The Atlantic Coast Conference is a prestigious athletic conference. Regarded as one of, if not the best basketball conference in the country year in and year out, the ACC has one big flaw, and it isn’t found on the court or pitch, but rather on the gridiron.
Aside from perennial contenders Florida State and Clemson, the ACC is subpar when it comes to the quality of football it produces on a yearly basis. This year, UNC-Chapel Hill has been a surprise contender for the ACC title after an abysmal season last year. The Tar Heels currently sit at 11-1 (8-0 ACC) riding an 11-game winning streak after dropping their opening game to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Other than that, the rest of the ACC is mediocre at best.
Take Boston College for example. The Eagles are currently ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense this season and didn’t win a game during conference play. That’s just the way things go in the ACC. A team shows great potential on paper, but falls on its face on gameday.
Preseason expectations didn’t help either. When the Associated Press’ preseason poll came out, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 16. At the time, that seemed about right, as the Yellow Jackets were coming off a Coastal Division title performance last season. Fast forward to now, and Georgia Tech currently sits in last place in the Coastal Division with a 3-9 (1-7 ACC) record with the lone conference win coming in a dramatic victory over Florida State.
An argument could be made that preseason expectations are wrong every year, and I would completely agree. But the expectations for the ACC as a whole are ridiculous. Even the historically great programs in the ACC have struggled in year’s past.
Along with Georgia Tech, historically great programs such as Virginia Tech and Miami (FL) aren’t the same as they were five or 10 years ago. The Hokies have faced a minor setback this season, but compared to the Hurricanes’ current position, it’s night and day.
I’m not trying to downgrade ACC football. I want to see great teams come from this conference every year. It’s the ACC’s current state in football that isn’t anything to be proud of. With that being said, with new coaches like Virginia Tech’s Justin Fuente giving the chances to help turn their programs around, the only direction for football in this conference is up.
