The ACC recently released their 2021 ACC football schedule. We just looked at what we do like about the 2021 football, but what do we not like?
Here we go.
1) Miami vs Alabama (September 4, 2021)
Does anyone think Miami has a chance in this game? Yea I didn’t think so…
Alabama has a history of ruining season openers for OOC opponents – 2019 Alabama 42 Duke 3, 2018 Alabama 51 Louisville 14, 2017 Alabama 24 Florida State 7, 2016 Alabama 52 USC 6, 2015 Alabama 35 Wisconsin 17… Do I need to go on? Only 2017 Florida State had any business scheduling Alabama. I hope Miami gets a nice paycheck for this game, because playing Alabama to open a season virtually guarantees an 0-1 blowout loss start to the season.
2) Georgia Tech playing Notre Dame and Georgia in back to back weeks
I’m not sure who Georgia Tech made angry at the ACC offices, but playing Notre Dame and Georgia in back to back weeks to end the season is pretty ridiculous.
This is a finish just about any team in college football would struggle with, and Georgia Tech has enough trouble playing the bottom of the ACC in the current stage of their rebuild. Notre Dame and Georgia to end the season is just mean.
3) Virginia and Syracuse (November BYE weeks)
For the most part the ACC BYE weeks are pretty equitable, but don’t tell that to Virginia and Syracuse. The Hoos and the Orange have to wait until November 6th for their BYE weeks! That’s 9 straight weeks of football before a break for either team.
The ACC didn’t do those schools any favors.
4) When October is your first conference game
How did some ACC team’s schedule end up without a conference game until October? Boston College, Syracuse, Duke, and Pittsburgh don’t play a conference game until October. That is not the way to build interest in your conference races by having more than 25% of your conference not play an in-conference game to open the season. As @KevinReitmeyer pointed out to me on twitter, the ACC gives their teams flexibility on OOC scheduling. They need to mandate at least 1 conference game in September.
5) Lack of Big 12 and Pac 12 Opponents
I’m not sure the ACC understands the majority of your Power 5 OOC opponents don’t have to come from just the SEC. There is just one OOC opponent from the Big 12 and Pac 12 and that’s Virginia Tech vs West Virginia. Maybe instead of Alabama, Miami could play a USC or Oregon instead in a far more interesting game.
Wouldn’t UNC vs Texas be fun?
The ACC missed a chance to get some eyeballs on the conference from west of the Mississippi. There’s people out there too.
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply