A ’13 ACC football schedule breakdown: Coastal Division
We’re still in No Man’s Land on the football calendar, the down time after signing day and before spring ball gets underway, so naturally I have to stretch some material on the blog.
If you thought I was only going to get a day’s worth of posts out of the ACC schedule being released, you haven’t been reading the blog for long.
Here’s a breakdown of the ACC’s schedule. I’ll start with the Coastal Division today. Because Miami and UNC didn’t go to bowl games last year, I had to get a little technical with the wording of how many bowl-worthy teams are on each team’s schedule.
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Georgia Tech
-- Schedule: vs. Elon (Aug. 31), at Duke (Sept. 14), vs. UNC (Sept. 21), vs. VT (Sept. 26), at Mia (Oct. 5), at BYU (Oct. 12), vs. Syr (Oct. 19), at UVa (Oct. 26), vs. Pitt (Nov. 2), at Clem (Nov. 14), vs. Ala A&M (Nov. 23), vs. UGa (Nov. 30)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 9 (Duke, UNC, VT, Miami, BYU, Syracuse, Pitt, Clemson, Georgia)
– Must-see: Virginia Tech, Sept. 26. The Yellow Jackets and Hokies have had some memorable Thursday night matchups. It usually goes a long way in deciding the Coastal Division. This game should be no different.
– Trap game: Pittsburgh, Nov. 2. The bye week beckons the following week, with a tough stretch against Clemson and Georgia to finish the year. This is the last of eight straight weeks of games.
– Easy peasy: Georgia Tech eases into the season, hosting Elon in the opener, then getting a bye week before facing Duke. It gets tougher from there.
– Brutal stretch: Playing Clemson and Georgia in three weeks to finish the year is tough, although the Alabama A&M game in between provides a break. From Sept. 21 to Oct. 12, though, the Jackets host North Carolina and Virginia Tech in a six-day span, then travel to Miami and BYU.
Duke
-- Schedule: vs. NC Cent (Aug. 31), at Memphis (Sept. 7), vs. GT (Sept. 14), vs. Pitt (Sept. 21), vs. Troy (Sept. 28), vs. Navy (Oct. 12), at UVa (Oct. 19), at VT (Oct. 26), vs. NCST (Nov. 9), vs. Mia (Nov. 16), at WF (Nov. 23), at UNC (Nov. 30)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 7 (GT, Pitt, Navy, VT, NCST, Mia, UNC)
– Must-see: at North Carolina, Nov. 30. The Blue Devils beat the Tar Heels last year for the first time since 2003. Think UNC might be up for this game?
– Trap game: at Virginia, Oct. 19. Sandwiched between Navy and Virginia Tech is a trip to Charlottesville to face the Cavaliers, who should be primed for a game against a Duke team that’s beaten them four of the last five years.
– Easy peasy: Duke has a soft opening, with games against North Carolina Central and at Memphis before starting ACC play.
– Brutal stretch: It doesn’t end easy. After their second bye, the Blue Devils host N.C. State and Miami, then travel to face state rivals Wake Forest and North Carolina. Duke probably has to win two of those games to be bowl eligible again.
Miami
-- Schedule: vs. FAU (Aug. 30), vs. Fla (Sept. 7), vs. Sav St. (Sept. 21), at USF (Sept. 28) ,vs. GT (Oct. 5), at UNC (Oct. 17), vs. WF (Oct. 26), at FSU (Nov. 2), vs. VT (Nov. 9), at Duke (Nov. 16), vs. UVa (Nov. 23), at Pitt (Nov. 29)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 7 (Fla, GT, UNC, FSU, VT, Duke, Pitt)
– Must-see: vs. Florida, Sept. 7. The ‘Canes and Gators meet for the first time since 2008 and, amazingly, only the second time in the regular season since 2004. This is the first time they’re both expected to be pretty good at the same time in a while.
– Trap game: vs. Wake Forest, Oct. 26. In a run of games that includes playing at North Carolina on a Thursday night, at Florida State and vs. Virginia Tech, the Demon Deacons stick out as a possible letdown game.
– Easy peasy: Once the ‘Canes get through that stretch, they finish with Duke, Virginia and Pittsburgh. None of those teams finished above .500 last year.
– Brutal stretch: The Florida game is marooned in a stretch of non-conference cupcakes and a bye week. The UNC-Wake-FSU-VT games will probably define Miami’s season.
North Carolina
-- Schedule: at S. Car (Aug. 29), vs. MTSU (Sept. 7), at GT (Sept. 21), vs. ECU (Sept. 28), at VT (Oct. 5), vs. Mia (Oct. 17), vs. BC (Oct. 26), at NCST (Nov. 2), vs. UVa (Nov. 9), at Pitt (Nov. 16), vs. ODU (Nov. 23), vs. Duke (Nov. 30)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 9 (S. Car, MTSU, GT, ECU, VT, Mia, NCST, Pitt, Duke)
– Must-see: vs. Miami, Oct. 17. The two teams that ended up not being eligible for the ACC Coastal title last year will meet in an ESPN Thursday night game that may very well propel one of them to participate in this year’s league title game.
– Trap game: vs. East Carolina, Sept. 28. The Heels play at Georgia Tech the previous week and at Virginia Tech the following week, two important Coastal games. The Pirates aren’t a pushover.
– Easy peasy: Once UNC gets to the second half of the season, things get easier. They miss Clemson and Florida State this year and finish with four of six games against teams that finished with a losing record, plus ODU, which is transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
– Brutal stretch: From late September to mid-October, the Heels play Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami, the top three other contenders for the Coastal Division title.
Pittsburgh
-- Schedule: vs. FSU (Sept. 2), vs. N. Mex (Sept. 14), at Duke (Sept. 21), vs. UVa (Sept. 28), at VT (Oct. 12), vs. ODU (Oct. 19), at Navy (Oct. 26), at GT (Nov. 2), vs. ND (Nov. 9), vs. UNC (Nov. 16), at Syr (Nov. 23), vs. Mia (Nov 29)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 9 (FSU, Duke, VT, Navy, GT, ND, UNC, Syr, Mia)
– Must-see: vs. Florida State, Sept. 2. What a way to join the league. The Panthers host the ‘Noles on Labor Day night. This could be a good way to announce their presence in the ACC.
– Trap game: at Navy, Oct. 26. The Midshipmen and their option offense host the Panthers right before Pitt’s toughest stretch of the year. Don’t forget that Navy went 8-5 last year.
– Easy peasy: After the FSU opener, Pitt plays New Mexico, Duke and Virginia, with by weeks on both ends of that stretch.
– Brutal stretch: From November on, the schedule gets tough. Pitt closes with games at Georgia Tech, vs. Notre Dame, vs. North Carolina, at Syracuse and vs. Miami on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’ll be tough to go over .500 in those games.
Virginia
-- Schedule: vs. BYU (Aug. 31), vs. Ore (Sept. 7), vs. VMI (Sept. 21), at Pitt (Sept. 28), vs. Ball St. (Oct. 5), at Md (Oct. 12), vs. Duke (Oct. 19), vs. GT (Oct. 26), vs. Clem (Nov. 2), at UNC (Nov. 9), at Mia (Nov. 23), vs VT (Nov. 30)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 10 (BYU, Ore, Pitt, BSU, Duke, GT, Clem, UNC, Mia , VT)
– Must-see: vs. Oregon, Sept. 7. Hand it to the Cavaliers in this sense: they schedule big. I don’t think it’ll result in a win when the Ducks come to Scott Stadium, but it’s a game that will generate some interest.
– Trap game: vs. Ball State, Oct. 5. This might look like just a MAC team, but it’s one that went 9-4 last year and made the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. It might not be the gimme everyone thinks.
– Easy peasy: That’s still in the easiest part of the schedule, a stretch that includes VMI, Pitt, Ball State, Maryland and Duke. UVa needs to get its wins there because …
– Brutal stretch: Everything else on the schedule it tough. BYU and Oregon is a hard way to start the year. The Cavaliers close with Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, Miami and Virginia Tech. It’ll probably need to win at least two of those to make a bowl game, a tall order.
Virginia Tech
-- Schedule: vs. Ala (Aug. 31), vs. W. Car (Sept. 7), at ECU (Sept. 14), vs. Marsh (Sept. 21), at GT (Sept. 26), vs. UNC (Oct. 5), vs. Pitt (Oct. 12), vs. Duke (Oct. 26), at BC (Nov. 2), at Mia (Nov. 9), vs. Md (Nov. 16), at UVa (Nov. 30)
– Opponents that met bowl eligibility standard in ’12: 7 (Ala, ECU, GT, UNC, Pitt, Duke, Mia)
– Must-see: vs. Alabama, Aug. 31. This one might get some viewers. The Crimson Tide has won three of the last four national titles and the game will get a primetime slot at the Georgia Dome.
– Trap game: vs. Pittsburgh, Oct. 12. The last game before the midseason bye week, it could be easy for the Hokies to look ahead to the break. They shouldn’t. Pitt has beaten the Hokies the last four times they’ve met, including a 35-17 beatdown last year.
– Easy peasy: The post-’Bama non-conference schedule is pretty easy, but I’ll list the finish: at BC, at Miami, vs. Maryland and at Virginia. The ‘Canes are tough, but the other three combined to go 5-19 in the ACC last season.
– Brutal stretch: A lot will be decided about VT’s season when it plays at Georgia Tech (on short rest on a Thursday) before returning home to play North Carolina and Pittsburgh.
February 27, 2013 - 11:12 AM
Since there won’t be much to write about before Spring comes, could you maybe write a blog post to enlighten us on why Auburn was so terrible last year? I know that Loeffler took over as the OC when the team was experiencing a downturn after the 2010 season, but why did they fail so hard after only 2 years removed from winning the NC? Cam Newton was good, but just because he and some seniors left doesn’t really excuse a 3-9 season with zero wins in the SEC. There must have been something really f###ed up in order for that to happen to a school that recruits as well as Auburn. Loeffler refuses to take any questions on this subject, but I’m hoping that you have some insight or can pull from or point us to sources that do. The most specific things I’ve heard is that it was just a bad situation, which doesn’t explain much. Good coaches can usually overcome non-ideal situations and get things turned around enough to not have the wheels completely fall off from under the bus (e.g. our defensive secondary situation this past year).
My thoughts on Auburn’s decline:
1) It didn’t have Cam Newton, obviously, but it also lost four senior offensive linemen, two very good receivers and, after another year, RB Michael Dyer. The decline started well before Loeffler got there. Auburn ranked 100th nationally in total offense Malzahn’s final year, 2011. Taking that into account, the Tigers’ 115th ranking last year, while abysmal, wasn’t some huge drop from the previous season. I think Malzahn was wise to get out when he did.
2) From people I’ve talked to, Chizik meddled quite a bit in everything there. I think that’s part of the reason Malzahn left for Arkansas State, to be able to run what he wanted unrestricted. And from what I’m told. Loeffler hinted last year that Auburn wasn’t quite running everything that he wanted to do. Take that for what’s it’s worth.
3) Auburn’s o-line was ridiculously young last year and its quarterbacks ridiculously bad. I think the Tigers started four freshmen or sophomores in the final game of the year on the o-line. The most veteran QB, Clint Moseley, was bothered by an arm injury all year. And Kiehl Frazier, the supposed heir to the job, couldn’t throw the ball. (He was like that the year before with Malzahn too as a freshman). By the end of the year, true freshman Jonathan Wallace was the starter. Predictably, he got overwhelmed by Georgia and Alabama, two of the better teams in the country.
4) Yes, it was extremely dysfunctional at Auburn. Read this piece: http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2012/11/scarbinsky_gene_chizik_set_the.html
A couple of things stand out to me. First, for those complaining about the Hokies having to travel to Miami & Boston College back to back, please note that GaTech will have to travel to Miami & BYU, back to back. So… it could definitely be worse.
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Secondly, for the Hokies, it looks like the toughest stretch of games will be in the middle of the schedule, and Frank’s guys to pencil in a 3-1 finish at worst in their last four games.
Thanks, now can I see why Loeffler would deflect questions about Auburn. It sounds like most of the blame falls on Chizik’s failings as a head coach. Now it actually makes sense to me how Auburn managed to win the NC and when there was a drop in talent, Chizik tried to meddle with the offense to fix things but actually just made it worse. Then player discipline issues and all sorts of managerial incompetence on top of that just added to the problem. At least Beamer has proven that he is much better in that regard.
I don’t think Loeffler is completely without blame, but yes, there were a lot of other factors in there.
IMHO too much has and will be made over prep time for GT. First, it will be Foster’s sixth time (if not more) against them and he’s been rather successful. Further, this will be a veteran D with most of the players having seen them before at least once.
What are the early predictions for the Hokies for 2013? Are any publications out with their predictions?
Couple dates wrong… GT’s game against Duke is 9/14 and VT’s game against Duke is 10/26.
Pitt will not be a trap game, not after last year. Have to go with Marshall there, as the team looks ahead to GT on a short week.
#6 scott, good point about Bud Foster having a thick notebook on GaTech tendencies already. Also, as Frank Beamer stated publicly, there would be preseason practices devoted to defending the GT offense. I’m beginning to think too many Hokies are obsessing too much about GT, and making them into some juggernaut that they’re not.
Duke last beat UNC in 2003 on the road.
It’s not only traveling back to back to BC and Miami that causes the problem. The question is did Weaver agree to this before announced? Being told before hand is not the same as being asked ‘is this OK?’ I can’t see him saying, “sure, I think that’s just dandy. We would just love to play two conference rivals on their home field twice in a row when we thought we would be playing them at Tech. And back to back is even better” Why would he agree to that? Or, was it, ‘here’s the schedule, live with it!’
You’re correct. I misread the game story this year. But thanks for pointing it out in a condescending manner.
What was Jim Weaver thinking saying he was looking out for the fans by not putting a home thursday night game on our schedule. Does he not understand that we push some ESPN ratings on those games. Not to mention the Thursday night at Lane Stadium voodoo, if it weren’t for a massive last min breakdown FSU was a goner. The season just feels naked now without a home thursday night game.