N.C. State's quarterback situation remains in doubt but a former Wolfpacker will start for Central Florida.
UCF coach George O'Leary named Mike Greco the Knights' starter. Greco began his career at N.C. State in 2005, caught in a QB shuffle behind Marcus Stone and Jay Davis, Greco transferred to Pearl River Community College in Mississippi.
State won't see Greco this season. UCF beat the Pack 25-23 in the 2007 opener. The defending C-USA champs do play ACC foes Boston College and Miami.
Matt Saracen or Voodoo Tatum? If Saracen was smart, he would date coach Taylor's daughter. Then Jason Street could give him pointers and ...
What? Sorry. Universal HD has filled the football void in my life by showing "Friday Night Lights" reruns (by the way — Tyra > Marissa Cooper, Brooke Davis, Joey Potter or Kelly Taylor).
Luckily, the real football season kicks off in 10 days and half of the ACC teams still don't have a QB1, or at least one that's been named publicly.
These six — Wake (Riley Skinner), Clemson (Cullen Harper), Duke (Thad Lewis), UNC (T.J. Yates), Boston College (Chris Crane) and Georgia Tech (Josh Nesbitt) — are in place.
The other six? Who knows?
• Where did UNC's votes come from?
Thanks to everyone in their interest in the JP Top 25. There have been some good points made in the comments, mostly about Wake Forest or Washington.
You can find the expanded version of my ballot here every week during the season, usually on Mondays. Please come back and add your two cents.
This is my fourth season voting for the AP and I enjoy the process and most of the feedback. That's why the poll was created in 1936, to create interest in the game.
J.P. Giglio is one of 65 writers who vote in the AP Top 25 poll. Here's his preseason ballot.
Let's start with Team A:
• Team A returns 19 starters from an 11-2 team that played for the national championship.
• Team A led the nation in scoring defense, allowing less than two touchdowns per game.
• Team A lost only one first-round draft pick.
• Team A returns a rusher with 1,600 yards and its conference's top-rated quarterback.
• Team A added the No. 1 recruit in college football.
That's the resume of the No. 1 team in college football but since Team A is The Ohio State, and the baggage that comes with losing consecutive BCS title games, the Buckeyes are being dismissed. Mistake.
N.C. State sophomore quarterback Justin Burke did not show up for the team picture Saturday, and coach Tom O’Brien declined to comment on his status.
Photo gallery: Meet the Wolfpack
Coach Tom O’Brien seemed to shoot down a popular theory about N.C. State’s quarterback race on media day Saturday.
Reporters and fans have speculated that O’Brien might start senior Daniel Evans in the difficult season opener at South Carolina because of his experience, then break in one of his freshmen slowly beginning the following week against William Mary. Redshirt freshman Russell Wilson and freshman Mike Glennon are competing with Evans.
CHAPEL HILL — With two weeks left before the season opener against McNeese State, North Carolina sophomore Kendric Burney has almost certainly wrapped up the starting position at one corner.
But coach Butch Davis said after Saturday’s scrimmage that he’s still a ways to naming a starter at the other.
Why?
Wake Forest will start the season ranked No. 23 by the Associated Press.
The Demon Deacons enter their season opener at Baylor on Aug. 28 ranked in the top 25 for the first time in program history.
Donald Bowens, who led N.C. State with 598 receiving yards in 2007, is out for the season because of a hairline fracture of his spine, coach Tom O'Brien said Friday night.
Bowens tried practicing for the first few days of training camp, but the injury prevented him from playing after that. He underwent a series of medical tests and learned the results Thursday. A junior, Bowens made 41 catches last season and tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches.
