Woe is to the ACC. After yet another sub par year of football, many critics began to wonder if it is truly deserving of the “Power Conference” title and their automatic BCS berth.
After their recent bowl debacle including a 4-4 record thus far, capped off by Virginia Tech’s 40-12 dismantling at the hands of the Stanford Cardinals, it comes to question if the ACC will ever become reputable again.
When the ACC expanded to add Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech, the main goal was to enhance the conference’s football prestige.
However, this measure failed miserably. Neither Miami nor Boston College have amounted to much of anything.
Although Virginia Tech is a frequent flier in the AP Poll top-10, they rarely live up to expectations. During the 2009 season, Virginia Tech was knocked off by eventual National-Champion Alabama in the season opener.
This trend continued in 2010 when Virginia Tech disappointed fans further by dropping a virtual home-game against Boise State, and following it up with a loss to division I AA foe James Madison.
Until Virgina Tech can rise up and meet expectations, the ACC will continue to live in mediocrity.
There were a few bright points during the bowl season, however. NC State demolished Big East runner-up West Virginia 23-7.
Also, the North Carolina Tar Heels slid by lowly SEC foe Tennessee in one of the most riveting games of the bowl season, by a score of 30-27 in double overtime.
The Heels’ bowl victory was still a letdown. The team went into the season expecting to contend for the ACC title, but after having mass amounts of players suspended, these dreams were quickly shattered.
Carolina’s tarnished reputation may bleed through to the entire ACC, miring their reputation further.
This is mirrored by the fact that in the final AP poll, only three ACC schools were ranked, and none of these teams clocked in above number 16. Even the lowly WAC had two teams higher than the ACC.
In the end, the only way the ACC will be able to enhance their overall vision is to win crucial games over out- of-conference foes, and until they do that, other conferences will always view them in a negative light.
Will Bennett is a remarkable staff writer who was recruited from his early days. In fact, before Bennett could even speak, the Mycenaean took serious interest in him. While many consider this practice to be unethical, the Leesville editors disagree. Alex Stewart claims that his contributions to the staff have been “Pullitzer Prize” worthy.
In addition to his writing, Bennett enjoys animals, Freshberry Frozen Yogurt, Hip-hop music, and long walks on the beach. He can often be found on his seaside estate composing original music, writing moving poetry, and balling with old basketball greats like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.