All twelve of the ACC’s teams get into action this weekend and from Massachusetts to Miami folks should have plenty to cheer about as the season kicks off. Five ACC schools open with FCS programs, Clemson jumps out against the Sun Belt’s Middle Tennessee and the rest of the league moves to take on BCS competition, including one season opening conference game. While the U and the Noles kickoff the season with a crucial ACC interdivisional battle the true ACC game of the week will be the Chic-Fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta between the reigning ACC champion Virginia Tech and Alabama from the SEC.

These five games are little more than tune up contests for the ACC as they kick off the season against overmatched FCS opponents. A loss here would strike a catastrophic deathblow to the conferences crawl towards national prominence. Nothing much to preview here; just teams working to get new starters acquainted with game speed, smoothing out substitution patterns and staying vanilla enough to keep new looks off the first game film.

More than a tune up game as the Blue Raiders defeated a solid Maryland team just a year ago in Murfreesboro. Clemson is breaking in a new head coach in Dabo Swinney and with Swinney comes a new philosophy and new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Steele may well be the best addition to the ACC as he brings some of Nick Saban’s attitude and a devastating, attacking 3-4 defensive scheme to Pickens County.

Look for CJ Spiller to get plenty of touches as the Tigers break in a new quarterback, redshirt freshman Kyle Parker. Swinney’s boys look to start the season better than last year by putting their hands in the dirt and firing off the ball to show Solid Orange Nation that toughness is back en vogue for the Purple and Orange. Expect the defensive line; especially Kevin Alexander, Ricky Sapp and manchild Da’Quan Bowers to make life hard for the new starter Dwight Dasher and running back Phillip Tanner.

Baylor @ Wake Forest (ABC, 3:30pm) Dave Lamont, Shaun King

Last season the Demon Deacons blasted the Bears 41-13 in Waco. The Deacon offense wasn’t stellar against the Bears only producing 376 yards, but the Wake Forest defense was the story of the night. They were +3 in turnover margin and held the Kirby Freeman led Bears offense to 240 yards. Things are a little different for this go-round in Winston-Salem; the explosive Robert Griffin is quarterbacking Art Briles’ team and that Deacons defense has lost seven starters, four to the NFL.

The Deacon offense has a wealth of players returning this season led by experienced quarterback Riley Skinner and punctuated by the Deacs offensive line. This unit must carry Jim Grobe’s rebuilding defensive unit into the 2009 season. For Baylor, having the always dangerous Griffin at the helm means that the Bears can score from anywhere on the field, expect to see him rolled out with run/pass options to make things hard on the defense. A young defense in Winston-Salem will be tested mightily by Griffin, one of the nations top tier athletic talents.

Coming off just a seven point win over Delaware and a ten point loss to Middle Tennessee the Terps looked like their season was about to spiral down the drain. However, Friedgen’s squad righted their ship temporarily by whipping up on a sleep walking Cal Bears squad in a 9 AM Pacific Time game. Saturday night the tables will be turned with a depleted Maryland team, faced with a 10 PM Eastern Time kickoff, takes on a Cal unit ready to challenge Southern Cal for the Pac-10 title.

The Terps offensive and defensive lines are in rebuilding mode as this Maryland team only returns nine total starters. Remaking the defense is not a good position to be in against Jeff Tedford’s California unit that features Jahvid Best, the nation’s most explosive player at the running back position. Friedgen had a better team last season while still managing to give up over 400 yards passing; this season the Terps are worse and the Bears are quickly becoming a possible BCS bowl game pick.

Two teams who look to be moving in opposite directions. A season ago the Wolfpack was spanked 34-0 by the Gamecocks in the opener, only to get to 2-6 before finally ripping off four wins in a row to get to the PapaJohns.com bowl. On the other hand the ‘Cocks limped to a tumultuous 7-3 record before being outscored 118-30 in their final three losses.

NC State is solid at quarterback with Russell Wilson a slippery but savvy second year starter with a 17:1 TD to interception ratio and the wheels to make plays on the fly. Stephen Garcia gets the nod for the Old Ball Coach but the redshirt sophomore will be playing behind a rag tag offensive line long on talent but short on experience. Expect this year’s script to be written a little different in Raleighwood as the Pack have the offensive weapons to exploit a Gamecock defense missing defensive end Clifton Geathers.

Bobby Bowden’s squad has had NCAA violations and wide receiver suspensions floating around the program for the bulk of the offseason. Getting back to football is the key to taking the press of the athletic department and placing the spotlight on the players’ production in Doak Campbell Stadium. Redshirt junior Christian Ponder should be just what the doctor ordered as Jimbo Fisher, coach in waiting, looks to build upon the ‘Noles 33.4 points per game from a season ago. The whole offensive lines returns and with the bulk of his wide receivers back on the field expect Ponder to mature into the quality quarterback Tallahassee hasn’t had since Weinke left.

A few hundred miles away in Coral Gables Coach Randy Shannon is working with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Mark Whipple comes to the Canes to harness the power of stand out athletic talent, quarterback Jacory Harris. Aside from Kayne Farquharson the Canes return all of their receiving production from a season ago plus add Harris’ teammate speedster Tommy Streeter to the talented pass catching core.