ACC Football: Atlantic Division Warzone

ACC Football: Atlantic Warzone

(just trying to have a little fun here folks)

Last year the ACC was heavily criticized as being a weak conference, some felt that teams like Boise State were better than any team in either the ACC or Big East…I strongly disagree. While the ACC has had better years, every year has been a war from start to finish…

And before I continue, I don’t wanna hear no self-righteous yap about being sensitive to war terms…I am greatly proud of all our troops, but almost every term used in the sport of football comes from the aggressive terms used in the military…so don’t take it so personal…it’s just a game!

Anyway…..

With the ACC being as competitive as it was last year, we see that all 12 teams dive into the season with hopes of making it to that ACC Championship game, and also that next step to a BCS bowl. But who stands the best chances of getting there? Let’s look at the Atlantic Division of the ACC and see the rank and file of these ACC members:

In alphabetical order, you have Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. But three games into the college football season, the order is a little different.

According to the standings, Clemson actually sits on top because as of this moment, they are the ONLY team in the Atlantic Division with a division win, that being over Boston College, although it is matched with a loss from Georgia Tech. You technically have a three way tie for second because NC State, Wake Forest and Maryland are all 0-0. At the bottom you have a tie because both Boston College and Florida State have a conference loss. So one could put the actual rank and file as such:

General: Clemson Tigers

Captain: North Carolina State Wolfpack

Lieutenant: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Sergeant: Maryland Terrapins

Corporal: Boston College Eagles

Buck Private: Florida State Seminoles

But appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?

Each team will all face one another to truly determine who is the leader, and who will be mopping the floors at the end of the day. Let’s take a closer look at each team and see where they might TRULY end up:

Clemson: A win over Boston College makes them the (temporary) undisputed leader with a division win, which means more than a conference win. Putting Boston College in their place gives the Tigers a leg up on everybody else, but as we noted, this is only temporary. This 7-6 team last year wasn’t much on leading, as they were a highly ranked team at the beginning of last year, only to lose rank in record fashion. They beat 2 of the 5 division foes last year, and it seems that they might be a little better this year. Could Florida State be the only thing standing in their way for Atlantic Division domination?

NC State: The reason why they are listed above Wake Forest and Maryland is because alphabetically they come before Wake Forest, and Maryland is currently 1-2. With cheap wins against less than stellar foes, the jury is still out on this team that went 6-7 last year. Wake Forest was the only divisional foe they beat least year, and it was a home game, winning only by 4. With away games at Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida State, we can’t see the Wolfpack commanding too many troops here.

Wake Forest: This 8-5 team has only lost one game so far this year, but there are still many questions about the lack of scoring that they had last year. Yes they got the ball in the end zone, but averaging about 21 a game makes it too close for comfort. Beating Florida State AND Clemson was great, losing in a shutout to Maryland, then losing to NC State and Boston College makes them average. They need this win over Boston College to validate some authority, else it will be a long season.

Maryland: How many stripes are really on the arm of this team. Lose to Middle Tennessee, beat California. Get shut out by Virginia, then shuts out Wake Forest. If we don’t know what this team is about, it is best to keep them right in the middle of the pack, but at 1-2 they are already behind the ball, and it does not look like they will show us anything to change our mind. Average at best, possibly lower.

Boston College: The loss to Clemson was an odd one, with the weather playing such a significant factor, but a loss is still a loss. Few wonder how legit the team really is, after all, there is no quality wins at the moment. A lot of work to be done for a team that was 9-5 last year. Only Clemson bested them last year out of the division, but BC had 7 games that were within a possession of winning…or losing. It might appear that the glory days of the Eagles might be slipping… and the rank possibly justified.

Florida State: Odd how the tail is actually the head, how a Buck Private is actually the leader of a division. Florida State lost to Miami, but crushed a top 25 foe in BYU on the road to solidify (for now) a top 25 ranking. With 3 division games on the road, this might be a sign. A respectable 9-4 last year, it is still underachieving for the former Commander-In-Chief of the ACC. Those days of absolute rule are long gone, but remember that two of their losses last year came from this very division…and we are still scratching our heads about that Jacksonville State game…

So having looked at the facts, we might change up the rank and file of the ACC to read this way, as it may well look at the end of the year:

General: Florida State Seminoles

Captain: Clemson Tigers

Lieutenant: North Carolina State Wolfpack

Sergeant: Boston College Eagles

Corporal: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Buck Private: Maryland

We shall learn much more after this weekend, with Boston College hosting Wake Forest… time will tell all….