"I am thrilled that Miami, and Virginia Tech and Boston College — and before them the Seminoles — joined North Carolina and N.C. State and Clemson and the fellows. If they had not, the ACC would be the Southern Conference, and I mean no disrespect to Appalachian State."WHEN YOU THINK about ACC football, there is a term you can’t avoid. The term, of course, is mid-major.
What happened? After annexing Miami and Virginia Tech and then Boston College, the ACC looked potent. Look out, SEC. Well, maybe not SEC, but look out everybody else. I remember telling Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter he was lucky his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers didn’t play in the ACC. I hope he doesn’t remember.
The Hokies have been tremendous. Along with a superior program, they offer superior fans and an environment that on game days is, like Clemson, SEC worthy.
Boston College is consistently pretty good. Miami, alas, has been a disappointment. The Hurricanes lost to North Carolina. They were supposed to be a super power but, like Florida State, they no longer are elite. Miami ended its season by losing 40-3 to Louisiana State and losing four assistant coaches. Another was run off earlier.
But I am thrilled that Miami, and Virginia Tech and Boston College — and before them the Seminoles — joined North Carolina and N.C. State and Clemson and the fellows. If they had not, the ACC would be the Southern Conference, and I mean no disrespect to Appalachian State.
The North Carolina programs are abysmal. Duke is supposed to be abysmal, and the Blue Devils always live up or down to that standard. Wake Forest also has an excuse. The Deacons are supposed to win only when they play Duke and Clemson.
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack annually underachieve. When I met North Carolina coach John Bunting, I was so moved I wanted to suit up. A former Tar Heels linebacker, the man is charismatic and, oh, how he loves his school.
He might not have been the first choice — imagine the work Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer would do in Chapel Hill — but it was tough to envision a recruit turning him down.
Bunting remains charismatic and he still loves his school, but I’m not sure his school loves him back. The Tar Heels went 4-4 in the conference last season and 5-6 overall. For them, anything above .500 feels like major success.
When you look in hindsight at what Mack Brown accomplished at North Carolina, he did a better job there than he has at Texas. Bunting, meanwhile, would be a great fundraiser.
Everybody rips N.C. State coach Chuck Amato. I refuse to get on the bandwagon. I’ve ripped him for years. He once was considered a star. He had the shades and the shoes and the daring and quarterback Philip Rivers. I think he still has the shades and the shoes.
In six seasons, he has lost two more ACC games than he has won. Last season N.C. State was 3-5 in the conference and 7-5 overall.
Clemson always looks good before the season. Then the season begins. The Tigers are never as good as you expect them to be.
Danny Ford spoiled us. His team played for the national championship. These days, the Tigers play for the championship of South Carolina.
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