Heather Dinich

  (12:00 PM)

Hey guys, I'm here and ready to chat. Let's rock.

Phil (Washington DC)

How serious is Penn State in contending for a BCS title, and do you think they have enough talent on the depleted D-Line to do? Thanks!

Heather Dinich

  (12:01 PM)

I was very impressed by PSU this weekend, and I think they'll shake out as one of the top three teams in the Big Ten. I think their QB can do more than M-Rob did, but I think the title goes to USC or one of the SEC favs.

Zach (Atlanta)

Georgia Tech's chances to win the Coastal?

Heather Dinich

  (12:02 PM)

Much better these days. We'll see how they look in Blacksburg this week.

ray GORDON REID BLOOMINGTON INDIANA

question TO HEATHER DINICH AT 12.05 hi heather dinich BUCKEYESS OR TROJANS SATURDAY

Heather Dinich

  (12:02 PM)

USC, but I agree with Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller that this game will be a good one, despite how the Buckeyes played this past weekend.

Kyle (VA)

What's your problem with UVA? I gave not seen one truly postitive post when reporting on the 'Hoos. Even when the news is not negative, you have must add a snappy comment after postsing the news concerning UVA (while it is absent for the other 11 teams). It is your own opinion but its kind of annoying as a fan of UVA.

Heather Dinich

  (12:03 PM)

Sorry, Kyle, but Virginia is just not a good football team this year, and it's had enough off-field problems for its entire division.

George P. Burdell (Atlanta)

Is Georgia Tech a team to believe in? or did they just get lucky with the win over BC? 3 fumbles is a lot for an ACC game...

Heather Dinich

  (12:04 PM)

Three fumbles IS a lot, but you have to give credit to their defense.

Brian, Orlando FL

What do you think Saturday's Miami-Florida games for each of the teams?

Heather Dinich

  (12:05 PM)

I think it was much closer than the score indicated, and Miami did a good job of holding its own and proved it's headed in the right direction. I think Urban Meyer made an unnecessary move in running up the score, and that who needs a running game when you have Tim Tebow? Why he was still playing so late is beyond me ...

Troy (Ft Jackson)

I thought FSU had the worst o-line in the ACC were people wrong or can we say they just wernt tested good enough

Heather Dinich

  (12:05 PM)

Haha .. I'll be the first to admit I was wrong on those guys, but I want to wait until they're really tested first. No doubt they played well in the opener, but then again, who didn't?

Mike (NYC)

With a good showing by the the young guns on defense (for 3 quarters atleast). Can Miami get enough wins to to shake up the ACC.

Heather Dinich

  (12:07 PM)

If they play like they did in the first three quarters, yes, but they've got to get more of a running game going. That was supposed to be their strength, along with the o-line and tight ends.

John Richmond Va

Hi Heather, Neing a WVU fan, needless to say, I am pretty disgusted in our performance against ECU. Is it just me or do we appear a much softer football team than in years past?

Heather Dinich

  (12:07 PM)

I am still trying to get over the fact the Mountaineers scored just three points ...

Will (Winston-Salem NC)

Wake Forest had a close call this weekend with Ole Miss and Houston Nutt. Wake should be thankful to have one of the best kickers in college football in Sam Swank to help them out. Whats the chances the Deacs keep this up and power through teams like Florida State on the road, Clemson, and Miami on the road?

Heather Dinich

  (12:08 PM)

Considering the ACC hasn't exactly "powered through" anyone in the first two weeks, I don't think anyone is going to have a smooth ride through the conference. And you just mentioned some very tough tests for the Deacs, but I think they're the most complete team out there right now.

Matt, Raleigh

Hey Heather....any reason why Duke can't get two ACC wins this year in Virginia and NC State?

Heather Dinich

  (12:09 PM)

Nope ... they most certainly could, but I do want to see how good NC State can be at full strength. Russell Wilson should help this weekend.

Rick (Frederick, MD)

Please tell me why I should watch the Terps this Saturday. After watching them lose badly to Middle Tennessee, I can't see them being competitive against Cal.

Heather Dinich

  (12:10 PM)

Don't you want to see Cal? I just added them to my top 25 ...

michael( vidalia,ga)

how will gt fare against uga this year?

Heather Dinich

  (12:11 PM)

Ooh ... As good as the Yellow Jackets have looked in their first two weeks, I'd say when it comes to that game ... not. quite. there.

Mark (NC)

More likely to make a BCS game Wake Forest or East Carolina?

Heather Dinich

  (12:12 PM)

Ooh, interesting. I'd say Wake. It's automatic for the ACC champ.

Corey in New York, NY

Ponder and D'Vo played great this week. Is FSU looking at another Weatherford X Lee situation, or will Fisher be able to work both these QB's in the system with a good result?

Heather Dinich

  (12:13 PM)

Looks like he already did.

Robbo, San Francisco, CA

Cal fan here. I'll be at the Cal/MD game on Saturday. What should I look for from the Terps? An air attack? A ground attack?

Heather Dinich

  (12:13 PM)

Hahaha ... sorry, but they couldn't do either of those things against Middle Tennessee State.

Kelvin (Dayton)

Why haven't ACC teams had much luck this year so far?

Heather Dinich

  (12:15 PM)

I'll tell you what the coaches have said -- Frank Beamer says they don't have scrimmages or exhibition games to get the kinks out. Tom O'Brien says there are still second-year coaches in the league trying to get their programs going. Ralph Friedgen says they need to do a better job of winning non-conference games. I say it's just a down year.

David Fairborn, OH

When the "U" is down, the ACC is down. Give it 2 years.

Heather Dinich

  (12:15 PM)

And that ... good point. When FSU and Miami are back, it will help the league tremendously.

Rick Dublin, OH

So how do you feel about my Irish? Do you think they can take their first win and build off of it?

Heather Dinich

  (12:16 PM)

Um, did you SEE the first win? But yes, the positive to take from that game is that Clausen showed leadership and those guys didn't back down.

Will J (Portland, OR)

There are some really good games this coming weekend. Kansas v. South Florida, Oregon v. Purdue, UCLA v. BYU, Wisconsin v. Fresno St., and of course the big game in the Coliseum. Are you going to be at any of the marquee matchups?

Heather Dinich

  (12:16 PM)

I'll be at, um, Georgia Tech/Va Tech.

jack (kansas city)

Who is winning in this awesome game friday KU or usf? And how good is Reesing?

Heather Dinich

  (12:17 PM)

Reesing is good, I saw him in the Orange Bowl last year. South Florida just struggled on Saturday and I don't think is getting enough out of Selvie. I'm going with Kansas on this one.

Will ( Winston-Salem NC)

Do you see a logical explanation for ECU jumping from unranked to 14th? Sure they beat number 8, but look at their schedule the rest of the year! Theres no way they can continue to climb in rankings is there? Wake forest gets a nice home win and improves to 2-0, the only ranked ACC team again, and doesn't move one spot in the rankings.

Heather Dinich

  (12:19 PM)

Yes, ECU just beat a top 10 team and a top 20 team in back-to-back weeks. They deserve some credit.

Will J (Portland, OR)

Heather, I realize that there is a celebration penalty, however don't you think the refs in the BYU/Washington game should have over looked such a minor infraction, mainly because it would/did affect the outcome of the game?

Heather Dinich

  (12:20 PM)

Oh, man, did I feel bad for Jake Locker on that one ... it was such a quick, flippant toss of the ball. But apparently the refs didn't feel it was a "judgement call."

Jason (Georgia)

Why is there so much undeserved love for USC, Georgia rolled through their opponent this week, and even though USC was idle, they actually GAINED more first place votes!!! What gives here??

Heather Dinich

  (12:21 PM)

I don't think you can drop a team just because they didn't play. I saw USC against Virginia and that team is incredible.

Chad (gainesville, va)

You have Wake winning the ACC now? You flip-flop like a democrat on the Hill.

Heather Dinich

  (12:23 PM)

That's not true ... This is their second week at No. 1 in the power rankings. I still think Clemson can win the ACC and that the Tigers are a good football team. I might be the only person on earth (besides the coaches) who still have them in my top 25.

Will (NC)

I agree with Chad.....no love for Wake at first....now they show her something....

Heather Dinich

  (12:23 PM)

Bah ...

matt( georgia)

why haven't we seen one highlight of knowshon leaping that central mich player? wheres the love.

Heather Dinich

  (12:24 PM)

Did that happen? I didn't see it ...

Joe Atlanta, GA

Give me a break, a woman talking about football.

Heather Dinich

  (12:24 PM)

Arm? Leg? Nose?

James Rehboth Beach,DE

heather, What is your estimate of Miami after really giving Florida a scare? Can they winn the ACC?

Heather Dinich

  (12:26 PM)

I really think the Coastal Division is wide open right now. I want to see what UNC does against Rutgers ... so much hype about them and then a flat performance against McNeese State. It seems like the expectations have flipped for Va Tech and Georgia Tech. I'm looking forward to this weekend.

Brian, LA

Duke probably should have won on Saturday. How many games do you think they can and will win?

Heather Dinich

  (12:28 PM)

Great question. I just posted a blog entry on Duke and talked to Cutcliffe last night. I like their chances against Navy and Virginia at home. This is a good football team, but they can't make mistakes like they did in the NU game or nobody will believe me.

Chris (Boston)

What are the next legitimate and best chances for the ACC to rebound on the national scene? Or are we going to have to wait until bowl season and hope for the best?

Heather Dinich

  (12:29 PM)

Well, Florida State has Florida at the end of the year. Don't forget about that Va Tech/Nebraska game. And UNC has Notre Dame next month ... I'm sure I'm forgetting something ...

eG (Seattle, WA)

Heather...I'm tired of hearing Husky nation complain about the "judgement" call. In my judgment, UW got BLOWN off the line and BYU blocked the PAT. Sometimes calls go your way, sometimes not, but execution is what wins ball games, and UW didn't execute when it had to...your thoughts?

Heather Dinich

  (12:31 PM)

You make a good point ... they DID block the kick. And if you're a good team, the game isn't decided by one call. I just think it's unfortunate because Locker had a great drive, and it's not like he was showboating.

blake(sarasota, fl)

whos better, knowshon moreno or beanie wells?

Heather Dinich

  (12:31 PM)

The one who's healthy :) Good question, though ... clearly the Buckeyes don't look the same without Wells.

Luke (Atlanta GA)

Dwyer for Heisman? Where do you see GT finishing in the ACC? In the Nation? Or is it just better to wait for next season?

Heather Dinich

  (12:34 PM)

Haha .. two questions in here about Jonathan Dwyer for Heisman. Not so fast, but he is clearly an impact player for them. How far Georgia Tech goes will depend on how quickly it can work out a few kinks on offense. Paul Johnson was not happy, despite the win.

Alex (Atlanta)

I believe Clemson will be legit national title contender in two or three years with Korn, experienced O-line, Harper, and Ellington. Your thoughts?

Heather Dinich

  (12:34 PM)

If they couldn't do it this year ...

Ashwin (Fairfax, Va)

It seems like every year is a "rebuilding" year for the Hokie O-line. Why can't they ever be established? This year they were supposed to be established, and Blake's injury notwithstanding, they still seem to be so porous. Why can't the hokies ever seem to get a good O-Line?

Heather Dinich

  (12:36 PM)

Good question. Both Virginia Tech and Maryland were supposed to be super strong here, and neither of them have lived up to expectations.

Jeremy (ga)

alabama for real this year? what do you think they will do the 27th against uga?

Heather Dinich

  (12:37 PM)

They didn't look "for real" this past weekend, but I think that might have been a Clemson hangover. They're still very young, and I think Georgia wins.

Chauncey from Baltimore

I thought MD could go 7-5 this year. Clearly I gave them too much credit. Based on them not beating Delaware in a convincing fashion and dropping to MTS, can they win 6 games this year?

Heather Dinich

  (12:38 PM)

I thought they could, but I may have given them too much credit, too. The quarterbacks couldn't hit open receivers, the defense was on the field too long, Obi Egekeze has missed five straight field goals dating back to last year ... These guys have major problems, starting with Cal.

Alex (Atlanta)

Heather, I go to Clemson and am intelligent enough in football to know that with an inexperienced O-line, they weren't going to be a legit title contender.

Heather Dinich

  (12:39 PM)

Thank you, Alex, for your thoughts.

Paul (Philly)

Hi Heather. I'm a displaced and saddened BC fan after this past Saturday. From what I heard on the radio, we had many chances and Crane failed to score, so what do you think is the QB situation in Chestnut Hill?

Heather Dinich

  (12:41 PM)

Well, Jagz refused to throw Crane under the bus, saying "it takes all 11 guys," but I think Chris is just starting to realize what a monumental task replacing Matt Ryan really is. I think he's putting too much pressure on himself to be the next MR instead of just managing the game like he did against Kent State.

Alex (Gaineville, FL)

USC was only moved to number one so you all could hype the OSU-USC game as "number 1 versus number 2", but unfortuntaly for the media, Ohio State struggled mightily and would have been criticized for moving OSU up after a very dismal performance. I guarantee if OSU won by the usual 40-50 points, they would've jumped to number 2 this past week

Heather Dinich

  (12:43 PM)

Yeah, Mark Sanchez and four different running backs didn't have anything to do with my reasoning when I put them there ...

brandon blacksburg

do you think that frank beamer is more concerned with sean glennon's feelings rather than the success of his offense? After Tyrod's 55 yard run on saturday, he immediately put him in for a failed redzone attempt. I think the two QB strategy is more for sean glennon's self esteem rather than getting the big W.

Heather Dinich

  (12:43 PM)

If Beamer were so concerned about Glennon's feelings, Glennon would have played more than Taylor against Furman.

Bisc (boston)

I understand all the talk about the ACC being horrible, but where's the talk about the Big East? Maybe I missed something, but that is a pretty bad conference as well...

Heather Dinich

  (12:44 PM)

I tried to tell the other bloggers that last night ...

john(ga)

do you not answer every question sent in?

Heather Dinich

  (12:44 PM)

Impossible.

Brad (Cornelia, GA)

What are your chances for Georgia Tech to win the ACC this year in Paul Johnson's first year?

Heather Dinich

  (12:46 PM)

At this rate, nothing would surprise me, but I'm more optimistic about Miami than I was earlier, too. And in order to win the ACC, the Yellow Jackets would have to get past Clemson or Wake or FSU in the Atlantic.

Macon, GA

You mentioned earlier that is is not fair to drop a team just bc they are idol. I agreed! But do you think it is fair that UGA is droped against Georgia Southern last week when we were playing 4 deep in some postions to get ready for the toughist schedule in the county?

Heather Dinich

  (12:48 PM)

No doubt some voters penalize teams for playing a soft schedule. And no, I don't think it's fair.

George P. Burdell (Atlanta)

With the current way teams are playing and what you have seen thus far in the season, who plays for the ACC championship?

Heather Dinich

  (12:50 PM)

Well, if I had to answer that question TODAY (which apparently I do) .. I'd say Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. But that's just because of how things are right ... this .. second ...

JT (Charleston, SC)

How can clemson drop from 9 out of the ranking while losing to a ranked (24) opponent. While WVU loses to an unranked (ECU) team and moves to 24th/25th?CU scored more points against a SEC team than WVU gains on CUSA

Heather Dinich

  (12:52 PM)

I completely agree that Clemson should not have dropped out of the ranking. I don't think WVU should have, either. You can't tell me that both of those teams don't have the same talent they had on their rosters two weeks ago. Now, how they use it the rest of the season?

ryan (gainesville fl)

can you tell the uga fans to stop whining? youre #2 in the country! get over it! it seems theyd only be satisfied if the media collectively handed them a crystal football right now.

Heather Dinich

  (12:53 PM)

You tell 'em, Ryan!

Kelvin (Dayton)

Wouldn't these poll questions about raising/dropping someone be another reason to not have a pre-season poll and wait until you're several weeks in?

Heather Dinich

  (12:55 PM)

We discussed this the other day on the Hotlist on ESPNews ... I think preseason polls are fun, and if you don't have them, how are you going to have any upsets on Week 1? There's no question, though, that you can't get a true read on teams until a few weeks in.

Kevin (ATL)

Randy Shannon did not look happy when Urban Meyer was throwing the ball with a minute to go and kicking that last second field goal. The handshake was very short, have you heard anything on this subject?

Heather Dinich

  (12:55 PM)

Randy's comments in today's papers indicated he wasn't happy with the late field goal.

Jeff from Portland

Who will be USC's biggest challenger in the Pac. 10?

Heather Dinich

  (12:58 PM)

Good questions. Looks like a one-team show over there. Our Pac-10 blogger has Oregon and Arizona State as the next-best teams.

Shawn (Columbus, OH)

Who would you rather have for your grandfather? Lou Holtz or Lee Corso?

Heather Dinich

  (12:59 PM)

That's so funny you asked that because I met Dr. Lou for the first time this weekend when I was in Bristol, and he is just like he is on TV -- so approachable and genuine.

Heather Dinich

  (1:00 PM)

Alright guys, my time is up. Check back next Monday. Lata