I just talked about what I like about the ACC Football schedule. Here is what I don’t like…
1) Front Loaded non-conference games
In the last 4 years the ACC has dominated their SEC rivals to the tune of a 13-3 record. That doesn’t mean I have to like the practice of scheduling a conference game before these in-state rivalry games. I guess as long the ACC continues to dominate the rivalry games there won’t be a change. I just don’t care for it, and it allows the SEC team (Kentucky, UGA, Florida, and South Carolina) more preparation time for their ACC opponent.
So many ACC non-conference games are front loaded into September, you could put 1 of these games sometime in November not just for those rivalry games, but any ACC team needing a break late in the year.
2) Scheduling Alabama (Louisville vs Alabama – September 1)
Alabama beats early season OOC teams in neutral sites games into a pulp. They do this year after year. Why Louisville scheduled this game is odd at best. Sure they’ll get a nice paycheck, but it isn’t worth the likely outcome of this one. Without Lamar Jackson, Louisville may absolutely regret playing this game. If the Cards are offered a 14-17 point loss before the game kicks off, they should take it and run.
3) Multiple Weeknight games.
Louisville playing two Friday night games? Wake Forest with two Thursday night games? Miami has a Thursday and Friday night game? Georgia Tech with a Thursday and a Friday night game – both on the road? Virginia Tech has the Monday Labor Day game with FSU and Friday after Thanksgiving game with Virginia, but that isn’t so bad as those are on holiday weekends. Virginia has two as well, but has 1 on a holiday weekend.
The others?
I know the ACC has to play these weeknight games, but no conference team should have to play two during the season. I think it is a burden logistically on teams and fans.
4) No conference game until the last week of September?
Why is NC State not playing a conference game until September 29? The same goes for Duke. Miami goes 4 weeks without a conference game too. They meet UNC in their first conference game on September 27.
Is that really necessary to wait nearly a month before a conference game? I’m not following the logic of this one. Let’s start the conference division races before the last week in September.
5) Miami vs FSU and Notre Dame vs Virginia Tech on the same day (October 6, 2018)
As far as the ACC has come as a football conference in recent years, there still aren’t a ton of sure fire primetime matchups. Miami vs FSU is one of them. Notre Dame at Virginia Tech looks like one too. Here’s the problem they are playing on the same day. One of these games is going to be the ABC primetime and game and they other won’t be when it deserves to be. Either that or they will go head to head.
This could have been avoided with better planning.
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