Comments on: BCS win is nice, but ACC still climbing uphill

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:57:39 +0000

Give it a few more years and the ACC will stand toe-to-toe with any other conference.

yeah, yeah, yeah, it's traditionally a basketball conference. It's also a conference with two programs, FSU and Miami, who have 7 national titles between them since 1983, and they also happen to be located in talent-rich Florida. Does anyone think it's not just a matter of time before they're elite once again? Va. Tech has finished in the Top Ten almost every year for ten years. UNC is a rapidly improving program in a state producing more and more elite high school football talent every year. Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, BC, and Clemson are solid, improving programs.

You stack the ACC up against the Big 12, the Big Ten (where the number of great high school prospects is rapidly shrinking), the Big East (where it's an endless uphill battle to draw talent), and the Pac 10, and it's simply a matter of time before the ACC is truly great. Within 3 or 4 years, look out for the ACC to have 2 teams in BCS bowls and roar back with a group of strong new coaches.

Also, with the game in Charlotte, attendance will helped tremendously.

By: jeff H

jeff H — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:09:36 +0000

Until FSU and Miami get elite, the ACC will continue to be average at best in College Football. Sagarin rating is a joke so anyone using that should be laughed at. VT got a cupcake in Cincy for a BCS bowl and ACC will continue to get the lowest rated BCS opponent just like Kansas last year. The reason so many ACC teams qualified for bowls is that they are playing each other and easy out of conference teams. Also, look no further than your empty ACC champ game the last couple years which shows lack of passion by ACC fans and please don't tell me about the game being in Tampa(God forbid fun and sun)

By: DanGo

DanGo — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:52:46 +0000

In the past, the ACC has historically been perceived as a weak conference - especially prior to "the raid." Florida State's record in the ACC prior to the expansion was a huge indicator of this; how many years did they run the table? Remember the year UVA beat FSU at home (1995 I think), and how big a deal that was?

Other John hit it on the head - it's not that the ACC is a weak conference, but that the perception exists that it is. It begs the question, which is better: a conference that can present several teams capable of making big plays and scoring lots of points, or a conference with parity, where a number of teams are equally dominant?

No Big 12 team has scored more than 34 points in a game this postseason; comparitively, TTU, UT, OU failed to score less than 35 points a combined total of three times all season - and two of those were in the Red River Shootout. Sure, they can throw the ball, but where's the defense? What makes them a strong conference compared to the ACC? Let me remind you that the bottom five teams in the Big XII were a combined 20-40; by comparison, the bottom five teams in the ACC 29-34.

By: steve

steve — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:43:01 +0000

The bowl results by conference is a totally misleading stat. The teams weren't selected and matched by quality but by convenience and money draw - SEC #2 vs ACC #4; BgEast #2 vs ACC #5. Only in the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl did conference champs collide - and one of those was a blowout. The BCS Bowl is THE only bowl that matters for the national champ and only those teams can show what they can do. Conference affiliation means nothing on that stage. Frank is right - just take care of yourself and all else will generally fall into place. For VT next year, they started working on next year two years ago. The players are in place or soon will be in place to make the run. The question is, will the offense have the character and will to follow through? Will the coaches exploit the talents of the young men in their charge? We know the defensive coaches always have their side ready. If the offense can match the output and effort of the defense, then VT will have several national championships before long.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:37:50 +0000

John is right, perception is reality most of the time. The ACC is thought of as a basketball conference, and for good reason, that is the main history of the conference. Things can and do change. With all of the teams to be better next year it should help with how the conference is recognized. Go Hokies!!!

By: James Salenger

James Salenger — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:04:28 +0000

He picks the ACC as the top conference. How is this possible? Well, for one thing, the Southeastern Conference has 5 teams ranked worse than the worst team in the ACC

Lets see what happens when VT and Alabama square up in September.

By: Other John

Other John — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:13:54 +0000

I think the thing that hurt the ACC perception-wise this year was that no one team really stood out as being an elite team. And the other problem is that usually, the elite team gets their rears handed to them in the BCS bowl games. With VT returning so many good players next year and other teams continuing to improve, I look for next year to be a breakout year for the ACC to help change the perception that it's a soft conference. I don't think it is, but perception is reality most of the time.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:13:12 +0000

This is a ridiculous article. Every conference has room for improvement. Every conference has good and bad teams. No conference should brag about how it is better than other conferences. What should be done is that each and every team should work on its own program to make it the best that it can be. That is the real task of each team, take care of its own business. This talk of conference strength and weakness is a never ending debate that should never be brought up for discussion in the first place, all that amounts to is each person or each conference has a different opinion on the matter. Each team work on its own improvement and let the rest take care of itself.

By: JKD

JKD — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:48:32 +0000

I think it's highly ironic that the ACC tried its darnest to keep VT out of its conference, taking other teams such as Miami and BC instead. Yet it's been VT who has pretty much dominated the ACC (in football, at least) since they had to sue to get in.

Interesting, isn't it?

Granted, VT, and the ACC in its entirety, still has rebuilding to do, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like VT will be the one leading the way.

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:02:41 +0000

I beleive the ACC will be very strong in 2009.. Tech, GT, Miami, BBC and NC ALL were very young teams this year.. Clemson and NC will be very strong this year.. Butch Davis is one helluva recruiter and coach..And don't discount FL ST.. Old Bobby is on his way back...@009 should be very interesting!!