NOT BREAKING: One Maryland Terrapin on Preseason All-ACC Football Team
November 3, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) in action against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Byrd Stadium. Georgia Tech beat Maryland 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
The media released its preseason 2013 All-ACC football team today, and unsurprisingly, Maryland didn’t get too much love.
First, the complete team:
OFFENSE
WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson (57)
WR Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest (20)
TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina (35)
T James Hurst, North Carolina (37)
T Morgan Moses, Virginia (35)
G Tre’ Jackson, Florida State (36)
G Brandon Linder, Miami (28)
C Bryan Stork, Florida State (29)
QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson (59)
RB Duke Johnson, Miami (58)
RB James Wilder Jr., Florida State (23)
DEFENSE
DE Jeremiah, Attaochu, Georgia Tech (39)
DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina (37)
DT Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (35)
DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State (34)
LB Jack Tyler, Virginia Tech (42)
LB Christian Jones, Florida State (38)
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College (21)
CB Ross Cockrell, Duke (48)
CB Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (32) *
S Tre Boston, North Carolina (30)
S Jason Hendricks, Pitt (18)
Specialists
PK Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (41)
P Will Monday, Duke (41)
SP Stefon Diggs, Maryland (34)
Considering that only three players north of the Mason-Dixon line even made the All-ACC team, this makes it a pretty ho-hum affair. It was only a formality that most Maryland players would be completely left off this list.
Anyone with a brain: “But Stefon Diggs put up better stats than both Watkins and Campanaro (in the latter’s case, better stats than he ever has) even though he didn’t have a great quarterback!”
ACC: Pipe down.
Anyone with a brain: “Isn’t Wake Forest switching to a run-based scheme? Won’t Campanaro’s stats probably suffer as a result?”
ACC: Take a number and sit down!
Anyone with a brain: “Wait, why are there only two wide receiver slots? Aren’t there a lot of spread teams which utilize way more than that? Didn’t Phil Steele set the standard for how mock All-(insert conference) teams should go?”
ACC: Quit with that logic stuff.
Anyone with a brain: “Ok, I get that there’s no Carolina bias in the ACC, but come on….Michael Campanaro over Alex Amidon?”
ACC: Guards, sieze him.
———–
The entire thing is flawed, and that’s not a knock against the players selected. They’re all incredibly good. NC State couldn’t even get a single player on the list even though they’re plenty talented, so don’t feel too bad.
Just because Diggs didn’t make it at wide receiver, doesn’t mean he didn’t get some love in being declared the best kick returner in the ACC (even if he probably won’t return many kicks in the ACC this year…). He’s still on the list, and still a representative of Maryland.
You have to imagine Diggs has this list, and every other one in which he gets the shaft, plastered on his locker to server as motivation for every game. I’m completely fine with them snubbing Maryland, because it gives them a great chance to put up or shut up.
Win more, and no one can say anything. The accolades will come in full force.
The post-season All-ACC team is the only one that matters, anyway, so this one isn’t about to hurt my feelings.