We can’t very well write a post about the ACC’s 10 best OOC wins since 2010 without also unfortunately listing the losses. The good news is that haven’t been that been that many additions since our 10 worst OOC losses since 2008 a couple of years ago.
The ACC is in a constant battle to improve it’s football reputation, and it has done that the last 2-3 years, but many of these losses still weren’t that long ago.
Keep in mind these aren’t always losses to bad teams, but some of these also were national stage games where the ACC team… well simply didn’t show up.
1. #13 Virginia Tech 16 James Madison 21 – September 11, 2010
2 Years ago this loss topped the worst loss in the ACC, and it still does now. This Virginia Tech team rolled through the ACC winning all 9 games. They were the ACC’s best team in 2010. There was no question about that, but they couldn’t beat a 5 loss team from the Colonial conference on their home field. It didn’t get much lower for the ACC than this.
2. #14 Clemson 38 #22 West Virginia 70 – January 4, 2012
Following the season the 2010 ACC Champion Virginia Tech lost to James Madison, the ACC needed a bounceback. They didn’t get it from 2011 ACC Champion Clemson. I consider the 2010-2011 season as the rock bottom of the ACC’s national perception. Clemson went to the Orange Bowl and got 70 points dropped on them from Big East representative West Virginia. Clemson eventually overcame this loss to become a national power the last few years, but this was an absolute disastrous performance for Clemson and the ACC.
3. Duke 21 Richmond 23 – September 3, 2011
Losses like this for Duke, seem like an eternity ago. Still at the time you wondered if Duke would ever get to the point of consistent winner they are now. Losing 23 – 21 to FCS member Richmond was embarrassing for Duke and the ACC.
4. Boston College 31 Army 34 – October 6, 2012
Army went 2-10 in 2012, but one of those two wins came against Boston College 34-31. Boston College also went 2-10, but this Army team was awful. The Cadets also had a 20 point loss to FCS member Stony Brook. There’s more ugliness to come for Boston College.
5. Boston College 3 Central Florida 30 – October 10, 2011
We are finding out why Frank Spaziani is longer at Boston College. They went on the road in 2011 and lost by nearly 4 TDs, to a Central Florida team that went 5-7 (3-5) in Conference USA. Boston College has the rare distinction of being the only two-time participant on this list.
6. Akron 21 Pittsburgh 10 – September 27, 2014
Pittsburgh started in 2014 in decent fashion open the year 3-1, but the good will game to a crashing end when the Panthers lost by double digits to an Akron team from the MAC that went 5-7 (3-5) – at home. Ouch this one was really bad…
7. Georgia Tech 28 Middle Tennessee 49 – September 29, 2012
Two years before Georgia Tech magical 11-3 top 10 finish in 2014, Paul Johnson was starting to feel some heat. This 3 touchdown home loss to Middle Tennessee was one of the lowest points. While the Sun Belt conference’s Blue Raiders went 8-4, they also had losses to McNeese St. and a 45-0 defeat at the hands of Arkansas St.
8. East Carolina 70 North Carolina 41 – September 14, 2014
There is something especially embarrassing about giving up 70+ points, and that’s what North Carolina did to the AAC’s East Carolina. North Carolina was 2-0 and on the fringe of the top 25, but they were ran out of Greenville, NC. What made it even worse was in 2013, the Tar Heels gave up 55 points to the Pirates, proving they learned nothing from the year before. This game set the tone for one the worst defenses in the ACC in recent years.
9. Louisiana-Monroe 21 Wake Forest 19 – September 14, 2013
This was the kind of loss where you knew it was close to the end for Wake Forest head Jim Grobe. Louisiana-Monroe finished 2013 6-6 with a 4-3 record in the Sun Belt conference, but went on the road and defeated Wake Forest.
10. #2 Oregon 59 #3 Florida Sate 20 – January 1, 2015
How does a national-semifinal game where you lost and were the underdog make this list? When you lose by nearly 40 on one of the biggest stages in College Football. Fair or not – all year long Florida State’s national credibility was put in question due to it’s many close ACC wins. While FSU deserved their spot in the National Semi-Finals, the final score of this game is all most people will remember.
Become a fan of the ACC on Facebook and follow the ACC on Twitter
2 pings
Hokie Mark says:
February 14, 2015 at 9:13 pm (UTC -5)
Two problems with this list:
1) FSU losing to Oregon in the playoffs and Wake losing to ULM – not “worst” losses.
2) No UVA games? How about 2013 Ball State 48, UVA 27…
Jfann says:
February 14, 2015 at 10:22 pm (UTC -5)
Ball State vs Virginia was on my list of contendors, but that was a 10-3 Ball State team. Oregon FSU makes the list just because of the sheer point differential, and the perception hit the ACC took.
As always HokieMark appreciate the comments! .