Recently we went over what we liked about the ACC’s football schedule. It’s time to turn page, because it wasn’t all good. We have 5 big complaints about the 2016 football schedule.
So here we go.
1) The week before the ACC/SEC Rivalry Games.
While the ACC has dominated the SEC 7-1 the last two years during their final week rivalry games, I don’t care for what has been done this year. Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Florida State are all playing conference games the week before games with Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Louisville has a challenging road game with Houston before facing Kentucky.
I guarantee that the SEC teams will either have BYEs or facing a lower division team, which basically gives them 2 weeks to prepare for their ACC opponent. It is one reason I believe until recently the SEC had such an edge in these games. Though in the case of South Carolina losing to Citadel in 2015, and Florida losing to Georgia Southern in 2013, the strategy doesn’t always work out.
2) Too many Friday night games
I understand that the ACC has agreed to play Friday night games because of the ACC Television contract with ESPN. I even watch them sometimes, but 5 of them? The conference needs to cap this at 3 games a season. Especially in the south High School football rules the day. Florida State definitely should not be hosting a game, and Clemson having to play in one isn’t great either.
Why is Louisville playing in 2 of them? I’m ok with the post Thanksgiving Friday night game between UNC and NC State, and 2 others but yea 5 is too many.
3) Again Virginia?
I kept hoping Virginia would find a way out of playing Oregon. They didn’t, and again the Cavaliers have a game on their schedule that does nothing for their program at the moment. Don’t even get me started on why Virginia scheduled a game at Boise State in 2017. That’s sure to be on this list next year.
No programs schedules worse OOC than Virginia. They typically lose these type games which result in black eyes for their team and the conference.
4) Spreading out Power 5 / Notre Dame non-conference games.
Fair or not the ACC is always fighting their football perception issues. This goes back to #1, when the ACC teams are playing conference games before their traditional SEC rivals. Here is another problem – back to back power 5 / Notre Dame non-conference games. Duke playing at Northwestern then at Notre Dame. Pitt playing Penn State then going to Oklahoma State. North Carolina playing Georgia then at Illinois.
Conference’s get judged on these type games, let’s give the ACC teams the best chance to win them.
5) Virginia Tech’s 7 weeks between Saturday home games
Virginia Tech’s Lane stadium, one of the ACC’s great venues, doesn’t have Saturday home game the entire month of October. In fact after September 24, Lane stadium has their next Saturday home game November 12th against Georgia Tech.
There is a Thursday night game home with Miami on October 22, that you know the Hokies are glad to have. It still seems like an oddly laid out schedule that for a conference without a lot of brand football programs to go 7 weeks without a home Saturday game for Virginia Tech.
I’d be curious to know if Hokie fans feel the same.
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