ACC Football: There's Virginia Tech and Everybody Else

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Maryland Terrapins, after Week Five, are now in sole possession of first place in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.  Wait a minute.  What?  You mean Maryland, who got crushed by Cal, lost to Middle Tennessee State and Rutgers, and needed overtime to fend off James Madison, is leading their division? 

With Maryland’s stunning win over Clemson on Saturday, they are now the only team in the Atlantic Division without a conference loss.  Granted they have only played one conference game, but still. 

No one in the Atlantic Division has looked like they really want a shot at the conference championship game.  The preseason favorite to win the division, Florida State, is now sitting at 0-2.  The team picked to finish last in the division, Boston College, is right behind Maryland at 2-1 in conference. 

It is going to be another inconsistent, unpredictable season for the ACC.  Also on Saturday, previously winless Virginia went on the road and beat North Carolina, holding the Tar Heels to only three points. 

Miami bounced back from last week’s defeat in Blacksburg to pull a one point upset over Oklahoma.  Boston College upset Florida State.  Virginia Tech let Duke hang around and keep it close before ultimately beating them.

Virginia Tech is, however, the only team in the conference who has looked like a winner consistently.  Since their season-opening loss to Alabama, they are 4-0.  They have won at home, on the road, against ranked and unranked teams, in close games, and in blowout fashion. 

Virginia Tech is distancing themselves from the rest of the wildly inconsistent pack and look to be the conference champions.  Sounds familiar.  Oh right, they have won the ACC three times in the past five years, including two years in a row.  And Virginia Tech has been to the ACC championship game three out of the four years that the game has been in existence. 

It looks as if the Hokies are going to make it three years running, because no other team in the conference has played like they want to stop them.

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