hoped that the receiving core would play out by now. Guys earn opportunities. Even where we are right now, nothing’s final. Guys have to go play. We have to create opportunities for certain guys based on what we’ve seen, but guys have to play well.”

Especially considering UNC will have both of its starting safeties -- Deunta Williams and Da'Norris Searcy -- back in the lineup after serving suspensions. The Tar Heels are still missing 10 players due to the NCAA investigations, including four defensive starters.

It’s time to rewind and fast-forward in the ACC:

The good: Florida State and Miami. With the exception of early season road losses to top-10 teams, both programs are right where they need to be heading into Saturday’s rivalry game – undefeated in ACC play and ranked in the AP Top 25. It’s about time.

The bad: NC State’s collapse. The Wolfpack had a 5-0 start in its hands and let it slip away in the fourth quarter with missed tackles and turnovers.

The ugly: Boston College. A total of five yards rushing, 12 penalties for 120 yards, an injured freshman quarterback and an underperforming offensive line. In a word, ugly.

The emerging: Virginia Tech. Nobody is going to forget the home loss to James Madison, but the Hokies are taking steps to help put it further behind them. Virginia Tech is off to a 2-0 start in league play and should notch another nonconference win this weekend against Central Michigan.

The leader: Joshua Nesbitt. He took the team on his shoulders once again and made key fourth-quarter plays in a 24-20 win at Wake Forest. And with a surprise twist, Georgia Tech (130) had more passing yards than Wake Forest (107). Nesbitt’s nine-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining won the game.

The playmaker: Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. He tied a school record with three touchdown receptions. He made seven catches for a career-high 147 yards, and became only the fourth player in UM history to catch three touchdowns in the same game.

Top three games for Week 6:

1. Florida State at Miami: This is the game of the week in the ACC, as both teams have emerged as front-runners in their respective divisions and only have one loss. Florida State’s defense will get its first real test since Oklahoma, and the offense will have to hit its stride against Miami’s defense, which has been one of the best in the country. The Canes will try to eliminate the turnovers and cut down on the penalties.

2. Clemson at North Carolina: Both teams are looking for their first conference win, but the Tigers are down after back-to-back losses. The Tar Heels have started to regroup and will get some more help with the return of Deunta Williams, who has completed his four-game suspension.

3. Boston College at NC State: It’s lost some of its luster since both are coming off losses, but it’s relevant to the Atlantic Division standings nonetheless. The Eagles are hurting (both literally and figuratively) at quarterback, and the Pack is kicking itself (or at least should be) for squandering a 17-point lead against the Hokies.

The NCAA has denied appeals by North Carolina to shorten the suspensions for defensive backs Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney after the two received illegal benefits. Williams was suspended for four games and Burney was suspended for six on Sept. 22.

The NCAA said that Williams received $1,426 in benefits while Burney received $1,333 in benefits.

“I am disappointed for Deunta and Kendric, but I respect the NCAA’s decision,” said UNC athletic director Dick Baddour in a statement. “I appreciate the committee allowing us the opportunity to present their case."

Meanwhile, the NCAA returned to campus this week to participate in a school-led investigation over other possible academic violations.

» Predictions: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

I’m not going to brag, don’t worry. I won’t be redundant about how I went undefeated last week, picking all eight games correctly for an 8-0 record without any losses. That perfectly unblemished week boosted my season record to 24-6. If my math is correct, that’s a winning percentage of 80 percent. Since I’m on fire, I’ll give you another prediction -- that percentage will never last. Not in this league.

This week’s picks feature three conference games and an upset special:

Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10: The Eagles are one of the best home teams in the conference, winning 10 of their past 11 dating back to 2008. BC has won two of the past three regular-season games. BC’s defense will be the difference in a low-scoring game.

Florida state 35, Wake Forest 14: The Deacs are reeling right now after their loss at Stanford and would have to beat Florida State in a shootout in order to win. A veteran quarterback beats a rookie starter, though, in a shootout, and odds are it doesn’t get that far.

FIU 17, Maryland 14: The Panthers lost two heartbreakers and are ready for their breakthrough game in this week’s upset special. FIU was leading Texas A&M 20-6 on the road in the fourth quarter and lost 19-14 to Rutgers. They’re due.

NC State 31, Georgia Tech 28: This was the toughest pick of the week, and usually, when I’m in doubt, I go with the home team, but this week I’ll go with the hot team. NC State’s defense has been solid on third downs, and Georgia Tech’s defense hasn’t done anything to lead me to believe it can slow down Russell Wilson.

Army 42, Duke 38: This isn’t last year’s Duke team. Something is wrong defensively, and the Blue Devils aren’t going to figure it out against the No. 7 rushing team in the country.

Miami 28, Pitt 27: The Hurricanes have already played in a tougher venue, and Ohio State’s defense is better than Pitt’s. The key for Miami is limiting their own mistakes and stopping Pitt’s big-play potential in both the running and passing game.

Rutgers 31, UNC 21: The NCAA saga never seems to end for North Carolina. The NCAA ruled two players -- Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney -- must miss games and repay benefits. While there is some closure, it’s far from over and remains a distraction.

Virginia 45, VMI 7: Mike London is 2-0 against VMI’s struggling program. It should be a tune-up game before opening conference play on Oct. 2 against Florida State. VMI has one of the worst rushing offenses in the FCS at 80 yards per game, and Virginia is holding opponents to just 15 points per game.

UNC defensive backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams must miss competition and repay benefits as a condition of becoming eligible to play again, according to a decision today by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff.

Burney, who received $1,333 in benefits, must miss six games and repay $575.19 to a charity of his choice. Williams, who received $1,426 in benefits, must miss four games and repay $450.67 to a charity of his choice. Both players have already missed two games.

“We plan to appeal the length of the suspensions,” UNC AD Dick Baddour said in a prepared statement. “While I respect the NCAA process, I believe the penalties to be unduly harsh given the individual circumstances in these cases.”

From the release:

The university declared both players ineligible for violations of NCAA agent benefits and preferential treatment rules. According to the facts of the case submitted by the university, these benefits in part included trips to California, Atlanta and Las Vegas for Burney and two trips to California for Williams. The majority of the benefits Burney received were from an individual who meets the NCAA definition of an agent. According to NCAA rules, an agent is any individual who markets or promotes a student-athlete. The majority of Williams’ benefits were preferential treatment violations associated with visiting a former North Carolina football student-athlete.

When a school discovers a student-athlete has been involved in an NCAA rules violation, it must declare the student-athlete ineligible and may request the student-athlete’s eligibility be reinstated to the NCAA national office staff for consideration. Reinstatement decisions are made independently of any NCAA enforcement process.

During the reinstatement process, NCAA staff review each case on its own merits based on the specific facts. Staff decisions are made based on a number of factors including guidelines established by the Division I NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.

The university can appeal the decision to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, an independent panel comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences. This committee can reduce or remove the condition, but it cannot increase the staff-imposed conditions. If appealed, the student-athlete remains ineligible until the conclusion of the appeals process.

Two quick thoughts on this:

• It's not over. North Carolina was missing 12 players last weekend against Georgia Tech, not two, so there are still a lot of unresolved issues.
• Trips to California, Atlanta and Las Vegas? Really? What were they thinking? And nobody knew about it? I'd be surprised if Burney and Williams are the only ones who will be held accountable when this is finally over.

The ACC released the 2010 preseason all-conference team, as voted on by 52 members of the media at the conference media days in Greensboro, N.C. UNC led all schools with five players selected, followed by Boston College with four players.

Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel got the most votes, being named on 48 of the 52 ballots, while North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn (47 votes) and Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams (45) were the next highest. Virginia and Wake Forest were the only two schools not represented here.

Offense

WR Donovan Varner, Duke

WR Torrey Smith, Maryland

TE George Bryan, NC State

T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

T Chris Hairston, Clemson

G Rodney Hudson, Florida State

G Thomas Claiborne, Boston College

C Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech

QB Christian Ponder, Florida State

RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

RB Montel Harris, Boston College

Defense

DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina

DE Allen Bailey, Miami

DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina

DT Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson

LB Alex Wujciak, Maryland

LB Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina

CB Brandon Harris, Miami

S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

S Deunta Williams, North Carolina

Specialists

PK Matt Bosher, Miami

P Matt Bosher, Miami

SP Torrey Smith, Maryland

There were a lot of outstanding players in the ACC this year, but the following players rose above the rest and made ESPN.com’s All-ACC team:

Offense

QB -- Christian Ponder, Florida State

RB -- Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech

RB -- Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

WR -- Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech

WR -- Donovan Varner, Duke

TE -- George Bryan, NC State

TE -- Michael Palmer, Clemson

OL -- Jason Fox, Miami

OL -- Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

OL -- Rodney Hudson, Florida State

OL – Sergio Render, Virginia Tech

OL -- Cord Howard, Georgia Tech

K -- Matt Bosher, Miami

Spc -- C.J. Spiller, Clemson

Defense

DL -- Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech

DL -- Robert Quinn, North Carolina

DL -- Nate Collins, Virginia

DL -- Ricky Sapp, Clemson

LB -- Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech

LB -- Luke Kuechly, Boston College

LB -- Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina

LB -- Alex Wujciak, Maryland

CB -- Kendric Burney, North Carolina

CB -- Brandon Harris, Miami

S -- DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

S -- Deunta Williams, North Carolina

P -- Brent Bowden, Virginia Tech

Here are the ACC's top five performers for Week 12:

UNC’s defense -- It’s impossible to single out one player in such an impressive group effort. Cam Thomas and Kendric Burney each had defensive touchdowns in the Tar Heels’ 31-13 win over Boston College on Saturday. Deunta Williams had three interceptions, returning one 39 yards to the BC 6-inch line with 4:42 left in the game. Boston College finished with six turnovers.

FSU freshman Greg Reid -- His 48-yard punt return set up the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds remaining and kept Florida State’s streak of 28 straight bowl games alive in a 29-26 win over Maryland. Reid returned three punts for 88 yards and now has 350 yards on 19 returns going into next week's game at rival Florida.

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris -- It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was gritty, and led the Hurricanes to a 34-16 come-from-behind win over Duke on Saturday. Harris, who played through pain in his thumb, threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns. It was his third 300-yard game in the past four games. Duke was outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter.

Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams -- Mark this guy down as a future Heisman candidate. He rushed for 120 yards and four touchdowns against a beleaguered NC State defense, sending the Hokies’ seniors out with a 38-10 win over the Wolfpack. Williams broke the school's single-season record for rushing yards with his third straight 100-yard rushing game. He also had one of the more impressive plays of the day, dragging NC State safety Earl Wolff about 12 yards into the end zone.

Clemson’s seniors -- On its final home game in Memorial Stadium, this group left its legacy. Linebacker Kavell Conner finished with a career-high 15 tackles. Receiver Jacoby Ford had a career-high 211 all-purpose yards. C.J. Spiller set the ACC single-season record for all-purpose yards. And together they led the Tigers to a 34-21 win over Virginia and their first-ever appearance in the ACC title game.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

North Carolina kicker Casey Barth literally got swept up in the moment.

Upon kicking his team’s 21-yard game-winning field goal for a stunning 20-17 victory over Virginia Tech last Thursday night in hostile Lane Stadium, Barth was hoisted into the air by center Lowell Dyer and consumed by celebration.

On Friday, after having had some time to digest the magnitude of the win, Barth summed it up succinctly:

“I think it saved our season,” he said.

	Scott Halleran/Getty Images
	Casey Barth was carried off the field following Thursday’s win over Virginia Tech.

It very well might have.

After opening the season with three straight conference losses and feeling the pressure to stop a downward spiral, North Carolina (5-3, 1-3 ACC) did the seemingly impossible and marched into one of the nation’s most difficult places to win on a Thursday night and stunned the Hokies. Now the Tar Heels have increased their chances of finishing the season with a bowl game and a respectable record in Butch Davis’ third season.

“I think the guys needed the win -- skip the records and all that -- just on a personal level,” said safety Deunta Williams. “We put in so much hard work during the offseason, and for it not to manifest during the season, it was tough for guys to understand that. For us to go down there against a ranked opponent, a very good team, and just us against the world and no help from anyone at all but us, we come out with the win, it was more of a confidence builder, self-esteem builder, all of that good stuff. We really needed that.”

And Davis, Barth said, had a lot to do with giving the team the confidence it needed to actually pull it off.

“He has the stats, that last year we beat a lot of good, ranked teams, and obviously we have the athletes to do it,” Barth said. “He told us we definitely have the ability to beat them, we just have to put our best effort out there.”

They did, in all three phases of the game -- for all four quarters -- and that was the difference. Offensive coordinator John Shoop won the chess match against Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, and the return of several healthy players helped him do it. Williams said UNC’s defense, which was humbled two weeks ago in the second half of a nationally televised loss to Florida State, was playing for pride as much as anything else.

The plan, Williams said, is to keep it up, but it doesn’t get any easier, as UNC will host its rival, Duke, on Saturday in another key Coastal Division game. The Blue Devils have won their past three conference games, including two on the road, and control their own destiny heading into Chapel Hill.

North Carolina, though, knocked off a team that just weeks ago was still in the running for the national title. And the Tar Heels did it in Lane Stadium, where the Hokies entered the game with a 9-2 record on Thursday nights.

“It wasn’t just a fluke or anything like that, especially playing against Virginia Tech,” Williams said. “It would be different if you were playing against someone who was less talented, but overall I think it was a good team and -- it’s not the first time we’ve done that, but it was the first complete game that we’ve played in all three stages, besides the ECU game, that we all came together and won as a team.”

And when that happens, it’s easy to get carried away.

“It was awesome,” Barth said. “I’ve never really experienced anything like that. It was one of the best moments of my life.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Regardless of whether it was for injuries, suspensions, academics -- whatever -- not everyone was present and accounted for this spring. There were a few players who were missing who will be desperately needed to make a comeback this fall. Each team had at least one:

Boston College: Linebacker Mike McLaughlin -- He is still very questionable for the fall, but his return from an Achilles injury would be a huge boost to a position that lacks depth. Wide receiver Clarence Megwa broke his leg in the Clemson game last year and missed the rest of the year and spring, but could be a key returnee.

Clemson: Bandit end Ricky Sapp -- He missed the Gator Bowl and sat out the spring getting over a torn ACL he suffered in the first half against Virginia. He will be a prime pass-rusher for the Tigers and is Clemson's best player when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback.

Duke: Defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase -- The Blue Devils' leader on the defensive line missed the spring with an injury, but ranks second among active ACC players in both career tackles for loss (29.0) and quarterback sacks (11.5), trailing only N.C. State's Willie Young (32.0 and 12.5). Oghobaase has started all 36 games over the past three years, compiling 128 tackles.

Florida State: Linebacker Dekoda Watson -- He missed the spring after offseason elbow surgery, but should be one of the Noles' top defenders. He ranked fourth on the team with 46 tackles last year.

Georgia Tech: Center Dan Voss -- He was the starter last year, and if his labrum isn't fully recovered (which it should be), aerospace engineer major Sean Bedford moves to the top of the depth chart. Not that there's anything wrong with a super smart center.

Maryland: DT Dion Armstrong -- The Terps had a host of key players miss the spring, but Armstrong, who was out for academic reasons, is at a position in need of some help. It's unclear, though, if Armstrong's academic situation will extend into the summer. Also at defensive tackle for Maryland is Travis Ivey. The coaches raved about his improved play and leadership during the spring, and the offensive line was having a tough time containing him. But he got a concussion in the fourth week and missed the rest of the spring. He also had a scheduled shoulder surgery at the end of the spring.

Miami: LB Colin McCarthy -- Miami needs depth at linebacker and McCarthy was playing well last season before a shoulder injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season, starting with the FSU game. He had shoulder surgery.

North Carolina: Free safety Deunta Williams -- He had wrist surgery in January and missed the spring, but should be ready for the fall. He started all 13 games in 2008 and ranked fifth on the team with 65 tackles (55 solo).

NC State: Strong safety Javon Walker -- He's actually missed the last TWO springs and last season with a knee injury, but will be cleared by the fall and is being counted on very heavily in the secondary.

Virginia: Right guard B.J. Cabbell -- He missed spring ball due to knee surgery, but started 12 games last year. The junior is expected back in August.

Virginia Tech: DE Jason Worilds -- Worilds missed the spring after shoulder surgery for an injury that kept him out of the Orange Bowl. End is one of the few positions the Hokies have that lacks depth. Worilds started in 12 of 14 games last year and had eight sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. The Hokies will also need the return of guard Sergio Render, who missed the spring following shoulder surgery.

Wake Forest: CB Brandon Ghee -- Ghee suffered a sprained knee on the very first day of spring and missed the remainder of practice. The Deacs will need Ghee healthy this fall as he is the only returning starter in the secondary. Starting nose tackle Boo Robinson has also been bothered by a bad back and didn't play this spring.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The Tar Heels begin spring practice today and coach Butch Davis and his staff have a lot of work to do in order to improve upon last year's impressive eight-win season. At the top of the list is finding a few players who can catch the ball.

Here are the highlights of our conversation, with the warning that Davis turns around programs faster than he tends to answer questions (not that there's anything wrong with that):

	Bob Donnan/US Presswire
	Greg Little will be someone the Tar Heels look to this season.

Everyone knows you have a lot to replace at wide receiver. What can you tell me about the guys who have the potential to step in there this spring?

BD: That will probably be our No. 1 main objective going into the spring, at least from a position standpoint, is replacing those three unbelievably talented wide receivers. And Cooter Arnold was a really significant player when we got into four wide receiver packages, but having said all that, I think that we've got five guys on campus right now that we're excited to find out about. They've had an opportunity to watch for this last year or so. They watched those three guys practice, how hard they practiced, how much film they studied, how much trust and confidence they developed with the quarterback, and certainly Greg Little is probably the most experienced player that we have. He's played wide receiver, and he's started games at wideout, he's played as a running back. He's got pretty significant game experience.

After that, then most of the guys, they're kind of somewhat young, but we think they've got some talent. Dwight Jones was one of the most highly recruited receivers in the country a couple of years ago. We think he is poised to step in and be able to contribute and do some things. We're also very excited about Todd Harrelson, a receiver we recruited last year that redshirted this past season. We think that he's got some things he can certainly bring to the table. One of the most highly recruited kids in last year's class was Josh Adams, that enrolled in midterm. So he's been going through our offseason program and that was part of the recruiting program, knowing a year ago we were going to lose some guys to graduation. We didn't know Hakeem (Nicks) was going to go out early in the draft, but that was one of the things in trying to get Josh. We knew he'd be able to come in at midterm. We've got another kid that's going to be a junior, Rashad Mason.

A lot of these guys have been waiting in the wings, flying under the radar, so to speak, because we had those three guys that did probably 85 percent of the playing over the last two years. So now will be a time for us to really work with some consistency, some continuity in the springtime, and it will be an ongoing process all summer long and certainly into training camp. We think by the start of the season we've got some other kids we signed -- we signed three other receivers to come in in this class that we think they'll have an opportunity to add a little bit to the position.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Well, here it is. Warning: I have a tendency to be either dead-on for these things or waaay off. Let's rock.

Miami 34, Charleston Southern 10: Despite the suspensions and a freshman starting at quarterback, Miami will have the upper hand against this small school that went 5-6 in the Big South Conference last year. The Buccaneers do have more experience at quarterback, though, as former Clemson backup Tribble Reese attempted 11 passes with the Tigers.

Georgia Tech 41, Jacksonville State 17: JSU might be favored to win the Ohio Valley Conference, but not this game. With three sophomores on the offensive line, the Yellow Jackets' defensive line will be too much even for Ryan Perrilloux to overcome.

Wake Forest 31, Baylor 14: Who will start at quarterback for Baylor is a mystery, and it could be Miami transfer Kirby Freeman. Regardless, the Demon Deacons have the edge at quarterback. Four starters return to Baylor's offensive line, but that's not necessarily a good thing considering the Bears ranked 113th in the nation in rushing last year with 77 yards per game.

Clemson 24, Alabama 21: In a game of experience versus youth, the Tigers have the edge. Alabama has only five starters returning on defense and its receiving corps took a hit. Third-year starter John Parker Wilson was a record-setter last year, and they've got the more experienced offensive line, but Tommy Bowden has the veteran team.

Duke 26, James Madison 17: JMU has 15 starters back from its 8-4 playoff season, and is 37-13 over the past four seasons under coach Mickey Matthews. There are no guaranteed wins for a team that won one game last year, but Duke has a new energy this season and home field advantage, not to mention one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC. I say Duke will beat the Dukes.

Maryland 23, Delaware 10: This is not Joe Flacco's Delaware team. Still, Maryland has a tendency to underperform in these types of games and keep things interesting. The Terps have a better offensive line and are stacked at linebacker. Jordan Steffy should have a successful comeback.

UNC 38, McNeese State 10: Brandon Take, Hakeem Nicks and T.J. Yates (not to mention Greg Little and Deunta Williams) are reason alone to pick the Tar Heels. With expectations soaring in Chapel Hill this year and a sold-out home crowd for this game, there's no question UNC will take care of business.

South Carolina 20, NCSU 10: These teams have enough in common it should be close. Both teams have an inexperienced quarterback, a starting running back out, and both were terrible against the run last year. I'm going with the home team. The program has a .775 winning percentage in home season openers.

USC 42, Virginia 21: There's a reason the Trojans are the favorite in the Pac-10. Starting at quarterback, the Trojans win this game, even if Pete Carroll goes with backup Aaron Corp. USC's defense is loaded, and should be just as good as it was last year, when it ranked second in the country.

Virginia Tech 21, East Carolina 17: This shouldn't be much different from last year. If there was an upset watch this week, this would be it. Both teams have named their starting quarterbacks but Sean Glennon is the more experienced of the two, and East Carolina lost its top running back, Dominique Lindsay.

Boston College 24, Kent State 17: The Eagles are eager to prove the naysayers wrong, and BC's defense will carry will this team through the first few games. There is no doubt, though, that Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis will get his yards on these guys.

FSU is off.