Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast · Locked On Podcast Network, Candace Cooper, Kenton Gibbs

BOLD: Miami Hurricanes Named NO. 1 Seed—Analyst SNUBS ACC Rivals in Way-Too-Early Playoff Projections

·33 min·2 clips

Brad Crawford’s bracket has Miami as the No. 1 seed and only ACC team.

1. Locked On ACC centers on Brad Crawford’s way-too-early College Football Playoff projection that places Miami at No. 1 overall and the ACC’s lone representative. 2. Alex Dono hosts with Kenton Gibbs, a former NC State defensive lineman and Locked On Wolfpack co-host, and their ACC team ties shape the debate. 3. The episode asks whether Miami deserves that projection and whether the ACC should actually want more guaranteed playoff access. 4. Dono reads Crawford’s top 12, including Texas at No. 2, Indiana at No. 3, Notre Dame at No. 4, and Memphis as the Group of Six team. 5. Gibbs responds by saying people making these forecasts do not know what they are talking about, while also acknowledging that everyone is guessing months before the season. 6. The hosts revisit Crawford’s previous playoff prediction and note that he correctly picked Miami, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon, but missed seven of the 12 eventual teams. 7. That comparison leads into skepticism about repeated preseason confidence in Texas, USC, and other programs that have not consistently met expectations. 8. Dono and Gibbs single out USC as one of the bolder picks in the projection, while Gibbs also questions Texas based on recent performances against quality defenses. 9. Gibbs cites Texas’ output against Ohio State and Georgia and says the Longhorns need to show more against a defense with a pulse. 10. The CFP discussion widens into a format debate, with Dono asking whether the ACC would be better served by two guaranteed bids instead of the current selection model. 11. Gibbs says he does not want automatic bids for Power Four leagues and prefers that teams earn their place on the field. 12. He makes one exception for the Group of Six, arguing that an undefeated non-Power team should not be denied a spot just because of conference status. 13. Gibbs says the current human selection process already rewards teams with acceptable losses, which he sees as less important than winning games. 14. The episode then pivots to Josh Pate’s list of the eight most hated college football teams, where Notre Dame is No. 1 and Miami is No. 5. 15. Gibbs argues that Miami should rank higher if the Hurricanes are truly back, because the program still causes strong reactions when it is nationally relevant. 16. He also says the list reflects recent social-media voting patterns, with younger voters reacting to current controversies more than long-term program history. 17. The basketball segment shifts the tone toward results, not projection, as Duke beats Virginia 77-51 and secures at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship. 18. Gibbs says Duke now looks difficult to beat because it can defend, control the rim, and has already won even when forced into unusual game conditions. 19. This episode fits ACC fans who want bracket talk, conference politics, and standings updates in one show. 20. It is less useful for listeners who want deep breakdowns of a single game or a neutral national preview.

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