Brett Friedlander, Saturday Road Columnist, joins Adam to talk ACC football; including Duke, Wake Forest, and Miami.

So, not a surprise Wake Forest blew out Boston College. Wake Forest is significantly better than Boston College. In fact, the Demon Deacons find themselves ranked 10th in the country, tied with Southern Cal for 10th. Not bad.

This is the world in which we live, man. Wake Forest is legitimately good. And I can't wait. Their schedule was very back-loaded other than the Clemson game. Their schedule was very back-loaded. And they will have Louisville and State on the road, Carolina and Syracuse at home, Duke on the road.

And those are all potentially lose-able games. Brett Friedlander, ACC columnist, SaturdayRoad.com, the talk ACC football, including Dukes. I don't even know if I'd call it a blowout. When Miami turns it over eight times and four of those are at the end of the game, I don't know if we call it a blowout or not. How do you term Duke's win in South Florida? Rather than calling it a Duke blowout, I think I'd call it a Miami blow up.

I mean, how, I mean, I've never seen anything like that before. I mean, it was, and it started in the first half too. I mean, it wasn't just at the end. That's when it got out of hand, but Miami had chances to blow that game open and then kept shooting itself in the foot. And then Tyler Van Dyke went down and, and it just got worse.

It was, it was crazy. You know, Miami, I didn't vote for them as the preseason's favorite in the coastal because this is what happens with Miami all the time. Everybody thinks they're Miami of 30 years ago and fix them high and then they disappoint. But I didn't think they were going to be this bad.

This is really shocking to me. And here's the funny thing about Mario Cristobal in that for those people who have been kind of following the, you know, Oregon from afar, there's always been conversation about Cristobal that he was in some ways holding Oregon back, even as, as they were winning a lot of games. So it's been, it's been a weird conversation about Cristobal. And I'm not saying that that's what's happening in Miami, but there were, there is a camp of people in the national media that is very skeptical that Cristobal is this good of a coach. And the Miami job is very hard when you're dealing with the expectations that they deal with.

He talks a great game. I mean, after watching him at ACC media day, back in July, I was ready to run through a brick wall for the guy, but, and you know, he's also got the crutch of, Hey, you know, these are Manny Diaz's guys waiting till I get my recruits in here. So there's a lot to be seen as we move forward, but it's not, it's the honeymoon is definitely over. And I think the other side of that is that there's one thing about Mike Elko and Duke is that I think they just know what they're doing and they know who they are. And even though they probably, just to go back to the Carolina game, I don't know if this is the way I've talked about it. I think Carolina was and is the better team, but Duke should have won the game were it not for some penalties really at the end of the first half too, but at the end of regulation, the end of the game, they should have put the game away and didn't because of first the, the illegal shift and then the chop block. I mean, the game was there for them to win and they sort of refuse, they sort of handed it back and then Carolina won. I think Carolina is better anyway.

Um, but they pretty much know what they are. You talk about the mark of coaching to look at what happened this this week. They basically lowered the boom in the second half and, and, and finished the job. I mean, they, they learned from their mistakes and good coaches and good coaching staff, you know, instill that in their players that, you know, okay, we, we, we did to ourselves, let's not do it again. And they didn't this week. And then the other thing about Duke and Mike Elko, uh, as opposed to Miami where they have been good, but not good enough.

Well, Duke has been just morbidly bad over the last couple of two, three years. And I think those players just kinda, that attitude just was like, eh, you know, and Elko and his staff came in, they, they, they, they injected some positivity. Like you said, they showed, they know what they were doing. And let me tell you, they have done a great job of identifying their talent and putting it in the best places to succeed. And I use the, you know, the, the, the quarterback situation is, uh, you know, as an example of that. Um, and, and that kind of thing just kind of rubs off and they start getting excited and that excitement breeds confidence.

And then, you know, winning does it even more. But you see what's happening and listen, there are guys like Dino Babers and Dabo are going to be getting all the votes for ACC coach of the year, but I don't care what happens from here on out with Duke. You got to give Mike Elko and, you know, a lot of credit and a lot of votes for coach of the year because of what he's done with Duke and how he's turned that program around so quickly.

Yeah, they're, look, they've been fun to watch. And we haven't said that about Duke for the last few years. And I'm team David Cuckliffe. I think Cuckliffe should have called his own exit, but it was clear that that was not going to ever happen.

So it put the university in a position where they had to do it. But man, without what Cuckliffe did to build the program up to where it went was utterly remarkable. And I am just totally impressed with what Mike Elko has done in year one, because as you said, these are a lot of players who couldn't win, couldn't get out of their own way for a few years, and they look like a professional outfit. They, of course, need one more win to gain bowl eligibility. And they still have Virginia Tech and Boston College on the schedule. To Wake Forest, is it possible, Brett Friedlander, columnist, SaturdayRoad.com, that they are better than the version of a year ago? I think so, because I think they're a little bit better defensively. The Clemson game notwithstanding, I mean, look at the army game. Last year, they gave over 59 points and this year they only give a pen. I think they're quicker and deeper defensively and offensively. I mean, that wide receivers group is Sam Hartman gets all the, all the attention and rightly so, because he's, he's just been a great college quarterback, but his receiving court, I think is by far the best in the ACC.

You know, they don't just go up and get the ball, but there's four or five guys that can do it. And, and you know, their offensive line is a veteran offensive line and, and yeah, I think they're a better team. And I think they've got a very good shot of, of running the table and finishing 11 and one. And if this was next year, we'd get the rematch with Clemson in the ACC championship game, that would be an absolute ratings bonanza and would be very fun to watch. But instead we're, you know, going to have, they're going to be sitting at home watching the coastal division winner and, you know, lose 54 to 24. So, You know, I, I actually think North Carolina will give Clemson a game because I think Clemson, I think Carolina's offense is good enough, but it's also possible that Clemson could hand the ball to Will Shipley 20, 24 times for 297 yards in that game. We're also assuming it's going to be Carolina too, because while they do have a two game lead over everybody, their wins have been very, very tight. I mean, they, the margin of victory for them has been very slim and they could just as easily lose to Virginia and Georgia Tech in back to back weeks and throw this thing into chaos again.

I don't think it's going to happen. I think they are going to win the coastal, but you really can't assume anything either with the coastal division or with the Tar Heels net defense. Well, a hundred percent correct. And North Carolina's defense is always, you know, waiting to flare up, you know, it's, it's a rash and suddenly it's inflamed and now it's no good. But so, but I think they're going to lose one more time. I think they're going to lose to wake and that's it. I just think that they're better than everybody else they play, but you know what, because of their defense, you might be right.

All right. To, to the Clemson tigers, you already mentioned them in the game against wake. And by the way, nobody has ever used Clemson versus wake and ratings bonanza in the same sentence, Brett Friedlander. Where do you think Clemson slots nationally? Forget about what their resume says or where they're going to be at the end, because I think they're going to be in the playoff.

So I'm not, I have no doubts about that unless they screw up. Well, frankly, South Carolina, although the game is in Clemson or the ACC championship game, unless they lose one of those two games, they're going to be in the playoff. But where do you think they are in terms of if you had to rank out the best teams? Yeah, they also play at Notre Dame in a couple of weeks.

So I know the Irish aren't the same as they usually are, but playing under the golden dome and on touchdown Jesus and everything is there's something to be said for that too. But I think they're going to win out. I think they're going to be in the playoff now, realistically, I don't think they're better than Alabama, which would then make them knock them down to six. And they're, you know, it's they're there. Listen, after about the top three, maybe top four after, after Georgia, Ohio state, Tennessee, and maybe you can throw Alabama in there.

I'm not even sure that really they're all about the same. I mean, there's no great team. So whoever you, you, you know, you want to, you want to throw in there the playoffs, that's going to be the, you know, the sacrificial lamb. I think Clemson is going to get it because no undefeated power five conference champion has been excluded from the, the playoff. And if Clemson does run the table, that would put them in that category. I would say they're probably the fifth, maybe sixth best team in the country right now, but that's not saying a whole lot because there's a very, very large gap between the top three or possibly four and number five gone down. I agree.

I a hundred percent agree with that. And so it doesn't bother me that people are treating Clemson this way because we have eyes and, and we can watch and we say Clemson is very good, but I don't know that Clemson is like, I know Dabo Sweeney might hate to hear this, but I don't think that they have a chance to beat Ohio state if those two teams matched up. And I think it's debatable. I mean, I we've seen some cracks from Alabama, but I don't think they can beat Alabama and I don't think they can be Georgia.

And frankly, I don't think they could be Tennessee either. Yeah. And you know, the, the thing with Clemson too now, their defense is now starting to play like their defense was supposed to play.

Sure. But you saw DJ Uiagele kind of go back to the norm. He went up against a really, really good defense. He started making bad decisions and turning the ball over. And you also saw that they didn't hope we'll have a whole lot of trust in Kade club, Nick, because he only threw the ball twice.

So if, if DJ starts playing like 2021 DJ and K club, Nick is not ready. That could be real, real trouble. And like I said, they were like, you said, they've got Notre Dame, they've got South Carolina and an ACC championship game. They could, they could stumble.

Oh yes, they absolutely could. But again, I think they're going to get to 13 and oh, I think they're going to get to the playoff and it'll be interesting, interesting to see how the committee structures, those four, because Clemson will be 13 and oh, and have a conference championship. Clemson will probably be the three seed and they'll play the, the, I'll say the SEC champion, whomever that is, Alabama, Georgia, or Tennessee. My guess is it'll be Alabama. If it's Georgia, that means Alabama's out. Cause they'll, they'll have two losses. And that means Tennessee will be that other team. But I just, I mean, maybe you can beat Georgia because Georgia's offense is not, I mean, they're crushing teams, but I don't know that Georgia's offense is dynamic, but I don't think, I don't think they can compete with the Bulldogs or with Ohio state or frankly, Alabama, but we'll see how that plays out. And by the way, Adam, I I've seen, it's been very kind of in right now on Twitter and on social media to suggest the possibility of three SEC teams in the playoffs. I can't imagine that the committee is going to do that just because the networks won't want that because you're really limiting your audience. And while they may all three deserve to be in there, I, if they all finish with one loss and that's still reach, I don't think it happens.

I don't think they have the guts to do it. Well, here's how it happens. It happens if the ACC champion has one loss, it happens if there is no big 12 champion that is undefeated, that would be TCU. And it happens if Ohio state drubs Michigan. And I actually think that if we have the three SEC team, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, all with one loss and a transitive property win over each other in a row, and there's no way to, to differentiate from the circle of life there, then I think all three of those teams plus Ohio state will be in the final four. And I have no problem with it. And I suspect that the committee will go, well, these are our best four teams. So let's have at it.

And people like to watch college football played by great teams. So I think it'll be all right. I should have added the caveat of no other undefeated team. Yeah.

So, and to me, I, and again, I don't think Clemson is better than the three best SEC teams as is. Brett Friedlander, Saturday road, ACC columnist. I appreciate your time. A friend will do it again soon. Be well.

And I'll see you, I don't know soon, I guess. All right. Thanks a lot, man. Take care, bro.