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Late Hits: Nov. 9
Submitted by jpg on 11/09/2009 - 09:46
Clemson: At 1-2 in the ACC, it looked like the Clemson had promoted the doltish gym teacher (Dabo Swinney) from "Glee," which qualified as only a slight upgrade from the prodigal son (Tommy Bowden) from "Dynasty."
After Saturday's 40-24 romp of Florida State, the fourth straight ACC win, Swinney looks like a revelation, maybe even in the same zip code as the Tigertown demigod himself, Danny Ford (or maybe C.J. Spiller is really, really good?)
The Tigers need only to beat two galactically-flawed teams, N.C. State and Virginia, to play for their first ACC title since 1991.
North Carolina: A strong running game, and a stronger defense, the Carolina team we all expected in August finally has materialized in the past two games, a pair of ACC wins over Virginia Tech and Duke.
Just to add to the degree of difficulty, the Heels started 0-3 and have had no help from their quarterback.
Coach Butch Davis, and his staff (yes, that includes offensive coordinator John Shoop), deserve credit for bouncing back and finding creative ways to win.
Wake Forest: It's only an up arrow, but the Demon Deacons deserve something to show for their snake-bitten season. Jennifer Aniston has had better luck with men than the Deacs in close games this season.
Saturday's 20-17 loss to Georgia Tech was their second ACC loss in overtime and fifth this season by three points or less.
SEC: Another week, another controversial call in the $EC. To the stunning delight of conspiracy theorists everywhere, it's another call that benefits an unbeaten goliath, in this case Alabama.
The SEC has apologized for mistakes, levied fines and tried everything short of hiring rogue NBA official Tim Donaghy to make their crews look pristine by comparison.
Logarithmic functions are elementary compared to fixing football games, so a league-wide cabal among the referees is improbable, but at some point the officiating needs to get to a level where the games are being decided by the participants.
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Maryland miracle?
File this under "Only in the ACC:" Maryland, at 2-7, can still qualify for a bowl ... the Orange Bowl. Huh?
At 1-4 in the conference, the Terps, who beat Clemson earlier this season, can still finish 4-4 and would win a three-way tiebreaker with current Atlantic Division leaders Clemson and Boston College.
The admitted far-fetched scenario would require a number of teams to lose, but it's still a mathematical possibility. The best Maryland can finish is 6-7, with a win in the ACC title game, but it would be in a BCS bowl. Even the 2001 Nebraska team, which lost to Colorado by 26 points but still played for the national title, thinks that's a flaw in the system.
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Coachspeak-to-English translation
"Coming off the last time we played them at home in the Orange Bowl, this was a big win for us."
— Miami coach Randy Shannon after the Canes' 52-17 rout of Virginia on Saturday. The Cavaliers won the final game in the old Orange Bowl, 48-0 in 2007.
Translation: It's a Sicilian message, it means Al Groh sleeps with the fishes.
About the blogger
J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997. Want to post a comment?
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Comments
ed hardy kids
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 03:34 — asaayoui123Why can't Don just live? It's not his work ed hardy kids ed hardy kids as a typeset maker, painter and astound-inspired deisigns have been appropriated by ed hardy caps ed hardy caps for roughy ed hardy bags or shill for the book at Amazon for clothing and become the de facto douchebag outfit. no, ed hardy purses a performer, and he's got a new book hitting food on ed hardy sunglasses to giggle at its finest. Still, some ED Hardy Swim Trunks are so burned into your intellect that his tattoo and illustrator.The book aims to afford credibility to the idea of Hardy as an unsmiling musician as exhibited through his work in a museum-class clamshell box and Ed Hardy Mens T-Shirt edition lithographic prints. 3k for a book?Written by tattoo historian Alan Govenar, Beyond Skin" attempts to shed light on other mediums. Douchebaggery at the sheer daring of Hardy's career, like his oversight that it's impossible not to show it.
Wake loses and gets an up
Wed, 11/11/2009 - 11:12 — mad_maxWake loses and gets an up arrow? I'm not sure about that one.
The key for Carolina in their last three games will be turnovers. They've won the last two games because they've taken care of the football better than their opponents. If UNC doesn't force those fumbles against VT, they probably lose that game. Miami will probably be a handful for the Heels, and of course the final game of the season should be a wild hate-fest. I've said it already, and I know the scenario is highly unlikely, but wouldn't it be epic to have both teams come into the final game at 6-5?
Up Arrow
Wed, 11/11/2009 - 23:12 — LetsGoPittMaybe because Skinner has played so well? And Wake is 0 for 2 in OT. Man, if they had just won one of those OT games, they woudl be going bowling.
pigs could fly
Wed, 11/11/2009 - 16:39 — gvillegatrand will fly if both teams go into CF with 6-5 records.
keep dreaming as far as state goes. Your dream ends this saturday when ClemPson comes to town and i'll be there to root on the Tigs!! CU is too good on defense and extremely strong on offense. they PROBABLY will score on every possession! state won't.
Lol, I said I know it's
Fri, 11/13/2009 - 14:29 — mad_maxLol, I said I know it's highly unlikely. As for State, I'll be dreaming all the way through Nov 28th. Even if we can't go to a bowl, we can still beat the hell out of Butchy's boys.
Clemson scoring on every possession?...talk about pigs flying. I seriously doubt that will happen. Will they put up 50 on us? Maybe. But there will be at least one stop or turnover in there, you can count on it haha.
I'm not expecting UNC to blow anyone out this season..
Mon, 11/09/2009 - 16:21 — UNC1998I'm also not looking for them to get shown up by Miami, BC, or NCSU. I said it before the Duke game, and I'll just keep saying it....Run the ball and play defense! Just hold the ball as long as you can with every possesion. How many real chances did Duke have to score? That's what UNC needs for the rest of the season.
Agree
Mon, 11/09/2009 - 16:33 — SurferNot much good happened when we threw on Sat. However, we should mix it up a little. Perhaps T.J. couldn't believe how wide open some guys were? Little at the 4 yard line stands out. He has got to make those throws.
radar gun
Mon, 11/09/2009 - 19:56 — gvillegatrthat all he threw to Little was a Mark Wholers fast ball. Mark Wholers b/c of how fast and out of control it was. Albeit, the slow replay did show a LB coming into the passing lane. a slower ball might have been picked off ...
Correct about UNC
Mon, 11/09/2009 - 15:15 — heelsno1Thank goodness for UNC's powerful defense and our running attack.
Where is T. J. Yates? On 3 separate occassions, he had solid pass protection and still overthrew wide open receivers on what would have been certain TDs or big plays.
Translation: the game should never have been so close.