The Confidential

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10 Aug 2012

Today in the A.C.C. (August 10, 2012)

The Confidential had some fun yesterday at the expense of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but today it is back to the uber-serious ACC news.  Here is what is going on in the ACC for August 10, 2012:

Well, everyone plans to retire (except for 40% of transition baby boomers).  The real news here is that Phillips plans to do so soon–specifically, at the end of his term in July 2013.  So now Clemson must find a brand new A.D.  Or at least one that is less than retirement age.  Clemson President James F. Barker indicated that a national search for a replacement will be launched this fall, with the hopes of having a successor in place before Phillips’ contract ends.  Barker also had a slew of positive things to say about Phillips.  It is butt-kissing, funeral-quality stuff, so go read the ESPN article to get the flavor.

  • If you are an ACC school, or plan to be in 2013, chances are you are after an offensive lineman from Rochester, New York, named Alex Officer.

Actually, this was reported in ESPN’s “rumors” section, with a link to a Scout.com website that the Confidential is not yet “liquid” enough to subscribe too.  The upshot is that Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Boston College, and Virginia Tech are already after this guy.  Not sure where Randy Edsall is on this one.

This article also goes way out on a limb in projecting Duke and Wake Forest to be in the cellar of their respective divisions.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Today in the ACC and tagged , , , , , , ,
25 Jul 2012
2 Comments

Penn State and ACC Football

While the Penn State situation impacts all of college football, it may have a direct impact on ACC football.  Quite obviously, there is the proximity of many schools.  But the ACC’s recent expansion to include Syracuse and Pittsburgh may result in adding the two main beneficiaries in the Penn State decline that is inevitably to occur in the upcoming decade.

Interestingly, while the Florida State fans may dismiss the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse from a football standpoint, both schools have had substantial football moments.  Beginning in 1978, look at the records:

  • 1976: Pittsburgh 12-0, Penn State 7-5, Syracuse 3-8 = 22-13
  • 1977: Penn State 11-1, Pitt 9-2-1, Syracuse 6-5 = 26-8-1
  • 1978: Penn State 11-1, Pitt 8-4, Syracuse 3-8 = 22-13
  • 1979: Pitt 11-1; Penn State 8-4, Syracuse 7-5 = 26-10
  • 1980: Pitt 11-1; Penn State 10-2, Syracuse 5-6 = 26-9
  • 1981: Pitt 11-1, Penn State 10-2, Syracuse 4-6-1 = 25-9-1
  • 1982: Penn State 11-1, Pitt 9-3, Syracuse 2-9 = 22-13
  • 1983: Pitt 8-3-1, Penn State 8-4-1, Syracuse 6-5 = 22-12-2
  • 1984: Syracuse 6-5, Penn State 6-5, Pitt 3-7-1 = 15-17-1
  • 1985: Penn State 11-1, Syracuse 7-5, Pitt 5-5-1 = 23-11-1
  • 1986: Penn State 12-0, Pitt 5-5-1, Syracuse 5-6 = 22-11-1
  • 1987: Syracuse 11-0-1, Penn State 8-4, Pitt 8-4 = 27-8-1
  • 1988: Syracuse 10-2, Pitt 8-4, Penn State 5-6 = 23-12
  • 1989: Penn State 8-3-1, Pitt 8-3-1, Syracuse 8-4 = 24-10-2
  • 1990: Penn State 9-3, Syracuse 7-4-2, Pitt 3-7-1 = 19-14-3
  • 1991: Penn State 11-2, Syracuse 10-2, Pitt 6-5 = 27-9
  • 1992: Syracuse 10-2, Penn State 7-5, Pitt 3-9 = 20-16
  • 1993: Penn State 10-2,  Syracuse 6-4-1, Pitt 3-8 = 19-14-1
  • 1994: Penn State 12-0, Syracuse 7-4, Pitt 3-8 = 22-12
  • 1995: Penn State 9-3, Syracuse 9-3, Pitt 2-9 = 20-15
  • 1996: Penn State 11-2, Syracuse 9-3, Pitt 4-7 = 24-12
  • 1997: Penn State 9-3, Syracuse 9-4, Pitt 6-6 = 24-13
  • 1998: Penn State 9-3, Syracuse 8-4, Pitt 2-9 = 19-16
  • 1999: Penn State 10-3, Syracuse 7-5, Pitt 5-6 = 22-13
  • 2000: Pitt 7-5, Syracuse 6-5, Penn State 5-7 = 18-17
  • 2001: Syracuse 10-3, Pitt 7-5, Penn State 5-6 = 22-12
  • 2002: Pitt 9-4, Penn State 9-4, Syracuse 4-8 = 22-16
  • 2003: Pitt 8-5, Syracuse 6-6, Penn State 3-9 = 17-20
  • 2004: Pitt 8-4, Syracuse 6-6; Penn State 4-7 = 18-17
  • 2005: Penn State 11-1, Pitt 5-6, Syracuse 1-10 = 17-17
  • 2006: Penn State 9-4, Pitt 6-6, Syracuse 4-8 = 17-18
  • 2007: Penn State 9-4, Pitt 5-7, Syracuse 2-10 = 16-21
  • 2008: Penn State 11-2, Pitt 9-4, Syracuse 3-9 = 23-15
  • 2009: Penn State 11-2, Pitt 10-3, Syracuse 4-8 = 25-13
  • 2010: Syracuse 8-5, Pitt 8-5, Penn State 7-6 = 23- 16
  • 2011: Penn State 9-4, Pitt 6-7, Syracuse 5-7 = 20-18
  • 2012: TBD

During this entire period, there were only two seasons (2005 and 2007) where two of these teams were not bowl eligible at the end of the season.  Both of those seasons just happened to come during Syracuse’s dreadful Greg Robinson era.* Pitt had a similarly dreadful era from 1992 to 1995, where Paul Hackett and Johnny Majors led them to a combined 11-34.  But, for the most part, Syracuse and Pitt have ordinarily managed to have bad seasons with 4 wins or so.

If Penn State drops to a point where they are not capable of fielding a team able to win more than 2 or 3 FBS games a year, those players have to go  somewhere.  If Pitt and Syracuse are able to siphon off some of that talent, it only stands to reason that both can improve by one or two wins a year.

To be sure, there was not Rutgers or UConn to contend with in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  Even Temple is finally playing up to its potential.  So nothing guarantees that Pitt and Syracuse will pick up the slack.  The move to the ACC might, however, be the shot in the arm that convinces more of these players to go with Pitt and Syracuse (and BC), rather than Rutgers, UConn, and Temple.

Still, the three teams have historically averaged about 22 to 23 wins between them.  If Penn State is only  contributing 2 or 3 wins, that could mean 9 or 10 win seasons for Pitt and/or Syracuse.  If so, the ACC will have to be pleased with these two schools’ contributions to the football equation.

* In the three seasons preceding his era, coaches were 16-20.  In the three seasons after his era, coaches were 17-20.  During his era, Syracuse was 10-37.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , ,
16 Jul 2012
1 Comment

Lucky 13: Syracuse Will Officially Join the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2013

Syracuse University has announced that it has reached a deal with the Big East that will allow Syracuse to join the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2013.  Syracuse will pay $7,500,000–only $2,500,000 more than the buyout of $5,000,000.  With this move, the Atlantic Coast Conference is certain to have 13 teams for the 2013 football season.  It is likely that Pitt will join the ACC for 2013 as well, however, that dispute is in the court system right now.

Reports are that West Virginia paid $20,000,000 to exit the Big East in time for the 2012 football season.  However, the exit fee for West Virginia was $10,000,000, based on changes to the rules after Syracuse and Pitt announced they were leaving.  Kudos to Syracuse and the Big East for being able to resolve their differences without the need for attorneys.

For the ACC, it is not looking like there will be 7-team divisions in 2013.  Let’s hope that the powers that be finally get around to logical geographical divisions.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Football and tagged , , , , ,
14 May 2012

FSU Fans Need a Reality Check

Another day, another day for FSU fans to flock to message boards crying about how the Atlantic Coast Conference has treated them so poorly.  If you read the message boards, this pretty much sums up the Seminoles fans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crying about this, crying about that.  Having to play a Thursday game.  Having to play Clemson after a tough game against Oklahoma.  Having to share money.  Having to drink 2% milk instead of skim milk at the continental breakfast during a conference meeting in 2008.

The bottom line is this… Florida State has not really mattered in football in a long, long time.  From 2001 to 2011, no less than 3 losses.  81-50 is good, but hardly elite.  Oklahoma was 119-24 and Texas was 114-28 over the same period.  Florida State was 29th, behind Boston College, Louisville, and Hawaii.

Indeed, the last time Florida State was elite was 2000, when they were 11-2, losing to Oklahoma 13-2 in the Orange Bowl.  The year before, of course, the Seminoles were 12-0 and national champions.  And before 1999, Florida State’s record speaks for itself regarding its great run under Bobby Bowden.  At 109-13-1, Florida State had the best record of all teams during the 1990s.

But we are talking about the 1990s.  By comparison, Syracuse–a recent ACC addition–had the 14th most wins during the 1990s, ahead of Virginia Tech, Texas, Clemson, and Oklahoma.  Do Florida State fans really want to cling to the 1990s?

Again, from 2001 to 2011, we are talking a team that really did not put itself into national relevance at all.   That’s not the ACC’s fault.  That’s Florida State’s fault.

And, until Florida State fans can point to some real detriment in being in the ACC, the rest is just crying.  The Confidential says… “Man up and win more games, and then complain about your conference brethren.”

 

 

 

 

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

2012 Lacrosse Bracket Released

The NCAA has released the bracket for this year’s lacrosse national championship. At 14-1, Loyola Maryland earned the #1 overall seed.  Perennial power Johns Hopkins is the #2 seed.   The ACC’s very own Duke is the #3 seed, while Notre Dame is the #4 seed.

All five ACC schools will be participants.  Syracuse had to win the Big East conference championship to qualify, but they did so.  But the Orange (9-7) were “rewarded” with a game against Duke (14-3).  The only ACC teams to have rematches in the tournament, Duke already defeated Syracuse earlier in the season, 12-10. The game will be played at noon on May 12, 2012, in Durham.

Virginia was given a #5 seed.  With such a hot start, it is disappointing for the Cavaliers to end up with only a 5 seed.  The Cavs (11-3) will play Princeton (11-4).   The game will be in Charlottesville on May 13, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.   Notre Dame is the top seed in the bracket.

North Carolina (11-5) is a #8 seed and landed an opening round matchup with Denver (8-6).  The game will be played at Chapel Hill on May 12, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.  Loyola is the top seed in the bracket.

Maryland (9-5) will travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to take on #7 seed and host, Lehigh (14-2).  The game will be played at 5:00 p.m. on May 12, 2012.  Johns Hopkins is the top seed in the bracket.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Lacrosse and tagged , , , , , , ,
20 Apr 2012

ACC Lacrosse Weekly Report 8, April 20, 2012

The ACC Lacrosse season continues to progress…

News/Rankings:

The big news this week was Duke defeating Virginia 13-5.  Duke has been on a roll, so a win over Virginia would not have been entirely shocking.  But to win by 8 goals?  NOBODY saw that coming.

With all the losses, Loyola of Maryland and Massachusetts are atop the standings right now.  Both teams are undefeated.

The Inside Lacrosse poll has Duke at #5, with no first place votes.  Virginia is #6, Maryland is #8, North Carolina is #9, and Syracuse is #14.

In the USILA Coaches Poll, Virginia is #4 with 4 of the 0 first place votes.  Duke is #7, Maryland is #8, North Carolina is #9, and Syracuse is #15.

Recent Scores:

Tuesday, April 10, 2012:

Cornell 12-Syracuse 6, Recap

Friday, April 13, 2012:

Duke 13-Virginia 5, Recap

Saturday, April 14, 2012:

Syracuse 19-Rutgers 6, Recap

North Carolina 12-Hofstra 9, Recap

Maryland 9-Johns Hopkins 6, Recap

Tuesday, April 17, 2012:

Syracuse 13-Hobart 12, Recap

Upcoming Games:

The 2012 ACC Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament:

Friday, April 20, 2012 (semifinals)

#4 Maryland v #1 Duke, 5:00 p.m.

#3 North Carolina v #2 Virginia, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Championship, 3:00 p.m.

Other Games:

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Georgetown @ Syracuse, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Maryland @ Mount Saint Mary’s, 7:00 p.m.

 

Records:

Virginia 10-2 (2-1 in conference).

Duke 11-3 (2-1 in conference)

North Carolina 9-4 (1-2 in conference)

Maryland 7-3 (1-2 in conference)

Syracuse 7-5

 

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  Duke (11-3).  After a tough start, Duke has rebounded and dominated Virginia.

2.  Virginia (10-2).  After a great start, Virginia is fading a bit.  Collapsed against Duke.

3.  North Carolina (9-4).  With a win over Maryland and more wins, North Carolina gets the edge.

4.  Maryland (7-3).  Maryland has an extra few games to show it deserves an upgrade.

5.  Syracuse (7-5).  Too many losses.  And not enough impressive wins.

If you have any comments on the ACC Lacrosse season or this entry, please feel free to share!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Lacrosse and tagged , , , , , , , ,
08 Apr 2012

ACC Lacrosse Weekly Report 7, April 8, 2012

The ACC Lacrosse season continues to progress…

News/Rankings:

The big news this week was North Carolina defeating John Hopkins 13-9, allowing Virginia to return to #1.

The Inside Lacrosse poll has Virginia #1, again–receiving 11 of the 20 first place votes.  Duke is #8 and North Carolina is #9.  Maryland is #12 and Syracuse has dropped all the way to #17.

In the USILA Coaches Poll, Virginia is #1 with 4 of the 10 first place votes.  The rest is the same as the Inside Lacrosse Poll, except that North Carolina and Syracuse are tied in their rankings.

Recent Scores:

Saturday, March 31, 2012:

Virginia 12-Maryland 8.  Recap.

Sunday, April 1, 2012:

Duke 12-Syracuse 10.  Recap.

North Carolina 13-Johns Hopkins 9.  Recap.

Friday, April 6, 2012:

Maryland 13-Navy 6.  Recap.

Saturday, April 7, 2012:

Virginia 15-North Carolina 10.  Recap.

Duke 11-Marist 10.  Recap.

Syracuse 10-Princeton 9.  Recap.

Upcoming Games:

Tuesday, April 10, 2012:

Syracuse @ Cornell, 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 13, 2012:

Duke @ Virginia, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 14, 2012:

Rutgers @ Syracuse, 11:00 a.m.

Hofstra @ North Carolina, 1;30 p.m.

Maryland @ Johns Hopkins, 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012:

Syracuse @ Hobart, 7:00 p.m.

Records:

Virginia 10-1 (2-0 in conference).

Duke 10-3 (1-1 in conference)

North Carolina 8-4 (1-2 in conference)

Maryland 6-3 (1-2 in conference)

Syracuse 5-4

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  Virginia (10-1).  Rebounded nicely with wins over Maryland and North Carolina.

2.  Duke (10-3).  Duke just keeps on winning.  Took care of Syracuse and Marist.

3.  North Carolina (8-4).  With a win over Maryland and more wins, North Carolina gets the edge.

4.  Maryland (6-3).  See above.

5.  Syracuse (5-4).  Syracuse has not looked good when winning and played poorly in losing.

If you have any comments on the ACC Lacrosse season or this entry, please feel free to share!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Lacrosse and tagged , , , , , , , ,
06 Apr 2012

Good News/Bad News on Early Entries

One ACC team received good news with respect to the NBA Draft, while another ACC team received bad news.  The good news is that North Carolina’s James Michael McAdoo will be returning for his sophomore season.  The bad news is that Syracuse’s Fab Melo has declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft.  While both moves were expected, that does not lessen the impact.

For North Carolina, it is already looking at a season without Josh Henson, Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall, and ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller.  And there was talk that McAdoo would be a lottery pick.  That is somewhat surprising given that he averaged about 15 minutes a game, and only six points per game.  But the NBA is all about potential and McAdoo’s potential is clear.  Also, he played very well down the stretch.  This is a win-win, as North Carolina gets one more experienced player and McAdoo gets a chance to develop his game.

In Syracuse, the expectation that Fab Melo was finished does not lessen the impact.  Melo was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.  However, he had eligibility troubles all year–making it unlikely that he would return to work on his improving, but subpar, offensive game.  Syracuse does have a few returning big men, plus incoming McDonald’s All-American DaJuan Coleman.  So all is not lost for the Orange.  Still, they would have preferred one more year of Melo.

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball and tagged , , , ,
04 Apr 2012

Here comes the 2012-2013 Preseason Polls

While most of the college basketball world has shifted from the 2011-2012 season into preparing for the Mayan End of the World in December 2012, a few brave souls have decided to issue early pre-season basketball polls.

CBS’s Dennis Dodd decided to go away out on a limb by projecting Kentucky #1.  Syracuse, at #7, is the highest ranking ACC team, while North Carolina is at #10.  North Carolina State at #15 edges out Duke at #18.  No other ACC team made Dodd’s list.

ESPN’s Andy Katz at least tries to do something different, projecting Indiana as #1.  Katz has North Carolina State at #6 and North Carolina at #11.  Syracuse and Duke are #14 and #15, respectfully.  He also has Florida State, Pitt, and Maryland “on the cusp.”

NBC’s Mike Miller also has Indiana as the projected #1.  So maybe Katz is right and Dodd is the one that is clueless.  Miller has North Carolina State #4, Duke #11, Syracuse #15, and North Carolina all the way down at #22.  Miller also “considered” Maryland, which is nice.

Combining these three polls, reveals the following results:

  • North Carolina State: #15, #6, and #4 = 25 pts
  • Syracuse: #7, #14, and #15 = 36 pts
  • North Carolina: #10, #11, and #22 = 43 pts
  • Duke #18, #15, and #11 = 44 pts

There it is, folks.  Looks like the North Carolina State Wolfpack are you early favorites to take home the ACC Championship in 2012-2013.  Assuming we make it that far, of course.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , ,
03 Apr 2012

Kentucky Wins National Title

If, by chance, you were living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you might not have noticed that Kentucky defeated Kansas to win the National Championship last night, 67-59.  For John Calipari, his recruitment of one-and-done players has finally panned out with a national title.  For the rest of college basketball, it is a bit disappointing that such a non-traditional roster was able to achieve what it did.  Still, there is no question that Kentucky was the best team in college basketball in 2011-2012.  The team deserves the title.

For most ACC fans, there is little to really complain about.  Other than North Carolina and Syracuse, nobody was going to beat Kentucky.  Not Duke.  Kentucky was that good.

For North Carolina and Syracuse, there is disappointment.  A healthy Tar Heels squad would have competed with Kentucky.  After all, Kentucky only beat North Carolina 73-72 when both teams were at full strength.  Of course, the Tar Heels were not healthy for most of the last several weeks of the season.  Ultimately, no rematch happened for the 32-6 Tar Heels.

Syracuse did not suffer injuries, but was plagued by the academic (allegedly) woes of Fab Melo.  The Orange battled valiantly without the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.  At the same time, the Kentucky front line would have given the 34-3 Syracuse Orange all it could handle.  Plus, Kentucky’s outside shooting last night suggested that the zone might not have posed much of a problem–especially without Melo.

In the end, it was Kentucky’s year.  Although bittersweet, it is what it is.

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

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