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Francis, Baltz, Fulper and Pinegar among all-ACC academic team selections

A little more than two months ago --- less than a week before the Maryland football program turned upside down --- one of my conversations with the ever-entertaining A.J. Francis started off with me wryly asking how much busier he was in December than the year before.

"I have a lot more to do," Francis said. "Last December, I was more focused on academic all-ACC because I didn't have anything else to look forward to. Now, I'm still trying to make academic all-ACC, but also getting ready to play ECU. Watching a lot of film, I've got a lot more hours taken up now than I did last year, which isn't a bad thing."

Francis got his MIlitary Bowl victory over East Carolina at the end of the month.

Today, he got the other item on his wish list.

The nose tackle (a government and politics major) was one of four Maryland players to earn spots on the all-conference academic team. Punter Travis Baltz (business), center Bennett Fulper (letters and sciences) and do-it-all offensive lineman Paul Pinegar (history) were also named to the all-academic team. Players who make the all-academic team must have both a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and for their entire college careers.

It is the fourth academic all-ACC honor for Baltz, and the second for both Francis and Pinegar.

Virginia Tech had five representatives on the team (receiver Danny Coale, defensive end Chris Drager, defensive tackle John Graves, center Beau Warren and running back David Wilson), while Virginia had one (kicker Robert Randolph).

Maryland elevates Bradford to defensive coordinator

As mentioned earlier, Todd Bradford will take over as Maryland's defensive coordinator, while Massachusetts defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski will serve as the Terrapins' inside linebackers coach.

Bradford will be a defensive coordinator for the fourth time. He previously had stints running defenses at Lehigh (1994), Louisiana Tech (1997-2000) and Southern Mississippi (2008-10).

Bradford, who was assigned the inside linebackers, will now coach the secondary. He was in charge of the safeties at Southern Mississippi.

As for the history of Bradford's defenses with the Golden Eagles, here's the rundown (national and Conference USA ranks in parentheses):

TODD BRADFORD'S SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI DEFENSES, 2008-10

Year	Scoring	Rushing	Passing	Total
2008	24.08 (T-54th/2nd)	139.77 (58th/4th)	226.31 (85th/5th)	366.08 (65th/4th)
2009	25.85 (62nd/4th)	130.85 (43rd/3rd)	261.62 (109th/8th)	392.46 (80th/4th)
2010	29.54 (81st/5th)	113.00 (13th/2nd)	243.38 (99th/7th)	356.38 (47th/3rd)

Nationally, those are middle of the road numbers for everything except the 2010 rushing defense (excellent) and all of the passing defenses (not-so-excellent). In the prism of Conference USA, the Golden Eagles gave up passing yards because many of their league opponents run pass-heavy spread systems.

As for how that translates to Maryland and the ACC, it remains to be seen. And see, everyone will this fall.

ACC schedule quick take: Duke

Conference: Home --- Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest; Road --- Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia

Nonconference: Home --- Richmond, Stanford, Tulane; Road --- Florida International

Bye: Week 6

Don’t play: Clemson, Maryland, N.C. State

Must-see: For the second straight year, a Heisman Trophy candidate is coming to Wallace Wade Stadium. Stanford QB Andrew Luck will pay a visit to Durham as the Cardinal comes east in the season's second week.

A favorable setup: If it wasn't for the fact Stanford is loaded, this is precisely the sort of nonconference schedule the Blue Devils should play. There's a I-AA team, two private schools with good academic reputations and then a winnable game against a non-BCS conference school. Alas, Stanford will start off as a top-10 team, and the path to six victories isn't exactly clear.

And not so much: Duke could use every bit of help it can muster in order to reach its first bowl game since 1994. Playing three of its final four on the road --- including a trip to Miami and another to Chapel Hill for the latest installment in the lopsided Victory Bell "rivalry" --- places a huge onus on the first two months of the season and allows few missteps from the start.

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: Richmond
Sept. 10: Stanford
Sept. 17: at Boston College
Sept. 24: Tulane

Oct. 1: at Florida International
Oct. 15: Florida State
Oct. 22: Wake Forest
Oct. 29: Virginia Tech

Nov. 5: at Miami
Nov. 12: at Virginia
Nov. 19: Georgia Tech
Nov. 26: at North Carolina

ACC schedule quick take: Georgia Tech

Conference: Home --- Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech; Road --- Duke, Miami, N.C. State, Virginia

Nonconference: Home --- Georgia, Kansas, Western Carolina; Road --- Middle Tennessee

Bye: Week 10

Don’t play: Boston College, Florida State, Wake Forest

Must-see: Anything in September, if only to track the progress of the Yellow Jackets' offense in the post-Joshua Nesbitt era. Sure, they got an early look --- and it wasn't pretty --- but a full offseason of preparation should iron things out a bit.

A favorable setup: Again, September. There are four winnable games --- Georgia Tech would stand a decent chance to be favored in all of them, and should be favored in at least three --- and that should offer something of a glimpse at whether the Yellow Jackets can shake off last year's regression. Anything less than a 3-1 start is going to be cause for serious concern.

And not so much: There are four extremely challenging games among the final five on this schedule, even if three will be played in Atlanta. There won't be much time for breathers down the stretch for the Insects.

The full schedule:

Sept. 1: Western Carolina
Sept. 10: at Middle Tennessee
Sept. 17: Kansas
Sept. 24: North Carolina

Oct. 1: at N.C. State
Oct. 8: Maryland
Oct. 15: at Virginia
Oct. 22: at Miami
Oct. 29: Clemson

Nov. 10: Virginia Tech, ESPN, 8
Nov. 19: at Duke
Nov. 26: Georgia

ACC schedule quick take: North Carolina

Conference: Home --- Duke, Miami, Virginia, Wake Forest; Road --- Clemson, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Virginia Tech

Nonconference: Home --- James Madison, Louisville, Rutgers; Road --- East Carolina

Bye: Week 11

Don’t play: Boston College, Florida State, Maryland

Must-see: In terms of home games, the visit from Miami is the clear jewel. But the late Thursday night jaunt to Blacksburg should be a treat as well.

A favorable setup: The home schedule is, shall we say, accommodating. Even if North Carolina takes a step back after some significant losses, the conference's three worst teams from a year ago visit Chapel Hill. And Carolina is the Coastal Division's answer to Florida State, avoiding the top two Atlantic contenders after wrapping up a home-and-home with the Seminoles last year.

And not so much: There isn't much for North Carolina to be upset about. It gets an extra five days to prepare for the best team on its schedule, opens with three eminently winnable games and at only one point does it play three of four on the road. One thing that does stand out as a quirk is facing Georgia Tech's triple option and East Carolina's pass-happy systems in consecutive weeks.

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: James Madison
Sept. 10: Rutgers
Sept. 17: Virginia
Sept. 24: at Georgia Tech

Oct. 1: at East Carolina
Oct. 8: Louisville
Oct. 15: Miami
Oct. 22: at Clemson
Oct. 29: Wake Forest

Nov. 5: at N.C. State
Nov. 17: at Virginia Tech, ESPN, 8
Nov. 26: Duke

ACC schedule quick take: Miami

Conference: Home --- Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia; Road --- Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech

Nonconference: Home --- Bethune-Cookman, Kansas State, Ohio State; Road --- South Florida

Bye: Week 2

Don’t play: Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest

Must-see: That Sept. 17 date with Ohio State would certainly qualify. It will be new coach Al Golden's home debut, and will come after the Hurricanes' lone bye week.

A favorable setup: Miami plays four of its final six at home (though attendance issues make you wonder whether that's a good thing). In any case, The U won't leave the Sunshine State after Oct. 15 --- unless it is for the ACC title game or a bowl.

And not so much: The flip side of that is Miami's first three league games are all on the road. The first two --- Maryland on Labor Day and Virginia Tech in early October --- are against legitimate conference title contenders. There are no early favors at the start of the Hurricanes' Golden age.

The full schedule:

Sept. 5: at Maryland, ESPN, 8
Sept. 17: Ohio State
Sept. 24: Kansas State

Oct. 1: Bethune-Cookman
Oct. 8: at Virginia Tech
Oct. 15: at North Carolina
Oct. 22: Georgia Tech
Oct. 27: Virginia, ESPN, 8

Nov. 5: Duke
Nov. 12: at Florida State
Nov. 19: at South Florida
Nov. 26: Boston College

ACC schedule quick take: Wake Forest

Conference: Home --- Florida State, Maryland, N.C. State, Virginia Tech; Road --- Boston College, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina

Nonconference: Home --- Gardner-Webb, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt; Road --- Syracuse

Bye: Week 4

Don’t play: Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia

Must-see: It's not every day that Notre Dame comes to the Dash. It's not like the Demon Deacons haven't had some interesting visitors in recent years (Nebraska and Stanford come to mind), but this is clearly the gem of the home schedule.

A favorable setup: There's only so much that can look good about the schedule a 3-9 team is about to face. Nonetheless, getting N.C. State early --- and at home --- while it is breaking in a new quarterback is probably as good an opener as the Deacons' could have hoped for.

And not so much: Florida State and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks --- whether home, road or a galaxy far, far away --- does not bode well for the Demon Deacons. There could be some lumps absorbed in mid-October.

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: at Syracuse
Sept. 10: N.C. State
Sept. 17: Gardner-Webb

Oct. 1: at Boston College
Oct. 8: Florida State
Oct. 15: Virginia Tech
Oct. 22: at Duke
Oct. 29: at North Carolina

Nov. 5: Notre Dame
Nov. 12: at Clemson
Nov. 19: Maryland
Nov. 26: Vanderbilt

ACC schedule quick take: Clemson

Conference: Home --- Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Wake Forest; Road --- Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia Tech

Nonconference: Home --- Auburn, Troy, Wofford; Road --- South Carolina

Bye: Week 10

Don’t play: Duke, Miami, Virginia

Must-see: It's tempting to pick out the matchup with defending national champ Auburn, but how about a Bowden-free date with Florida State the next week? Clemson will probably be 2-1 at that point, and the Seminoles' visit to Death Valley will go a long way to determing the tenor of the season.

A favorable setup: This really isn't the friendliest schedule. But at least the Tigers get a bye in early November, which should provide a chance to regroup and attempt to invoke their usual Clemsonliness to make a late-season charge.

And not so much: There's no Duke or Virginia, the only Atlantic Division team that doesn't get to face either the Blue Devils or the Cavaliers. That's simply the course of the schedule rotation (Boston College, Florida State and N.C. State get their turns with that, too), but it probably isn't what Clemson would like to see as it breaks in a new quarterback and tries to replace the top defensive player in the ACC (Da'Quan Bowers).

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: Troy
Sept. 10: Wofford
Sept. 17: Auburn
Sept. 24: Florida State

Oct. 1: at Virginia Tech
Oct. 8: Boston College
Oct. 15: at Maryland
Oct. 22: North Carolina
Oct. 29: at Georgia Tech

Nov. 12: Wake Forest
Nov. 19: at N.C. State
Nov. 26: at South Carolina

ACC schedule quick take: N.C. State

Conference: Home --- Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina; Road --- Boston College, Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest

Nonconference: Home --- Central Michigan, Liberty, South Alabama; Road --- Cincinnati

Bye: Week 7

Don’t play: Duke, Miami, Virginia Tech

Must-see: Not sure there's much to get excited about early. The marquee games come back-to-back --- the trip to Tallahassee in late October, followed by a home date with North Carolina. The Wolfpack's season will be heavily included by those two games.

A favorable setup: September. New quarterback Mike Glennon will get to have the training wheels on for a while. Both road games that month --- against Cincinnati and Wake Forest --- come against teams that fell hard in 2010.

And not so much: It's never good to see a pair of Division I-AA teams on the schedule. The Wolfpack will need to win seven games to make a bowl game. More importantly, it's going to be tough to have a good read on Tom O'Brien's team until well into the season --- perhaps even the eighth game of the year.

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: Liberty
Sept. 10: at Wake Forest
Sept. 17: South Alabama
Sept. 22: at Cincinnati, ESPN, 8

Oct. 1: Georgia Tech
Oct. 8: Central Michigan
Oct. 22: at Virginia
Oct. 29: at Florida State

Nov. 5: North Carolina
Nov. 12: at Boston College
Nov. 19: Clemson
Nov. 26: Maryland

Sept. 3 LIBERTY
Sept. 10 at Wake Forest
Sept. 17 SOUTH ALABAMA
Sept. 22 at Cincinnati (Thursday), ESPN, 8 pm
Oct. 1 GEORGIA TECH
Oct. 8 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Oct. 15 OPEN
Oct. 22 at Virginia
Oct. 29 at Florida State
Nov. 5 NORTH CAROLINA
Nov. 12 at Boston College
Nov. 19 CLEMSON
Nov. 26 MARYLAND

ACC schedule quick take: Florida State

Conference: Home --- Maryland, Miami, N.C. State, Virginia; Road --- Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Wake Forest

Nonconference: Home --- Charleston Southern, Louisiana-Monroe, Oklahoma; Road --- Florida

Bye: Week 5

Don’t play: Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia Tech

Must-see: The Sept. 17 game at Doak Campbell Stadium against Oklahoma is a potential matchup of top-10 teams. That's not just the highlight of Florida State's schedule; it's arguably the best game any ACC team will play this season.

A favorable setup: The crossover games. Florida State plays the same Coastal Division teams Maryland did last year: Duke, Miami and Virginia. While the Cavaliers should be better, the Seminoles don't have to deal with the triple-option, Butch Davis' talent base or the defending ACC champions. That's an added bonus for Jimbo Fisher to work with in Year Two.

And not so much: As Florida State fans are already wailing about, the trip to Clemson a week after playing Oklahoma isn't going to be a ton of fun. Playing a road Thursday night game without the benefit of a bye (the Nov. 3 game at Boston College) isn't the easiest thing to deal with, either.

The full schedule:

Sept. 3: Louisiana-Monroe
Sept. 10: Charleston Southern
Sept. 17: Oklahoma
Sept. 24: at Clemson

Oct. 8: at Wake Forest
Oct. 15: at Duke
Oct. 22: Maryland
Oct. 29: N.C. State

Nov. 3: at Boston College, ESPN, 8
Nov. 12: Miami
Nov. 19: Virginia
Nov. 26: at Florida