The Extremity Report: 8/3/2012

Pre-season polls are terrible. They artificially inflate more teams than not, and create safety nets for higher ranked teams to undeservedly bounce back from a loss. With the new playoff coming down the road, pre-season polls are soon to be merely pointless. Yet, that doesn't stop the pain in the side of FIU in the receiving votes category, and Miami with no votes as all.

Look, I love me some Mario Cristobal; a potential man crush even. One day you'll hear Golden blasting the radio up 95, D'Onofrio screaming out "SCREEN DOOR SLAMS" from the back seat, Fisch wearing Ray-Bans riding shotgun on the phone with Spurrier, all with a one way ticket to the Meadowlands. On that day, you'll know Miami is finally back. At which point I hope Cristobal takes over. Until that day, lets keep this whole FIU is maybe sorta better thing on the DL.

The depth chart going into today's first practice has been set. There is plenty of youth to go around, with 17 underclassmen on the two deep. Time to get excited people!

For 2014.

WIth fall practice nearly here, it's time for every school's "our strength and conditioning is better than yours" babble! The last time I remember Miami winning a game on their superior conditioning was the 2004 Labor Day game against FSU, pushed back a few days by Hurricane Frances. Yes, everyone stole Miami's four fingers for the 4th quarter sign. But the conditioning difference between every top 10 team is negligible.

Athlon Sports ranks the ACC coaches. Don't usually put any credence into these sort of lists. I just want to share this because Al Golden is above Jimbo Fisher after one 6-6 season, and that makes me smile.

BREAKING NEWS: Lots of good seats still available at Sun Life. It's probably too expensive to tarp the entire upper bowl, right?

Former Canes DB DeMarcus Van Dyke in line to start for the Oakland Raiders this year. Cue the Sam Shields example and Randy Shannon player development bashing in 3...2...1....oh, I guess I'm already doing it.

This week's (almost over!) off season classic Cane game is one of my favorites, and should be well known to all. If not, just embed this stat into your mind: 16 penalties, 202 yards, 9 personal fouls, and two Randall Hill shooting gun fingers. Enjoy.

Around the ACC

We've mentioned this here before, but I think North Carolina is going to get destroyed by the NCAA. At least relative to the amount of attention their violations are receiving. First the entire Butch Davis and John Blake fiasco, and now details emerging of summer classes with no instruction, and possibly basketball players involved as well. Get your licks in while you can, Dookies!

In on the field UNC news, Larry Fedora is switching the Tar Heels to a no-huddle spread offense, accompanied by a 4-2-5 look on D. They'll need all the help they can get once those aforementioned sanctions hit home.

Virginia Tech HC Frank Beamer talks all things Logan Thomas in the ACC Network's preview of the Hokies. Could have done without the first highlight clip (watch for the sneak dammit! ARGGHH), but I think Thomas is going to have a breakout season.

Dabo Swinney is absolutely killing it at recruiting right now. Jayron Kearse (yes, related) a former Miami and Auburn commit, threw his hat figuratively into the Clemson ring. Again, congrats Dabo, who's creating an SEC-lite monster up in South Carolina. It's a good thing we all know he will find a way to MacGruber the whole thing at some point.

Wake Forest President Nathan Hatch is named chairman of the NCAA Board of Directors. His first order of business? Declaring a 5 year show cause penalty to Jimbo Fisher if Wake wins in Tallahassee this year.

North Carolina State got the first Penn State body bag transfer, Raleigh native Tim Buckley. He goes from a 2nd string walk-on safety for the Nittany Lions, to a scholarship player with four years of eligibility remaining. Not a bad trade.

The AJC does a Q & A with Georgia Tech HC Paul Johnson. He does not like gymnastics.

Q: Have you been watching the Olympics?
A: Occasionally I’ll flip it on, but I haven’t seen a whole lot. I watched the gymnastics thing last night with my daughter. My daughter told me who won. It was a little anti-climactic.

Unless those puberty delaying tweens are hiding that twirl ribbon through three different rhythmic routine fakes, Paul Johnson considers gymnastics UNCIVILIZED.