WEEK 1, POST HOLIDAY LINKS

*According to Dinich: Here's the main overall story of Week 1 in the ACC: The league's reputation took another hit. (Really?) It's now being called the "Athletically Challenged Conference."

*The CAA has one up on the ACC after the first weekend in which the ACC went 0-4 against BCS conference and lost two games to FCS opponents. Ouch. It was just too much to ignore.

*Heck, let's just ban nonconference games altogether in the ACC.

*Thanks, Miami and Florida State, for getting the week started right.

*NC State coach Tom O'Brien saw a few things he wanted to improve from last Thursday's 7-3 loss to South Carolina, and protecting the quarterback better was among those at the top of his list.

*Clemson running back C.J. Spiller says he's fine, even though he left Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee early with an injury. But even before he left, Jamie Harper got more carries, including the first -- again.

*North Carolina will travel to Connecticut this weekend where it will face a much taller task than it did against The Citadel. Said Butch Davis, "We're going to have to get better real quick."

*The ACC needs one premier team to step up and represent, writes Ron Morris, if the conference is ever going to "gain footing among the nation's elite."

*And before you get too excited, one good game between Florida State and Miami doesn't mean that either one of those programs is back to championship level.

*The ACC is balanced, writes John Feinstein, but that just means it's still a basketball league.

*FSU's defense showed a new wrinkle last night against Miami, and it's called the prowler. It worked -- sometimes.

*If there's a bright spot to Virginia's loss to William & Mary, it was on the defensive side of the ball.

*There's been a change to Virginia Tech's depth chart, and Ryan Williams made it. He took himself off of punt returns.

*Not only did Duke lose to Richmond, but Virginia lost to William & Mary. The Blue Devils will need a better effort from here on out.

*Meanwhile, coach Al Groh is trying to see the positives.

*It didn't help Wake Forest that their winningest quarterback in school history was mediocre at best.

*While Alabama fans were singing "Sweet Home Alabama," the Hokies were singing the blues.

*Georgia Tech A-back Roddy Jones will return from a dislocated wrist in time for Thursday night's Clemson game.

*For some, the jury is still out on UNC's offense. Its defense, however, was worth talking about.

*Maryland doesn't have much choice but to rebound quickly from its loss to Cal -- the worst opening loss for the program since 1892.

*Boston College just might be a contender after all, especially considering how bad the rest of the ACC looked in Week 1.