I wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know that I have begun a new blog at my new home with Deacons Illustrated, Wake Watch. It's just getting started and there are some kinks to work out, but we'll get things going and hopefully you will all come join me. For those of you who have been Old Gold & Blog subscribers, I'm working on getting RSS/email subscriptions available, but bear with me until I can figure out a way to do it.

The goal here is to fill the void left when I moved from here at Old Gold & Blog to Deacons Illustrated. Let me know what you'd like to see, and I'll do my best to accommodate. Thanks for hanging in there the last couple months while I got settled in with Deacons Illustrated. Hopefully this will let you get your daily Wake fix once again.

The new blog is completely free, but I want to remind you all that we're still offering a free 30 day trial of the premium content at Deacons Illustrated. This includes all the premium stories regarding recruiting, exclusive premium stories about the current teams and athletes, and access to the premium message board. To take advantage of this offer, all you have to do is visit this link, fill out your personal information, and enter the promotional code: DEACS30 (case sensitive).

Thanks everyone, hope to see you on Wake Watch!

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Greetings WF fans!

It's been a tough weekend, as I'm sure you all know well enough. The Demon Deacon football team suffered a very tough loss to NC State, which all but ends our hopes at heading to Tampa.

However, don't quit on the team! As I said in my first ever post on the site; either you fully support this team, or you can hop off the bandwagon.

The men's basketball team is off to a great start with a 94-48 thumping of NC Central. The Deacs have a few more tune-up games, before heading out West for the Anaheim Classic.

Also, don't forget about our men's soccer team who suffered their first loss of the season in the ACC Tournament. Sure it's tough, but the National Title is till the goal for this team.

So with that said, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and be sure to look for a Q&A with some BC folks this week!

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This week I was lucky enough to get in touch with Rob from The Good Ol' Blog, to do a Q&A question regarding the game this weekend. I hope you guys enjoy.

1. Virginia has had an down and up season? Can you explain what's going on in C'ville?

The early season saw way too much turmoil. After the starting quarterback was kicked out of school, Marc Verica took over the helm and struggled early. During that stretch, RB Cedric Peerman was also either out or hobbled, which put too much pressure on a green QB. But, once Peerman was at full strength and Verica started to settle down, the team started winning games again.

2. What should Wake do to defend against the UVA offense.

First off, take away Peerman. If Cedric goes off, it's obviously going to be a long day for the Wake D. Peerman is best at punishing off tackle runs where he gets into space, so simply being ready for these plays would be smart. String him to the outside, and converge. However, make sure you don't get torched by passes to the tight end if the linebackers are biting on play action.

So, you're hope is to make Virginia rely on Verica's passing. And that's not so easy either, as Marc has been very accurate this year and has a pair of playmakers in Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington. But the poison you want to pick is hoping Verica is not connecting downfield, which is higher in probability if Peerman has been effectively neutralized.

3. Do you think Virginia is thinking about last year's close game?

Probably -- they know that Wake is probably hungry for the win. Virginia needs its leaders to step up to create enough emotion to match (or come close) to Wake's home field plus revenge energy. The coaches need to make sure this happens. But if the Hoos are comparably flat compared to the Deacs, it will be a long day for the visiting team.

4. Who on defense will the Hoos rely on to stop the Wake offense?

First, Clint Sintim has been a beast this year, and they'll need him to have a big game policing the front seven. His fellow linebacker cohorts need to have one of their best games to harass Wake's quarterback. In the same vein, Ras-I Dowling needs to have a good game in coverage as do the other DBs. Starting CB Vic Hall is questionable, so Ras and the remaining defensive backs need to step up if Hall is hobbled.

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Hey everyone, I just wanted to check in.

I'm sorry about the lack of coverage this week. It has just been really hectic this week, as it's the last week of the season for me in Football.

I promise you guys the coverage will pick up on a daily basis starting on Monday when I have all the time I need, to devote myself to the blog, and keeping you guys updated.

I hope everyone understands, and Go Deacs!

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This weekend turned out to a pretty successful one for the Wake Forest athletic program. First off, I'm sure most of you are overjoyed by our 33-30 OT win over Duke this weekend. I was unable to see the game, but it seems as if Alphonso Smith had a huge game, and it's good to see him making an impact once again.

I'd also like to congratulate the mens soccer team. On Saturday night they defeated the Tar Heels of UNC, to clinch the ACC regular season title, and improve their record to 16-0-1. Congratulations to them.

Hopefully the win over Duke this weekend provided this team some momentum as they need it. This weekend the Deacs host a very very tough Virginia team. Gametime for that one is 3:30 PM on ESPNU.

Sorry I didn't get to see the game this weekend and give you guys some good in-depth analysis. I'm very happy that we won though, as this Duke team is no joke. Cutcliffe is making tremendous strides over there in his first year, and I don't think it should go unnoticed..

Tomorrow starts the work week, so I'll be back tomorrow night with some more news and notes. Also feel free to email me anytime at oldgoldblog@gmail.com, as I'm always open to your thoughts and suggestions. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and Go Deacs!

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I think it's quite clear what the mission is today, and that's to beat Duke. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, we MUST WIN. It doesn't matter how, because I think at this point, we'll all be willing to take a victory in some way, shape, or form.

Also on a side note, the Men's Basketball Team debuts at #21 in the pre-season AP Poll. This is about where this team should be to start the year, and hopefully we'll move up.

Now let's beat Duke, so we can all celebrate. Go Deacs!

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I don’t have much time, but I figured I’d let you guys know that Wake has opened up at #24 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll.

This is the first official poll that has been released for the upcoming season. I think it’s a perfect spot for this team, especially when you consider the Demon Deacons didn’t even make a post-season appearance last season.

Hopefully, everyone is getting excited for basketball season because I know that I am.

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Bandwagon: “a popular trend that attracts growing support,” according to dictionary.com. It's a word that I've heard floating around Demon Deacon Nation recently, and it's not something I'm too fond of.

I'd like to think Wake fans are unique and special; people who are not fans because it's the cool thing to do (which, sorry folks, it still isn't). However, it's a term I have seen thrown around in association with Wake fans over the past week and personally I'm offended. I think you should be too.

I am only 16 years old, and have hardly had to endure what some of you have throughout the history of Wake Football. Still, anyone who has been around more than a few years has been through some difficult times. With the recent success, however, it seems that we've acquired more fans who may not have always been there during the rough times.

Trust me; we all remember the days of the constant beatdowns (some more than others), the days when winning just ONE game felt like winning a big bowl game, when Groves would hold more opposing fans than Wake fans. Thankfully, with the achievements of the past few teams, the whole attitude around the program has pretty much done a complete 360, and for the most part it has been for the better.

Obviously winning is going to bring high expectations and, I believe, we all had those high expectations coming into this season. Now, having lost three of the last four, we have suffered quite the letdown. Nonetheless, I still believe this team can win out and have a successful year. Sure it will be tough, but look at the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 (their Super Bowl year). They were 7-5 at one point and on the brink of losing all hope, but managed to finish the season winning 7 in a row including three road playoff games.

There are countless other examples of teams who have been all but down and out, but these are times that test a fan’s faith. Alphonso Smith said it best “Our thought process on this team is 9-3,’’ (Alphonso)Smith said outside the locker room after Saturday’s 16-10 loss at Miami. “If you don’t believe it, get off the bandwagon. If you’re on this team and 9-3 is not on your mind, go to Coach Fair and say `I don’t want to be a part of this’ and turn your stuff in. That’s it.

“We have to focus on us, and focus on what’s at hand. At hand right now is Duke. This defeat (at Miami) is water under the bridge. We can’t go back and beat ourselves up for it, or we’re going to lose to Duke. then our goal will have to change to 8-4. Our thought process right now is 9-3, and if you don’t believe that, peace out. “

“That goes for everyone, teammates, fans, everyone.’’

--Dan Collins' blog - My Take On Wake

Smith summed it up as best as it can be. You either believe in 9-3, or “see ya.” Hopefully you will take this to heart. Sure, I expect some criticism for writing this, but I wouldn't write it if I didn't truly believe in this team. We've been there with this group of guys through the good times, now it's time to be there in the hard times.

That's why I urge you all to flock to BB&T Field this Saturday at 3:30 PM and cheer as loud as you ever have for your Demon Deacons. No, there won't be any national TV scene like there was a few Thursday nights ago. No, there won't be any big Jets flying over the stadium before game time. It'll just be good ole' Football, the way it's supposed to be played.

Here's to 9-3!

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As you all know, things are already off and running for me at Deacons Illustrated, but the future of Old Gold & Blog has been up in the air. After announcing my new job, I received an email from a long time reader who offered to help out by continuing to provide new content for the blog. It sounded like a great idea to me, so I'll let our new writer introduce himself. His first post will appear tomorrow. I hope you'll all welcome him into the Old Gold & Blog family!

Hello Deacon Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, but first off I'd like to thank Zach Smith for giving me the opportunity to continue Old Gold & Blog. He has taken on an opportunity with DeaconsIllustrated.com, and I wish him the best of luck with that.

To start off, my name is Allan Ducker, and I'm currently a High School Junior at Easley High School in Upstate South Carolina approximately 10 minutes from Clemson. Sadly I am encompassed by Tiger fans around here, but I manage to make it through the days.

I'm a huge sports fan and I've always been a huge Demon Deacon fan. My interest started young as I loved the basketball team during the late Tim Duncan era. I was only about six years old then, but I remember how dominant he was. Then when Chris Paul arrived my interest really soared, and my love for all Demon Deacon Athletics increased, and now I'm known as the Wake Forest fan throughout the school.

I also play football for my school, so during the football season I am quite busy, but after the season I pretty much dedicate my time to school and sports. Sports is my passion and I hope to one day pursue a career in the sports journalism field, and I believe that with Zach's help, I am on the right track to getting there.

Hopefully you all will welcome me onto your desktop, and I look forward to sharing many great memories with you all!

I love Allan's enthusiasm for Wake Forest and for writing, and I look forward to seeing what he writes for Old Gold & Blog. As I said before, I'll still be around to provide occasional tidbits, blogpoll ballots and other fun stuff.

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I'm already off and running with my new job. I have already published several articles at DeaconsIllustrated.com, two of which are free and one of which is for subscribers only. Keep reading to find out more about our special 30 day free premium trial.

Free: Revamped offense falters at Miami

Free: Black & Gold Game showcases young talent

Premium: Black & Gold Game player analysis

To give you a chance to check out all DeaconsIllustrated has to offer, we're offering a 30 day free trial to all Old Gold & Blog readers. Simply follow this link to sign up, fill out your information, and enter the promotional code: DEACS30 (case sensitive).

Take advantage of this opportunity and see how DeaconsIllustrated offers the most comprehensive look at Wake Forest recruiting and athletics anywhere on the internet. You'll have full access to the premium message board and all premium content, and I'm confident you won't be dissapointed.

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Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	--
2	Alabama	--
3	Penn State	1
4	Texas Tech	1
5	Oklahoma	1
6	Georgia	2
7	Florida	4
8	Utah	1
9	Boise State	--
10	Southern Cal	2
11	Oklahoma State	8
12	TCU	2
13	Ball State	2
14	Florida State	6
15	Ohio State	5
16	LSU	3
17	Tulsa	1
18	Minnesota	--
19	Brigham Young	7
20	Missouri	1
21	South Florida	1
22	North Carolina	4
23	Maryland	3
24	Michigan State	2
25	West Virginia	1

Dropped Out: Georgia Tech (#17), Pittsburgh (#21), Boston College (#23), Cincinnati (#24), Northwestern (#25).

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Exactly 13 months today ago I made my first post here on Old Gold & Blog. I noticed a void, as Wake was one of the few BCS conference schools without a dedicated blogger, and decided I'd try my hand at filling it. I feel like I have succeeded in filling that void by most measures, and I've enjoyed it a heck of a lot in the process. I've had some unique and exciting opportunities, met and interacted with a lot of great people, and as much as anything enjoyed serving the Wake Forest community.

When it started I didn't know where things would go and didn't have many expectations. I just started writing my thoughts on Wake sports, and slowly people caught on and apparently enjoyed what I was writing. Soon I found myself with a domain name, a dedicated readership, and even a small stream of revenue through some advertising. Already it had exceeded any expecations I had started with. Since then things have only continued to grow, and I'd like to think I influenced the start of Deacons Direct on the official school website and Dan Collins' blog My Take on Wake.

Old Gold & Blog has become everything I thought it might be and more, and I have you, the readers to thank for that more than anyone else. You guys (and girls) are what make doing this worthwhile, and I've had a wonderful time writing for you, and occasionally even convincing you to leave comments.

I have, however, been presented with a pretty awesome opportunity, and as of today I am officially on staff at DeaconsIllustrated.com. I'm excited for the new opportunites and challenges that lay ahead, and I look forward to watching and participating as the site continues to grow.

Unfortunately, my new role with DeaconsIllustrated.com means Old Gold & Blog can no longer be my highest priority. The bulk of my writing will be done for DeaconsIllustrated.com, and I'll also be spending plenty of time on the forums talking about Wake with other fans. As much as I'd love to keep Old Gold & Blog going the same as ever, there's just no way I have the time or ability to write two different stories about the same events.

I've loved having the opportunity to write in such a personal style, talk about anything and everything I wanted, and interact with all of you in live blogs, comments, and emails. Nonetheless, the opportunity before me is one I couldn't turn down as I think it is a move that makes a lot of sense for me right now.

This is not goodbye, and it's not the absolute end of Old Gold & Blog. I'll continue to to post my ballots for the BlogPoll, and when I feel like I need to get something off my chest about perhaps the ACC or College football/basketball in general I plan to still use this as a place to do that. I may continue to post links to stories I find interesting, and perhaps write stories about the less discussed Wake athletic teams. The future is very much up in the air, but I definitenely cannot promise substantial daily content here anymore.

I invite all of you to come join me at DeaconsIllustrated.com, whether that means just reading the content, posting in the forums, becoming a subscriber, or any combination of the above. We've got a great product, including the best Wake Forest recruiting content, great fans, and plenty of stories and analysis about the current teams. Some of what I write will continue to be free, but some of it will only be available to premium subscribers. I certainly encourage you to check out the free 7 day trial so you can see how great the content is. Big things are happening there and I'd love for you all to come be a part of them with me.

Thanks again for being faithful readers. You all, more than anything else, have made writing about Wake worthwhile, and I certainly wouldn't have been given this new opportunity without you.

As always, go Deacs!

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I was asked by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to do a little piece on why Wake will beat Miami tomorrow, which appears here juxtaposed to a Miami fan explaining why the Canes will beat Wake. We'll let this serve as my preview this week (I know, weak effort. Sorry.)

Check it out here on the Sun-Sentinel Blog

Thoughts?

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You all did a great job providing feedback regarding the starting lineup for the upcoming basketball season, and some great reasons behind your selections. First, let's take a look at who got the most votes at each position:

Point Guard: Ishmael Smith
Shooting Guard: Jeff Teauge
Forward: James Johnson
Forward: Al-Farouq Aminu
Center: Chas McFarland

Teague had 3 votes to Ish's 5 at PG, and L.D. Williams got a couple of votes at Shooting Guard. Johnson and Aminu were unanimous forwards, and appear to be pretty much interchangeable. Walker picked up 2 votes to Chas's 6 at center. Although I think that's possible eventually, I'm pretty sure Chas will start the season as the starter.

One thing this does make clear is how much depth this team will have. L.D. Williams is a heck of a player to have coming off the bench, as are (hopefully) Walker, Woods, and maybe Clark and Hale if their shots are looking good.

I'm looking forward to getting a first look at these guys tomorrow.

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I'm yet to participate in one of these BlogPoll roundtables, but the topic seemed right and I liked the questions, so we'll use this to do a midseason review.

1. We’re about half way through the season. Has your team met your expectations, wildly exceeded them, or are you about to light the torches and storm your athletic department demanding blood?

I don't think any of these options quite fit. Expectations have not been wildly exceeded, but they were pretty high to begin with. Had the Deacs not blown up at Maryland last weekend I would have picked "met expectations" but clearly that option is out at this point. Unfortunatley, Option three doesn't quite fit either. I'm not demanding blood, just an offense that can get in the endzone.

Look, at 4-2 this team is still in okay shape. The loss to Maryland leaves me one win short of being happy at this point, but I don't have a lot of confidence that I'll be happy at the end of the season. That being said, it would only take one good offensive performance for much of my confidence to be restored.

2. In an election year, all sorts of promises will be made, few will be kept. What is one promise or item you thought you could count on that hasn’t come to pass yet this season? Is there still a chance?

Over the summer the big concern was "who will catch passes?" Implicit in that question was the assumption that, despite a young offensive line, returning ACC Rookie of the Year Josh Adams and equally talented freshman Brandon Pendergrass would be able to run the ball. So far, the only running game has come from the gimmicky "wild Deac" formation, and even that for only one game against Clemson. I don't see there being a whole lot of chance of things changing, either. The tough sledding is going to continue for the offensive line and the run game (poor pun intendend)

3. Georgia #1... No, USC #1.… No, Oklahoma #1.… No, Texas #1! Who’s the real #1 team, and who do you think will make it to the big BCS National Title game?

If Texas can make it through the next two games (Oklahoma State and Texas Tech) then they probably won't let go of things. That's easier said than done, and they could easily lose on of those games. Add in a likely rematch with Mizzou in the conference championship game and it's clearly not smooth sailing for the Longhorns. Alabama still has LSU on the schedule, and the Iron Bowl is never a gimmie. They have a tough SEC championship game to play, too.

Penn State may be the most likely to backdoor their way into the National Championship game if they can take care of Ohio State on Saturday. Ultimately I think we'll see two of these three teams in the championship, but Oklahoma State has a shot if they stay undefeated, and we have to consider a bunch of other one loss teams if all of these teams fall.

Since we're talking BCS, and this is a Wake blog, let's talk about Wake, the ACC, and the BCS. It's clear the ACC will only be sending one team to the BCS, baring a monumental collapse by every other conference. The champion will go the Orange Bowl, and that will be that. The Atlantic division race is wide open, with Maryland most clearly in the driver's seat. I don't think anyone expects them to run the table, though, and it's really anyone's race. Wake is still in good shape if they can win out, but I know none of us are particularly confident in that right now. In the Coastal Virginia Tech is the team to beat, but if they falter Georgia Tech is definitely capable of winning the rest of their ACC games and returning to the ACC championship game two years after their last appearance there against the Deacs. Right now, I predict VT will win the ACC.

4. In only a few weeks, college football fans get to be treated with the obligatory and annual “We Need a Playoff” screaming. Well, you don’t get a playoff, but I’ll let you make one change to the BCS (and no, you can’t cop out and have the BCS commit suicide) to make the world a better place. What is your change?

The BCS is what it is, and there is no one change to fix it. A plus-one would certainly be a nice start, but that's been talked about everywhere. I guess one thing I don't like is that the bowls themselves get to pick who they want to come play in there games, using some weird heirarchy. This leads to some teams getting the shaft, others getting incredibly lucky, and a general decrease in "fairness." I realize it wouldn't solve things entirely, but a "placement committe," a-la the basketball selection committee, might be able to make some improvement in this area. It's a somewhat minor thing, and it might even backfire, but it sounds alright in theory

Stealing from Dr. Strangelove, Dr. Saturday has said it best "Dr. Saturday, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the BCS." Look, I want a playoff. 16 teams. 11 conference champions, 5 at larges. I think it would be awesome. Nearly perfect. Lots of fun. And I'll be lucky to see it happen in my lifetime. So I've given fup. Sure I'll have the discussion with anyone who wants to, but I might as well just enjoy the BCS for what it is, tweaks or not.

5. Using this year ONLY - no historical references - respond to the statement “The Big 12 is a better conference than the SEC”. There’s nothing sillier than conference wars, but then again, there’s nothing sillier than how SEC fans respond to any challenge to their supremacy. Aim, Fire!

So what happens if I decide to respond to the statement "The ACC is a better conference than the Big 12 or SEC" instead? Well I start by talking about how good Clems....er...Wake Fore...er...Virginia Te...uh...er...Crap.

The ACC loses some out of conference games early, wins some and looks a bit better, then beats itself up. The Big 12? They don't play any conference games early and avoid beating each other up until October while the SEC loses some games, beat themselves, and watch Alabama beat everyone. PARITY! IT'S EVERYWHERE!

So that's that. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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I got an email from John this morning suggesting we talk about our ideal starting five on the basketball court this season. John suggested "Teague at point, Williams at SG, Johnson & Aminu at forwards, w/ Walker at center."

While I appreciate the sentiment, I think I'm going to have to wait until at least Saturday after the Black/Gold scrimmage to put Walker in my starting five. I also think Ish still has to be in there. There are several tough decisions to make with all the depth, but I think I'd go with Ish at the point, Teague at the two (Williams isn't a bad choice, but I think Teague fits this role a little bit better), Johnson & Aminu at forwards, and Chas playing center. I can't kick him out of that job yet.

Your turn. Leave you're starting 5 in a comment, and assuming we get a decent number of comments I'll try to tabulate our consensus starting five. The floor is yours.

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Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman is systematically releasing his preseason top 25, and yesterday Wake came in at #22. I think he gives the team a pretty fair assessment.

It seems far-fetched to have a team that went 7-9 in the ACC and one that didn't even make the NIT in the Top 25. However, the Demon Deacons picked up some much-needed experience a year ago — and also added arguably the top overall recruiting class in the country.

Click here for the full writeup.

It's definitely time to start getting in to the swing of basketball coverage, with the Black/Gold scrimmage coming up on Saturday. I'll start doing some previews in the very near future.

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This from Dr. Saturday:

Four teams are tied for the Atlantic Division lead at 2-1. Who's in the driver's seat? Well, Wake Forest beat Florida State, which beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat Maryland, which beat ... Wake Forest. Boston College beat Virginia Tech, which beat Georgia Tech, which beat ... Boston College. Maryland beat Wake Forest, which beat Florida State, which beat North Carolina, which beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat ... Maryland. Florida State beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat Maryland, which beat Wake Forest, which beat ... Florida State.

Jeez. Think there's some parity in the ACC? I don't know how good or bad this conference is, but either good or bad everyone's in the same boat. Except Clemson - everyone is better than Clemson. I guess at least that can make me feel a little bit better about things.

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Here's my ballot this week. I don't think there's anything too controversial about it, but feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	--
2	Alabama	--
3	Oklahoma State	--
4	Penn State	--
5	Texas Tech	--
6	Oklahoma	--
7	Utah	4
8	Georgia	7
9	Boise State	1
10	Ohio State	4
11	Florida	4
12	Southern Cal	4
13	LSU	--
14	TCU	11
15	Ball State	7
16	Tulsa	5
17	Georgia Tech	9
18	Minnesota	5
19	Missouri	10
20	Florida State	6
21	Pittsburgh	5
22	South Florida	4
23	Boston College	3
24	Cincinnati	2
25	Northwestern	1

Dropped Out: Brigham Young (#12), Virginia Tech (#16), Michigan State (#17), Wake Forest (#18), North Carolina (#19), Vanderbilt (#20), Kansas (#24).

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The November 1 homecoming game against Duke will be an ESPN360 broadcast with a 3:30 kickoff. Pretty good game time, but obviously not the most attractive TV slot (if you can really even call it that). It's hard to argue, though. I can't imagine Wake vs. Duke has a whole lot of national interest right now.

Edit: I'm an idiot. This game is not homecoming. Homecoming is the following weekend against Virginia. Thanks for the catch Anon.

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I thought it was possible that by taking a couple of days off somehow something might change and Wake wouldn't have lost to Maryland on Saturday. Clearly it was wishful thinking. The loss happened, and it was just as ugly as it seemed to be at the time. Yep. 26-0. It's true.

The last few weeks have been deceptive. The Florida State game started making people nervous about a lack of offense, but the defense played so well and the Deacs won such an important game that it was easy to forgive. Against Navy it was easy to blame Riley Skinner's incredibly poor day for most of the offensive problems, and it wasn't a conference game so losing that game is less painful. Every team has a really bad game at some point, right? Against Clemson the Deacs finally got in the endzone, and even though it wasn't a pretty offensive performance, it seemed to be headed in the right direction. The defense played very well once again, and a Thursday night ACC victory made it all good.

There aren't any excuses left. There aren't any rose colored glasses. There aren't any silver linings, either. The Deacs were dominated by Maryland in every aspect of the game, with no one to blame but themselves. Okay, sure, had Swank been available to play Wake scores at least 6 points in the first half and maybe things play out differently, but I don't think anyone can honestly say that Sam Swank would have been enough to turn this one around.

The defense didn't play as well as they did against FSU and Clemson, but I don't think it's fair to expect that kind of performance from them every week. At some point the offense has to be able to put points on the board.

Perhaps the hard part about this one is that there isn't any one place to lay the blame. There isn't an easy fix where we can hope for one change to make a big difference. Skinner was not at his best, but he didn't throw a bunch of interceptions. The receivers dropped passes, the offensive line missed blocks, and the running backs didn't help themselves out. It was just a terrible performance by every measure.

It's not surprising that it has left many fans somewhat hopeless. Where a week ago people were thinking about making reservations for Tampa and/or Miami, now people are wondering if this team can win a few more games and stay on the east coast for bowl season.

Certainly Wake could go down to Miami on Saturday and have a great performance that changes everything, but that is nothing but wishful thinking at this point. This offense cannot put points on the board. It's never easy to win games that way.

As usual, let's see what the answers to the burning questions were:

1. Will the defense keep up the near-perfect performances?
Nope, not this week. That's not to say it was a terrible performance. They were on the field for the entire game and did some good things, but it was far from perfect. Aaron Curry seemed to have an off day, Maryland game planned effectively and stayed away from Alphonso Smith, and the defensive line wasn't able to get any pressure on Maryland's quarterback. It may have been a fine performance, but the level of expectation this defense created for itself in two previous ACC games was certainly not met.

2. Will the red zone play calling improve?
Usually you ask a question like this assuming that at least sometime in the game you'll be in the redzone. At least once. Wake never got closer than Maryland's 23. I'd have much rather seen bad red zone play calling than no red zone play calling. Perhaps playcalling in general was poor?

3. Is Saw Swank going to play? Will the rest of the team stay healthy?
No Swank. No Points. We need Swank back in the worst of ways. Maybe he could jumpstart the scoring. Maybe he could go out there and block. Something, anything. The rest of the team did stay healthy. That's nice, I guess.

Predictions: I predicted 20-13 Wake. Maryland had their 13 points in the first half. The Deacs are still looking for any of theirs.

I'm pretty sure I'll have the chance to watch some film of this one and try to figure out where some of the offensive problems are coming from, but that doesn't mean I'll have any solutions. We'll see what we come up with.

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Should be fun a fun one today - Let's get some good discussion going. I'll get things started about 11:45

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It's an early one tomorrow, with the Deacs taking on the Maryland Terrapins in a noon matchup on Raycom sports (find out what network it will be on in your area). If we're going to play a noon game, though, I'd rather it be on the road.

It's incredibly difficult to figure out this Maryland team. They beat Clemson and then get crushed by Virginia. They're 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. They start out with a bad win over Delaware and a loss to Middle Tennessee State before bouncing back for a win over Cal. Who is this team?

Clearly they're capable of big wins, which means Wake cannot be taking them lightly. At the same time, I feel pretty confident Wake is the better team in this game. Certainly Maryland has caused problems for the Deacs over the years, and playing in College Park isn't always easy, but I definitely feel like Wake has the upper hand.

Burning questions about this week's game:

1. Will the defense keep up the near-perfect performances?
For three straight games the defense has been the only thing keeping Wake afloat. I know we all want to see the offense improve, and hopefully they will, but th defense has to keep up the intensity.

2. Will the red zone play calling improve?
The offense showed some pretty significant improvement last week against Clemson, but still only managed 12 points. The other offensive statistics would indicate a better performance, so what was wrong? The Deacs couldn't make anything happen once they got in the red zone. Running the "Wild Deac" from the 1 yard line? Bad idea. Fix it.

3. Is Saw Swank going to play? Will the rest of the team stay healthy?
Swank is still questionable for this week's game, and I know we all want to see him kicking. I'm okay with having Popham handle the punting duties, and even the kickoffs if necessary. As long as Swank can kick the field goals I'll be happy. It isn't being talked about all that much, but this two game road swing is really one of the more important stretches of the season. The Deacs aren't playing the biggest names, but these are two good ACC teams on the road, and coming out with two wins is huge. A key to that is keeping everyone else healthy for both games. Hopefully that happens tomorrow.

Predictions: I think Wake will score more points this week, but it may be with a bunch of field goals (Heather Dinich predicted 21-20 Wake, but I have no idea how she expects Wake to score 3 TDs and no field goals. In the last two seasons Wake has scored only touchdowns one time - against Army early in the 2007 season). Wake could score three touchdowns, but there will be a couple of field goals too. I'm predicting a Wake win, 20-13.

Let me know what you think. Have your own prediction? Share with the class.

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First, I apologize for the lack of posting this week, the lack of a 5 good questions, and just about everything else I neglected here. Just one of those weeks.

I'm headed out of town for the weekend, and although I think I'll have internet access, I'm not 100% sure. Hopefully things work out the way they're supposed to and all is well. Assuming those things are the case, I'll preview Maryland tomorrow and have a live blog for the game Saturday.

Hope you'll join us, and for you students - enjoy fall break!

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From media relations:

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Head coach Jay Vidovich picked up his 200^th career victory and five different Wake Forest players scored goals as top-ranked Wake Forest (13-0, 4-0 ACC) defeated UNC Greensboro 6-0 (5-8-1, 1-2-0 SoCon) on Tuesday night at Spry Stadium.

“I owe a lot of thanks to the great players I’ve had here at Wake Forest ,” Vidovich said. “This senior class has accounted for about 50 wins on their own. Most of my success can be attributed to the players I’ve had the privilege to coach.”

Vidovich, the winningest coach in Wake Forest men’s soccer history, improves his career record to 200-81-27. He has won 69 percent of his games as the Demon Deacon head coach.

Five different players scored goals for Wake Forest in the game, including junior forward Cody Arnoux, who tallied twice in the game. Arnoux took a career-high nine shots in the game. Ike Opara, Zack Schilawski, Sam Cronin and Alfredo Rodriguez-Allen also scored in the game for the Deacons.

Junior goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald notched his eighth shut out of the season, making five saves. Fitzgerald is now in a tie for fifth for most shut outs in a single season at Wake Forest .

The victory extends Wake Forest ’s home unbeaten streak to 29 games, the seventh longest home unbeaten streak in NCAA history. The Deacs are also unbeaten in their last 37 non-conference games.

Wake Forest scored its first goal of the game in the 10^th minute. A corner kick from Jamie Franks found the head of Opara, who scored from six yards out to give the Deacons a 1-0 advantage. The goal for Opara was his fifth of the season.

Arnoux added his first goal of the game just over three minutes later. Austin da Luz played a pass to Arnoux and his shot from 16 yards out beat the keeper to give Wake a 2-0 edge.

The Deacons extended their lead to three right before the end of the first half. Off a deflection from a UNC Greensboro player, Schilawski took a shot from 15 yards out that found the right side of the net for his fifth goal of the year.

Wake Forest scored goal number four of the game in the 59^th minute as Cronin found the back of the net for the fourth time on the season. Cronin’s shot from 17 yards out in the right side of the box beat the keeper on the right side to extend the lead to 4-0. Arnoux was credited with the assist on the play.

Arnoux notched his second goal of the game in the 62^nd minute. Evan Brown crossed the ball to the center of the field, finding a sliding Arnoux. Arnoux scored from five yards out for his second multi-goal game of the year. Corben Bone also received an assist on the play, his 11^th helper on the season.

Rodriguez-Allen scored his first collegiate goal to wrap up the scoring. Danny Wenzel headed the ball forward to find Brown. Brown crossed the ball and found Rodriguez-Allen, who scored inside the six-yard box.

The Deacons controlled the game from start to finish, holding a commanding 28-7 shot advantage, including taking 17 shots in the second half. The Deacs had nine corner kicks, compared to just three for the Spartans.

UNCG goalkeeper Nate Berry gave up six goals in the game, making just one save.

The Deacons are back in action on Saturday night as they host ACC foe Duke. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (ET) and will be aired live on the web on ACC Select.

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It's another midterm week for me, so I apologize for the low post frequency. I'm working through the Clemson replay and hope to get it done in the next 24 hours.

Furthermore, I'm going to the beach with some friends this weekend and may or may not have internet access. I think I had one or two people mention they could help this week - shoot me an email if that was you, or even if it wasn't you and you're interested.

Couple quick links to things of interest:

Dan Collins just started doing a blog - "My Take on Wake." It's really good stuff and allows him to cover stuff he wouldn't get to talk about in his regular articles. Check it out.

In the aftermath of Bowden's firing/resignation at Clemson, Jim Grobe is not interested in the job. I think most Wake fans were confident of that anyway, but it's good to have him confirm it.

Swank is still questionable for this weekend's game at Maryland.

Basketball media day happened recently, and we're starting to get some coverage. Here's an AP preview, and SI also lists Wake as the #8 front court in the country. Andy Katz puts Wake at #16 in his final preseason top 25, at the bottom of his "second tier" of teams.

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The game at Miami on October 25 will be a noon kickoff on ESPNU. Not exactly the most glamorous of assignments, but at least its still widely available. I think it may end up being a pretty good game.

ACC announcement of October 25 game times

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First...the AP and Coaches:

Wake held at #21 in the AP (while being jumped by UNC who moved to #18) and bumped up to #19 in the Coaches' poll. The non-move in the AP is kind of surprising to me, but the more I think about it the more I'm not surprised. It's probably a fair ranking, and it was sort of surprising that we moved up the 4 spots last week, so whatever. UNC jumping to 18 is pretty surprising to me, though. I would love to get a shot at them in the ACCCG.

On to my BlogPoll ballot:

I scrapped anything I've used before and started over from scratch. When I publish this post it will be the first time I've even seen the "movement" from last week (those arrows and numbers on the left side). I guess they're interesting, but pretty meaningless because I started over and reevaluated everyone. Keep that in mind. I'll show you the poll and then talk about it:

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	4
2	Alabama	--
3	Oklahoma State	8
4	Penn State	3
5	Texas Tech	4
6	Oklahoma	5
7	Florida	9
8	Southern Cal	--
9	Missouri	6
10	Boise State	4
11	Utah	2
12	Brigham Young	--
13	LSU	9
14	Ohio State	1
15	Georgia	5
16	Virginia Tech	5
17	Michigan State	9
18	Wake Forest	2
19	North Carolina	3
20	Vanderbilt	14
21	Tulsa	2
22	Ball State	4
23	Minnesota	3
24	Kansas	2
25	TCU	1

Dropped Out: Northwestern (#17), Connecticut (#23), Pittsburgh (#24), South Florida (#25).

Let me explain some things here. First, the top of the poll. Picking between Texas and Alabama is incredibly hard. I'm sure someone could make an argument in the comments that would convince me to switch this before Wednesday, but here's my thinking. Alabama's win over Clemson is getting less and less impressive, and their win over Georgia is nice, but Georgia hasn't really beaten anyone. Texas's victory over Oklahoma was huge. It was a great game and a great win for Texas. I'm sure there are intangibles in play here - like that victory being more fresh in my mind, but intangibles or not that's the way it is.

Oklahoma State at #3? Indeed. Their victory over Mizzou was the second most impressive victory this week. Only 5 BCS teams are left undefeated, and so I feel like those 5 teams should comprise my top 5. Penn State has been great, no doubt, but Oklahoma State's win over Mizzou outweighs anything Penn State has done. Like I said, Texas Tech gets the nod at #5 simply by being undefeated. If they aren't that good, they'll lose soon enough and fall.

Oklahoma comes in at #6 because they still played a dang good game againts Texas, and have dominated everyone else they played.

Clearly I'm pretty bearish on Georgia. I don't feel like they have an impressive victory yet, but then their only loss is to the #2 team. A good argument could probably convince me to move them up, so let me hear it.

Ranking 15-25 is very hard right now, and even more so in the 22-25 range. I ultimatley went with Minnessota, Kansas, and TCU because they have more wins than some other teams being considered. Minnesotta has played 7 games already - 2 more than many other one loss teams. Considering the things we've seen this season, being two games farther into a schedule than another team with only one loss stands out to me. Clearly I won't be able to use that argument later in the season as things even out, but it works for me right now.

Let me hear your thoughts in the comments.

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