If there’s a media bias against North Carolina football player Marvin Austin and his teammates, it wasn’t apparent in the voting for the preseason all-ACC team that was released today.
Austin, a senior defensive tackle and a target of NCAA questions about possible improper dealings with professional agents, easily was voted to the team, which was selected by more than 300 media representatives at the league’s summer interview sessions Sunday and Monday in Greensboro.
Among the four defensive front players picked, Austin trailed only teammate Robert Quinn in votes received.
Quinn got 47 votes from those who participated. Austin received 32, five more than fellow tackle pick Jarvis Jenkins of Clemson.
What’s more, three other Carolina defenders were selected -- linebacker Quan Sturdivant and defensive backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams.
The only defenders who landed more than 40 votes were Quinn, Williams (41) and Clemson defensive back DeAndre McDaniel (48).
Speculation about Austin and Carolina’s perception within the media began Monday, when the same voters picked the Tar Heels to finish fourth in the six-team Coastal Division.
A theory quickly evolved that UNC (8-5 overall, 4-4 ACC last season) was low-balled because voters believed Austin and the team were in line for sanctions.
The all-star voting instead underscores the apprehension about the team’s offense against a schedule that includes LSU and Rutgers outside the ACC and games against Florida State, N.C. State and Clemson from the league’s Atlantic Division.
Including his three years at Carolina and six years at Miami (1995 through 2000) before its membership in the ACC, Butch Davis is 1-3 against State and 1-6 against FSU.
The voting outcome also reflects the influence of preseason NFL prospects lists. The five UNC defenders, plus linebacker Bruce Carter, are predicted to be first, second or third-round picks in the April, 2011 draft.
Less voting attention obviously was paid to the fact that Carolina’s defense, with those same players plus standouts Cam Thomas and E.J. Wilson, gave up 1,260 yards in its final four 2009 games against Miami, Boston College, State and Pittsburgh.
Finally, of course, there’s a huge disconnect in the all-star and standings predictions.
Virginia Tech, an overwhelming choice to win the ACC title, had only one player on the preseason team -- running back Ryan Williams.
Among the overlooked Hokie defenders were two of the very best players in the conference -- cornerback Rashad Carmichael and tackle John Graves.
Even more surprising was the voting at quarterback. Last season’s first-team all-conference pick, Georgia Tech’s Joshua Nesbitt, could not out-poll Florida State’s Christian Ponder, who didn’t even make the second-unit after the ’09 season.
While preseason votes are soon forgotten and don’t carry much weight, it’s for certain there will not be five Carolina first-team picks on the postseason first unit if the team can’t finish higher than fourth in the Coastal.
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Comments
I like the fact that this
Sun, 08/01/2010 - 03:42 — unc098I like the fact that this team ( UNC ) is picked 4th. It gives them some motivation to prove otherwise. As we all know when Carolina football gets overhyped they tend to crash and burn very quickly. This defense will give the team every opportunity to win any of the games on the schedule but it will be up to Yates to run the offense with fewer errors. Renner looked great in the Spring but is not battle tested yet. Hopefully a much improved offensive line will make a difference.
Optimism as well
Mon, 08/02/2010 - 13:26 — SurferAnd with another year under their belts for Boyd and Highsmith, et.al. I am actually thinking that with Draughn, Pianalto and Houston back, that the offense might just be better than most people expect. I don't know much about LSU, but it seems like a great way to kick things off.
like looking in the mirror
Mon, 08/02/2010 - 20:42 — gvillegatrbut they have more questions at QB. They do have a stellar defense like the Heels.
Like looking in the
Mon, 08/02/2010 - 21:43 — mad_maxLike looking in the mirror??? Don't give your boys that much credit. Let me know how that game works out for you. This is coming from the same guy that proclaimed ECU and UConn were better comp than SC and Pitt last pre-season, and that anyone who disagreed was ignorant. Good luck in the opener...I really think the Heels will need it.
2 things
Mon, 08/02/2010 - 22:34 — Heels201. Carolina's strength of schedule was ranked 21st while State's was 24th.
2. We return many more guys on both sides of the ball than LSU, and that's after we were nearly even with each other statistically last season. I'm not saying it's a gimme (Yates, anyone?), but we should not have a lot of trouble winning this game if we win the turnover battle and find any kind of offensive production at all. With defensive playmakers such as Kendric Burney, Deunta Williams and Bruce Carter, I think we'll be successful in forcing turnovers.
Not saying you're wrong, just throwing my point-of-view out there.
Media bias against UNC
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 23:15 — PuddentainHahaha. Hahahahahahaha. Hehehehe. Hahahehe. Hahahahahahahaha, hahahahahahahaha.
That's rich.
another thing overlooked
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 02:33 — izzykareemis coaching.
Butch Davis, all by himself, lost to UVA two years ago; poor guy forgot how to call timeouts. He also lost the game to NCSU in the infamous 41-10 game. Why? you might ask. Benching Cameron Sexton for a rusty Yates coming off injury. That game was what caused Sexton to transfer and for good reason. The best record UNC-CH has had in a while, was ALL due to Sexton and how is he repaid? Benching against the Wolfpack. What made it even worse was bringing Sexton back in at the end of that game. I'm SURE there are other examples of complete game mismanagement. Davis is a position coach, always has been, always will be, he is not a gameday coach. And i say this with all due respect. I'm not calling him names, talking about anything personal: fair?
Many State fans
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 12:09 — Heels20give Butch way less credit than he deserves when it comes to coaching. How about two years ago at Miami when we trailed by two TDs and still got the W? Or how about last season when we came back and won against VT in the fourth quarter? Yes, we have lost a few games under him because of coaching mistakes, but all teams do. I don't see why so many State fans act like Tom O'Brien is some unbelievable game-day coach just because Russell Wilson has had so much success. Remember his first year when he gave Harrison Beck the nod over Daniel Evans? The team started 1-5. I'm pretty sure Beck had more career pick-6's than touchdowns. Evans was no Philip Rivers, but he was considerably better than Beck, and also drug them out of that slump and came close to miraculously bringing that team to a bowl game. What's even worse? O'Brien made the same mistake AGAIN against W&M when Evans started out struggling. Then put Beck in AGAIN in the bowl game against Rutgers. I strongly believe that had Evans been the first one off the bench after Wilson was injured, State would have won that bowl game.
they give Butch no credit b/c
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 23:14 — gvillegatrtheir own damn coach has sucked balls and they can't admit that. next best thing? say Butch sucks.
don't try rationalizing, either. just let em have their say and let that be that. B/c you know all of UNC's wins were b/c of the guys on the field and all the losses were b/c of coaching.
That's true
Fri, 07/30/2010 - 09:22 — PuddentainThe only two kinds of people who like Butch are UNC fans, and NC State fans.
allow me to retort
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 12:39 — izzykareemYou beat VT because that kid fumbled in your half of the field. No doubt you have to put yourself in a position to win, but all VT had to do was run out the clock, no way you can chalk that up to coaching.
Harrison Beck or Daniel Evans?? That is a question that no coach should have to answer. Daniel Evans could only throw the ball 35 yards. Harrison could throw it 3500 yards just not to his own players. Harrison also didn't give a damn as evidenced by many of his interviews.
In that bowl game, by the time the team got their, Evans no longer had any confidence, he was just fine motioning in plays from the sideline. I can not fault TOB for not knowing which version of their schizophrenic selves were going to show up between Beck and Evans. I'm also not saying he's a gameday genius but some really avoidable mistakes have cost UNC-CH football.
I like watching "Hell's Kitchen" and usually at the end, someone gets kicked off because someone who wants to be a world-class chef, under cooks a chicken or overcooks fish; you just have to know better at this stage of the game.
VT
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 12:45 — Heels20Did you even watch the game? We were trailing by a field goal with just minutes ago. One of the bottom 2 offenses in the ACC had to best one of the top 2 defenses in the ACC. We made a long drive, kicked the field goal, and were fortunate enough to avoid overtime by forcing a fumble from the best RB in the ACC, who by the way didn't even rush for 100 yards that game. Many things happened before that fumble even occurred.
Evans is a much better QB than Beck and every ACC football fan knows it. The way O'Brien handled the two, you'd think he'd never watched a previous game of either guy. Evans earned wins against BC, FSU, UNC, UVA, Miami and ECU. Beck had wins over...Wofford? W&M? The call was NOT hard to make, and O'Brien completely blew it.
UNC paid plenty of money to
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 18:41 — itzjoeymacUNC paid plenty of money to get those guys so don't make fun of them ;-)_
babyblue--cheaters!!!!
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 19:37 — bluecat69bluecat69joeysack do u know how much money the cheating tarholes had to pay for those guys???go, duke!!!!!
according to woody durham
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 02:35 — izzykareemas he says so metrosexually: "The Boys in Bashful Blue"
UNC paid plenty of money to
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 18:41 — itzjoeymacUNC paid plenty of money to get those guys so don't make fun of them ;-)_
If voters did not take Austin...
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 16:28 — UNC1998into account when voting for how the conference and divisions would shake out the ACC has some informed writers. There is no way UNC is the 4th best team in the Coastal division. VT will be good... on offense. GT must replace vital offensive and defensive players. Miami has been able to attract a lot of good players, but has yet to put the pieces together. Of all the teams UNC and Miami maybe have the fewest questions. UNC's offense will certainly be closely watched. VT is basically starting over on defense and their beloved special teams. As stated GT must replace quite a few important cogs, and a new defensive scheme.
With that said, how UNC can place 5 defensive players on the ACC All conference preseason team (more than any other team), and be forecast for 4th in the division and tied for 5th in the conference astounds me. Rather than trying to prove there's no media bias, please explain the media's schizophrenic voting nature.
Well, one reason for them to
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 22:21 — mad_maxWell, one reason for them to be picked 4th has already been provided by JPD: QB play.
UNC has a good defense, and a very questionable offense. Sure, they got 5 all-ACCers, but they are all on defense. And as good as people are hyping up this UNC defense (I think they are very good, but not great yet IMHO), they were still exploited several times last year: GT's 400+ rushing yards, and NCSU's 4 touchdown passes come to mind for me. On top of all that, look at the schedule UNC has this year...ouch! Look past the obvious big names that they have to play; UNC has to play @UVA, where they haven't won since 1980, and Butch still hasn't been able to conquer the Wolfpack yet. Carolina fan may not give any value to my opinion, but I see UNC finishing 6-6 to 8-4. 3rd or 4th place in the coastal is a very reasonable preseason prediction for the Heels. Not saying they can't finish 1st, but I just don't see it happening, and neither do the voters apparently.
Why 4th?
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 16:58 — JPDOhioT J Yates.
Defense wins championships, but the offense has to at least play well enough not to lose games.
Until T.J. can prove that he is not the UNC version of Daniel Evans, the Tar Heels will be susceptible to upset.
Just as UNC has a weakness...
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 19:22 — UNC1998so does everyone else. The question is can the other teams strengths match up to UNC's. I just don't think so. VT got #1 by default. Everyone else (and VT to a point) could be put in a hat and drawn out at random. It's already been said that if @jtsetay can't produce Brenner will be given the opportunity. Even Davis has alluded to that in a very obvious way in the last couple of days. I think he's even saying the team has a chance to be pretty good. In coach talk that's like saying fantastic. I don't think the coaches will let one player mess this up this season. As for @jtsetay, if he is doing well UNC will be having a great season. I mean epic.
Weaknesses
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 20:07 — JPDOhioTrue that every team has weaknesses. You just don't want one of the weaknesses to be your QB.
Yates and Brenner are question marks. If either one does well, UNC will be very successful.
Frankly, I don't think Yates will cut it. Brenner might. And I suspect Butch will have Yates on a short lease.
Lest we forget...
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 15:48 — benjandChief Davis is oh-for-three vs. mighty UVa since assuming command in Chapel Hill and the 2010 sked includes a visit to C'ville, where the Heels have not exactly distinguished themselves in fb over the past 3 decades.
Well
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 16:13 — Heels20I pay little attention to the last three years against UVA. Just like I'm going to pay little attention to the fact that we've beaten Miami three years straight. With a team as talented as Miami, and a team as inferior as UVA, last season means nothing to this season's results.
True
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 22:05 — mad_maxEvery year is different, and nothing is ever guaranteed. But man, 1980 since the last W in Charlottesville. Every year I've thought UNC had no chance of continuing the streak, they have proven me wrong. Again this year, you would think UVA has no shot...but 1980?!? That's a long time...something is keeping them from winning a game up there.
Non sequitor
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 09:47 — YAR8packThis doesn't pertain to football, per say. And I can't remember the exact year, maybe it was 1997. Does anyone remember when one of the refs for the unc vs UVA football game had a heart attack on the field? Anyone else remember that? I just remember the camera cutting to the guy laid out on the field. Sucks he had a heart attack. But he's damn lucky to have had it where he did.
I was a student at UNC at the time..
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 13:33 — UNC1998I was at the game. I remember the guy just basically doing the Nestea plunge right on the field. The players all stood up and pointed, and a cart with electric paddles came on the field and brought him back to life. It was quite a scene. It caused the entire stadium to go absolutely silent for a while. As an aside, I believe UNC was down 14 - 0 at the time. They went on to score 42 unanswered points to win big. Quite a Saturday.
Just lucky
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 10:42 — JPDOhioOn a similar note, a former co-worker's dad had a heart attack at a high school football game a few years back. Within moments, several doctors were working on him. In minutes, the paramedics working the game were there, with equipment, to help stabilize him and transport him to the hospital. It is not likely he would have survived if this had happened anywhere else.
I swear that, if it has to happen, you are better of having a heart attack at a sports event than in a hospital emergency room. Help will come more quickly.
A few reasons for the streak
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 23:37 — Heels20Throughout the mid-to-late 90s, UVA was the team to beat outside of FSU and GT. I remember a game at Carter Finley in 1997 when O'Cain beat UVA to save his job. UNC's only dominant year was in '97, a year we played the Hoos at home. After losing numerous defensive standouts to the '98 draft, Torbush took over in 1998 and drove us to a mediocre season. Since then, 2001 was our only big year, another year that we played UVA at home. It's not like the Cavaliers have been the best team the past decade by any means, but they have definitely had more overall success than the Heels. Who knows what may have happened in Charlottesville two years ago had Brandon Tate not gone down the week before? Sure, we had enough to beat UVA without him and still failed to do so, but losing him definitely landed a blow to our chances.
Basically, what all of this means is that UVA has been favored nearly every time we have traveled to Charlottesville. Since 1981, this is probably the widest gap in talent between the two teams in Carolina's favor. Butch may have yet to beat UVA, but he did end a 6-year streak of losing out of the state (and has since beaten Miami, VT, BC and UConn on the road). Despite winning big games over the past two years, we have let a few slip away that definitely should have been wins, with UVA being included. This year, we not only have the talent, but also the motivation to get the win up in Virginia.
At UVA
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 11:59 — SurferI am going ahead and writing down a W for UNC at UVA. It still bothers me when I think about Keldorf's int in the red zone a number of years back. If it doesn't happen this year, then there is some serious mojo going on or our talent pool is sevearly depleted due to injuries, etc...
A few things
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 15:06 — Heels20I think it's a bit misleading to say that we were picked fourth. We had the fourth most votes for first place, but is that the most accurate way to determine anything other than the first place team? For example, Virginia Tech got the most votes because they are the favorites to win the conference. Miami got second most because they are receiving a ton of hype coming into this season, whether well-deserved or not. I think most people agree that UNC is favored to finish ahead of Georgia Tech, but Georgia Tech got more first place votes because they won the conference last year, and with Joshua Nesbitt and Anthony Allen returning, it's not too tough to make an argument that they could repeat. That's just my theory. If anyone knows whether or not the voting system works differently, please let me know.
Secondly, was it really a surprise that Nesbitt didn't make preseason 1st team All-ACC? Ponder is considered a Heisman candidate by many. Meanwhile, analysts are all over Jacory Harris for reasons that I still don't understand. Tyrod Taylor led the conference in passer rating last season and returns to the top team in the conference, so you could definitely even put him ahead of Nesbitt. And as I've stated many times before, Wilson is better than all of these guys, which leaves Nesbitt as a middle-of-the-pack ACC QB in my mind.
Hype
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 16:07 — aideanAnd UNC did not receive a ton of hype? They were on ESPN for their SPRING game and get to play LSU in the Georgia Dome.
Not sure...
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 16:11 — Heels20...what that has to do with my post
"Miami got second most
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 14:36 — aideanYeah
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 14:48 — Heels20And Miami is playing Ohio State. Not sure what you're getting at.
Miami also has a QB who threw 24:17 last season, but is still somehow considered the top QB in the conference by some analysts. That is something I will never understand.
What I am getting at
Fri, 07/30/2010 - 09:38 — aideanYou were giving your opinions as to why the media picked three other teams to finish ahead of UNC in the Coastal Division. One of the reasons that you gave was that Miami received more votes than UNC because they have received a ton of hype this preseason.
Now I do agree that Miami has received lots of hype, but I also believe that UNC has received lots of hype. So what I was getting at is that you cannot justify Miami being picked in front of UNC based solely on hype.
On a side note I cannot understand either why Harris is considered the top QB in the conference (probably has to do with a lot of hype from his HS days and from playing at Miami U.) nor can I understand why Christian Ponder is a Heisman Candidate when he is not even the best QB in his own conference division.
Fair enough
Fri, 07/30/2010 - 13:51 — Heels20The point I'm trying to make is that although UNC has gotten much offseason attention (both good and bad), Miami is labeled by some as a national title contender with Jacory as a possible Heisman candidate. But I see where you're coming from.
Ponder for Heisman?
Fri, 07/30/2010 - 10:03 — JPDOhioI can think of only one reason. If Fla State has a great season and contends for a national championship, Ponder will get consideration as the QB that led them there.
Other than that, I too am baffled.
I think Harris is way
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 21:33 — mad_maxI think Harris is way overrated too. The guy had a couple perfect passes on national television (I think it was the GT game) and everyone started talking about him like he was the greatest QB in the country. He's good, but definitely not the best in the league.
Yeah
Fri, 07/30/2010 - 13:53 — Heels20He's definitely a solid QB and an extremely accurate passer, but you'd think he would have accomplished more with all the attention he's received. Of course now that I say that, he'll probably come out and beat Carolina by 40.