The ACC Bowl Disaster
Yesterday, the Confidential noted that the ACC needed Miami and Florida State to return to King status soon. As the bowl season comes to a conclusion, it is clear that something is just not right with the conference from a football standpoint.
The bowl season began with the optimism of the ACC landing two teams in BCS bowls–Clemson and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech was a surprise entrant into the Sugar Bowl and acquitted itself reasonably well in shutting down Michigan and only losing in overtime. In many respects, Virginia Tech outplayed the Wolverines and deserved to win. But they did not. Another BCS loss for the ACC.
The hope on Wednesday night was that Clemson could do its part to carry the ACC by “taking care of” West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. This is the same West Virginia team that beat 2-10 Maryland by 6 points. The same West Virginia team that lost to Syracuse 49-23. Clemson would have no trouble, right?
Wrong.
Instead, Clemson had one of the most embarrassing big stage performances in the history of the big stage, losing 70-33. 70 points. 35 in the second quarter. A 99-yard fumble return. 589 yards of offense allowed. The most points EVER scored by a team in a bowl game. Conversely, Clemson allowed more points than any other team in bowl history has ever allowed. And this was not to Oregon, Stanford, or Wisconsin. This was not LSU or Alabama. This was the West Virginia described above. Utterly embarrassing.
According to CBS, the ACC has dropped to 1-5 in the last 6 Orange Bowl games:
| ACC Champions in Orange Bowl | ||
| Year | ACC Champ | Result |
| 2012 | Clemson | L, West Virginia 70-33 |
| 2011 | Va. Tech | L, Stanford 40-12 |
| 2010 | Va. Tech | W, Cincinnati 20-7 |
| 2009 | Va. Tech | L, Kansas 24-21 |
| 2008 | Wake Forest | L, Louisville 24-13 |
| 2007 | Florida St. | L, Penn State 26-23 |
4 different teams, the same dismal results. In fact, according to ESPN, the ACC is now 2-13 in BCS bowl games.
In addition to the BCS games, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and North Carolina also lost their bowl games. Fortunately, North Carolina State and Florida State won its bowl games. That leaves the ACC at 2-6, with Pittsburgh yet to face SMU.
Wait, Florida State won its bowl game? If you believe that the ACC needs Florida State to be leading the charge for the ACC, that is about the only good news to come out of this bowl season. Two straight 9-win seasons. If Florida State can take it up another level, maybe the ACC can deliver on its promise to be home to great football. That’s the closest to good news that ACC football will have until kickoff next year.
The Confidential 