It’s been a little while since I’ve posted about football, huh? That’s what happens when the sneakers start squeaking the round balls start bouncing. I get distracted. Or at least, that’s my excuse. I have two weeks worth of thoughts to dump here, so I’ll probably miss some stuff.
The big event in the ACC of course was the stomping that Miami gave Virginia Tech last weekend. They were very impressive and are clearly now the class of the league.
The other big event was NC State’s surprising, yet somewhat predictable, upset of Florida State. Does that mean that the Pack is back? I’ll talk more about both teams below in my rankings.
1. Miami (7-1, 4-1) – That lethargic first half against North Carolina was the very best thing that could have happened to this Miami team. They had gone five weeks without playing a team that would make them exert any effort (since their September 24 game against Colorado) and I think they just forgot how to play hard. When you are talented and fast, it’s very easy to fall into a pattern of playing at something less than full speed. I mean, why get up to play Duke or Temple? The problem is that when you do that week after week, you get complacent. Enter UNC. While the Tar Heels may not be an elite team, they are pretty good and they came out fired up against the Hurricanes.
Carolina smacked the Canes on their butts for a half and clearly that sent a message. The Miami team that came out in the second half was a completely different team. Local writers blamed (at least in part) that loss on the terrible first half drop by Jawarski Pollack of what would have been a sure touchdown. The thing is, those writers were ignoring what Miami did in the second half. It wouldn’t have mattered if Carolina had had another touchdown. Miami was going to win either way.
The Hurricanes came out with that same passion from the opening kick against the Hokies last Saturday. They just wanted it more and it showed. I don’t think they are that much better than Tech, but on that night they were.
It’s a shame that Miami couldn’t find a way to win that opening game against FSU, because they are rounding into a national championship caliber team. Or well, they would be if not for several key injuries. Even so, they’ll probably get their revenge over the Seminoles in the ACC Championship game.
2. Virginia Tech (8-1, 5-1) – Sure, they got exposed a bit, but this is still a good team. Marcus Vick was absolutely horrible in that game. I don’t think it means he’s that bad though – he just had a bad game at a bad time. Miami’s defense was jacked up and he didn’t respond properly. I think he’ll do better next time he gets a chance like that.
3. Florida State (7-2, 5-2) – Yeah, they’ve lost twice now and kept Maryland in the game two weeks ago, but who else are you going to put here?
The recurring problem for this team is that they are unable to generate a ground game. It’s hard to understand why, because they have some terrific running backs. Their offensive line does a good job of pass protection, but maybe they’re just too slow to open running lanes. Or maybe it’s the schemes. I don’t claim to know, but something’s wrong.
Still, this is a fast team who can beat anyone in the country when they are playing well.
4. Georgia Tech (6-2, 4-2) – There’s still a big dropoff from #3 to #4. I like the Jackets here over the Eagles, because Boston College is just so damn boring to watch. While neither Reggie Ball nor PJ Daniels are having the seasons I expected of them, this is still a good team. It’s not a great team, but they do just manage to win. And they are one freak play away from being 7-1 on the season.
5. Boston College (6-3, 3-3) – It’s one thing to be dominated by Florida State, but when Carolina manhandles you, well …
The Eagles were actually in the game against Carolina the whole team, but it never felt that way. The score was close, and maybe Carolina wouldn’t have won without that touchdown on the opening kickoff, but for some reason it just never seemed like BC took control of the game. Carolina’s defense kept them from making any big plays and BC wasn’t effective enough stopping the Heels’ running game.
With games left against a resurgent NC State and at Maryland, it’s entirely possible that BC could close out their season on a four-game skid.
6. North Carolina (4-4, 3-2) – I have to concede that I’m coming around on John Bunting. Maybe the man can coach. He has the Heels playing some very good, if boring, ball these days. Check out their last three games – a defensive masterpiece against a hot Virginia team, a half of an upset against Miami and a methodical beating of Boston College. That’s a very solid run.
At 4-4, the Heels need two more wins to get to another bowl game. Duke is a gimme and a game at Lane Stadium is probably an L. That leaves this weekend’s home game against Maryland as the most important game the Heels have left. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in that one, as both teams seem to have found their stride.
7. Clemson (5-4, 3-4) – I freely admit that when it comes to ranking these middle teams, it’s a tossup. It’s just very slight perception differences between the teams. Clemson has beaten Maryland and NC State, but yet they lost to Wake, BC and GT. Ah well, this feels about right.
At 5-4, the Tigers are once again in precarious spot. They have only two games left – Florida State at home and South Carolina on the road. Neither of those are easy games. The Seminoles are obviously beatable, having lost to two teams that I haven’t even ranked yet, but they’ll be pissed on Saturday. If Clemson can get a ground game going, they can win. Against the Gamecocks, anything can happen, but something tells me that Spurrier will find a way to win that game.
If the Tigers manage to lose both games, will that finally be the final blow for Tommy Bowden’s tumultuous reign? It would mean a losing record, no bowl game, finishing with three losses in the final four games and – worst of all – losing to the hated USC and their shiny, new evil coach. I predict that it would spell doom for little Tommy.
8. Maryland (4-3, 2-2) – The Terps have lost two in a row, but they were against Virginia Tech and at Florida State. Not too many teams wouldn’t have lost both games. Of great interest should be how well they played in Tallahassee. I was watching the game for a while and started flipping channels after the Noles got up 14 early. I felt I’d seen that show before and that Maryland was headed for a big, ugly beatdown. Didn’t happen that way though. The Terrapins fought back and were actually in the game until the very end.
That said something to me. While they aren’t a really good team, Maryland is a good one. They can give anyone trouble. Again, I think their game in Chapel Hill this weekend will be very interesting. Maryland need to find a way to get two wins out of their last three games – that game at UNC, home against BC and at NC State.
9. Virginia (5-3, 2-3) – They spanked Temple. Whoopdedo. Doesn’t really mean a whole lot, does it?
Like just about every other conference team, the Cavs need a strong finish to get to a bowl game this year. They only need one win to be eligible, but their last three are pretty damn tough – home against Georgia Tech, home against Virginia Tech and then at Miami. Those three teams are a combined 21-4. A crushing finish to the season is entirely possible. The difficulty of the last two makes this weekend’s game against the Yellow Jackets extra critical. Knowing the history of those teams, expect something like a 41-38 shootout.
10. NC State (4-4, 2-4) – I want to rank the Wolfpack higher. I really do, but it’s hard just yet. That win over Florida State was very impressive, but they Pack had already dug themselves quite a hole.
Most people seem to be focusing on the 2-0 record of new starting QB Marcus Stone and the running of sudden sensation Andre Brown, but I really think the stars of that big win were the defensive line. State played a nickel or dime just about the entire game, but yet still put continuous pressure on Florida State’s backfield. It was impressive. It was what we expected of that line all year. Ironically, it seems like they’ve gotten better since they lost John McCargo who I thought had been their most effective lineman. Maybe his loss inspired the other guys to step up or maybe it was just a coincidence, but either way it was much needed.
I should also point out that State’s offensive line also played very well. Brown rushed for a lot of yards, but he had some HUGE holes to run through at times. I don’t know if they changed their blocking schemes or what, but something’s gotten better, and it’s not just the running back. It’s not like Darrell Blackman and Toney Baker were any slouches.
The Pack has one cupcake left, with Middle Tennessee State next week, so they need to get just one win out of their trip to Boston or their last game against Maryland. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’ll win all three and make Chuck Amato once again the toast of Raleigh. Somehow I think he’d enjoy that change.
11. Wake Forest (4-6, 3-4) – Well, at least the Deacons showed how big the gap is between them and Duke. They may not be going to a bowl game this season, but they did prove that they are doing something right when they beat the Blue Devils by five touchdowns a couple of weeks ago. That counts for something, right?
12. Duke (1-9, 0-7) – Honestly? I’m running out of jokes here. Anyone have anything new?
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