June 26, 2009

What if the ACC has a monster year?

What? Me talking about real football teams? Thats right. Occasionally I like to step outside my pigeon hole.

This article raised some interesting prospects for 2009, but the title of this thread is one that I have been pondering for some time.

Is the ACC significantly under rated?

While the SEC fans complain about the troubles of playing so many good teams week in and week out, the reality is this argument was better applied to the ACC in 2008. 11 of the 12 teams went between 5-3 and 3-5 in conference play. That is the definition of any team can beat any other team in any week.

The ACC had 8 teams in contention for their conference title with 2 weeks left in the season and placed a record 10 teams in a bowl game.

The biggest issue with the ACC last year was not their lack of strength but their over abundance of it. 2 teams went undefeated out of conference and 8 teams went 3-1 out of conference, including bottom dweller Duke. The remaining 2 split their OOC games.

They split the season 6-6 with the SEC and beat the mighty Big 12 4 out of 5. Notre Dame and Navy combined for a 1-4 record against the ACC. While the Big East did score a 4-3 lead over the ACC, one can hardly argue the ACC performed well in their out of conference by picking on smaller conference teams.

For the ACC to succeed two or three teams are going to have to raise themselves above the fray. This will require raising themselves above some of the most competitive and under rated teams in the nation.

If such a team can be found in the ACC in 2009 you are looking at the 2009 national champion. Now, is that team Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Boston College, FSU, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina or Miami(FL)?

Pick any 6 or 7 of those and add in another top 25 out of conference game or two and ask yourself, does my team's schedule really compare this year, regardless of what the other 4 games are?

Comments:

What if the ACC has a monster year?
What? Me talking about real football teams? Thats right. Occasionally I like to step outside my pigeon hole. This article raised some interesting prospects for 2009, but the title of this thread is one that I have been pondering for some time. Is the ACC significantly under rated? While the SEC fans complain about the troubles of playing so many good teams week in and week out, the reality is this argument was better applied to the ACC in 2008. 11 of the 12 teams went between 5-3 and 3-5 in conference play. That is the definition of any team can beat any other team in any week. The ACC had 8 teams in contention for their conference title with 2 weeks left in the season and placed a record 10 teams in a bowl game. The biggest issue with the ACC last year was not their lack of strength but their over abundance of it. 2 teams went undefeated out of conference and 8 teams went 3-1 out of conference, including bottom dweller Duke. The remaining 2 split their OOC games. They split the season 6-6 with the SEC and beat the mighty Big 12 4 out of 5. Notre Dame and Navy combined for a 1-4 record against the ACC. While the Big East did score a 4-3 lead over the ACC, one can hardly argue the ACC performed well in their out of conference by picking on smaller conference teams. For the ACC to succeed two or three teams are going to have to raise themselves above the fray. This will require raising themselves above some of the most competitive and under rated teams in the nation. If such a team can be found in the ACC in 2009 you are looking at the 2009 national champion. Now, is that team Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Boston College, FSU, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina or Miami(FL)? Pick any 6 or 7 of those and add in another top 25 out of conference game or two and ask yourself, does my team's schedule really compare this year, regardless of what the other 4 games are?