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20 Jan 2012

ACC Basketball Recap: January 19, 2012

There were several big games on Thursday, January 19, 2012, for the ACC.  Importantly for the ACC’s reputation, the favored team won all four games.

In the most anticipate game, #8 North Carolina rebounded from its debacle at Florida State by traveling to Virginia Tech to beat the reeling Hokies, 82-68.   It wasn’t easy for the Tar Heels, who trailed by four at halftime.  But a 19-0 second-half run turned made all the difference.  Harrison Barnes led North Carolina with 27 points, while Josh Henson contributed 16 points and 16 rebounds.  Erick Green was one of four Hokies in double-figures, leading the team with 17 points.  With the loss, Virginia Tech falls to 11-7 and 0-4 in conference.  With the win, North Carolina improves to 16-3.

In Durham, #4 Duke toppled Wake Forest 91-73 to maintain its perfect conference record.  Andre Dawkins led the Blue Devils with 21 points, but Ryan Kelly and Austin Rivers each added 20 points.  Kelly also added 10 rebounds.  Wake Forest was overmatched by Duke’s depth and size.  But four of its starters scored in double-figures, led by CJ Harris’s 20 points.  With the loss, the Demon Deacons drop to 10-8 and 1-3 in conference.  Duke improves to 16-2 overall, including 4-0 in conference play.

The other ranked ACC team, #15 Virginia, traveled to Georgia Tech and won big, 70-38.  The Cavs suffocating defense held Georgia Tech is under 30% shooting on the night.  They also out rebounded their hosts, 41-22.  As usual, Mike Scott led Virginia with 18 points and 7 rebounds.  Georgia Tech falls to 1-3 in conference and a disappointing 8-10 overall.  Virginia improves to 15-2 overall, including a 2-1 conference record.

Finally, North Carolina State improved to 14-5 on the season by beating visiting Boston College, 76-62.  Although Boston College struggled in non-conference play, the Eagles had some momentum heading into the game with a 2-1 conference record.  But the Wolfpack and its home court advantage were too much.  Scott Wood led North Carolina State’s balanced attack (6 players with 8 or more points) with 16 points.  Richard Howell had 11 points and 16 rebounds–alone providing for North Carolina State’s 44-28 rebounding advantage.  Boston College drops to 2-2 in conference play and 7-11 on the season.  North Carolina State in now 3-1 in conference play.

 

Individual Leaders:

Scoring:

Harrison Barnes, UNC, 27 points

Andre Dawkins, Duke, 21 points

Ryan Kelly, Duke, 20 points & Austin Rivers, Duke, 20 points

 

Rebounds:

Josh Henson, UNC, 16 rebounds & Richard Howell, NCState, 16 rebounds

Ryan Kelly, Duke, 10 rebounds & Travis McKie, Wake, 10 rebounds

 

Assists:

Lorenzo Brown, NC State, 11 assists

Tyler Thornton, Duke, 8 assists & Kendall Marshall, UNC, 8 assists

Erick Green, Va Tech, 5 assists & Jontel Evans, UVA, 5 assists

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

This Day in ACC History: 29 Years Ago (Wake Forest @ Duke)

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 Duke Blue Devils and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

On January 19,1983, exactly 29 years ago, Wake Forest traveled to Duke.  Admittedly, there is nothing particularly historical about this game.  It was a basketball matchup between two private, North Carolina schools that lurked in the shadows of the state flagship school, the North Carolina Tar Heels.  And 1982-1983 was no different, with North Carolina (led by Michael Jordan) and Virginia (led by Ralph Sampson) each finishing 14-2 in conference play.

Instead, what is notable is just how bad Duke was in 1982-1983.  The college basketball world is familiar with Duke and its successes in the past few decades.  In 1982-1983, however, Duke finished 3-11 in conference and 11-17 overall.  Mike  Krzyzewski was in his third season as coach, after five years of coaching at Army (73-59 record there).  By the end of the 1982-1983 season, Coach K would be 38-47 as a head coach of Duke, giving him an overall record of 111-106.  Today, he would likely have been fired.  But he was not.  Instead, 1982-1983 was the lowpoint, as he would win at least 23 games a year for the next 12 seasons, en route to breaking the all-time wins record.

Still, January 19, 1983, was not his night.  Instead, the night belonged to Wake Forest, who traveled to Duke and won 88-84.  The win was part of a 7-7 conference slate, resulting in an overall record of 20-12.  Wake Forest would head to the NIT, where it won three games, before losing to Fresno State in the semifinals.

The Demon Deacons were led by Junior Anthony Teachey’s 29 points and 11 rebounds.  The rebounds were not a surprise, as only stars Ralph Sampson and Sam Perkins averaged more rebounds per game than Teachey in the ACC that year.  From a scoring standpoint, Wake Forest had significant balance, with six different players averaging between 10.4 and 14.8 points per game in conference games, led by Junior John Toms.  With 10 points, Toms was one of four other Demon Deacons to score in double figures for Wake Forest against Duke , including Teachey (29), Senior Alvis Rogers (17), Junior Danny Young (11), and Freshman Kenny Green (10).  For more on Anthony Teachey, go here.

The Blue Devils were led by some familiar names.  Freshman Johnny Dawkins led Duke with 21 points, while Freshmen Jay Bilas and Mark Alarie added 16 and 10 points, respectively.  Sophomore Danny Meagher scored 14 points.  The youthful talent was on full display.  Bilas led the team with 8 rebounds, while Dawkins added 5 assists.  Bilas, of course, has had ample success in his work for ESPN as a basketball analyst.  After spending 9 seasons in the NBA, Dawkins has turned to coaching and he is now the head coach at Stanford.  The 1982-1983 season was just the beginning for that young Duke team and its “mediocre” head coach.

So, the next time you are watching a below average team being coached by a .500 coach and losing to an NIT bound team, bear in mind that you never know if you are watching a legend.  Nobody would have thought that on January 19, 1983.  And they all would have been wrong.

Do you remember this game?  Please feel free to share any details…

Wake Forest's Anthony Teachey, image courtesy of http://www.thedraftreview.com

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 ACC only, Basketball, This Day in ACC and tagged , , , ,
18 Jan 2012

ACC Players in the Mel Kiper Preview

Mel Kiper has issued his “first look at how the 2012 NFL Draft could play out.”  See here.  The ACC is fairly well represented in this first mock-up of the draft.

Here are the ACC players included:

  • With the #7 pick, Kiper has the Jacksonville Jaguars opting for Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina.  He sees need at wide receiver and in the pass rush, with Coples fitting the bill for the latter.
  • With the #15 pick, Kiper has the Philadelphia Eagles selecting ACC defensive player of the year Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.  The Eagles obviously need defensive help.  Might as well draft a guy who was an Eagle in college.
  • With the #21 pick, Kiper has the Cincinnati Bengals opting for another underclassman, Lamar Miller, RB, Miami (Fla.).  Kiper believes that the Bengals need an explosive compliment to Cedric Benson.
  • With the #23 pick, Kiper has the Detroit Lions selecting Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina.  There is no dispute that the Lions need defensive help to go along with that great offense.  With Suh and Fairley, the defensive line is set.
  • With the #29 pick, Kiper has the New York Giants selecting Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida St.  Kiper sees the offensive line as a need area for a team that likes to establish the run.
  • With the #32 pick, Kiper has the New England Patriots selecting Andre Branch, LB, Clemson.  Kiper anticipates a position change from defensive end to linebacker.

All in all, that is 6 ACC players out of 32.  There are likely to be plenty of familiar faces on the first night of this year’s draft.

 

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

Syracuse Improves to 20-0 With Win Over Pittsburgh

In a battle of future ACC members, #1 Syracuse improved to 20-0 on the season with a 71-63 win over Pittsburgh.  In a year where several current ACC members have been underwhelming, Syracuse has certainly provided a reason for ACC fans to be optimistic about the basketball future.

For Syracuse, this win was noteworthy for several reasons.  First, the 20-0 record sets the school record for a start.  Second, with the win, Jim Boeheim tied Adolph Rupp for #4 all-time on the career win total list with 876 wins.  Next up?  A coach that all ACC fans should be familiar with–Dean Smith.  Syracuse also ended a string of futility against Pittsburgh, including losing 5 straight at the Carrier Dome.  The last time Syracuse beat Pittsburgh at home was 2003.  And that year ended pretty nicely for the Orange.

The game itself was a typical bruising match-up between these two schools.  Syracuse jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead, but the margin varied between 4 and 14 throughout.  Despite being 0-6 in conference play, Pitt put up a very good fight.  In fact, the Panthers absolutely dominated Syracuse on the boards with a 38-24 edge, suggesting that rebounding may very well be a vulnerability for the Syracuse team.  Syracuse allowed Pitt to get 18 offensive rebounds.  Pitt also featured a balanced attack with 5 players scoring either 9 or 10 points.  This team is much better than its recent record would suggest.

As usual, Syracuse was well-balanced too, with 5 players in double-figures.  Dion Waiters led the Orange with 16 points.  Also, Syracuse had the rare double double-double.  Fab Melo had 10 points and 10 rebounds (as well as 6 blocked shots).  Senior guard Scoopy Jardine has 12 points and 10 assists.

Another big edge for Syracuse was at the free throw line, where the Orange were 20-23 for an 87.0% clip.  Pitt struggled by making only 12 of their 23 free-throws.  The margin of victory?  8 points–the exact amount reflected in the free throw shooting.

Kris Joseph for the easy two. Photo courtesy of the Syraucse Post-Standard at Syracuse.com

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , , , ,
16 Jan 2012
3 Comments

ACC Basketball Rankings: January 16, 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 16, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (19-0)  The Orange just keep on rolling.  Things get a bit tougher schedule-wise with Pittsburgh on Monday and then a trip to Notre Dame.

2. Duke (15-2)  Neither win was dominating this week, but the Blue Devils won.  That is something that North Carolina cannot say.

3. North Carolina (15-3)  It’s one thing to lose, but to get blown out by Florida State was unfathomable.  Too much talent to be this erratic.

4. Virginia (14-2)  Hard to penalize the Cavs for losing on the road to Duke.  Had they won, they might be #2.

5. North Carolina State (13-5)  Close call between Maryland and NC State after the Georgia Tech loss.  But the Wolfpack and Terps played head-to-head and NC State won.  Slight edge for now.

6. Maryland (12-4) Recovered nicely from the loss to NC State.  But not enough to leapfrog them, obviously

7. Florida State (11-6)  Beating Virginia Tech on the road was impressive.  Destroying North Carolina was even more impressive.  That is worthy of a 5 spot jump.

8.Virginia Tech (11-6)  Losses to Florida State and Boston College make this a tough week.  If anyone else below had shown signs of life, the Hokies would be lower.  May be playing their way right off the bubble–and in the wrong direction.

9. Wake Forest (10-7) Absolutely destroyed by North Carolina State.  Just not a very consistent team.

10. Miami (9-6)  No conference wins yet.  The opportunity comes this week when they host Clemson.

11. Pittsburgh (11-7)  0-5 in Big East play against a weak schedule so far.  Things get tougher with a trip to Syracuse, although Pitt always gives the Orange fits.

12. Clemson (9-8)  Looked very good against Florida State, but then lost to Boston College.  Loss to Duke was close though.

13. Georgia Tech (8-9)  Nice upset win over NC State, but loss to Maryland made it a split for the week.  There is the potential to slide upwards here.

14. Boston College (7-10)  With wins over Clemson and Virginia Tech, Boston College is now 2-1 in conference.  The way the bottom several teams are playing, the Eagles could end up with a .500 record in conference, which would be a nice recovery.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

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

ACC Basketball Recap: January 14, 2012

The Confidential has already analyzed the North Carolina debacle.  But there were several other games on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

Next to Florida State’s big game, the Confidential was most impressed by North Carolina State going on the road and destroying Wake Forest, 76-40.  It is tough enough to win conference games on the road–but to jump out to a 16-point halftime lead and then do even better in the second half is very impressive.  North Carolina State did it with defense, holding the Demon Deacons to less than 30% shooting.  Four of North Carolina State’s starters finished with double-digit points, led by Lorenzo Brown’s 20 points.  The Wolfpack also got 28 rebounds out of their front line starters.  With the loss, Wake Forest drops to 10-7.  North Carolina State improved to 13-5, including a 2-1 conference record.

That’s two in a row now for Boston College, as the Eagles defeated Virginia Tech at home, 61-59.  Virginia Tech was forced to play without leading scorer Erick Green, who was sidelined with a sprained left knee.  But a win is a win for the struggling Eagles.  About the only good news for the Hokies is that the NCAA Tournament Committee can take the injury into consideration.  Even so, this is exactly the type of loss that lands the Hokies on the tournament bubble every year.  You have to be able to beat a team–even on the road–that is struggling as badly as Boston College.  For the Eagles, after defeating Clemson, perhaps they are not as bad as their record otherwise indicates.  Dennis Clifford and Matt Humphrey led Boston College with 15 and 14 points, respectively.  Victor Davila led the Hokies with 14 points.  Virginia Tech remains unbeaten in conference play at 0-3, with their overall record dropping to 11-6.  Boston College improved to 7-10, including a surprising 2-1 in conference play.

Up north, Pittsburgh showed some signs of life by traveling to #25 Marquette and playing tough, albeit still losing by a score of 62-57.  For a Panthers team that was blown out at home by Rutgers, they will have to settle for the proverbial “baby steps.”  With the loss, Pitt amazingly drops to 0-5 in conference play, with an overall record of 11-7.  Ashton Gibbs scored more than half of Pitt’s points with a 29-point effort.  Darius Johnson-Odom scored 18 points for Marquette, while Jae Crowder added 15.  Pittsburgh has a quick turnaround, having to travel to Syracuse on Monday night.

Speaking of Syracuse, the #1 team in the nation defeated Providence 78-55 to improve to 19-0.  The game was even more lopsided than the final score, as Syracuse led by 30 points with several minutes to go.  While much has been said about Syracuse’s bench–little used 11th man Mookie Jones scored 10 points for the Orange.  Of the 10 players in Syracuse’s normal rotation, only two players, Kris Joseph (13) and Dion Waiters (12), scored more than Mookie.  Syracuse is now 6-0 in conference play and will be playing Pitt on Monday for its best-ever start to a season.

Today, there are two games on the ACC slate, as Georgia Tech travels to red-hot Maryland and Clemson hosts Duke.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
14 Jan 2012
3 Comments

NORTH CAROLINA DEMOLISHED BY FLORIDA STATE

It’s rare that the Confidential will break out the capital letters in a title, but Florida State absolutely destroyed #3 North Carolina today, 90-57.  This game was so lopsided that North Carolina had 5 walk-ons on the floor and left the arena with fourteen seconds to go.  Not surprisingly, the Seminoles’ fans rushed the court to celebrate not just a win over the Tar Heels, but a thorough domination.

How much of a beat-down was this?   Florida State, who lost by 20 to an unimpressive Clemson Tigers’ team, never trailed.  They outscored North Carolina 54-29 at the half, beginning with a 30-8 run.  Compare the 54 second-half points by Florida State to the last several games of points allowed for North Carolina: 56, 60, 65, 62, 63, and 49.

North Carolina shot 37.3% from the field and 19.0% from three-point range.  This pales in comparison to Florida State, who shot 48.4% and 44.4%, respectively.  The Seminoles even out-rebounded the Tar Heels, 41-33.

Senior Deividas Dulkys led the Seminoles with a career-high 32 points.  Junior Michael Snaer also scored 17 points for Florida State.  Okaro White added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Seminoles.  Harrison Barnes scored 15 points and Tyler Zeller chipped in with 14 for North Carolina.

With the loss, North Carolina drops to 15-3.  They will travel to Virginia Tech on January 19th.  With the win, Florida State improves to 11-6.  They will host Maryland on Tuesday.

Florida State fans celebrate the rout of #3 North Carolina. Photo by ROBERT WILLETT - rwillett@newsobserver.com

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

Duke Survives The Virginia Test

The big game in ACC hoops this week was last night’s matchup between #8 Duke and #16 Virginia.  Although Duke was at home, Virginia came into the game winners of 12 consecutive games.  The game delivered everything that was expected, with Duke only narrowly defeating Virginia, 61-58.

One of the key aspects of this game was going to be whether Duke could establish a fast-paced tempo or whether Virginia’s defense-first philosophy would win out.  Ultimately, while Virginia was able to establish the tempo, Duke still won the the low-scoring affair.

Virginia actually started hot, taking a quick 5-0 lead.  But Duke recovered quickly to take an 8-7 lead around the first TV timeout.  The two teams battled back and forth in the first half, with the lead changing hands several times.  Virginia held the lead at halftime 32-28.  But 38-38 would be the last point at which Duke would not have the lead.  Over the next several minutes, Duke went on a 17-6 run.  Virginia chipped away at that lead to make it 61-58 in the final seconds, even missing a few attempts to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Duke was led by a balanced attack with five players scoring between 9 and 12 points, led by Mason Plumlee’s 12 points.  Virginia’s offensive output was dominated by Mike Scott’s 23 points.  Scott also added 9 rebounds.  Unfortunately, Virginia was hampered by an off night by Sammy Zeglinski, who was 0 for 8 from the field, with five of those attempts being three-pointers.

Both teams are now 14-2.  Virginia will get a full week off before traveling to Georgia Tech.  Duke travels to Clemson on Sunday.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review 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 , , , , , , , , , ,

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