The Confidential

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Archive for the tag “conference comparisons”

13 May 2012
1 Comment

ACC: No Need to Panic, But Perhaps a Little Desperation May Be in Order

This Florida State to the Big XII stuff may not have much truth to it.  But where there is smoke, there may be fire.  And Florida State fans are just delusional enough to think that it’s everyone’s fault but their own that are a mediocre football school.  Delusional fans have led to conference switches in Missouri and Texas A&M.  That is reason enough for the ACC to perhaps not panic, but consider that this is THE TIME to do everything possible to keep Florida State happy.  If Florida State leaves, the whole party could come crashing down, with the SEC and Big 10 smelling blood.

Now, the ACC can play the Big East role and just hope that it does not hurt too much.  Or it can get proactive.  And, by proactive, that means ensuring that the conference remains football relevant.  If Florida State wants something–give it to them. So if I am running the ACC, I think the time has come to make a sweetheart offer to Notre Dame.  Specifically–offer Notre Dame and Navy membership as a package.

This converts a must-play game for ND into a conference game.  I know Navy is close to Maryland, but is Navy REALLY a threat to ever be a serious player with their admissions limitations?  And it is not like Navy is an inferior academic institution.  The only issue is basketball–and does that really matter in this big picture?  The goal is to keep the football schools happy for once.  Navy fits the geographical profile.

Then, go back to an 8-game schedule.  This allows FSU to schedule another home game, etc.  Again, the ACC favoring the football teams.  ND and Navy can each schedule 4 OOC games too.  That allows ND to schedule USC, plus three other games.  Navy gets Army, Air Force, and two more.

The loss of a 9-game schedule means 7 less games.  But adding Navy and ND adds in 8 more games (if calculating correctly).  Anyway, when you are talking adding ND, that has to add to the value of the conference slate.  Plus, Navy is no slouch either.  If you are ESPN and you can get Notre Dame into the mix, I am sure you can increase the ACC payout, plus perhaps allow some third-tier rights to stay with the schools.  The damage to NBC alone has to have some value.  We are talking Notre Dame here.

Why would ND do this?  They probably would not.  But if they did, it would be because:

  1. ND would get scheduling flexibility that no other conference could offer
  2. ND gets to have games from Boston to Miami and all points within.  Games against Syracuse can be played in NYC every other time.  Games against Pitt can be played in Philly every few times.  Games against Navy in DC.
  3. ND gets a place for its other sports that is far superior to the Big East.  ND basketball gets games against Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Pitt, Maryland, etc.  ND alums get a few games in Florida and the south.
  4. ND lacrosse joins up with Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, UNC, and Maryland.  Pretty darn good too.

It may be a pipe dream, but the ACC has something that no other conference has–access to the major media markets on the East Coast.  The ACC also has the potential for high-quality football.  Throw in outstanding academics and a fair balance of private/public schools and you have a reasonable fit for Notre Dame.  Willingness to take Navy would be the best way of ensuring the scheduling flexibility to keep ND fans happy.

Or, the ACC can sit on its hands and hope that some combination of Notre Dame, UConn, and Rutgers will someday appeal to Notre Dame.  But the ACC may not be football relevant at that point.  And football irrelevance would convert the ACC into the Big East 2.0–and that will never lure Notre Dame in.

So it is now or never.  If the ACC has any lure for Notre Dame, the time has come to use it.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment and tagged , , , ,
12 May 2012

No Sleepy Offseason—Florida State Officially Has Wandering Eyes

The Confidential was hoping that the period between the Big Dance ending and football starting could be a lazy, sleepy offseason.  A little lacrosse news, a little baseball news, some draft updates, etc.  Instead, it now looks like Florida State will be the latest school to enter the conference realignment fray.  Indeed, the Chairman of the Florida State Board of Trustees has indicated that the Seminoles should look into the Big XII conference.  Jimbo Fisher apparently tweeted something similar.  This legitimizes the rumors surrounding both Florida State and Clemson being dissatisfied with the ACC’s commitment to football.

Of course, the Confidential can sum up these rumors pretty succinctly.  Are you f-ing kidding me?

Florida State has done nothing on the gridiron for a decade now.  They have had four losses or more (usually more) every year since 2004.  This is a team that cannot win the ACC.  How are they going to compete in the SEC and Big XII?

I know, I know… the complaint will be that Florida State cannot compete without the money.  And the other schools make a few million dollars a year more.

Well, that is what they call an excuse.  A lame excuse, actually.  Florida State does not make less than Wake Forest.  If the Seminoles cannot beat the Demon Deacons on a regular basis, good luck with Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, LSU, etc.  It’s not money that makes those schools good.  It is competent recruiting, player development, and coaching on top of having elite status.  In other words, one cannot just say they are “elite,” they have to go out and prove it.  Even Texas, Florida, and Ohio State can have very mediocre seasons with the wrong mix of players and coaches. In any event, FSU has not been dominant as the elite football program in what its fans think is a weak football conference.  See the hypocrisy?

And Clemson?  Please.  At least Florida State was dominant 10 years ago.  Clemson has not beaten Big East schools in bowl games two years in a row.  Somehow, making several million dollars a year more than West Virginia and South Florida did not translate to wins on the field.

The Confidential is not suggesting that these schools cannot make a few million dollars by timing a move right.  But any fan of those schools thinking that their athletic fortunes will somehow change is just not paying attention.  Enjoy your extra money.  But don’t be surprised if the product on the field is not any better.  Money doesn’t make Penn State basketball or Indiana football relevant.

It’s just an excuse.  A lame one.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment, Football and tagged , , , ,
08 Feb 2012

Good Analysis on Expansion & The ACC

As always, Frank the Tank and his intelligent expansion commentariat debate the issues.

http://frankthetank.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/ten-feet-off-of-beale-big-12-expansion-rumors-memphis-to-the-big-east-and-b1g-playoff-proposal/#comment-122930

What do you think–is the ACC on solid footing right now?

Posted by acaffrey in Conference Realignment and tagged , ,
06 Feb 2012
3 Comments

New TV Deal for ACC?

With the addition of Syracuse and Pittsburgh, the ACC was able to open up its negotiations with ESPN regarding television contract rights.  Currently, the twelve ACC schools have a 12-year, $1.86 billion agreement that pays each school approximately $13 million per year.

If the negotiations go as planned, just adding Syracuse and Pittsburgh will result in at least one or two million dollars more for each school:

Under the new terms that are being negotiated, each of the ACC’s 14 schools can expect at least $14 million to $15 million a year, sources said, depending on how negotiations between the conference and ESPN conclude.

That would help the ACC close a fairly significant annual revenue gap with other major conferences. The Pac-12 and Big Ten each are distributing close to $21 million per school a year. The SEC’s deal provides $17 million per school, and the Big 12’s schools each average $15 million.

There is talk that the ACC’s deal will be extended for three more years.

While the extra money is good news, it will not start until Pitt and Syracuse actually begin playing in the ACC.  So this adds increased urgency for the Big East and the two schools to resolve their differences.

The article further notes the remaining disparity between the ACC and the other conferences.  When the SEC renegotiates its deal, it will likely reach the payouts of the Big Ten and Pac-12.  And the Big XII gets to renegotiates with ESPN in about 5 years.  It is unclear whether this TV revenue increase will satisfy Florida State, Clemson, and others who are troubled by the SEC’s advantage.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only and tagged ,
27 Jan 2012
1 Comment

The Latest on Conference Realignment, Part II: Any Realistic Expansion Scenarios?

In Part I of the discussion, the Confidential noted some of the crazier rumors on the blogosphere regarding expansion.  In Part II, the Confidential takes a look at what the more likely expansion scenarios are.

The Notre Dame Issue: Forcing the Big 10 and ACC to Maintain the Status Quo

First and foremost, the most significant expansion catalyst will be Notre Dame.  It seems very unlikely that the Big 10 and ACC would expand without Notre Dame being part of the mix.  As noted in Part I, Notre Dame is even on the wish list for the Big XII.  In the meantime, Notre Dame has virtually no interest in having its football team part of a conference.  So, while Notre Dame takes its time, the Big 10 and ACC are likely to remain with the status quo.

That being said, both conferences likely have a scenario mapped out for the possibility of Notre Dame being a willing partner.  For the Big 10, adding Rutgers with Notre Dame seems liked a good fit.  In Rutgers, Penn State would get its Eastern partner and the conference would add a state flagship school with academics.  While Rutgers’ ability to deliver the New York City market is overstated, would bring the New Jersey market.  While arguments for UConn could be made, the Confidential’s money would be on Rutgers.

The ACC similarly would take either Rutgers or UConn as part of a Notre Dame package.  Whether Boston College would block UConn is unclear.  For a conference that prides itself on good basketball, adding UConn makes a lot more sense than Rutgers.  The UConn football history is a century shorter than the Rutgers’ football history, but already has one more BCS bowl appearance.  All in all, UConn seems the better fit for the ACC with Notre Dame.

Either way, with Notre Dame’s situation not likely to change any time soon, the Big 10 and ACC will not be expanding soon.

The Pac-12

With 12 teams and few western options, the Pac-12 seems fairly certain to have stopped expanding.  Moreover, the scheduling agreement with the Big 10 will give the Pac-12 additional exposure.  Nevertheless, if Texas and Oklahoma were to approach the Pac-12 with open arms and a willingness to accept the Pac-12’s desired revenue sharing concepts, it is possible that the Pac-12 could reopen discussions on a move to 16 teams.  But barring a surprise–such as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State heading to the SEC–it seems unlikely that Texas will want to give up the Longhorn Network and the Big XII for some time.  Therefore, the Pac-12 seems to be done expanding for the time being.

The Big XII

The Big XII stands pat is less clear. With two additions, the Big XII would return to 12 teams and be able to hold a conference championship game.  With twelve teams, there would be some margin for loss if Texas decides to take its talents independent or some other defection occurs.

The commentariat at Frank the Tank seems to think that Louisville and BYU make the most sense as additions to the Big XII.  The Confidential agrees.  Louisville provides an eastern partner for West Virginia, while BYU makes some geographic sense and adds a market for the Big XII.   But if BYU remains adamant that it will not join a conference, then Cincinnati seems like a better fit than Rutgers to be the 12th team.  Cincinnati and Louisville would give the Big XII two teams in the gap between West Virginia and the other schools.   Of course, the Big XII could choose not to expand without getting Louisville and BYU.  In that situation, the Big XII would just be waiting for BYU to come around to the Big XII idea.  And with Utah, TCU, San Diego State, and Boise State all opting for conference affiliation, BYU could very well conclude soon that independence is too risky.  So, all things considered, Louisville and BYU as additions right before the television contract renewal makes the most sense.

The SEC

The SEC is a big question mark at 14 teams.  There will always be discussions about moving to 16.  Most people’s favorite speculation game is that Virginia Tech and North Carolina State would be perfect fits for the SEC.  Neither school is about to supplant Duke and North Carolina in the power department.  Both fit into a football-focused dynamic.  The SEC would land two new markets.  As noted in Part I, there are blogs already thinking about division and pod breakdowns.  But there are political issues with such a move.  Then there are Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson.  Each of those schools would make football sense.  At the same time, neither school provides the SEC with a new market.  So, while the football quality may increase, it is not clear that the $$$ would follow.  And it’s not like the SEC is lacking in quality football schools.  If anything, it would just increase the gauntlet for an SEC school to go undefeated.  And which two of the three would be invited?  All in all, the ACC schools may have their differences, but they still seem unified as an academic-athletic conference.

If the SEC were to suspend its football-first thinking, then a Kansas-Kansas State addition would allow the SEC to become more legitimate in basketball.  Right now, the SEC is Kentucky, Florida, and not much else.  Missouri will help.  But Kansas would add one of the truly elite programs.  If Kansas-Kansas State tried to start discussions, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State could figure it out and step in to steal the opportunity (see Missouri, Nebraska, and the Big 10).  No other Big XII school seems likely to pursue an invitation.  And no Big East school is worthy of addition.

So, in the end, it seems unlikely that the SEC will make moves in the short-term.  If two ACC or Big XII schools came calling, perhaps the SEC would be interested.  The question is–who would inquire?   So, again, the status quo seems likely for several years.

Conclusion

The ACC, Big 10, Pac-12, and SEC are likely to remain the same for the near future.  If the Big XII expands, Louisville and BYU make the most sense as the two additions.   Such a move makes complete sense for all parties and is the only realistic expansion scenario in the near future.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment and tagged , ,
27 Jan 2012
2 Comments

The Latest on Conference Realignment, Part I: Is the ACC a Target?

The latest expansion news is the Big East’s future addition of Navy.  Among the other expansion news is the blogosphere’s suggestion that the ACC could be raided by either the Big XII or the SEC.  Thus, as part of the latest expansion discussion, the Confidential has to begin with these ACC rumors.

The ACC Being Raided by the Big XII?

A West Virginia blog is throwing out the suggestion that the Big XII might expand big by jumping from 10 to 16 teams.  The premise of this is that the Big XII would want to try to compete with the SEC in football status by taking some of the ACC’s top football teams, such as Florida State, Clemson, and Miami.  Even Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Pitt are thrown in as viable targets.  There is also the obligatory Notre Dame angle.  Losing any of these teams would be a major wound to the ACC’s football side of the equation and perhaps cause a major fissure with basketball.

The good news is that this is, of course, just a rumor.  And the intelligent commentariat at the best expansion-focused blog, Frank the Tank, provide numerous reasons why this particular rumor is illogical and unlikely.   In addition, the Big XII commissioner, Chuck Neinas, does not envision any expansion news in the immediate future.

The ACC Being Raided by the SEC?

Before resting too easily, another blog notes that the SEC stands to make huge financial gains if it take two schools, and those schools logically would come from North Carolina and Virginia.  This blog notes, correctly, that 14 is an awkward number of teams for scheduling purposes.  In addition, expanding the SEC’s market reach into the lucrative North Carolina and Virginia markets would be profitable.  The blog suggests North Carolina State and Virginia Tech as the logical additions.  It even notes the potential divisions if such a move is made.  While the loss of North Carolina State and Virginia Tech would be a terrible blow for ACC football, one would also have to think that the Big 10 would smell blood and try to grab some ACC schools too.  So the fact that the SEC needs only to take two teams to get to 16 does not solve the problem.

The good news here is that this is not even a rumor–just an opportunity that the SEC could look at.  And, once again, the Frank the Tank commentariat is reassuring with respect to the underrated strength and cohesion in the ACC.  Even Frank the Tank, himself, provided an optimistic analysis:

Even Big 12 homer Barry Tramel of the Oklahoman, when asked in a chat yesterday about whether he had heard about the rumors discussed here, dismissed the notion completely and said that anyone that thinks that bad performances in the Orange Bowls means anything doesn’t understand how much university presidents love the ACC’s combination of academics and athletics. He said that he was sure that the Big 12 tried calling FSU and Clemson and that those schools would have hanged up immediately. Remember that this is someone deep within the Big 12 talking.

And then there is the question of whether North Carolina State would even want to leave North Carolina, Duke, and Wake Forest behind.  Set aside the politics for a moment–if North Carolina State cannot dominate ACC football, the Wolfpack would have real problems in the SEC.  While the basketball path to success might be a bit easier, it would still have to outperform Kentucky and Florida on the SEC scene.  Plus, its not like North Carolina and Duke would cease to be recruiting thorns for the Wolfpack.

Conclusion

The rumors and possibilities are certainly disconcerting.  Fortunately, there are good reasons as to why these rumors and possibilities are not on the brink of implementation.  Still, in a world where Pittsburgh is in the ACC, San Diego State is in the Big East, Texas A&M is in the SEC, and Nebraska is in the Big 10… anything is possible.  So do not discard that antacid just yet.  In Part II, the Confidential will discuss the more logical next expansion steps for conferences.

Update: Part II is now posted.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Conference Realignment and tagged , ,
05 Jan 2012
1 Comment

ACC Football: The Need for Florida State and Miami

The formula is pretty simple for the ACC.  It needs Miami and Florida State to play like kings.  It needs Virginia Tech and Clemson to be the next closes thing to a king.  And it needs a few other schools to rise up every few years and/or win impressive out-of-conference games, including bowl games.  But none of that works unless Miami and Florida State can return to something closer to the glory days.  They are the schools that need to carry the conference in football.

The Kings

Football is an elitist sport.  No matter how bad Ohio State and Florida might be, a win over those schools means a lot and a loss to these schools is respectable.  In contrast, losing to Iowa State is an unacceptable result.  Nevermind that Iowa State had the same regular season record as those schools in 2011, Oklahoma State was punished substantially for its loss to Iowa State.  Iowa State is simply not Ohio State or Florida, regardless of the record.

Once upon a time, Miami and Florida State were kings.  From 1987 to 2000, Florida State went 11-1, 11-1, 10-2, 10-2, 11-2, 11-1, 12-1, 10-1-1, 10-2, 11-1, 11-1, 11-2, 12-0, and 11-2.  From 1983 to 2003, Miami had more than a dozen 10 win seasons, including three undefeated seasons. That is how you become a king–you win 10 or more games more often than not (or consecutively) for so long that people do not even know what it is like for you to not be in the top 10, much less unranked.

But that all ended in 2004, when Miami joined the ACC.  Perhaps not because of the move to the ACC.  But the move has certainly coincided with the fall from the top.  Since then, Miami has not had a 10-win season.  Florida State had one–in 2010.  Instead of playing like kings, these schools have played like princes.  Or worse.  Boston College won 10 games in both 2006 and 2007.  Wake Forest won 11 in 2006.  Obviously, it is not impossible to win 10+ games in the ACC.  The Florida schools just have not been able to do so.

For 2011, it was more of the same.  Miami went a pedestrian 6-6.  Good enough for a bowl, but the looming scandal persuaded the administrators to prudently pass that up.  Florida State did better, going 9-4.  But that is still not king territory.

What Went Wrong

The easiest answer is to blame the coaching situation.  Bobby Bowden might have stayed a bit too long–past his prime.  And Miami fired Larry Coker for having the audacity to not win 10 games and did not replace him.  Unlike the pros, college sports is dominated by coaches.

But the Confidential thinks it goes deeper than that.  In recent years, many schools have taken to recruiting Florida heavily.  When Greg Schiano moved up to Rutgers, he kept his Florida ties and established a pipeline from Miami to New Jersey.  The Louisville coaching staffs have consistently focused on Florida, from John L. Smith to present.  Wherever Rich Rodriguez was during the 2000’s, he recruited top athletes from Florida.  Add in the usual suspects, such as all of the SEC and ACC, as well as Notre Dame, and Florida talent is not slipping by.

Meanwhile, South Florida and Central Florida have arrived on the scene.  These schools have the ability to siphon off some of the great talent, while also keeping some of the good talent at home.  South Florida has made great strides toward converting Florida into a Big Four.

Will it Change?

Well, this is two straight 9-4 seasons for Florida State.  And it is a young team that can legitimately be projected to get over the 10-win barrier next year.  They have continued to stockpile talent via recent recruiting classes.  If it can translate into on-field performance, then Florida State will be back.

Miami is a different story.  While the scandal from last summer has died down, the NCAA is likely to dole out some sort of punishment.  So it is going to get worse before it gets better.  But Al Golden seems like the right fit to get the job done.  He kept that team together for most of the season.  Take away the head-scratching losses to Maryland (suspension-filled) and BC (already announced it was not bowling), and Miami was only beaten by Virginia, Va Tech, Kansas State and Florida State.  Four games by a total of 18 points.  If the sanctions are not too significant, Miami can rebound in a few years.

The bottom line is that the ACC needs things to change.  Virginia Tech and Clemson may win a national title some day, but failing to do so when Miami and FSU were reeling suggests otherwise.  As the bowl losses and national-reputation hits mount, it is going to take one or both of the Florida schools to state the ACC’s case on the national picture.  The sooner, the better.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , ,
28 Dec 2011

Conference Scheduling Arrangements–Not Likely for the ACC

Today’s news in college sports is that the Big 10 and Pac-12 have reached an agreement to have conference foes matchup in football every year beginning in 2017.  The arrangement in football will actually lag well behind the other sports, as the conferences hope to have basketball schools play each other next year.  The question, of course, is whether the ACC try to find a similar arrangement.  The Confidential is skeptical that the ACC will try to reach a similar cooperative plan with any other conference.

Unlike the Big 10 and Pac-12, the ACC does not have a conference that is a natural partner/rival.  If the ACC was to try to drum up a similar plan, the Confidential believes that the SEC could work.  While not too meaningful from a geographic expansion standpoint, the closeness of the locations of the schools would perhaps make it even more contentious. In fact, there are already several games featuring rivals from the two conferences.  And there are often games between schools from the two conferences.  So, perhaps the ACC and SEC could consider a scheduling arrangement that builds off of the natural rivalries already being played.

As an example, the ACC and SEC could plan to have games like this in a typical season:

  • Florida State: Florida
  • Georgia Tech: Georgia
  • Clemson: South Carolina
  • Duke: Vanderbilt
  • North Carolina: Tennessee
  • Wake Forest: Mississippi
  • North Carolina State: Texas A&M
  • Virginia: Arkansas
  • Virginia Tech: LSU
  • Boston College: Missouri
  • Syracuse: Kentucky
  • Maryland: Mississippi State
  • Miami: Alabama
  • Pittsburgh: Auburn

Those would be pretty competitive games.  It would also help ensure that the ACC trio of Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson are not at a competitive disadvantage simply because their rivalries force them to play SEC schools.  While not everyone in the ACC can play an elite SEC school, a game against Kentucky or Mississippi State is more challenging than a Sun Belt or MAC opponent.

The detriment, of course, is that such agreements erode scheduling flexibility.  If you are Boston College, 8 or 9 conference games, plus the annual Notre Dame game and a mandatory SEC game would leave only 1 or 2 openings.

But there is an even greater reason for the ACC to eschew a scheduling arrangement like the Big 10 and Pac-12 have reached.  Money.  Both the Big 10 and Pac-12 have network agreements that give tangible incentives to expand the geographic scope of the network.  For the Big 10, it can expand into a new region–say New Jersey to take Rutgers–and reap the benefits of one new market.  Instead, it just gave everyone on the West Coast a reason to want the Big 10 Network.  If that’s the only way to see the big USC-Ohio State game, people will add the channel.

In contrast, the ACC and SEC have deals with ESPN that do not confer a direct benefit for expanding the footprint.  So, in the end, it is difficult to see the ACC trying to duplicate what the Big 10 and Pac-12 have done.  There is just not enough of an incentive to do it.  At least right now.  Time will tell.

What do you think?  Should the ACC try to set-up a scheduling arrangement?  If so, with what conference?

 

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only and tagged , , ,
01 Dec 2011

De Ja Vu: ACC Fairs Poorly in Day Two of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge

The ACC started slow in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge and finished slow, allowing the Big 10 to win 8 out of the 12 games.  This is shaping up as one of those years where the Big 10 is quite strong and the ACC is subpar.

Of course, the ACC does get to claim a victory in the biggest matchup of the night–#9 Wisconsin at #5 North Carolina.  In a 60-57 score more befitting of a MAC football game than an ACC basketball game, Wisconsin was able to control the tempo but not the final scoreboard.  But even this win was not overly impressive for the ACC, given the large margin by which Ohio State beat Duke.  At least North Carolina was able to rebound from its loss to UNLV over the weekend and improve to 6-1.

The other ACC win came from Wake Forest, who improved to 5-2 by beating Nebraska.  The 55-53 slugfest gives Wake Forest a nice road win.

The rest of the ACC lost.  In a bit of a surprise, Indiana showed that it is a legitimate 7-0 team by beating NC State on the road, 86-75.  Tom Crean may finally be turning things around in Hoosier-land.  The Wolfpack fell to 5-2 with the loss.

Virginia Tech also fell to 5-2, losing a road game to Minnesota, 58-55.  Minnesota is another team off to a great start at 7-1.  It seems like the entire Big Ten is off to a really good start.

Michigan State is one team that did not get off to a good start this year, losing to North Carolina and Duke.  However, the Spartans have responded with 5 straight wins, including a 65-49 victory against overmatched Florida State.  With the loss, the Seminoles drop to 5-3.

And, in a result that should surprise absolutely no one, hapless Boston College lost to Penn State, at home, 62-54.  Even the Nittany Lions are 6-2.  Boston College dropped to 2-5.

With all precincts reporting, the results are in.  The Big 10 walloped the ACC, 8-4.  Not to beat a dead horse, but the Big 10 is starting out much like the Big East did last year.  They have four undefeated teams (Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois, and Northwestern).  In addition, they have two 7-1 teams in Minnesota and Purdue.  Meanwhile, three teams that expect to be in the Big Dance lag behind those schools, with Wisconsin at 6-1 and Michigan/Michigan State both at 6-2.  Only Iowa, at 4-3, is not 2 games above .500 in the Big 10.

In contrast, the ACC has no undefeated schools.  Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia have one loss apiece.  The ACC does have 6 more schools that are at least two games above .500.  Unfortunately, the head-to-head matchups with the major conferences are suggesting that this is going to be a down year for the ACC overall.  The good news is that Duke will likely rebound and North Carolina will be making news all season long.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Game Review and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 Nov 2011
2 Comments

ACC Still Undefeated in Basketball!

After five full days of college basketball, the Atlantic Coast Conference remains undefeated.  2011-2012 is off to an outstanding start.

The Confidential readily acknowledges that this trend is not going to continue.  In fact, no single team has gone undefeated in nearly 35 years.  So the idea of multiple teams going undefeated is unlikely, much less anyone from the same conference. In fact, it is impossible for two teams in the same conference to go undefeated–they all play each other at least once.  At least until the Big East expands to 90 teams.

However worthless this trend might be, it nevertheless gives ACC some early bragging rights over the rest of the basketball landscape.  Consider that the ACC is currently 22-0.  If you include Pittsburgh and Syracuse, that surges to 27-0.

How do the other conferences compare to the ACC this year?  Nobody else is undefeated.  Nobody else even has one loss.  Check it out:

  • The Big East claims to have the best basketball in the land.  Off to a 31-2 start (including Syracuse and Pitt).  Sure, they can blame one of those losses on West Virginia, who is more interested in suing the Big East than representing it.  But Rutgers lost to Miami.  Game.  Set.  Match.
  • The Big XII?  With Kansas, some claim that this is the best basketball in the land.  17-2.  Kansas lost to Kentucky.  And Iowa State lost to someone.  Feel free to look up who.  Doesn’t matter to The Confidential.
  • The Mountain West was sitting pretty heading into yesterday undefeated, but has now dropped to 14-2.  A fade back into irrelevance is now in order.  Also, keep an eye on the back door, the Big East is hunting in your backyard.
  • The Big 10?  20-2.  No, that’s not the halftime score of a Wisconsin game.  That’s the Big 10’s overall record.  And Michigan State’s losses both came to ACC schools.
  • Pac-12?  Not sure why the Pac-12 is credited with having elite anything.  Every year they fail to place enough teams in bowl games.  Every March, the bracketologists wonder whether they will get 4 teams in.  18-6 to start the season.  Ugh.  Stupid West Coast bias.
  • The SEC?  Stick to football.  19-5.

So, there it is.  After five days, the ACC is rather plainly dominating college basketball.

As it should be.  Right?

 

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

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