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Not all That Bad: Critics of ACC as a football conference aren't paying quite enough attention
AP Photo
Coach Butch Davis of North Carolina tries to get his point across to Brian Gupton (29) and his teammates.
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Published: November 4, 2009
People say ACC football is bad.
Many of the same people complain about heat in summer and cold in winter, about daylight-saving time in the spring and standard time in the fall. It's a reflex, inane and inoffensive and generally thoughtless.
Most of the people who say ACC football is bad know that 11 guys play for each team. They know that teams are divided into offensive, defensive and kicking units. They evidently know that an offensive coordinator runs the offense and a defensive coordinator runs the defense, because this morsel of knowledge gives them the insight to proclaim: "Our defensive coordinator has to go."
Any idiot can holler: "Fire the coach." That's older than the face mask and doesn't win many style points in Section 106. But it takes a special idiot -- a self-appointed insider, all puffed up -- to peer over his cup at the tailgate party and cock an eyebrow and announce profoundly: "I'll tell you what's killing us. Our offensive coordinator's killing us."
You hear this stuff every week, at Florida State and Wake Forest and just about everywhere ACC football is played. The lone exception is Georgia Tech, 8-1. Not much to whine about there, although it's conceivable that alumni moaned over Miami.
Fans turn quickly
Unexpected losses turn fans sour, and 2009 has been full of the unexpected. Just when the Virginia firing squad finally had Al Groh cornered, the Cavaliers beat North Carolina, Indiana and Maryland, momentarily foiling the buyout brigade.
Just when some Carolina fans fingered Butch Davis as a $2 million-per mediocrity, the Tar Heels upset Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Just when Virginia Tech figured a way back into the BCS derby, Georgia Tech and Carolina landed jarring body blows.
Three teams (Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech) control their destiny, meaning each would win a division title by winning out. That seems highly unlikely for Duke (Carolina and Miami away, Georgia Tech and Wake at home), manageable for Clemson (Florida State and Virginia at home, N.C. State away) and likely for Georgia Tech (Wake at home, Duke away). But you never know. Maryland beat Clemson.
People say ACC football is bad because no team competes for the BCS trophy. This hardly qualifies as breaking news since FSU headed south and Miami turned into a pumpkin by joining the ACC. In the past six years, six teams have reached the big game: Southern Cal, LSU, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
Parity of a sort
The SEC and Big 12 always produce contenders, with the Pac-10 and Big Ten lagging a bit behind. The ACC and Big East tend to play each other in a low-voltage Orange Bowl.
People say ACC football is bad because the teams never beat anybody. Not true. The ACC is 8-8 against teams in other BCS conferences and Notre Dame. Big-game wins: Miami over Oklahoma, FSU over Brigham Young, Virginia Tech over Nebraska. Big-game losses: Alabama over Virginia Tech, South Florida over FSU, Notre Dame over Boston College.
Bad is a relative term. Nine teams retain rational bowl hopes. Only N.C. State and Carolina are two losses behind a division leader. Sixteen of the 28 ACC games have been decided by a touchdown or less.
It's not Florida vs. Texas for the marbles. ACC teams might not tackle like Alabama or pursue like LSU, and they might lose to William & Mary, but these tight races are intriguing. They also fall under the heading: Enjoy what you've got.
Modest uncertainty doesn't satisfy all tailgate appetites, but maybe there's still something for everyone. At the end of the buffet line, if disaffected fans fume enough, a cowering athletics director just might throw them a coordinator to gnaw on, for the holidays.
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