Coaches' Poll Released, And Other Items

-- Say it proud: we're number 43! Four ACC teams cracked the top 25: Virginia Tech (7), Georgia Tech (15), Florida State (19), North Carolina (20).

-- The Pittsburgh game will kickoff at 3:30 PM on ESPNU.

-- They've instituted some tailgating restrictions at UCF for the upcoming season, and those people are bloody outraged (ht: Deadspin).  One fan suggested it would affect donations to the athletics department. It's really not that bad, at least compared to what we endure:

UCF has now decided to open tailgate lots and waivers allowing fans to drink alcohol on campus at noon if a home game starts at 6 p.m. or later. If a game starts before 6 p.m., the lots open at 8 a.m.

There's only one case--nooners--where they'll have less time to tailgate for a game than we do at NC State. 

-- Rob Crisp is #60 on the ESPNU 150.

-- From this N&O story about the tuition breaks that out-of-state athletes--and the booster clubs that pay their tuition--receive from the state:

According to the most recent tax filing available, from June 2007, the Rams Club had net assets of $47 million. The club spent $2 million on scholarships and $14 million on improvements to athletic facilities. The Wolfpack Club listed its net assets at $77 million in the fiscal year ending in June 2008, tax forms show. The Wolfpack Club spent $5.7 million on scholarships and $7.6 million on improvements that year.

I wonder if Bobby Purcell would let me sleep on his pile of money.

-- Most MLB front offices use sabermetrics to some extent, and now, slowly but surely, players are starting to use numbers to their benefit, thanks to Pitchf/x.  Pitchf/x is a computer system that tracks the speed, break, location, and release point of every pitch.  The Royals' Brian Bannister has used that information to give himself a makeover; he discovered that if he started throwing his cutter more often, he'd induce more ground balls and become a more effective pitcher.  And he has.  (He's also noted that his 2007 season was extremely lucky because of a low BABIP, that his ERA was much better than his peripherals suggested it should have been.  How many pitchers would recognize that, much less admit it?) Arizona's Max Scherzer is on board as well.  We'll see this more and more as guys realize how this stuff can make them better and make them a lot more money in the long run.  As a stat geek, it's fascinating to watch.

-- Blimps Go 90.