• From Sunday's college football notes
With Florida State and Miami no longer the powers they once were, the ACC's reputation has been frappéd and served cold to its BCS brethren.
The Southeastern and Big 12 conferences have lapped the ACC, in terms of national reputation anyway, and the Pac-10, Big Ten, Big East and Mountain West can all make a claim to being superior to the ACC, at least in 2008.
The only way for the ACC to improve its status is to beat teams outside the league. These five games will go a long way toward achieving that goal:
1. Virginia Tech vs. Alabama, Sept. 5: After the Clemson debacle in last year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff, the Hokies have to understand the importance of this game, both to their own season and
the league's image.
After Alabama discarded the then-No. 9 Tigers 34-10 last September in Atlanta, the Tide moved into the national title chase, and Clemson fell into oblivion — ultimately costing Tommy Bowden his job and sullying the ACC's reputation.
2. Florida State at BYU, Sept. 19: The Cougars have won 32 games in the past three seasons, and the Mountain West Conference has been chirping about its success (13-7 record) against BCS teams (note the ACC was best among BCS conferences with a 17-14 mark).
This is the type of road opportunity the old FSU ballclubs used to routinely seize — and take a piece of sod back to Tallahassee to commemorate the win.
3. South Carolina at N.C. State, Sept. 3: The ACC and SEC split their 12 games in 2008, and South Carolina's 34-0 romp of State qualified as a highlight for the SEC.
If State is going to be one of the better ACC teams in 2009, it has to handle a middling SEC team at home.
4. Virginia Tech at East Carolina, Nov. 5: It's not good for the ACC champion to lose to the Conference USA champion, which happened in 2008.
The Hokies are 13-1 against the Big Four since joining the ACC in 2004 but 1-1 against ECU.
5. Florida State at Florida, Nov. 28: The Gators have won five straight in the rivalry, and coach Urban Meyer is 4-0.
Last year's 45-15 shellacking by the eventual national champs showed FSU, and the rest of the ACC, just how far away it is from the big time.
Comments
Others matter
Sun, 06/21/2009 - 09:48 — heelsno1Wake's first 2 home games are against Baylor, then Stanford. That is impressive.
NC State has as much business playing Gardner-Webb as UNC playing The Citadel or Georgia Southern.
Poor GoHeels1984
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 13:55 — Pirate13You must be so upset..A story that didn't say one word about you guys. A story where none of your games matter. HAHA Don't worry, ECU didn't forget about you. Lets make it 0-4 this year OK Butch. It would figure you had to get your two cents in.
that's right...
Tue, 06/16/2009 - 09:55 — izzykareemPirate, wasn't Butch 0-for-? against ECU when he was with mighty miami? Please to continute the misery
Driving the knife a little deeper
Tue, 06/16/2009 - 12:40 — Pirate13Butch was 0-2 against ECU while at Miami and 0-1 while at UNC......I'm pretty sure thats correct..
FSU and talent
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 12:01 — jpg (author)That's part of the problem, the Noles just aren't that talented any more. Check the NFL Draft.
I would be genuinely surprised if State and VT didn't win their openers. Bama is quasi-rebuilding after a strong '08.
— JPG
Virginia Tech vs. Alabama
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 11:38 — GoHeels1984Virginia Tech vs. Alabama I don't see the turkeys winning this one vs Alabama. Easy win for the Tide...
Florida State at BYU The Noles should win this one. Talent should win it.
South Carolina at N.C. State On paper, the Wuffies may appear to be the better team against a mediocre SEC team. However, Spurrier and the SEC team will outlast the Wuffies in the end.
Virginia Tech at East Carolina The Turkeys won't let the Pirates even come close to winning this one. This will be one of many embarrasing moments for ECU this year as they become a team that does not live up to expectations at all.
Florida State at Florida Another waxing of the Noles at the hands of the Gators. Gators win big again.
equivalen to
Thu, 06/18/2009 - 13:38 — gvillegatrpeople that say FSU still has talent is equal to people saying all of Miami's thuggish problems were Butch Davis' fault.
both are grossly incorrect.