Author's Note: I told my friend Tyler I would write this in my next article. He said, "You were too critical of UM's QB Marve. He is just a college athlete and you stereotyped him as selfish and by all accounts his teammates love him. A perfect example is Chris Rix. He didn't fit that type and he was one of the most selfish players in recent memory."
Well said Tyler. I was wrong. I stand corrected.
We are halfway through the football season. The ACC is shaping up a little bit like the ACC of old and not the one that had been expected this year. Sitting atop the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions are Florida State and Georgia Tech, respectively. Both teams are not original ACC members, but both have had success, historically, in the conference.
What is interesting about the conference this year is that most teams involved at this point control their own destiny.
Georgia Tech’s only loss came to Virginia Tech. VT has two conference losses, so if GT wins out in the conference, they will be headed to Tampa for title game. It is quite possible for them to accomplish. Of their last four conference games, GT has three at home.
Their opponents are Virginia, Florida State, at UNC, and Miami. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, each team on the schedule has shown both flashes of brilliance and apparitions of mediocrity.
UVA and Florida State have improved steadily with each game they have played and seem to be gelling as a team. After losing 31-3 to Duke, the Cavaliers beat Maryland 31-0 and then stole one at Chapel Hill in overtime, 16-13.
Florida State opened with two DI-AA (I refuse the playoff subdivision title) teams, lost to Wake with a limited team, and has their last two conference games on the road nonetheless.
UNC and Miami both have very good, young talent. Unfortunately for UNC, they have suffered several injuries to several starters, including their top WR and starting QB.
Miami has not been able to get over the hump and win the close ones, which is a sign of youth. If Shannon keeps his players focused and working hard, they can finish the season strong and be a real conference force next year.
Florida State’s road appears a little tougher than GT’s. They have VT this weekend at home, GT on the road, Clemson and BC at home, and end their conference play with Maryland away.
VT just lost their starting safety. This does not bode well for the Hokies since their defense has not been the typical Frank Beamer D fans are accustomed to—ranking 33 in total defense, allowing 312 yards per game and 39th in pass defense.
GT is probably the most formidable opponent. Paul Johnson’s offense has been effective, ranking ninth in the nation in rushing.
Clemson looks anemic, but with the weapons they have, it is never easy to count them out of a game. Then again, FSU has a score to settle with the Tigers from the past three years. With Tommy’s Tigers' (oops, sorry) offensive line as young and porous as it is, and the 'Noles defense being third in total defense, it could be an ugly game for the away team in Tallahassee.
BC is a stale holdover from last season’s ACC title game contender, but they are still very well coached and are a tough opponent year in and year out.
Maryland is the team that is the strangest to predict. They are not the most worrisome because they have not proven to be consistent. They have lost 31-0 to UVA and then beat Wake 26-0. Not always sure what you will get, but they are 59th in total offense and 77th in total defense. It is not exactly a solid team.
Both teams sitting atop the standings have a decent row to hoe in front of them. Only FSU needs help from Wake. If Wake loses another conference game, then FSU is not held back in the head to head tiebreaker.
Of all the ACC teams, it seems FSU is on the road to being the best by the end of the year. Although not the highest conference team ranked in the polls, they are the highest ACC team ranked in total offense (29th), total defense (third), time of possession (sixth), and third down conversion (sixth).
These are all key stats that point to a particular dominance. Here is a sampling of other teams listed in the top five of these stats: Okalahoma, Texas Tech, Texas, USC, and GT. It is good company.
Then again, at the beginning of the year, the pundits hailed Clemson, Wake, and VT. With five, six, or for some, seven games left, the conference will shake out. We may be surprised like we were with WF two years ago or happy to see a team like FSU or GT return to a certain prominence they once held.
The only thing that would be a negative is if no team rose to the top and the conference beat each other, sending a mediocre team to a BCS bowl.
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