Organized Chaos

The Atlantic Coast Conference will be the first in the nation to issue football injury reports this season. This is a major step, and speaking as a journalist, a wonderful addition that makes my job easier.

I’ll say this about Florida State, however, its sports information department is easy to work with and it is forthcoming on most injuries. Florida, which I covered for three years before switching beats, is less than forthcoming. You basically have to serve up your first-born child to get a peep of info out of them.

Anyhow, the ACC injury reports will be released twice a week. The first report will come out on Monday and will include players who are out for the season and those who are expected to have surgery. A later report on Thursday will follow the NFL style, while vague, in dubbing players out, questionable, doubtful or probable.

The plan is to have an honest reporting of injuries, but schools won’t be fined or disciplined for leaving players off the lists. It’s a basic honor system, and I’m confident most schools will be upfront about injuries.

Team trainers will be tasked to handle the injury reports. They also would speak about injuries to the media, saving the head coaches from the pain of doing so.

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ACC title game shifts

The ACC title game, contested in Jacksonville since its inception in 2005, will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the next two Decembers. The game will then move to Charlotte, N.C. in 2010 and 2011.

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Clemson picked to win

Clemson was picked to win the ACC by a league-wide vote of media members earlier this week. It’s the first time since the creation of the wheel that FSU wasn’t tabbed as the team to beat.

Clemson is talented and should make a run at the championship. It has one of the best running backs in the nation in C.J. Spiller.

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