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- Apr 21, 2023
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With all the recent talk of college football realignment, and the SEC and BIG establishing themselves as the two most competitive leagues in CFB, it wasn’t long ago when you could argue the ACC was just as competitive. Some might say the ACC was the best conference on the field in 2016. Lets recap:
Notable teams and accomplishments.
Clemson (14-1) #1 AP
Won a National Championship over Alabama, handing Saban his first loss in the big one.
FSU (10-3) #8 AP
Beat Michigan and won the Orange Bowl. Demolished the SEC East Champion Gators in their annual rivalry.
Virginia Tech (10-4) # 16 AP
Won the Coastal. Gave Clemson a heck of a game in the ACC Championship but came up just shy. Beat Arkansas in their bowl game.
Miami (9-4) #20 AP
Crushed a 10 win, # 14 ranked WVU in the Camping World Bowl. A solid first season for Richt.
Louisville (9-4) #21 AP
Lamar Jackson won the Heisman. Some decent wins throughout the season.
Georgia Tech (9-4)
Beat Georgia (yes, difficult to fathom now) although it’s worth mentioning it was Kirby’s first year. Still a big accomplishment for a program who doesn’t prioritize football. Also beat SEC Kentucky in their bowl game.
Pittsburgh (8-5)
Man, don’t let the record fool you! This Pitt team gave Clemson their only loss of the season and beat eventual BIG Champion Penn State in an early season out of conference matchup. Not bad at all!
UNC (8-5)
Some good wins here and there. Mitch Trubisky was the #1 overall draft pick the following year.
Every ACC team finished with at least 7 wins with the exception of Syracuse, Virginia, and Duke. Nobody was talking about the ACC being a weak conference. It felt like the ACC was going to be the league to challenge the SEC on the field for years to come. Most people were balking at the BIG as Clemson manhandled Ohio State 31-0 in the CFP semifinals. Crazy when you think about how much has changed in just 7 years. Now the ACC is considering hitting the self destruct button on the whole league only a few years after it was arguably the best conference in CFB.
I am still in favor of disbanding the ACC due to the GOR and what the SEC and BIG are making with their TV deals. This will make them stronger long term and it’s only a matter of time before the big $$$ really sets them apart from the rest. In terms of on field competition, the ACC has really taken a nose dive over the last 3 years and I don’t see this changing. We know their TV deal is atrocious and every school will keep falling behind. Just end it folks. It was an alright league not long ago, but I see no path to redemption.
Notable teams and accomplishments.
Clemson (14-1) #1 AP
Won a National Championship over Alabama, handing Saban his first loss in the big one.
FSU (10-3) #8 AP
Beat Michigan and won the Orange Bowl. Demolished the SEC East Champion Gators in their annual rivalry.
Virginia Tech (10-4) # 16 AP
Won the Coastal. Gave Clemson a heck of a game in the ACC Championship but came up just shy. Beat Arkansas in their bowl game.
Miami (9-4) #20 AP
Crushed a 10 win, # 14 ranked WVU in the Camping World Bowl. A solid first season for Richt.
Louisville (9-4) #21 AP
Lamar Jackson won the Heisman. Some decent wins throughout the season.
Georgia Tech (9-4)
Beat Georgia (yes, difficult to fathom now) although it’s worth mentioning it was Kirby’s first year. Still a big accomplishment for a program who doesn’t prioritize football. Also beat SEC Kentucky in their bowl game.
Pittsburgh (8-5)
Man, don’t let the record fool you! This Pitt team gave Clemson their only loss of the season and beat eventual BIG Champion Penn State in an early season out of conference matchup. Not bad at all!
UNC (8-5)
Some good wins here and there. Mitch Trubisky was the #1 overall draft pick the following year.
Every ACC team finished with at least 7 wins with the exception of Syracuse, Virginia, and Duke. Nobody was talking about the ACC being a weak conference. It felt like the ACC was going to be the league to challenge the SEC on the field for years to come. Most people were balking at the BIG as Clemson manhandled Ohio State 31-0 in the CFP semifinals. Crazy when you think about how much has changed in just 7 years. Now the ACC is considering hitting the self destruct button on the whole league only a few years after it was arguably the best conference in CFB.
I am still in favor of disbanding the ACC due to the GOR and what the SEC and BIG are making with their TV deals. This will make them stronger long term and it’s only a matter of time before the big $$$ really sets them apart from the rest. In terms of on field competition, the ACC has really taken a nose dive over the last 3 years and I don’t see this changing. We know their TV deal is atrocious and every school will keep falling behind. Just end it folks. It was an alright league not long ago, but I see no path to redemption.
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