bobby dodds ghost
Damn Good Rat
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2002
- Messages
- 1,492
Enough already with ACC mess
If this plan happens, the ACC could become the top college football conference in the country.
Changing times
The ACC used to be FSU and the Eight Dwarves. Now, it will be where the bar is set.
et me see if I've got this straight. The ACC wanted to expand to 12 teams so it could have a championship game and now has decided to make it 11, one short of the requirement.
Virginia Tech joined a lawsuit against the ACC, but now will be part of that expansion and doesn't see the hypocrisy.
Boston College and Syracuse are not only out of the expansion plans, but are stuck in a weak leftover conference.
Miami wanted to make sure Boston College and Syracuse were in to appease its northern alumni, but will settle for Virginia Tech.
I just want this whole thing to be over.
It has dragged on longer than the Oscar ceremony, this money-driven move that was supposed to clear up college football but has instead muddied the waters.
The ACC looks silly, Virginia Tech looks sleazy, BC and the 'Cuse look like losers on American Idol and the Big East looks like a joke. Really, why should a conference with a bunch of mediocre football programs deserve a BCS bid?
But the bottom line (actually the “other” bottom line since we know that the bottom line was what this was all about) is that a conference that hasn't received a lot of respect in football might soon become the best in the land.
This is far from over, believe me. Miami still has to decide if this is what it wants. There is still the lawsuit. When politicians are involved, we could see a football filibuster.
But if the latest expansion does come to fruition, a lot depends on how well the ACC does between now and 2005. If the programs on the rise continue to move forward and Florida State rejuvenates itself, what conference would be better?
Think about it. FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech. Three schools picked to be in most pre-season top 10s this season and most seasons. Maryland, N.C. State, Virginia. Three schools which seem to be on the right track. That may be the best top six in any conference. Throw in North Carolina, which has the facilities and money to get it going again. Clemson and Georgia Tech have shown they can compete on a national level, just not on a consistent basis.
I like that conference.
Better than the SEC? Certainly not in fan interest or attendance, but the football will be comparable if not better. Better than the Big XII? That's a top-heavy conference.
I'll say it right now, if this goes through and the ACC teams continue to progress, this will be college football's best conference. Which is where the money comes in. Think networks won't be escalating rights fees for a conference like this.
Hey, Florida. Want to be the 12th ACC team? Think how strong that conference would be. The SEC might have to start looking to raid Conference-USA.
Imagine these division:
ACC North
Maryland, Wake Forest, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami (can't have all three Florida teams in the same division) and Duke.
ACC South
Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Clemson.
Try picking those division finishes in order.
Once this is finished, assuming it ever is, we will proceed to what will be a big year for the ACC. Part of the process is what happens between now and the official expansion. Which makes this, the last 12-game season for awhile, huge for the conference.
Look at some of the non-conference games:
FSU: Colorado and Notre Dame and, of course, Florida.
N.C. State: Ohio State.
Clemson: Georgia.
North Carolina: Syracuse, Wisconsin and Arizona State.
Wake Forest: Purdue and Boston College.
Yep, if the ACC wants to show that it's going to be the premiere conference in the land, this season would be a good place to start.
We tend to be provincial and believe that there is no conference as good as the SEC. But this league has been down of late and it had better get going before the ACC takes over.
This summer of speculation may have been strange, but the end result could be the super-conference nobody saw coming. Basketball-wise, it's a beautiful thing for the ACC powers as well because they just added a couple of sure wins to their conference schedules.
While the whole thing has been confusing, the ACC settled on the scenario that makes the best sense. Miami and Virginia Tech belong in a southern conference.
The Atlantic Coast Conference used to be FSU and the Eight Dwarves. Now, it will be where the bar is set.
But there is also this — these schools will soon find out what it's like to be in a battle every week.
You can reach sports columnist Pat Dooley by e-mail at dooleyp@gvillesun.com or by calling 374-5053. You can hear Pat weekdays from 4-5 p.m. on WGGG 1230-AM in Gainesville and WMOP 900-AM in Ocala.
If this plan happens, the ACC could become the top college football conference in the country.
Changing times
The ACC used to be FSU and the Eight Dwarves. Now, it will be where the bar is set.
et me see if I've got this straight. The ACC wanted to expand to 12 teams so it could have a championship game and now has decided to make it 11, one short of the requirement.
Virginia Tech joined a lawsuit against the ACC, but now will be part of that expansion and doesn't see the hypocrisy.
Boston College and Syracuse are not only out of the expansion plans, but are stuck in a weak leftover conference.
Miami wanted to make sure Boston College and Syracuse were in to appease its northern alumni, but will settle for Virginia Tech.
I just want this whole thing to be over.
It has dragged on longer than the Oscar ceremony, this money-driven move that was supposed to clear up college football but has instead muddied the waters.
The ACC looks silly, Virginia Tech looks sleazy, BC and the 'Cuse look like losers on American Idol and the Big East looks like a joke. Really, why should a conference with a bunch of mediocre football programs deserve a BCS bid?
But the bottom line (actually the “other” bottom line since we know that the bottom line was what this was all about) is that a conference that hasn't received a lot of respect in football might soon become the best in the land.
This is far from over, believe me. Miami still has to decide if this is what it wants. There is still the lawsuit. When politicians are involved, we could see a football filibuster.
But if the latest expansion does come to fruition, a lot depends on how well the ACC does between now and 2005. If the programs on the rise continue to move forward and Florida State rejuvenates itself, what conference would be better?
Think about it. FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech. Three schools picked to be in most pre-season top 10s this season and most seasons. Maryland, N.C. State, Virginia. Three schools which seem to be on the right track. That may be the best top six in any conference. Throw in North Carolina, which has the facilities and money to get it going again. Clemson and Georgia Tech have shown they can compete on a national level, just not on a consistent basis.
I like that conference.
Better than the SEC? Certainly not in fan interest or attendance, but the football will be comparable if not better. Better than the Big XII? That's a top-heavy conference.
I'll say it right now, if this goes through and the ACC teams continue to progress, this will be college football's best conference. Which is where the money comes in. Think networks won't be escalating rights fees for a conference like this.
Hey, Florida. Want to be the 12th ACC team? Think how strong that conference would be. The SEC might have to start looking to raid Conference-USA.
Imagine these division:
ACC North
Maryland, Wake Forest, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami (can't have all three Florida teams in the same division) and Duke.
ACC South
Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Clemson.
Try picking those division finishes in order.
Once this is finished, assuming it ever is, we will proceed to what will be a big year for the ACC. Part of the process is what happens between now and the official expansion. Which makes this, the last 12-game season for awhile, huge for the conference.
Look at some of the non-conference games:
FSU: Colorado and Notre Dame and, of course, Florida.
N.C. State: Ohio State.
Clemson: Georgia.
North Carolina: Syracuse, Wisconsin and Arizona State.
Wake Forest: Purdue and Boston College.
Yep, if the ACC wants to show that it's going to be the premiere conference in the land, this season would be a good place to start.
We tend to be provincial and believe that there is no conference as good as the SEC. But this league has been down of late and it had better get going before the ACC takes over.
This summer of speculation may have been strange, but the end result could be the super-conference nobody saw coming. Basketball-wise, it's a beautiful thing for the ACC powers as well because they just added a couple of sure wins to their conference schedules.
While the whole thing has been confusing, the ACC settled on the scenario that makes the best sense. Miami and Virginia Tech belong in a southern conference.
The Atlantic Coast Conference used to be FSU and the Eight Dwarves. Now, it will be where the bar is set.
But there is also this — these schools will soon find out what it's like to be in a battle every week.
You can reach sports columnist Pat Dooley by e-mail at dooleyp@gvillesun.com or by calling 374-5053. You can hear Pat weekdays from 4-5 p.m. on WGGG 1230-AM in Gainesville and WMOP 900-AM in Ocala.
