Congratulations to Virginia Tech on winning the ACC Coastal division for the 2nd straight year! The ACC\SEC matchups didn’t go well. The ACC went 1-3, and the three losses were pretty much blowouts. Thanks to Florida State for representing.
The Good
Gold Standard
Virginia Tech went to Charlottesville, VA with the ACC Coastal Division on the line, and they wiped out the Cavaliers in a 38-0 romp to finish the regular season 11-1. It was the Hokies most complete game, and QB Logan Thomas looks like he’s just starting to touch the surface of his talent. David Wilson doesn’t get enough credit as a nationally elite RB. He had 153 yards rushing in the win. Even though Clemson won by 20 the last time Va Tech and Clemson played you have to give the Hokies the big edge. That is not the same team from September.
Comeback!
Trailing 42-14 in the 2nd Half, NC State made a comeback for the ages. That was 42 straight unanswered points to win 56-41, even against a team as bad Maryland, is incredible. The win gets NC State bowl eligible, and I think into the Belk Bowl in Charlotte. They usually want a North Carolina school if they can get one, and I think NC State might have pushed their way in. I’m not a Tom O’Brien guy, but he helped salvage a season in Raleigh that was head nowhere.
No Quit in them
Boston College came up with a win I certainly didn’t see coming. That’s a credit to their coaching staff that has taken a beating all season. Boston College had been showing positive signs for weeks and now has won 3 of their last 5. They went down to Miami and won 24-17. Luke Kuechly the BC All-American LB ran an interception back for TD, I’m sure BC fans hope he returns for his senior season. The BC Fans seemed a little indifferent to the win though. They were happy, but I don’t think many are pleased that the win probably saved Frank Spaziani’s job.
Not Basketball but you’ll take it
The UNC\Duke rivalry game went pretty much unnoticed during this weekend, but North Carolina did win 37-21 to finish the season 7-5. Dwight Jones the All-ACC WR for UNC had 3 TD receptions and RB Giovani Bernhard had 165 yards rushing. Another 8 win season is possible UNC.
Saving Face
Thank goodness Florida State saved a little face for the ACC in the annual ACC\SEC rivalry games. The other matchups were all pretty much out of hand by the middle of the 3rd quarter. FSU didn’t exactly look sharp against an average Florida team, but who cares? They went into the Swamp and took care of Florida 21-7, for their second straight win over the Gators. The win positions Seminoles for quality bowl game in either the Chick Fila Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl. I’d still argue the Noles have the most future potential of any ACC team. We just keep waiting for them to breakthrough.
The Bad
Sinking
Remember when Clemson was 8-0 ranked in the top 10 and was considered a darkhorse national title contender? Since then Clemson has lost 3 of their last 4, and the offense is a shadow of what it was last month. This is a reeling team playing with no confidence, and simply just playing really poorly. The offensive line has been manhandled 2 weeks in a row, and I’m having hard time envisioning a way for the Tigers to beat the Hokies. 3 Straight losses might drop the Tigers all the way to the Sun Bowl.
Need Recruiting Help
Paul Johnson is a good coach. Al Groh is a good coach, but unless the talent level is upgraded 8-9 wins will be the ceiling at Georgia Tech. UGA whipped Georgia Tech in a 31-17 in a game that wasn’t that close. The talent gap was so overwhelming Georgia could have probably spotted the Jackets 17 and still won. Both sides of the ball need a serious talent upgrade to consistently compete with the better ACC and SEC teams.
Forgot there was another game to play
Wake Forest was bowl eligible and thank goodness, because the Deacs played probably their worst game of the year in a 41-7 home loss to Vanderbilt. The defense was shredded for nearly 500 yards, and James Franklin got Vanderbilt bowl eligible. You know Maryland could have had James Franklin as their head coach instead of Randy Edsall. I’m just saying.
Same goes for Miami. Even though they decided to skip the bowl season, they still had Boston College to play on Friday, but lost 24-17 to Boston College team playing for pride. The Canes finish the season 6-6 with an uncertain future. It certainly seems like this program is years away from being relevant.
Yea Basketball Season!
Duke looked impressive winning the Maui Invitational with wins over top 20 ranked Michigan and Kansas. The football team lost 37-21 to UNC to end the season 3-8. Meh same story just another chapter.
Not there yet…
If Virginia had been able to knock off Virginia Tech they would have been way ahead of schedule, but really it was too much to ask. I know the Cavs would have preferred to play a more competitive game than a 38 point loss, obviously, but they accomplished so much this season. It’s shouldn’t put a damper on the season. If Virginia wins their bowl game, I’d consider it an outstanding year for Mike London and his team.
The Maryland
This is isn’t even funny anymore. The Terps led 41-14 in the 2nd half and ended up losing to NC State 56-41. It was the final indignity to a nightmare of a season for new head coach Randy Edsall that ended with 10 losses. The only person smiling after this Terrapin disaster is Ralph Friedgen.
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