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13 Jan 2012

This Day in ACC History: 20 Years Ago

In a new feature, the Confidential will attempt to bridge the gap between yesterday and today by providing some publicity for ACC events from the past.  Today, the Confidential takes a look at a regular season game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Maryland Terrapins.

On January 13,1992, exactly 20 years ago, the Maryland traveled to Chapel Hill for a game against North Carolina.  For those who do not recall 1992, neither North Carolina nor Maryland were the best team in the ACC.  That year, the Duke Blue Devils would go 14-2 to win the conference.  North Carolina would “struggle” to a 22-10 overall record.

But the game was a special game for North Carolina because the win over Maryland gave Dean Smith his 300th regular season conference win, extending his own record.  North Carolina won the game 96 to 76.

The Tar Heels were led by senior guard Hubert Davis, who most people probably know from his work on television.  Davis led the team that year by scoring 21.4 points per game, good enough for fourth best in the conference.  Against Maryland, Davis did his part, scoring 26 points.  Junior George Lynch led the Tar Heels with 8 rebounds, while sophomore Derrick Phelps contributed 7 assists.

The Terrapins were led by Senior Walt Williams and his 32 points.  Williams was not shy, attempting 18 field goals, including 6 three pointers (made four).  He also converted 8 of his 11 free throw attempts.  The Terrapins were led in rebounding by senior Garfield Smith with 10, while senior Vincent Broadnax added 7 assists.  Maryland fans can take note that they defeated the visiting Tar Heels 82-80 on March 1, 1982.

But on January 13, 2012, the night belonged to the North Carolina Tarheels and legendary coach Dean Smith.

Do you remember this game?

Hall of Famer Dean Smith

This Day in History is a feature that relies heavily on information obtained from Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Games, Michael O’ Hara, McFarland & Company, Inc. (2008).  Special thanks to that fine publication.

Posted by acaffrey in This Day in ACC
12 Jan 2012

1,000 Reasons Why It Will Not Work–But Here is a Radical Plan for College Football’s Post-Season

Look, line up to tell the Confidential the reasons why this Radical College Football post-season proposal will not work.  But what proposal WILL work?  What solution will keep the conferences, schools, bowls, NCAA, network and fans happy?  The problem is not that a solution cannot be designed.  The problem is that every “solution” is going to be greeted with some sort of opposition.  The problem is that college football is not basketball AND that you cannot design a plan in advance that will accommodate the unique regular season that is taking place.  Accordingly, the Confidential presents its Radical Plan for College Football’s Postseason (the plan).

Under the plan, there will have to be some significant changes.  Instead of trying to design a strict 2,4, 8, 12, or 16 team playoff, the Championship Committee would be vested with the power to determine exactly how the national championship should be played out.  The emphasis would be on ensuring that all undefeated teams at least have the chance to decide it on the field.  The secondary emphasis would be to ensure that as few games as possible are used to reach a national champion, so as not to devalue the regular season.  The third emphasis would be maintaining the traditional tie-ins to the bowl games to the maximum extent possible.  And that is that.  Nothing more, nothing less.

First, the Championship Game (CCG) should be moved to Martin Luther King Day.  Frank the Tank has a great write up on the logic of using that date.

Second, all the BCS bowls should be moved back to January 1st.  Once upon a time, that was a veritable feast of college football.  A fan would plan on going from Cotton to Rose to Orange to Fiesta throughout the day, with a few other games sprinkled in for good measure.  It is easier to carve out a day than it is to carve out the night for several straight days.  This is just the way things are today.  Plus, think of March Madness.  You don’t plan to watch all day, but you get sucked in by the staggered start times and end up enjoying the finish to multiple games.  The networks can just plan on having more commercial value in the second half of bowl games.

Third, College Football needs a Championship Committee to decide who “gets in.”  Most other sports have one to decide who plays in the post-season tournament.  The problem is that College Football is unique in that every regular season game is an event.  Having an 8, 12, or 16 team playoff WILL detract from that.  It just will.  The beauty of college football is that every game matters.  The goal is to keep that.

Fourth, here is where it gets radical.  The Championship Committee is not going to be limited to just deciding who plays, but deciding HOW it plays out.  The Championship Committee will make the final decisions using the BCS Standings issued immediately after the weekend of the conference championship games to make the final plan.  At its disposal will be all of the bowl games, plus at least two non-BCS bowl games.

For example:

  • If there are two undefeated teams, then the Championship Committee will designate those two teams to play in the CCG.  From there, the other BCS bowls just proceed as in the current format.
  • If there is only one undefeated team, the Championship Committee will designate the next two best teams– using the BCS standings– to play for the right to play the bona fide undefeated team in the CCG.  If the two teams that will play in the preliminary game represent both the Big 10 and the Pac 12, the game is played in the Rose Bowl.  If not, the host bowl game is determined by BCS ranking, with the higher ranked team being the host team based on traditional bowl game tie-ins.  The Big East, Notre Dame, and all other conferences would be considered Cotton Bowl or Fiesta Bowl teams, depending on whether the Big XII wanted the Fiesta Bowl or Cotton Bowl.
  • In other situations, the Championship Committee will really have to earn its work.  It can work within the bowl system to create a 4-team “playoff.”  In all circumstances, any “playoff” will be skewed so that the Rose Bowl features a Big-10/Pac-12 matchup.  Beyond that, the Championship Committee would seek to have the bowls feature their traditional tie-ins to the extent possible.  ANY undefeated teams must be included in the 4-team playoff,regardless of BCS ranking.
  • In the rare scenario where there are 5 or 6 undefeated teams somehow, the Championship Committee would be able to have those teams engage in a pre-preliminary round in December to get down to 4 undefeated teams.
  • One tough situation is what to do with a 13-0 Ball State.  If the only other undefeated team is, say, an SEC school, an argument could be made that the fairest result is to just have those teams play.  If LSU had beaten a 13-0 MAC team this year, would the result have been any less valid?  If Ball State wins, it is the national champion.  It would be the only school to go undefeated AND would have beaten the team that beat Alabama and Arkansas.  Would they be “better” than Alabama?  Probably not.  But was Jim Valvano’s famous North Carolina State team better than Houston?  Were they better than everyone else that year?  No and no.  But it is what it is.
  • A second tough situation is where you have two undefeated teams, but neither are even close to #1.  See 2008.  In that circumstance, a 4-team playoff with the top 2 teams in the BCS standings will solve the problem.
  • The third tough situation is when you have no undefeated teams.  In that scenario, you just have to create a 4-team playoff and hope it works out.

After all, there is no sense in having a 4-team playoff when only 2 or 3 teams have a valid claim to be national champions.  However, a 4-team playoff is not even good enough when there are 5 undefeated teams.  And so on.  The only time when it is clear how many games are required is immediately after the season ends.

In 2011, Alabama would have hosted Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl for the right to play LSU.

In 2010, Oregon would have hosted TCU in the Rose Bowl for the right to play Auburn.

In 2009, there were 5 undefeated teams.  Boise State would have played Cincinnati in some December bowl game for the right to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  Texas would have hosted TCU in either the Fiesta Bowl or the Cotton Bowl.  The winners of the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta/Cotton Bowl would have played for the national championship.

In 2008, Florida and Oklahoma were the #1 and #2 teams, but not undefeated.  Boise State and Utah were undefeated.  So the Championship Committee would have had Florida host Boise State in the Sugar Bowl.  Oklahoma would have hosted Utah in the Fiesta/Cotton.  And the winners would have played.  While controversy would not have been escaped here, either an undefeated team would have earned the National Championship by beating two very good teams or there would be no undefeated teams left standing.  The best that you can do in some years.

Will it end controversy?  No.  If the Championship Committee is choosing between three 1-loss teams, there are going to be arguments.  But there are always arguments.  In a 4-team playoff, the 5th team is going to complain.  And so on.

What do you think?  What are some of the problems with this plan?

Posted by acaffrey in Football and tagged , ,
12 Jan 2012

Pittsburgh… Not Good Times

When the ACC decided to add Pittsburgh and Syracuse, a logical thought pattern might have been that adding two perennially good basketball teams with strong football tradition was a no-brainer.  A couple of teams that are used to having top 4 seeds in March. What would not have been logical, however, was to expect that the ACC was adding a team that would be 11-6 at this point in the season.  But that is exactly what Pittsburgh is at this point of 2011-2012.  These are not good times in Pittsburgh.

To be sure, 11-6 is hardly a start that gets coaches fired.  But it goes deeper than the numbers.  You have to look at who Pittsburgh has lost to this year and where they have played.

Last night, Wednesday, Pittsburgh lost to Rutgers…at home… 63-39.  That’s a MAC football score, not a basketball score.  That’s Rutgers, not UConn.

Most problematic is that this was not a fluke, but a trend.  On November 16, Pitt allowed good, but hardly great, Long Beach State to overcome the vaunted Pitt home court advantage.  But Pitt put everyone at ease by winning 9 straight.  That streak ended when Wagner defeated Pitt at home.  As CBS reported after that game:

Pitt has been nearly unbeatable in nonconference games since the Petersen Events Center opened in 2002. The Panthers had lost just one non-Big East game in the arena’s first nine seasons. Now they have dropped two in the span of five weeks.

So there were concerns heading into Big East play.  But Pittsburgh’s opening four games could not have been less intimidating.  First, conference play opened up at Notre Dame–a team playing without its best player, Tim Abromaitis.   Pitt then got to host Cincinnati without its best player, Yancy Gates, who was suspended.  Pitt then got to travel back to Chicagoland to play hapless DePaul.  Finally, Pitt was scheduled to host Rutgers, a team that has been better than DePaul, but not by much.  In most years, that is 4-0.  This year?  0-4.  Yep, Pitt has lost all four of those games, including last night’s blowout.

Thus, while Pitt is 11-6, they have not even hit the meat of the conference schedule yet.  And it is right around the corner with a two-game road trip to #22 Marquette and #1 Syracuse.

Again, these are not good times.

Posted by acaffrey in Basketball and tagged ,
11 Jan 2012

First 2012 Football Rankings….

With the 2011 college football season ending about 24 hours ago, a few national writers decided to waste little time in making 2012 football rankings.  Here is a summary of how the ACC fared in those early rankings.

CBS’s Brett McMurphy provided his rankings.  The top 5 were LSU, USC, Georgia, Alabama, and Oregon.  In terms of ACC schools, here is McMurphy’s rankings and analysis:

13. Clemson: No, West Virginia did not just score again. Well, maybe they did. The Tigers were the laughingstocks of the bowl season after losing 70-33 in the Orange Bowl. This year, Clemson should be in good position to make a run as repeating as ACC champions. QB Tajh Boyd, big-play WR Sammy Watkins and RB Andre Ellington are among seven offensive returning starters. TE Dwayne Allen left early for the NFL Draft. Defensively, seven starters are back — which depending your view of the Orange Bowl performance — might or might not be a good thing. Clemson faces a pair of SEC teams (Auburn and South Carolina) in nonconference play, while the Tigers’ biggest potential pitfalls in ACC play are home against Virginia Tech and at Florida State.

15. Florida State: Based on returning talent, Florida State should probably be ranked much higher, but I’m hesitant to put the Seminoles higher after last season when FSU was arguably the nation’s most disappointing team. A top five preseason team, the Seminoles failed to even win the ACC Atlantic Division. Injuries played a part. This season the Seminoles have nine returning starters each on offense and defense. The key will be the effectiveness of QB EJ Manuel and playmakers Chris Thompson and Rashad Greene. The Seminoles’ defense, which led the ACC and ranked fourth nationally, could be even better, especially with DE Brandon Jenkins and CB Greg Reid opting to return for their senior seasons. Florida State’s toughest road trip will be to Virginia Tech, while the Seminoles get West Virginia, Florida and Clemson in Tallahassee.

19. Virginia Tech: Last year, Virginia Tech limited eight opponents to 17 points or less and the Hokies return virtually everyone from that unit, including DEs James Gayle and J.R. Collins, LBs Tariq Edwards and Jack Tyler and CB Kyle Fuller. The Hokies also get back LBs Bruce Taylor and Jeron Gouveia-Winslow and DT Antoine Hopkins, who missed all or part of last season because of injuries. RB David Wilson’s departure is a blow, but QB Logan Thomas continues to get better. The nonconference schedule is tougher than last season, featuring a pair of Big East teams (Pittsburgh and Cincinnati), while the Hokies toughest ACC tests will be home against Florida State and at Clemson.

He also “considered” Georgia Tech.

Not to be outdone, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach did a top 25 as well.  The top 5 were LSU, USC, Alabama, Oregon, and Oklahoma.  In terms of ACC schools, here is Schlabach’s rankings and analysis:

8. Florida State Seminoles:
We’re taking the bait on the Seminoles again, even after they failed to live up to very high aspirations with a 9-4 finish in 2011. But FSU’s lofty preseason billing might have been a year premature, and injuries plagued the Seminoles throughout the season. FSU’s defense is as good as advertised and it might be even better in 2012 with nine starters coming back. Defensive end Brandon Jenkins and cornerback Greg Reid both passed up entering the NFL draft to return to school. If FSU is going to become a legitimate BCS contender, though, its offense has to be better and more explosive. The Seminoles had young skill players in 2011 and they started four freshman offensive linemen against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl. Another concern will be replacing All-American punter Shawn Powell. FSU plays seven home games, but it will travel to Virginia Tech during ACC play.

18. Virginia Tech Hokies: If there’s one thing you can count on every season, it’s that Virginia Tech will win at least 10 games and be in contention in the ACC title race. With a new quarterback and revamped defense, the Hokies went 11-3 in 2011. Virginia Tech will have to rebuild its offense to do it again in 2012. Quarterback Logan Thomas will be back for his second season as a starter, but the Hokies won’t have record-setting tailback David Wilson, who is leaving for the NFL draft as a junior. They’re also losing four starting offensive linemen and top receivers Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale. The good news is that as many as nine starters might be back on defense — if junior cornerback Jayron Hosley comes back. The Hokies play nonconference games at Pittsburgh and against Cincinnati at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., and they play ACC road games at Miami, North Carolina and Clemson.

22. Clemson Tigers: Tigers coach Dabo Swinney can only hope his team uses its embarrassing loss in the Orange Bowl as motivation in the offseason. Clemson won an ACC title and started 8-0, but a 2-4 slump down the stretch left some serious concerns. Quarterback Tajh Boyd should be better in his second season running offensive coordinator Chad Morris’ high-octane attack. Tailback Andre Ellington is considering jumping to the NFL draft, and junior tight end Dwayne Allen has already decided to turn pro. The Tigers also must replace four starting offensive linemen, and there isn’t a lot of depth in the trenches. Five starters must be replaced on defense, including top linebacker Andre Branch. The Tigers will open the season against Auburn in one of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game matchups and will play ACC foes Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech at home.

24. NC State Wolfpack: After a 2-3 start, in which Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien was criticized for turning quarterback Russell Wilson loose, NC State rallied to win six of its last eight games, including a 31-24 victory over Louisville in the Belk Bowl. Quarterback Mike Glennon ended up being a more-than-capable replacement for Wilson, throwing for 3,054 yards with 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’ll be without three of his top four receivers in 2012, with wideouts T.J. Graham and Jay Smith and tight end George Bryan each departing. Seven defensive starters are expected back, but the Pack will have to rebuild the defensive line and linebacker corps. The secondary should return intact, including ball-hawking cornerback David Amerson. NC State opens the ’12 season against Tennessee in one of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game matchups and plays nonconference games against Connecticut (road) and FCS foes South Alabama (home) and The Citadel (home).

Yep, that’s 4 ACC schools in his top 25.  Not too shabby if it comes true.  After all, the ACC ended 2011 with only three ranked schools, none of them in the top 15.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
10 Jan 2012
1 Comment

ACC Divisional Breakdowns After Expansion

Much has been written or discussed regarding the anticipated divisional breakdowns in the ACC after Syracuse and Pittsburgh are added.  While the Confidential appreciates that the football-elite schools in the Southern portion of the ACC would want to avoid a geographic division, the Confidential believes that there are numerous reasons why a straight geographical breakdown is prudent.

When the Confidential discusses a geographically based breakdown, this is what the Confidential actually envisions:

  • ACC North: Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Miami
  • ACC South: Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Clemson, and Florida State.

Inherent in that process is that, for football, the teams would have “locked-in” rivalries against the team directly above/below in the standings.  This would allow Miami to play Florida State every year and maintain the North Carolina-Virginia rivalry.  With a 9-game conference schedule, that would allow 2 other cross-divisional games.  With 8 games, perhaps there could be some rotation of the cross-over game to allow some variety.

The Confidential anticipates that some will argue that these divisions are not adequately balanced.  How so?  Regardless of the pedigree of Clemson and Florida State, it is Virginia Tech that has carried the ACC flag in BCS games.  Moreover, the ACC Championship game will settle it on the field.

Also, who can say what division in a conference is going to be better?  A few years ago, the SEC East was the powerhouse, with Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia.  Now?  It is the West with LSU, Alabama, and Auburn.  These things are cyclical.

More importantly, let’s say the ACC South is way better than the North.  That just means that the winner of the South will have that much better of a strength of schedule and be appropriately battle-tested for its bowl game.  With a 2-15 record in BCS games, the ACC needs to start caring about BCS bowl-performance.

The other good thing about this division is that it is logical.  Miami has terrible attendance anyway and, as a private school, lacks the graduate bank to fill-up road stadiums.  Plus, with its Big East history, games against its former Big East foes will be logical draws.  Plus, the northern schools have ample Florida retirees to contribute to the attendance at Miami games.  And it is a destination.  If you are living in Boston or New York, a road Miami game is a vacation (perhaps even from the snow).  If you live in Atlanta?  Not quite as much.

But above all else, such as division makes logical sense.  A fan in California or Idaho or Minnesota will be able to easily tell which team belongs in what division.  Quick–are Penn State and Michigan in the same Big 10 division?  You don’t know.  Because it is not geographically based.  While ACC fans may be able to remember who is Atlantic or Coastal, the rest of the country cannot and will not keep track of it.  No need to make it confusing.

Such a division also ensures that the neighboring rivalries are preserved.  Why prevent Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Boston College from playing each other every year?  Historically, these teams played each other quite a bit.  You do not need to create these rivalries–merely resurrect them.  And what is more likely–a Pittsburgh fan driving to Syracuse or Maryland… or a Pittsburgh fan driving to North Carolina State?

In any event, the Confidential challenges anyone to explain why this system would not be better than the proposal to just plop Syracuse and Pittsburgh into one of the Atlantic or Coastal divisions already in place.  Go for it.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
10 Jan 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for January 10, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for January 10, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (17-0).  And then there were three.  While nearly everyone has suffered one loss or more, Syracuse remains unbeaten.  Next up: @ Villanova.
  2. Kentucky (15-1).  Kentucky picked up two more wins, but was not tested.  Next up: @ Auburn.
  3. North Carolina (14-2).  The Tar Heels had a bye.  That is, they hosted Boston College.  Next up: Miami.
  4. Baylor (15-0).  15 straight is 15 straight.  Missouri fell to Kansas State on Saturday, will Baylor do better?  Next up: @ Kansas State.
  5. Michigan State (14-2).  The Spartans picked up a huge win at Wisconsin, which is usually a tough venue.  Next up: Iowa.
  6. Indiana (15-1).  The Big 10 is having a great year and Indiana deserves credit for that.  They get the edge of the Buckeyes based on head-to-head.  Next up: Minnesota.
  7. Ohio State (15-2).  Ohio State can get its revenge against Indiana later this week when the Hoosiers visit.  Next up: @ Illinois.
  8. Duke (13-2).  Loss to Temple should have dropped the Blue Devils farther, but everyone else seemed to lose too.  Next up: Virginia.
  9. Missouri (14-1).  Completely handled by Kansas State for loss number one.  They get a pass for now.  Next up: @ Iowa State.
  10. Kansas (12-3).  Kansas easily defeated the team that easily defeated Missouri.  Still avoiding the top teams in conference.  Next up: @ Texas Tech.
  11. UNLV (16-2).  The losses to Wichita State and Wisconsin are not looking as good now.  Big game coming up.  Next up: @ San Diego State.
  12. Virginia (14-1).  Look, there are a lot of good two-loss teams.  But Virginia has only lost once and they’ll be tested right away.  Next up: @ Duke.
  13. Kansas State (12-2).  Hard to move a team up 10 spots when they are blown out.  The big win over Missouri does it though.  Next up: @ Baylor.
  14. Georgetown (13-3).  Home loss to Cincinnati was sloppy and well deserved.  Will stay ahead of Louisville only because Georgetown beat them.  Next up: @ St. John’s.
  15. Louisville (13-3).  The loss to Notre Dame was shocking.  Expect the Friars to give Louisville a run.  Next up: @ Providence.
  16. Seton Hall (14-2).  Only losses were to Syracuse and Northwestern.  Wins over UConn and West Virginia.  Next up: DePaul
  17. Murray State (16-0).  Still rolling.  The latest victim was Austin Peay.  Next up: Jacksonville State.
  18. Michigan (13-3).  Narrow loss at Indiana offset by nice win against Wisconsin.  Next up: Northwestern.
  19. Creighton (13-2).  Wins over Drake and Bradley last week.  Three games this week.  Next up: Northern Iowa.
  20. San Diego State (13-2).  Finally done playing the community colleges.  Will they be looking ahead to UNLV?  Next up: Chicago State.
  21. Gonzaga (13-2).  Nice wins over Pepperdine and Santa Clara.  Tough week this week though.  Next up: @ St. Mary’s.
  22. Mississippi State (13-3).  Conference play woes as the trip to Arkansas resulted in a tough defeat.  Next up: Tennessee.
  23. Alabama (12-3).  Look out for the Crimson Tide!  They rolled through Georgia last week with wins over the Bulldogs and Ga Tech.  Next up: LSU.
  24. Marquette (12-4).  Marquette looked great in losing to Georgetown and even better in the second half against Syracuse.  Still, two losses.  Next up: St. John’s.
  25. Wisconsin (12-5).  Wisconsin lost to Michigan State and Michigan last week.  Not yet though.  Next up: @ Purdue.
  26. UConn (13-3).  Losses to Seton Hall and Rutgers were unexpected, to say the least.  Righted the ship against West Virginia.  Next up: @ Notre Dame.
  27. Florida (12-4).  Loss at Tennessee is disappointing.  Still it was a road game and the Gators have not lost at home yet.  Next up: Georgia.
  28. Dayton (12-4).  What to make of Dayton?  Losses to Miami of Ohio and Buffalo?  Wins over Alabama, Wake Forest, Minnesota, St. Louis and Temple?  Losses to Murray State and Seton Hall?  Next up: @ St. Bonaventure.
  29. Illinois (13-3).  Only losses are Purdue (away), UNLV, and Missouri.  We’ll learn more this week.  Next up: Ohio State.
  30. West Virginia (12-5).  After the upset loss to Kent State, the Mountaineers have only lost to teams ranked higher in this poll.  Next up: @ Rutgers.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , ,
09 Jan 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: January 9, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of January 9, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (17-0)  Wins over Providence on the road and #20 Marquette at home have Syracuse at 17-0.  They travel to Villanova this week, before hosting Providence.

2. North Carolina (15-2)  The Tar Heels are starting to find their groove again.  This weeks foes, Miami and Florida State, have not gotten off to the starts that they wanted/needed.

3. Duke (13-2)  The loss to Temple was disappointing, but not terrible.  The win over Georgia Tech is not that informative.  The next game, Virginia, is for #3.

4. Virginia (14-1)  Virginia has now won 12 straight games.  If the Cavs can beat Duke, that will get everyone’s attention.

5. North Carolina State (12-4)  The win over much-improved Maryland was nice.  Gives the Wolfpack the edge over Virginia Tech, who lost to Wake Forest.

6. Virginia Tech (11-4)  Road loss to Wake Forest was a disappointment, but not the end of the world.  Virginia Tech still has a decent resume overall.

7. Maryland (10-4) Road loss to NC State was a disappointment.  The Terps host Wake Forest and can solidify the #7 spot with a win.

8. Wake Forest (10-4) Up a few notches after beating Virginia Tech.  Beating Maryland on the road would be even more impressive.

9. Miami (9-5)  Miami lost its conference opener in a tough road loss to Virginia.  And now they travel to North Carolina on Tuesday.  Tough start to the conference schedule.

10. Pittsburgh (11-5)  Not only have the wheels fallen off, they are rolling around somewhere nowhere near Pitt.  That’s what happens when you lose to DePaul.

11. Clemson (9-6)  Looked very good against Florida State.  Clemson gets Boston College this week for a chance to get that 10th win.

12. Florida State (9-6)  Beating Auburn was nice.  Losing to Clemson was tough.  Losing by 20 was inexcusable.  The Seminoles travel to Virginia Tech before hosting North Carolina this week.  Uh-oh.

13. Georgia Tech (7-8) After getting decimated by Alabama, the Yellow Jackets held their own against Duke.  At least for a while.

14. Boston College (5-10)  It is unfortunate when the worst team in the league has to open its conference schedule at North Carolina.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
08 Jan 2012

ACC Basketball Recap: January 7, 2012

The ACC opened conference play yesterday and there were a lot of good games.  And all the ranked teams held off their opponents.

In the closest game of the day, #21 Virginia improved its winning streak to 12 by defeating visiting Miami, 52-51.  The Cavaliers led by 11 at the half, but the Hurricanes made it a see-saw affair for most of the second half in this very low-scoring tilt.  Although maybe some criticism for the offenses is justified, the defenses can take credit for each team shooting under 40% for the entire game.   Miami big man Kenny Kadji led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Virginia forward Mike Scott led all scorers with 23 points, while also adding 8 rebounds of his own.  With the loss, Miami falls to 9-5 on the season.  Virginia moves to a very impressive 14-1.  All ACC eyes now turn to their upcoming visit to Duke on January 12.

Speaking of Duke, the #5 Blue Devils were the only ACC team to win on the road as Duke defeated struggling Georgia Tech, 81-74.  Georgia Tech was never able to grab a lead and ultimately suffered its fourth straight loss to fall to 7-8 on the season.  But it was not for the lack of effort by Glen Rice, Jr, who led all scorers with 28 points.  Instead, credit goes to Duke for rebounding from its loss to Temple with a good performance on the road.  Ryan Kelly led Duke with 21 points, while Seth Curry added 15 in a balanced Duke attack.  With the win, Duke improves to 13-2 on the season.

In a somewhat surprising result, Wake Forest was able to defeat Virginia Tech at home, 58-55.  After going 1-15 in conference play last year, Wake Forest has already matched its conference win total from last year.  As the score indicates, neither team shot very well, with both teams failing to surpass the 40% barrier.  And CBS provides the following play-by-play recap of the exciting finish:

The Hokies took their first lead of the game at 53-52 when Jarell Eddie knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:18 left. But [C.J.] Harris answered seconds later, faking a pass to the left corner to buy some space and then burying the 3 for the 55-53 lead with a minute left.

[Erick] Green answered with a jumper with 45.1 seconds left, but Harris came through again by rounding a screen from Carson Desrosiers and burying another 3 to make it 58-55. This time that lead held up, though not until after Robert Brown missed a hurried long 3 on the Hokies’ final possession. Travis McKie grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 0.2 seconds left, essentially sealing the victory.

Harris and McKie led Wake Forest with 13 and 12 points, respectfully. Green’s 19 points led Virginia Tech.  With the win, Wake Forest improves its overall record to 10-5.  With the loss, Virginia Tech falls to 11-4.

And, in a matchup between two ranked teams, #1 Syracuse held off #20 Marquette, 73-66.  Syracuse led by as many as 23 in the first half, only to see its 18-point halftime lead evaporate within minutes in the second half.  Marquette even got as close as 2 points down the stretch before Syracuse closed them out to improve to 17-0 on the season.  Darius Johnson-Odom led Marquette with 21 points, while Brandon Triche led Syracuse’s typically balanced scoring attack with 16 points.  Syracuse will keep its well-deserved #1 ranking for yet another week.

In other games, the visitors were not able to keep the games close at all. #3 North Carolina had no trouble in defeating cellar-dweller Boston College, 83-60.  With the win, North Carolina moves to 14-2.  Clemson upended visiting Florida State, 79-59.  Both teams are now 9-6.

In today’s action, Maryland (10-3) will travel to North Carolina State (10-4).

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , , , , , , ,
07 Jan 2012

ACC Football: Early Entry Draft Update

With the ACC football season coming to a conclusion, ’tis the season for underclassmen to announce that they are foregoing the excitement of playing college football.  The dollars of the NFL, or perhaps the nickels of the CFL or AFL or any other initialed FL out there, are the lure.  For some players, they are ready and it is a smart decision.  For others, it is a head-scratcher. In any event, here is where things stand for some of the ACC’s top players.

  • ACC Player of the Year David Wilson, Virginia Tech running back, has announced that he will head to the NFL.
  • ACC Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly, Boston College linebacker, has announced that he will head to the NFL. For more on his decision, check out BC Interruption.
  • Dwayne Allen, Clemson tight end
  • Lamar Miller, Miami running back.  For more on his decision, check out The 7th Floor.
  • Brandon Washington, Miami guard
  • Jayron Hosely, Virginia Tech cornerback
  • Chandler Jones, Syracuse defensive end.  For more on his decision, check out Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician.
  • Sylvester Williams, North Carolina defensive tackle
  • Chris Givens, Wake Forest wide receiver.  For more on his decision, check out Blogger So Dear.
  • Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech wide receiver.  For more on his decision, check out From the Rumble Seat.
  • Terrell Manning, North Carolina State linebacker.  For more on his decision, check out Backing the Pack.
  • Tommy Streeter, Miami wide receiver
  • Marcus Forston, Miami defensive tackle
  • Olivier Vernon, Miami defensive end
  • Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina defensive end.  For more on his decision, check out Carolina March.

As the above list shows, Miami stands to lose a ton of players to the NFL.  Of course, once upon a time, Miami would lose a ton of players to the NFL and simply reload.

It is difficult to envision Boston College and Syracuse not suffering on defense with the loss of their best overall players.  Wake Forest and Georgia Tech will also suffer offensively without their standout wide receivers.  But the loss of all of these guys will hurt their respective teams.  They are potential NFL players because of their talent, after all.

 

 

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
06 Jan 2012

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.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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