Just about every preseason prediction of how the ACC would shake out suggested the same thing, that Virginia Tech and Florida State would win their respective six-team divisions with ease.
Both are in fourth place. Translation: Maybe a slew of teams really are legitimate candidates to win the ACC.
The true picture of where things stand in the conference should start coming into much clearer focus this weekend, when the ACC slate is highlighted by Florida State visiting upstart Wake Forest in an Atlantic Division matchup and Miami heading to Virginia Tech for what seems much like an elimination game in the Coastal Division. More than half of the 12 ACC teams still control their own destinies in the league race, although that won't remain the case much longer.
"Now we're in the tournament," coach Al Golden of Miami said. "It's ACC tournament time."
Just about anyone in the ACC could have the same sentiment.
One loss won't truly oust anyone from the conference chase at this point on the calendar, but even with more than half the season remaining, teams would be hard-pressed to fall too far behind any of the leaders in their respective divisions.
"We just go and play the ones that we've got and take them one at a time," coach Dabo Swinney of Clemson said last week. "At the end of the year, somebody's going to be in Charlotte (for the ACC title game). Right now we're in the driver's seat, and we've just got to continue to stay focused on our business. Hopefully, when it's all said and done, we'll be the ones representing this division. But it's way too early to be worried about that. We've got a lot of work to do the rest of the way."
Georgia Tech can move to 3-0 in the ACC if it wins at home against Maryland. So would Wake Forest, if it finds a way to beat Florida State for the fourth time in six years. And No. 8 Clemson would be 3-0 in the conference if it tops struggling Boston College.
There was a time when Miami-Virginia Tech decided championships. This week, that rivalry game will only decide which team probably won't have a shot of winning one this season, both teams looking to avoid being 0-2 in the ACC.
"We understand what's at stake," coach Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech said. "This is a critical ballgame."
With Georgia Tech off to its flying start, either the Hurricanes or Hokies would need a ton of help just to remain in the division race if they lose this weekend.
"Every game from this point on is important," said cornerback Jayron Hosley of Virginia Tech, which lost 23-3 at home to Clemson last weekend. "We've still got our goals to go to Charlotte and winning the ACC, and that's what we're working toward now."
The surprise teams in the ACC right now, such as Wake Forest, aren't getting too carried away.
"There isn't a team left that doesn't have good talent," coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest said. "Some of the teams that didn't play great last year are playing pretty good right now. And so it's just, it's going to be nine ... eight now, but eight straight shots at good football teams. You've got to play up every week. Really, you have one down week, you get embarrassed. If you play up, you hope to be in the game in the fourth quarter. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be a tough road for all of us."
In other words, welcome to tournament time.
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