Sitting here flipping through the channels all day on Saturday, I happened to catch a couple of ACC teams playing.
One question popped into my mind: Where's the beef? Literally and figuratively. The beef being both the representation of top teams, as well as the criticism, a.k.a. "beef," from college football fans everywhere.
Now I understand that I am a fan of the Big Ten, the annual whipping boy from the previous two years as far as weak conferences go. I am not writing this to state that the Big Ten is a superior conference.
I am simply wondering this: Why doesn't the ACC catch the flak that the Big Ten brethren do?
I will be the first to admit that the Big Ten has most definitely been in a bit of a swoon lately. Ohio State hasn't performed on the big stage the past two years, meaning the visibility of the conference's failures have been at the forefront of most news sources.
But does the ACC have any argument to deflect criticism away from their conference? Let us take a closer look.
Breaking down what we saw this weekend in reference to the ACC, we lead off with Wake Forest. Wake got off on the right foot, ripping Baylor to the tune of 41-13. That's a team the Demon Deacons should beat, and they did. Good job Wake for representing your conference.
Then Saturday came, and the ACC slowly slipped down the totem pole of conference powers. Let's start with the supposed conference power, Clemson, who many had insinuated as a sleeper pick to crash the party at the top of the BCS polls. Those aspirations were ripped apart right off the bat.
Alabama marched into the Georgia Dome and steamrolled the "best" the ACC had to offer 34-10. 'Bama held the vaunted Clemson rushing attack of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to 20 yards combined.
The Tigers defense was even worse, giving up over 400 total yards and forcing zero turnovers. This was an Alabama team that was supposed to be a year away, possibly even two, but the sleeper pick of the top 25 wasn't even a speed bump in the road for the Crimson Tide.
The struggles didn't stop there, as the 17th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies had their own brand of football work against them against East Carolina. There were quite a few people who saw this upset coming, and that to me speaks volumes about Frank Beamer and his squads.
Year in and year out, Virginia Tech is labeled a defensive juggernaut with exceptional special teams, and is always a favorite for a BCS bowl. Year in and year out, it seems they get beaten by a team that has no business doing so.
In the end, Tech saw their punt blocked late in the fourth quarter and returned for a touchdown, putting to rest any hopes of the Hokies climbing up the ranks of the national powers.
So there you have the top three teams in the ACC, with only one doing its job, one being totally embarrassed, and one getting upset by a Conference USA team (No disrespect intended).
Where is the outrage? Where is the criticism? I haven't seen much of it.
You can bet people would be making a ruckus if Wisconsin had gone down to Akron, a comparable loss to Virginia Tech to East Carolina.
The "run-of-the-mill" pack also had their struggles.
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3 months ago
I couldn't agree with you more. The ACC is god-awful in football. I thought that for sure, with the additions of BC, Miami, and VT that could change, but wow. Not at all!
from 3 months ago
You thought that the ACC was that bad??? Just look at the Big East:
- NO WINS against FBS teams... The ONLY CONFERENCE with that distinction in Week 1 (of ALL the conferences in ENTIRE FBS, NOT just of the BCS Conferences)!
- Pitt LOSES AT HOME, against Bowling Green (a MAC school)... Perhaps, the biggest upset of the week, in Week 1.
- Rutgers gets ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED AT HOME, by Fresno State (a WAC school).
- Louisville ONLY scores a SAFTEY AT HOME, in a BLOWOUT LOSS against Kentucky.
The truth is, as bad as the ACC was in Week 1... It does NOT even come close to how bad the Big East was!
from 3 months ago
To Jimson,
That article would have been too easy! And notice my slight to the Big East at the end of the article.
3 months ago
good read. the reason the Big Ten takes so much crap is because they're right now the worst of the big 4: PAC-10,Big 12, SEC, and Big Ten. The reason the Big Ten is that bad is 1) They have highly regarded academic schools with Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn State and they like to keep that reputation. 2) They are in the north and when they have to go south for the bowls and play on a national stage it isn't equal ground. 3) They stick with tradition. Its been killing Michigan and Penn State the past couple years but finally my wolverines are changing. 4) Recruiting, Only 3 of the Big Ten schools are prestigous enough to go down to Florida or out to California like osu did with Jamal Berry and Michigan did with Tate Forcier this weekend
from 3 months ago
Thanks for the comment Ryan,
Those are all valid points, but
1) the ACC has more academic schools than the Big Ten, but this isn't an issue at all. Both conferences have plenty of athletic talent.
2) the only school seeming to have this problem is Ohio State, other than that, the Big Ten is .500 against the SEC in bowl games believe it or not.
3) this I will agree with, but Michigan might wanna be careful with too much change
4) recruiting is getting better, and wit Ohio State leaving the state of Ohio more often, more of the Big Ten institutions not named OSU, PSU, and Michigan can come in and snag some good players.
3 months ago
Good points all the way around Cody! Great read!
from 3 months ago
Thanks Kris for the comment, appreciate it!
3 months ago
Good read,
The Big 10 teams more flack because the teams are over-rated.
1) Duke had one win last year. Against a Big 10 team!
2) App State beats Michigan and the Oregon crushes Michigan. Then Michigan goes on and has a chance to actually win the Big Ten championship the last game of the year! This shows the weakness of the conference.
3) Ohio State is allowed to complet for the national title when the ACC, Big 12 and PAC 10 all have better teams. Of course they get hammered the last two years.
4) Illinois played both Missouri, a loss and Southern Cal, a hammering last year. These were the only non-conference games of real interest for an up an coming Illinois team that beat Ohio State.
5) Michigan State gets beat by a ACC team in the bowl game. Other non-conference games are Pitt and Notre Dame. Pitt is horrible and Notre Dame is for all practical purposes is a Big 10 team.
6) Bowling Green beat Minnesota last year. This should never happen to a Big 10 team.
7) A Big 12 team beat Indiana in the bowl game. Oklahoma State won the game.
8) Wisconsin plays a soft non-conferene schedule and loses to Tennessee in the bowl game.
9) Iowa loses to W. Michigan and Iowa State.
Big 10 teams have give the impression of big players who are going to beat you and intimidate you. However, last year all of the above occured. Needless to say, other conference lose respect for you.
from 3 months ago
Talk about picking and choosing. You forgot to mention how close the TN-WI bowl game really was. You also forgot to mention that after App State beat Michigan, Michigan DESTROYED a very good Florida team in a bowl game. And although OSU got demolished by FL, I wouldn't say LSU hammered them. How about Bowling Green just beating a ranked Pitt team?
Sure the Big Ten has their issues and needs to get a lot better. But, this article is about the ACC and how bad they are. I'll add that as bad as the ACC is, the Big East is even worse. OK, maybe they aren't held to the same standards as the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-10, but they should be or else they shouldn't be BCS conferences.
Nice article.
from 3 months ago
To Jay, Thank you for the comments, but allow me to refute:
1) True Duke did beat Northwestern, the battle of the Academic Institutions.
2) USC lost to Stanford (Pretty equivelant to App. State), then to the same Oregon team that beat Michigan, and WON their conference, so let's lump in the Pac-10 with the BigTen as well.
3) Ohio State easily could have been held out of the National Championship game last year had other teams taken care of business. That was not the case. In '06, I'm pretty sure they were the most deserving team to earn a slot.
4) Missouri is a top tier team of the Big 12, and in last years case, a fumble at the end gave Mizzou the win. And let's stop with the since Illinois beat OSU, and USC crushed Illinois, that must mean OSU is 50 opints worse than USC. So I guess Stanford was a top three team last year by that merit correct?
5) Yes, a bowlgame, but not a BCS bowl game. In my article I never claimed the Big Ten was a far superior conference. I said bash away on the Big Ten, just that the ACC needs it as well.
6) Minnesota was a bottom of the barrel team and has been for some time. Stanford over USC should never happen either. Hey Bowling Green just beat Pitt, a top 25 ACC team.
7) So are you saing it's pathetic for a Big 12 team to beat a Big Ten team? I have the Big 12 as the second best conference, not sure what point was being made here.
8) But they only lost by four to the best conference in the exsistence of football! (Toungue in cheek)
9) Again, you keep going to the bottom of the barrel and again, I never claimed the Big Ten to be the Superior conference.
I could go through many conferences, except for the SEC, and pull out points like these to downgrade a conference.
3 months ago
no one expects the ACC teams to do anything, so no one really cares what they do. Simple answer.
from 3 months ago
Thomas,
go back and examine 2004 and the 2005 season. Things come and go and rise and fall.
from 3 months ago
You hit it on the head. Dissing the ACC about being a mediocre football conference is like dissing the SEC as being a mediocre basketball conference. Until UF won their NCs no SEC team other than KY had gotten beyong the final 4 with only two or three getting that far for the entire history of the national tourny.
from 3 months ago
To Paul,
I addressed the ACC about being perceived as a basketball conference, and with teams like Miami, Florida State, V. Tech and Clemson, you can't tell me that they aren't a "football conference" as well.
The reason I wrote this is because of the hyping that was going on for the ACC this year.
3 months ago
Jay...Ohio State was allowed to play?? Tell Mizzou..WVU..and them 800 other schools that choked during the last few weeks that if they would have won Ohio State wouldn't have been there.
from 3 months ago
Emily,
Not talking about the other schools............talking about a Big Ten team that was humilated against Florida the year before, dropped the eleventh game of the year and was stilled allwed to compete in the title game.
I appreciate your comment, but the fact of the matter is there were several teams better than Ohio State. Ohio State is given treatment much like Notre Dame. Actually it is quite perplexing because I never see Michigan or Penn State getting the same love from the national press.
3 months ago
BTW...Good Article..Great Read
from 3 months ago
Thank you for the comments and the compliment Emily!
3 months ago
Thanks for the brief synopsis on the UNC game, did you mention we were up 14-0 before a 2 hour weather delay?
from 3 months ago
Matt, that doesn't seperate the fact that they had to come from behind to win. Being up 14-0 makes it even worse in my opinion, because Mcneese St. ran off 20 unanswered points.
from 3 months ago
"Thanks for the brief synopsis on the UNC game, did you mention we were up 14-0 before a 2 hour weather delay?"
Matt, you should just be glad that you did NOT have to face USC in Week 1... I'm pretty sure that UNC would have gotten CRUSHED by MORE THAN 45 points, lol :)
And I can't wait until October 18th... when Virginia ABSOLUTELY CRUSHES UNC. I mean, the game is AT VIRGINIA this year... So, I am giving UNC NO CHANCE in that game - especially after only winning by 8 points against McNeese State, lolz :)
from 3 months ago
Lolz what are you five or a preteen girl? Did I say a word about being on USC's level. What the hell does UVA getting crushed have anything to do with a UNC weather delay. I don't expect to win at UVA either, its the UVA curse. We havent' won there in over 20 years even when we were a top ten team under Mack. Again what does that have anything to do with it?
And Cody how many times have you seen a better team have to be in a delay and then comes out flat. UNC rolled off 21 straight points of their own to get the lead and far out played them at the start and end of the game. The middle game with the delay was where we let it get out of hand.
from 3 months ago
Matt,
I honestly can't tell you how many times a team's momentum has been slowed by a delay because honestly, I have rarely seen a lot of delays. Both teams had o sit through the delay, and with UNC playing at home, that is no excuse. Against better competition I might give the benefit of the doubt, but it was Mcneese State.
I'm not trying to rip on them, and I appreciate the comments, but I'm just calling it like I see it.
3 months ago
I agree with the premise of this article, but I totally disagree that the ACC gets a pass for being awful. Over the past three days, the ACC has been absolutely bludgeoned by just about everybody important on TV, on the radio, and on the internet, to the point that it's becoming unfair. Just like bad teams in the SEC like to use the conference to try to prop themselves up, I hate when a whole conference is clumped together like that. Look at each individual team before making blanket statements--Clemson, for one, is a much better team than the one that showed up on Saturday. So is North Carolina. You can't judge a conference, or a team, or a player, one game into a season.
from 3 months ago
William, thanks for the comment,
The ACC is getting their share, t an extent, but I'm talking more from a fans standpoint. I waited a couple of days to write this because I was sure that this would have been a hot topic. I only saw one other article written about the state of the ACC. There may be more now, I haven't checked since I published this.
Imagine Wisconsin had lost to Akron, how many articles would have been written bashing the Big Ten?
I didn't want to judge a conference based upon one week, except for the fact that the Michigan loss to App. State doomed the Big Ten, and that was the first week of the season as well. Not fair, I agree. But as I stated, I'm just playing by the same rules.
3 months ago
Good read. Most mainstream media def goes after the BIG TEN more then any other conferance for being down. I think much of it has to do with the history of the big ten and being successful and just experiencing a big drop over the past few years. Its more about the expectations and not meeting them.
If you think about it, ACC should always be better then BIG TEN based on geography. ACC is mostly in SEC country and recruits in the south at warm weather schools. Its hard to get kids to come to cold weather schools so the big ten should actually be worse then the acc.
In a way its a compliment that people are all over the BIG TEN for being down and dont really discuss acc meaning they dont expect as much from the ACC. This year the big ten will be solid. OSU, WISCY, PSU and maybe illinois look to be top 4 teams. Mich Iowa and Purdue will all be solid. Its no SEC but id say its better then Pac 10 and ACC for 2008.
Also, how about the SEC losing last night to an unranked PAC 10 team. Lets get on the SEC now too haha. People never want to fault the SEC for anything. That was an embarassing loss last night TENN and SEC fans. AND I LOVE IT!
from 3 months ago
Paul,
Thanks for the comment!
Take a look at the talent coming out of the ACC down in a response to Gerald's post, they are not lacking in terms of talent.
As far as the Tennessee loss goes, isn't it funny how when an SEC team loses, the "Conference Unity" dissipates and it's just because Tennessee sucks? But when Florida and LSU beat Ohio State, the whole conference binds together and claims the entire SEC would put a hurt on Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten?
3 months ago
Great article with some good points. I do kind of agree that the ACC gets less beef because they are expected to be a weak conference, which doesn't make sense to me. You have teams such as Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson who should be good every year. They are comparable to the Big 4 in the Big Ten: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin. I'm just hoping that the bashing on the Big Ten stops now that the season is started. There is way more to talk about than one group of eleven teams. I will agree though that the ACC looked horrible in week one.
from 3 months ago
Dan,
Thanks for the comment!
Like I said in the article, Miami and FSU NEED to rise back to the top of the conference to make the ACC worthwhile again. V.Tech and Clemson have no excuses for the weekend they had, and should have been able to at least hold down the fort for a while.
3 months ago
Did you watch any ESPN or the Commentators on the Clemson Alabama game?
The ACC is catching it from all angles and rightly so.
The only difference is ESPN will continue to boost TOS no matter what.
And keep this in mind, if Clemson and TOS both ran through these weak Conferences and finished undefeated, Clemson wouldn't stand a chance in Hell of getting picked over TOS.
The Big-10 sucks, get over it.
from 3 months ago
"Did you watch any ESPN or the Commentators on the Clemson Alabama game?
The ACC is catching it from all angles and rightly so.
The only difference is ESPN will continue to boost TOS no matter what.
And keep this in mind, if Clemson and TOS both ran through these weak Conferences and finished undefeated, Clemson wouldn't stand a chance in Hell of getting picked over TOS.
The Big-10 sucks, get over it."
Well, IF Clemson had run through the ACC, and FINISHED UNDEFEATED last season... Clemson would have been picked over LSU, to play TOS in the BCS National Championship Game, lolz :)
3 months ago
mmm maybe because thr ACC is percieved basketball conference(like the Big East), unlike the Big Ten that thinks they are a football conference.
from 3 months ago
Or maybe the ACC and the Big East should be demoted to the FCS... especially after the pathetic showing by both of these ABSOLUTELY WEAK CONFERENCES, lol :)
Just think, the FBS will still have 100 teams... even after it demotes the ACC and the Big East to the FCS, lolz :)
from 3 months ago
Agreed with Jimson,
If you guys are going to claim yourselves as a "basketball conference" then you can be in a non-BCS conference with that excuse. Last time I checked, Big Ten was a pretty damned good basketball conference as well. As good as the ACC? No. But who is?
from 3 months ago
yea as proven in the acc big ten challenge that you guys have never won. Some years we probably don't deserve that orange bowl berth, but the fact is that we have a lot of fans and theres a good bit of money to made off fsu, vt, miami, and clemson playing in bowl games. And exactly you made my point for me. The ACC is the all time greatest basketball conference and will always be the best so why worry about football?
Plus the big ten has much more potential because they have a lot of high school talent and they don't have to compete with the sec as much as the acc does. They also have more potential because as Gerald stated below: lower academic standards. Without football at places like Duke, Wake, GT, UVA, Maryland, BC, NCSU and UNC then a lot of those athletes would have never gotten such a wonderful opportunity to graduate from these schools.
from 3 months ago
Samuel,
I think I addressed these issues in a response to Gerald's comment. If you have anything you'd like to say about that, respond on that thread as it is easier to keep in order.
Thanks for the comments!
3 months ago
People criticize the ACC plenty. It is just not as prominent because 1) the ACC has not had teams in the national title game or automatic BCS berth bids and 2) the ACC is not regarded as a football conference. The ACC's reputation is limited to FSU and Miami, both of whom are relatively newcomers to the conference. The Big 10, meanwhile, is supposed to be this traditional football powerhouse, and not just Ohio State and Michigan. My goodness, the TV series "Coach" starring Craig T. Nelson was based on a Big 10 program, not an ACC one. The lead character: Hayden Fox (after Iowa's Hayden Frye) and the team was in Minnesota. A conference that is supposed to be good in football and gets all of the privileges associated with a strong football tradition (including national TV dates and favorable treatment in bowl slots) ... that is news. A conference that was never really a football one to begin with ... even during the 1990s it was FSU and everybody else ... isn't.
Also, there is a reason why the ACC will never be what the SEC is today or the Big 8 was in the 1970s and 1980s: academics. Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, UNC, and NC State all have entrance requirements for athletes that are higher than average. BC, UVa, Maryland, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Wake are much higher ... basically recruiting from the same pool as Notre Dame, Stanford, and UCLA. Even Miami, FSU, Clemson, and Virginia Tech have upped their standards in recent years, meaning that they no longer recruit the "barely qualifiers." By contrast, most Big 10 schools will recruit anyone that qualifies. Northwestern recruits against the Stanfords and Notre Dames. Purdue, Illinois, Michigan and Penn State have some standards, but those are more like NCSU's and UNC's ... nowhere near that of Virginia or Maryland, let alone Georgia Tech or the ACC private schools. But at Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin ... if you meet the minimum NCAA standards you are in, plus they accept JUCOs. While not all of the Big 10 is prime recruiting country (i.e. Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota), there is no excuse for the football being so mediocre.
from 3 months ago
I will try to address all the issues in your comment:
While there may be criticism of the ACC, it does not even begin to touch what the Big Ten has endured. It's not even so much the criticism, it's the downright hatred. I look at your first two points:
1) having teams in the National Championship game and garnering auto berths shouldn't hurt a conference, it should strengthen it, agree? Ohio State hasn't held up their end of the bargain unfortunately, but one team does not make a conference. The lack of ACC teams and success in important bowl games should be much more scrutinized.
2) I keep hearing how the ACC is not a football conference. Sure they aren't on the level that the Big Ten, such as your comments with entertainment appearances and such, but like I stated in my article, V.Tech, Miami, Florida State, Clemson, and even Virginia would be much inclined to claim football over basketball at their respective institutions. We could take that same approach some of the Big Ten with the likes of Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois, and Iowa could all be inclined to favor themselves as a basketball school. The fact of the matter IS that the ACC is a BCS conference, and should be treated as such.
As far as the academic standards go, do you have higher admissions and such at your institutions, most definitely. Having said that, Miami, FSU, Clemson and V.Tech haven't elevated their standards so high that the are incomparable to the Big Ten schools. I don't quite understand the argument either. So are you saying that top flight athletes aren't smart, and can't pass admissions? Last time I checked, the ACC is putting quite a bit of talent into the NFL, rivaling the SEC and Big Ten, so this can not be an excuse. I won't get too far into the dmission argument, as we all know that it is a very touchy and sticky subject. Using it as an excuse however is bunk, as there is damn fine talent in the ACC.
Here are some tidbits I found: Starting players in the NFL (projected) by conference - from July 2008
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20080706/OPINION01/617509449/1103/sports&title=What_conferences_are_the_NFL_s_starters_coming_from_
QB's- #1-SEC, #2-Pac-10, #3-ACC
RB's- #1-SEC, #2-ACC
FB's- #1-Big Ten, #2-ACC
WR's- #1-Big Ten, #2-ACC
TE's- #1-SEC, #2-ACC
OT's- #1-Big Ten, #2-ACC
OG's- #1-SEC, #2-Big Ten, #3-ACC/Big 12
C's- #1-ACC/Big Ten/SEC
56 total projected offensive starters out the ACC, finishing third behind the SEC(63) and Big Ten(57)
DE's- #1-SEC, #2-ACC/Big Ten
DT's- NR
OLB's- #1-ACC
ILB's- #1-SEC, #2-ACC
CB's- #1-SEC, #2-ACC
S's- #1-SEC/Big 12, #2- ACC
65 total projected defensive starters out of the ACC, finishing second behind the SEC(74)
The last thing to address with academic standards, with the Big Ten schools taking low qualifiers, wouldn't that present more of a risk? These guys may find themselves in a lot of off the field trouble as far as the classroom goes and such. So to say that schools are benefiting from the low admissions, take a look at a school like Iowa and tell me how that is working out.
3 months ago
Alright, I'm a Big Ten graduate, but Wisky possibly losing to Akron and VT's loss to ECU are not even close to the same thing
ECU has a very good team, while Akron is one of the worst the MAC has to offer...
from 3 months ago
I will agree with that notion, and perhaps I gave the wrong impression. The general message was this:
Two ranked, perceived powers in their respective conferences, playing non-ranked, non-BCS schools.
Virginia Tech shouldn't have lost that game, plain and simple.
from 2 months ago
Fair enough...
3 months ago
Wow did this turn fun! The article was about Big 10 teams and why they caught so much flack.
I could rip apart the SEC, ACC, Big 12..........................etc.....
SEC: Look at Arkansas and Mississippi State. A power conference does not have this happen to them.
Tennessee has the chance to show just how powerful the conference is and would up losing.
ACC: three marquis match-ups, three losses.
Big 12: Texas A&M loses to Arkansas State? Baylor loses to the weak ACC?
Big East: Pitt loses to Bowling Green.
And on and on......................
Enjoyed the read, but one conference is not better than another every year. And one conference does not catch all the grief every week.
from 3 months ago
jay did you just base your big 12 judgment on baylor? haha nice
from 3 months ago
Jay,
You are correct, I have no problem with the bashing of the Big Ten. I'm just wondering why the Big Ten is held to seemingly different standards.
That's the general message of my article, the deeper impending message is let us all scrutinize the conferences equally, because as you said, we could put every conference under the microscope and find faults and such to declare supremacy.
from 2 months ago
Since when is Wake considered a weak team? Didn't they make a BCS Bowl just a few years ago...
3 months ago
If they actually beat teams from the decent football conferences it might help spark some debate. Just how heinous can they be you ask?
A basketball school may just win their conference title....for the second time in 3 years.
I think they've just been in a slump phase, and the Big East, while not retaining the big name teams, has gone on to retain a large amount of it's previous level of talent.
it's also not really the Big Ten so much as it is Ohio st. , Illinois does well and no one talks trash. Michigan loses to App state and of course they get laughed at for years to come; but if it'd been florida or clemson or oklahoma we'd be laughing at them too
That being said im rooting for wake forest all season....it'll be cool to see what happens with their schedule
from 3 months ago
they have one final four (1962) and only four conference regular season and tournament championships wake is not really a basketball school. They are however a fine academic institution
from 3 months ago
Thanks Evan for the comment, and I have nothing against the ACC, so seeing teams like Wake and others climb the ranks is alright be me.
And as you point out, if people want to take shots at Ohio State, so be it. But it seems like anytime a Big ten team loses, its because the conference as a whole is so weak. Not exactly logical.
3 months ago
I agree with your article, and don't agree. I didn't read anywhere where the ACC was hyped. Only that Clemson was. And Va tech has an NC this decade, so the Hokies have shown up.
But, I really don't expect a lot from the ACC (or Big East) because they don't get nearly the hype as the other "Big Four." The reason why the Big Ten gets flak - and last year OSU did NOT deserve any flak - is because of their perceived weak scheduling, and losing big games in big bowls.
OSU went to the title game because no one else stepped up- they were a young team and the fact they even got into the game speaks volumes about Tress' abilities to get a team prepared. However, Illinois stunk, and was overrated in the Rose Bowl. So it's a mixed bag.
This year, Penn State looks the best and everyone is focused on Ohio State and Wisky. Wisky will lose @ Fresno State, and OSU vs. USC...well, both teams look good, but based on Saturdays performances, USC looks better. But who knows? The Buckeyes could shock the Trojans, or vice-versa. The 13 th will determine who is a pretender, or maybe, both teams play stellar games and prove they both belong in the top 5.
Meanwhile, the best of the ACC are Miami and North Carolina. UGH.
from 3 months ago
Lisa,
First thank you for the comment!
Second, Yes, Va. Tech does have a national Championship appearance during the BCS era, but as a Big East school. Same goes for Miami, as they lived the glory days in the Big East as well.
I understand that the Big ten has it's issues in regards to the public eye, I just want to level the playing field here and make sure that conferences are held to the same standards. The Big East and the ACC are BCS conferences, that at least to me merits equal criticism.
from 3 months ago
Lisa, the Hokies do not have a national title. They played FSU for one back in 1999. (If that is what you meant by NC) The Hokies have one ACC title since joining the conference and that occurred last year. And keep in mind, the Hokies were ranked #9 in America when they were destroyed by LSU 48-3 last year. So there is hope for Clemson if you use that logic.
I agree with much of the rest of what you say, except I do not see Ohio State being able to compete against Southern Cal. Ohio State simply does not have the speed and the game is out west.
Do not forget about FSU. They have the best coaching staff in the nation. The line coach is Tricket. I do not have to say anyting about that guy. The offensive coordinator is Jimbo Fishser. Enough said! The DC is Mickey Andrews, who is one of the best. FSU also gets top 10 classes every year. This team returns 15 starters and gets two tune up games before Wake Forest comes to town.
Do not count Va. Tech and Clemson out just yet. Keep in mind what the Hokies did last year.
BUT some real good points.
from 2 months ago
yeah exactly...most of the press is saying the ACC as a whole is in a rebuilding phase at the moment
3 months ago
What all these pundits forget is that OSU was picked third in its conference last year. This team overachieved and thanks to RR losing his version of OSU vs MICH last year let them slide into the championship game. The layoff between the last game and the bowls have seemed like and eternity for the bucks. The vest came in and dominated Michigan. He knows what is important and lets his players know how important that game against that team up north is. Will RR do the same? Only time will tell. I see this conference stagnating with some of the progams happy with being so-so. I like Illini and PSU but Iowa seems like its losing its luster. Hopefully Michigan will turn that mess around, whats worse losing in the championship game or losing your last two openers against non bcs schools?
3 months ago
I most definitely agree... great article and great read!!! I know, the ACC is pretty much viewed as a basketball conference.
from 2 months ago
Thank you for the comment Leanna!
2 months ago
Clemson lost. No surprise there.
That said, I echo the sentiments of someone above, thinking that the ACC would be a force to be reckoned with when Miami, BC and VTech jumped ship from the Big East.
That said, the Big Ten is (right now) the "best" of the "weak BCS conferences"
You've got the big three with (mostly) powerhouse teams out the wazoo:
Powerhouse Conferences
1. SEC (nobody can argue that this isn't the best conference in college football)
2. Big 12 (ditto the SEC)
3. Pac-10 (USC and maybe Oregon, ASU and UCLA)
"Weak" Conferences
4. Big Ten (nobody knows yet if Ohio State can hold its own outside the midwest, Illinois, scUM and MSU aren't off to great starts, and like OSU, nobody knows how well Wisky can play outside the conference until they get past the early creampuffs)
5. ACC (Wake, Maryland, VTech and maybe even Clemson should be good teams this year)
6. Big East (West Virginia and who else?)
Just my thoughts on the state of CFB after week one. Great read as always, Cody!
from 2 months ago
I agree with the conference rankings there, with the possibility to dispute the 3rd place slot IF (and its a big IF) Ohio State can win against USC.
Thanks for the comment Ryan!
2 months ago
your welcome Cody!
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