Tonight’s New Orleans Saints versus the New England Patriots has all the makings of an epic game. The Patriots are the most prolific team of the past decade with three Super Bowl wins and four appearances. They have a dominate defense that always seems to make the big play, as well as having one of the top quarterbacks and wide receivers in the league. The Saints on the other hand, usually don’t get the same credit as the Patriots and other great teams. Part of that has to do with their history; never winning a Super Bowl (or even going to one), and being an up and down playoff contender the past few seasons. Another reason why the Saints don’t get respect is that with the exception of Drew Brees, they don’t have the star power that New England, Indianapolis, Minnesota and other great teams have.

Also when it comes to star power, Brees doesn’t hold a candle to Tom Brady. Yet with the exception of Super Bowl rings, Brady doesn’t have the numbers to back up the argument that Brady is a superior quarterback to Brees. All you ever hear about when it comes to quarterbacks is that its Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and then everyone else (side note…what exactly does Brett Favre have to do to get out of this ‘everyone else’ purgatory?). If you take a look at the numbers Brees is equal to Brady (if not better).

First let’s look at Tom Brady. In 121 starts (123 games) Brady is 2,562 of 4,046 (completions and attempts) for 29,495 yards and has been sacked 217 times. He has thrown 217 touchdowns to 93 interceptions for a 93.6 quarterback rating. Brees in 116 starts (117 games) is 2,552 of 3,970 for 29,004 yards and has been sacked 152 times. He has thrown for 190 touchdowns to 108 interceptions for a 90.7 quarterback rating. Those numbers are about as close as can be. And when you factor in the five more starts for Brady, his completions, yards and sacks aren’t nearly as comparable to Brees’ numbers (unless Brees was behind the Redskins’ offensive line, I doubt he would get sacked 65 times in five games). Now in fairness, Brady’s touchdown numbers and interception numbers are still impressive even if Brees had five more games to his resume, as there is no way he would throw for 27 touchdowns in five games and the picks would only go up. What is worth noting, is that Brees’ numbers since joining the Saints have been exceptional, and his interceptions, sacks and incomplete passes have all gone down significantly, while his yards and touchdowns have improved. In reality, Brees has been an elite quarterback these past four years, but still carries the weight of his early Charger days with him (his last two years in San Diego weren’t too shabby either).

So why is one quarterback considered a surefire Hall of Famer and the other considered just a very good quarterback? Winning games, and winning Super Bowls. Why didn’t I consider those numbers for comparison? Because regardless what people try to tell you football is a team sport, and games aren’t won or lost by a quarterback alone. How many Super Bowl rings do Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton, Dan Fouts and Jim Kelly have combined? The answer is ZERO, despite the fact that all five are Hall of Famers and elite quarterbacks of their day. Is Troy Aikman a better quarterback than Dan Marino because he won Super Bowls? No, (though he might be a luckier quarterback) Aikman is deserving of a Hall of Fame bust, but he isn’t a better signal caller. And I think the same can be said here for Brady and Brees. Brady has played every single season on a playoff caliber team. Brees has played with some great players, but not great teams, until maybe this season. So while everyone else on the planet might want Brady over Brees. I’ll take Brees every Sunday (and Monday Nights) simply because he does more with less.

I don’t think tonight’s game will settle the debate one way or another, but I think the Saints will win tonight, behind a good balanced attack led by Brees. I’ll say the Saints win 31-24.

By Guest Blogger Megan Shoup:

Today’s docket of NFL games is pretty much a snoozefest, with no big rivalry or playoff implication games.  Except my Skinnies trying to upset the Eagles!  And it will be interesting to see if the Colts stay undefeated today as they play the Texans.  But tonight’s Sunday Night match-up of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens is a marquee matchup and has two major storylines.  After watching a day of boring games, this one should be worth waiting for!

Storyline #1:  Playoff Implications:

The game tonight is in Baltimore, and truly at this point in the season, the Ravens need this game slightly more.  But not by much as the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-4 and the Baltimore Ravens are 5-5.  When these teams faced 3 times last year, it  always had meaning, especially the 3rd time (AFC Championship) for the Super Bowl.  So its no surprise its the same situation this year.  Bottom line, the loser of tonight’s game has a major uphill battle to even make the playoffs.  The reason, because there are 4 other AFC teams in the Wild Card race if the division leaders were to stay the way they are now.  You have the Broncos (7-4), Jaguars (6-4), Dolphins (5-5) and Texans (5-5) all in the mix for the Wild Card as well.  So in my opinion the AFC Wild Card teams will need a 10-6 record or better.  And that’s why tonight’s game is so important.  The loser will have its back against the wall, especially if its the Ravens. 

Storyline #2:  Ben Roethlisberger Out:

When I was up in Pennsylvania visiting family over the holiday, all I heard on the news was that Big Ben was practicing and ready to play.  But Friday night into Saturday, that decison changed and Roethlisberger will be sitting out for tonight’s game.  That means the game is in the hands of Dennis Dixon who has virtually no real NFL game experience.  The Steelers also signed former Pitt QB Tyler Palko as a back-up. 

The Steelers will probably rely on their running game, and they can also rely on Dixon’s feet under pressure.  Dixon was known for his speed when he played in college at Oregon. 

I wonder how Steelers fans feel about all of this for such an important game?  I know my cousin, a diehard Steeler fan, doesn’t want to see Ben get another concussion against the fierce Ravens defense.  But in such a big game, its frustrating not to have your best marquee players out there.

For the Steelers, they need to hope they can establish and rely on the run, and that Dixon plays smart and uses his feet if necessary.  They also need to hope that he doesn’t get knocked out of the game, or else its in the hands of Palko who doesn’t know the Steeler’s offense.  Steelers fans, what do you think going into tonight’s game?

Lawrence Frank is updating  his resume, and hoping that some moderate college program is looking for a former NBA coach, because he’s on borrowed time with the New Jersey Nets. The Nets lost last night 109-96 to the Sacramento Kings, who managed to win only 17 games last season. Frank and the Nets would be happy with one of those wins right now, as they are just one loss away from tying the NBA mark for losses to begin a season. So who do the Nets have to beat to avoid going into the record books? Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Not only were the Lakers NBA Champs last season, but they are a better team this year with the addition of Ron Artest, and are 11-3 right now. As if things couldn’t get worse, the Nets will have to go to the Staples Center to upset the Lakers for their first win. Now losing to the Lakers will be bad enough, but not the worse thing possible since it just ties them for the record. Losing their next game is the one the Nets need to avoid, but things don’t get any easier for them as the Dallas Mavericks come to town. The Mavericks are 12-4 this year and in first place in the Southwest Divsion, and have actually played better on the road than at home this season.

So it seems inevitable with their next two contests against the Lakers and Mavericks that the Nets will make history with their losing streak. But the question remains; when will the Nets get their first win? Luckily Mercifully for Nets fans they have a real shot at keeping it under 20. After the Mavericks the Nets face the Bobcats, so that game is at least somewhat winnable (though the Bobcats won the first meeting by 11 points). Even though New Jersey could still win, I think they take their 19th loss, but after the Bobcats the scheduling gods shine down on New Jersey as their 20th game of the season is against the New York Knicks. The Nets are the sole reason the Knicks aren’t the worst team in the Eastern Conference this season, so the New Jersey will finally have a team on its level. With a little luck, the Nets ineptness will be less than the Knicks on Sunday December 6th and New Jersey will have its first tally in the Win Column (though I wouldn’t hold my breath).

Packers and Cowboys take care of business, Giants not so much:

The Thanksgiving games were a bit of snoozers, as the Packers easily beat the Lions 34-12 in the first game. The most exciting thing for the Lions was the fact that their rookie quarterback Matt Stafford actually played yesterday. All week we heard how he wasn’t likely to play and was listed as doubtful. Then out of no where, he is throwing a touchdown to put the Lions up 7-0 in the first two minutes of the game. That was the last good thing for Stafford and Detroit, as the Packers defense really set the tone of the game. They intercepted Stafford 4 times and returned one for a touchdown at the end of the game (securing my point spread pick of Green Bay). I was not a fan of how the Lions handled the situation with Stafford this week. I mean what’s with all the injury mystery? Is Bill Belichick now on the Detroit sideline? Just be honest about the injury and be done with it. In my mind there is no reason Stafford should have been playing yesterday. This guy is supposedly the future of your franchise (jury is still out on this one), and you are having him play a meaningless game with a hurt non-throwing shoulder. The Lions have perhaps the worst offensive line in the league (though Packers, Redskins and Chiefs fans might debate that). So why are you letting your QB take that kind of pounding? What would have happened if Stafford got hit and seriously injured that shoulder and would miss next season’s training camp or preseason? I don’t know how you can let your star player go out there at anything less than 100% in a meaningless game during a short week. It was obvious that it was only a P.R. move for the fans. But come on, the game was already sold out, I think they would have understood that their ‘star’ was injured? Do the Lions think they were happy to see him throw 4 picks? This move didn’t help the team compete any better yesterday, and could have impacted team chemistry (Culpepper did not look too happy).

The Cowboys on the other hand, had no problems with their Thanksgiving Day game, as they put on an offensive show against the Raiders. Romo threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, including 100 plus yards to both Austin and Witten. Also, the Cowboys rushed for almost 200 yards on their way to a 24-7 victory. Quite an improvement over last week’s 7-6 ‘barn burner’ against the Redskins, where they managed 305 total yards (or four less than what Romo threw for yesterday). The one thing I did enjoy seeing was a couple of busts at wide receiver scoring meaningless touchdowns yesterday. Both Roy Williams of the Cowboys, and Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders scored 2nd half touchdowns that had little impact on the pace of the game. Williams and Heyward-Bey (7th overall REALLY??) have been major busts since joining their respective teams. They have also both been ‘buried’ on the depth chart (even if they are starting) by their lack of opportunities on offense. In a game where 64 balls were thrown, they were targeted a combined 9 times (catching only 4 of them), that is two less targets than Austin got from the Cowboys alone.

Speaking of high powered offenses, where did New York’s go? The Giants looked awful last night, managing just over 250 yards against a Denver team, that hadn’t been able to stop anyone these last four weeks. Yesterday was a bad day for New York all around, not only did they forget to show up in Denver, but the Cowboys and Packers looked pretty good. The Cowboys win gives them a two game advantage in the NFC East over the Giants, and will be in New York next week to potentially put the division away (and it will happen if the Giants play like last night). The Packers win and Giants loss, puts Green Bay in the 5th spot in the NFC, and leaves the Giants on the outside looking in at the 7th spot. The Broncos on the other hand positioned themselves nicely to remain in the playoff hunt sitting right now in 5th spot (though that could change after Sunday). Also by showing some signs of life the complete collapse of the Broncos that seemed inevitable is now put on hold. Denver’s defense showed that they can play with anyone when they want to.

Packers at Lions (+11):

The Packers should win this game easily, but the true question will be whether or not they can win by at least 12 points to cover the spread. I know the Lions put up some points last weekend against the Browns, but there are a couple of things to remember; one, that was against the Browns, maybe the most anemic team in the NFL right now, two, Matt Stafford won’t be starting today, leaving the game in the trusted hands of Daunte Culpepper. Another reason why I don’t think the Lions can cover is, if they had so much trouble stopping Brady Quinn and the Browns, what will Aaron Rodgers do to them?  My pick:  I’ll take the Packers to cover the spread.

Raiders at Cowboys (-14):

Dallas should be able to win this game fairly easily. They are always dominate at home and usually play their best game on Thanksgiving. They will look to give their 100,000 faithful something to cheer about today, after nearly blowing the game last week against Washington. I’d expect them to try to get some quick scores, and then rely on their three pronged rushing attack to hold the lead. I know the Raiders were impressive against the Bengals, and Gradkowski breathed new life into the offense, but I don’t see them winning two weeks in a row. The week after surprising the Eagles, the Raiders got beat 38-0 by the Chargers. My pick:  I’ll take the Cowboys at home on Thanksgiving day, and they’ll win by three touchdowns.

Giants at Broncos (+6.5):

The Broncos are in the midst of a four game losing streak and seem to be in complete disarray right now. Their defense can’t stop anyone, and has been completely exposed against the run. The Chargers and Redskins ran all over the Broncos these last two weeks, and those aren’t exactly the best ground units (or offensive lines) in the NFL. This week the Broncos are going against one of the best rushing attacks, so things might get ugly fast in Denver. Bradshaw probably won’t play today, but Brandon Jacobs should be all the Giants need. And if New York does go through the air, I don’t think Denver can get enough pressure on Manning to keep him from torching them. My pick:  I know the Giants squeaked by in overtime last week, and lost their four previous games, but I think they right the ship today against the Broncos, and win by at least 10 points.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you enjoy the games!

While MLB’s free agency and trade period is always slower than any of the other four major sports, it has been exceptionally slow this offseason. Everyone who has signed so far, has signed as a minor league free agent, and there haven’t even been any discussions with any of the big name free agents. As for trades, some names and potential destinations have been floated, but nothing serious has come close to happening. That is all expected to change in two weeks when baseball’s winter meetings begin. By then teams will have had their internal discussions and budgets all set up, initial contact will have been made with FA’s and trade partners, and everyone will be in one spot, making deals easier. Before that happens though, we might see one of the biggest names on the trade block on the move. According to the Boston Globe the Red Sox are getting serious in their efforts to acquire Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays, before the winter meetings.

Halladay would be a huge addition to the Red Sox, giving them three bona fide Aces to headline their staff, but at what cost? Now I’m not talking about the cost in prospects, which is speculated at beginning with pitchers Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly. I’m talking about what it will cost in money. Strange as it may sound I think the Red Sox can more easily afford to give up two top young pitching prospects, than the huge contract extension that Halladay will require.

Buchholz and Kelly are both nice prospects, but neither should hold up Boston in trading for Halladay. Especially if no other top prospects are included in the deal. Buchholz has been involved in every trade rumor by the Red Sox over the last 4 years. He was once considered to be an ‘ace’ in the making, and has shown plenty of flashes of his potential. While he may no longer be considered a No. 1 starter, he could definitely be a No. 2 for a long time in this league. Even with all his youth and potential, Buchholz is no Roy Halladay. Kelly, who is reported as a potential sticking point, was the Red Sox 1st round pick in 2008 and one of the brightest pitching prospects in the minors. I understand a little reluctance in moving Kelly, but he is an extremely raw pitcher that won’t be in the majors for 2-4 years. Over that time Halladay will have won 15+ games a year, be one of the top pitchers in the league, and likely have led whatever team he’s on (Yankees) to the postseason. Kelly and Buchholz are worth moving for Halladay and what he brings to the table.

In and of itself the $20 million per year Halladay will require isn’t outrageous, and could fit into Boston’s $120 million+ payroll. The problem is that given Boston’s current situation in regards to money on the books it is going to take some creative accounting to fit Halladay in. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts the Red Sox have $109 million tied up for next season, and that’s not counting any of the arbitration cases or league minimum players, which will add at least $15 million and potentially as much as $20 million. Also that figure doesn’t include Jason Bay or his replacement in left field. If they were to resign Bay and add Halladay the Red Sox would add another $30 million+ to their payroll. As much money as the Red Sox have spent over the years, they have never spent more than $143 million on payroll. This would put them more than $12 million over that previous high, and that’s without signing any other additional free agents.

The truth of the matter is that this year isn’t even the Red Sox biggest problem. Next year things get even tricker for Boston. Any Halladay extension is going to be in the neighborhood of $20 million a year, and a Bay deal will probably be around $16 million a year. Which seems to be fine since they only have $50 million committed next season, and David Ortiz and Mike Lowell are coming off the books. That’s a deceiving figure, because again it doesn’t take into consideration any of this year’s arbitration cases (which will only be larger), new cases (which will jump from $400K, to a couple of million), and Jonathan Papelbon who’s contract could be worth $10-12 million. That $50 million figure (or $86 million with Halladay and Bay) will jump by well over $30 million for all the arbitration cases. Which puts Boston at a very manageable $116 million range, except they have to resign Josh Beckett and Victor Martinez who are both going to be free agent’s after next season. Both will require eight figure per season contracts that could add an additional $25-30 million. The Red Sox will also need to replace Ortiz and Lowell next season in their lineup, and while they can probably find better, and cheaper options, they will still require millions of dollars of payroll.

This seems like a pretty bad payroll crunch to me. I don’t see how Boston can resign Jason Bay if Halladay is acquired, because frankly I don’t know where they will get the money. Yes, the Red Sox are a big market team, but not even them can spend like the Yankees, and not in this economic climate. They don’t have the luxury boxes or sheer number of seats that other stadiums have, to increase their payroll. I think Boston will trade for Halladay, and then find a cheaper option in left field, but this move could very well blow up in their face, if they don’t have the offense to beat New York.

As a Redskins fan I got a little something else to be thankful for on Thursday, when I saw that Bill Cowher ruled out interviewing for the Buffalo Bills coaching vacancy at this time. Now its not a huge surprise, considering Buffalo isn’t considered one of the “top jobs” out there (though I don’t know if coaching any team with 6 or less wins is a “top” job). But as a Redskin fan desperate for a winning coach and attitude, Bill Cowher, of all the coaches on the market, brings both of those qualities to the table. Now I know that it’s probably a pipe dream, but I want Cowher as the next Redskin coach over all the other candidates out there. I know you will here names like Shanahan, Holmgren, Dungy, and Gruden. I think that one or more of them may better than Cowher, but for me, Cowher tops the list.

Cowher did more with less than any coach on this list, and probably any coach in the last 25 years. Sure he only went to 2 Super Bowls and won only one of them, but he had only three losing seasons in his 15 year career (or two less than Belichick in his 15 year career). On top of that, he made the playoffs 10 of those 15 seasons. Now its true that Holmgren, Shanahan, and Dungy all have similar if not slightly better resumes, but their is one key difference, and that is who was lining up behind center for these coaches. When you have Favre, Elway, and Manning it can help make life quite a bit easier for you. Cowher on the other hand went to the playoffs with Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart, Tommy Maddox, and Ben Rothelisberger (in his rookie and sophomore seasons). I don’t see Canton making any space for any of these guys (except potentially Rothelisberger), yet they all won under Cowher.

What’s even more interesting is that you pick any position and you will see the same sort of turnover in stars. I know that the argument might be made, that its unfair to base it on quarterbacks because the Steelers live and die by the ground game. Yes, the Steelers had Jerome Bettis, and a place in the Hall of Fame is reserved for the “Bus”. But the Steelers also went to the playoffs on the legs of Barry Foster, Leroy Thompson, Bam Morris, Erric Pegram, and Willie Parker. If you look at any position — O-line, linebackers, corner backs, wide receivers, etc. you will see an extremely high turnover rate. Why? Because the Steelers year in, year out had the best team in the league and everyone wanted their free agents. And since the Steelers almost never resigned their own players (with a few exceptions) they always had to find new players to fit their system.

To me, that is the most impressive thing about Cowher. He could take any player and make him a Pro Bowl caliber guy. He got the most out of his team than any other coach. I think if you match Cowher’s fire, passion, and natural coaching ability (also his talent evaluation is desperately needed in DC) with Daniel Snyder’s money, you will have the perfect winning combination. I don’t care that he’s not an “offensive guy” or that he has struggled in the Championship games. He is the best coach on the market and should be coach in Washington next season. Unfortunately, I know I will have to wake up from this dream of Cowher holding up a Lombardi Trophy dressed in burgundy and gold, but it is nice while it lasts.

Ten games in and we still have two undefeated teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. The Colts had a bit of a scare yesterday in Baltimore, but in the end their record remained unblemished. The Saints on the other hand had a cake walk yesterday as they improved to 10-0 in Tampa. With only six games remaining, now is the time we begin to wonder, can either team have a perfect regular season? Or could the unthinkable happen and they both go undefeated?

The easy answer to both of those questions is simply no. The odds are stacked against you to be perfect for 16 weeks. Also both teams have already had their share of close calls, including some against some pretty weak teams. Both teams still have a couple of tough opponents that they need to face that could easily give them their first loss. That all being said, while I don’t think it will happen, I definitely think it can happen.If you take a look at both of their remaining schedules they are set up pretty well in favor for the Colts and the Saints.

The Colts have the Texans, Titans, Broncos, Jaguars, Jets and Bills remaining. The Texans, Broncos and Jaguars are all in the playoff hunt, but only the Texans should really worry the Colts. The Broncos once looked like the Colts toughest game, but after four straight humiliating losses they no longer seem like a threat (if the Redskins can score 27 on them, what will the Colts put up?). The Jaguars are 6-4 right now, but they are still pretenders and not contenders for me. Yes they beat the Texans, but their other five wins were against the Titans, Rams, Chiefs, Jets and Bills. Of those games only the Titans were they able to beat by more than 3 points. The Texans game is the Colts toughest matchup mainly because its on the road and the Texans do have the offense to challenge the Colts in a shootout. In the first game between these two, the Colts needed a last second field miss by the Texans to avoid overtime. And while they dominated the game on the stat sheet they couldn’t put the Texans away.

The Saints remaining schedule is similar to the Colts in overall difficulty, with the Patriots, Redskins, Falcons, Cowboys, Buccaneers and Panthers. The Redskins, Buccaneers and Panthers should all be fairly easy wins for the Saints (they won their first games against the Bucs and Panthers a combined 68-27). The Saints do luck out that their two toughest games, the Patriots and Cowboys, are at home in the Super Dome. As for their other tough game at Atlanta, I think the Saints will have no problem dominating the Falcons again. In the first meeting the Falcons made it a game on the score sheet, but Drew Brees and the Saints controlled that game from start to finish. Next week’s New England game will be the Saints toughest matchup, but I think home field really will come into the Saints favor. New England isn’t as dominate as they once were, and proved pretty susceptible to the pass against the Colts two weeks ago. I also like the Saints defense against New England’s offense. Their secondary is playing exceptionally well, and their defensive front seven are putting a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Tom Brady has never done well under pressure, and could really struggle against the Saints.

The toughest test for both of these teams to go undefeated will come this week. If the Saints and Colts survive this weekend, then perfection is definitely an option for either team. And maybe, just maybe we will have a Super Bowl matchup of a pair of 18-0 teams, though I wouldn’t bet on it. What do you think…can either team or both go through the season unscathed?

By Guest Blogger Megan Shoup:

No matter how bad our season is going this year, today is our Rival Day, as the Dallas Cowboys are our biggest rival!  Dallas has been very up and down this year, so if they play like the did last week, we could have another opportunity to get another upset against our rival! 

Here are my keys to today’s game:

-Get to Tony Romo and force him to cause turnovers, either fumbles or interceptions.

-We need special teams to have some good punt and kickoff returns to set up good field position.  That’s something we really haven’t done this year (a touchdown would be nice too)!  But we can’t count on our offense to drive 80 yards down the field.

-Get the ball to the young receivers again…what do we have to lose?  Let’s again this week see what Malcom Kelly, Devin Thomas, Marco Mitchell and Fred Davis can do…see if they can be true playmakers!

Go skinnies! HTTR!

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

1. North Carolina (6)

The Tar Heels do not rebuild – they reload, and that is what they are doing after winning a national title a season ago. Sophomore forward Ed Davis is a pre-season All-American pick, and he will undoubtedly be North Carolina’s best player. Sophomore PF/C Tyler Zeller, a McDonald’s All-American, will also have a big role this season, as he backed up Tyler Hansborough a year ago before suffering a major wrist injury that kept him off the court for 13 weeks. Senior forward Deon Thompson will get his shot at leading the Tar Heels. He is also a top-notch talent that would start on any team. The question marks come in the backcourt for the Tar Heels, as they are lacking experience aside from senior Marcus Ginyard, who is also coming off a major injury. Ginyard, though, will be a great asset because his defensive skills are among the best in the ACC. If Ginyard stays healthy, he could push UNC as a top-five team.

2. Duke (9)

Kyle Singler is arguably the best player in the ACC, and he is one of the best in the nation. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 boards a year ago, and he will improve on those numbers. He has both an inside and outside game, and he is very versatile as both a scorer and rebounder. Jon Scheyer, at point guard, is also one of the best in the ACC. His length and skills make him hard to guard, and his decision-making is nearly flawless. Duke plays very sound, fundamental basketball, but to be a one-seed come March, they will need players such as junior guard Nolan Smith and freshman Mason Plumlee to play at a very high level. Unfortunately, Plumlee recently hurt his wrist, and he will be out for the next few weeks. Smith, though, has made major strides this offseason, and his coaches and teammates expect him to have a breakout year. Should this happen, Duke could win the ACC.

3. Clemson (22)

I hesitate to rank Clemson this high because they always seem to fade at the end of the season. Last year was the only time they maintained strong play over the last few weeks. Oliver Purnell is a good coach, though, and he will have this talented team ready to play consistently. Trevor Booker at power forward is the Tigers’ best player, and he is a definite all-ACC prospect. Booker is the center of the Tigers’ success after averaging over 15 points and 10 rebounds last season. His younger brother Devin Booker has joined the Clemson roster, and he could be a contributor this year. Heralded freshman Milton Jennings will decide how far Clemson will go this year. He is a McDonald’s All-American, and he could be a big threat on the offensive end at the forward position. Clemson has an abundance of talent this year, and it will fall on Purnell to make everything work. I would expect big things from Clemson this year, and a two or three-seed in March would not be out of the question.

4. Maryland (25)

Greivis Vasquez is familiar name around the ACC, and his senior campaign comes with high expectations. After averaging over 17 points per game over the last two years, it will be hard to statistically top his past years, but he could improve in the assist category. He averaged nearly 7 assists two seasons ago, but last year that number took a dive to 5 per game. Getting his teammates involved should be a major priority. Also, Vasquez has worked on his outside shot this off-season, which has been a major weakness. Senior guard Eric Hayes is essentially the antithesis of Vasquez, as his game is based on his outside shot. He will have to become a bigger factor in the offense to push the Terps to the next level. It is important to note that Vasquez led the team in rebounding a year ago, which is problematic. Maryland lacks an inside presence, and that equates to very few easy baskets. This team will go as far as players other than Vasquez will take them. Expect a 6-8 seed in the NCAA tournament.

5. Georgia Tech (21)

Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors are the center of this team.  Forward Gani Lawal averaged over 15 points and 9 rebounds last season, and Derrick Favors is coming in as one of the most highly touted freshman in the nation. The Yellow Jackets will hard to match up with down low, and they will be the best rebounding team in the conference. Their backcourt is solid with Iman Shumpert returning after a strong freshman year averaging 10 points 5 assists and just over 2 steals per game. Those three players could all be first round NBA draft prospects next summer. It is hard to tell just how good Georgia Tech is, as one of their primary players is a freshman, but they are definitely one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they can contend with any team. They will make the NCAA tournament.

6. Wake Forest 7. Virginia Tech 8. Florida State

It would not be a big surprise if one or two of these teams made the tournament. Virginia Tech has one of the best players in the conference in point guard Malcolm Delaney.

9. Miami 10. Boston College 11. Virginia 12.  N.C. State

These are the bottom feeders of the conference. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of these teams has an overall losing record. The one intriguing team is Virginia. They have a first-year head coach, and they have some talent. Returning ACC freshman of the year Sylven Landesberg makes things interesting in Charlottesville.