Tag Archives: Richmond

Ranking the Best ACC Football Matchups of 2013: #100-91

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Pitt's One of Several ACC Schools That Scheduled A Few Less-Than-Stellar Opponents

Pitt’s One of Several ACC Schools That Scheduled A Few Less-Than-Stellar Opponents

The 2013 ACC football schedule has officially been released, meaning we finally have some clarity as to whom the conference’s 14 teams will face-off with from week-to-week next season. So with that in mind, we thought it would be an entertaining undertaking to rank all 112 ACC football games for 2013 because, well… it’s the offseason.

Today, we take a quick glance at numbers 100 through 91; wrapping up FCS opponents, along with a smattering of terrible FBS teams. As part of the conference’s continuing PR battle, the volume of cupcake opponents actually goes a long way. In the past, teams have fallen victim to difficult slates devoid of “easy” matchups — something every school looked to avoid this year.

#100: Old Dominion Monarchs at Pittsburgh Panthers (Saturday, October 19)

#99: Idaho Vandals at Florida State Seminoles (Saturday, November 23)

#98: Boston College Eagles at New Mexico State Aggies (Saturday, November 9)

#97: Richmond Spiders at NC State Wolfpack (Saturday, September 7)

#96: Florida Atlantic Owls at Miami Hurricanes (Friday, August 30)

#95: New Mexico Lobos at Pittsburgh Panthers (Saturday, September 14)

#94: Duke Blue Devils at Memphis Tigers (Saturday, September 7)

#93: Old Dominion Monarchs at Maryland Terrapins (Saturday, September 7)

#92: Villanova Wildcats at Boston College Eagles (Saturday, August 31)

#91: Tulane Green Wave at Syracuse Orange (Saturday, September 21)

Some additional notes on today’s list:

  • Old Dominion, which is in the process of upgrading to the FBS, appears on this list twice (and once yesterday as well); a result of playing as a FCS independent
  • Of the 10 opponents (nine different teams), four are from the FCS and six are from the FBS
  • The 10 games appear on eight different dates, including three on Saturday, September 7
  • Breakdown of opponent conferences: Conference USA (3), CAA (2), FBS Independent (2), FCS Independent (2), Mountain West (1)
  • Breakdown of opponent home states: Virginia (3), New Mexico (2), Florida (1), Idaho (1), Louisiana (1), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (1)
  • Public vs. private universities: Seven public, three private

Previously: #112-101

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Final 2012 ACC Football Power Rankings

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Clemson's Big Upset Over LSU Was One of Several Wins to Help the ACC Save Face This Postseason

Clemson’s Big Upset Over LSU Was One of Several Wins to Help the ACC Save Face This Postseason

Well that was a pleasant surprise now, wasn’t it? After getting knocked around on and off the field all season, the ACC found itself when it counted — the postseason — and (including Pitt & SU) managed a 5-3 slate, it’s first winning bowl record since 2005. If you want to include Louisville (and I sure do, given their big Sugar Bowl win), that brings the league to 6-3, with wins over the SEC (LSU & Florida), Big 12 (West Virginia) and Pac-12 (pre-season no. 1 USC). But sure, keep laughing at this league. They proved themselves and more during this year’s bowl season, and hopefully it’s a building block for even more excellent football.

1. Florida State Seminoles (12-2) (7-1) (LW: 1): Knock FSU for their schedule, their two losses (why are we criticizing a 12-win team again?) or their lack of a chance at a national title this season. But at the end of the day, they’re exactly where they were slated to be. The ‘Noles will be back in that conversation again this decade. It just takes some time, and this — winning both the ACC and the Orange Bowl — was the first step. Jimbo Fisher’s team will need to get past several big losses going forward, most notably Bjoern Werner and EJ Manuel, but the foundation’s there for a bright future.

2. Clemson Tigers (11-2) (7-1) (LW: 2): Despite not making it to a BCS bowl game, I’d say the Tigers’ consolation prize was still well-worth the trouble, no? On a national stage, Clemson beat mighty SEC’s LSU Tigers, and in the process, ended up being part of the most-watched non-BCS college football game in ESPN’s history. Most stunning in Clemson’s 25-24 victory, however, was the oft-maligned defense. Down 11 points heading into the fourth, the Bayou Bengals could’ve just run the clock out throughout the final stanza. Instead, it was Clemson that stayed strong, shutting out LSU and setting up a defining win for the Dabo Swinney era.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) (5-3) (LW: 4): It’s tough to look at UNC’s 2012 season without imagining what could’ve been for a squad that seemed to finally turn the corner here in Larry Fedora’s first year. Knocking on the door of a division title for quite some time, the Heels finally put it all together, only to be ineligible for the postseason. So while it’s a disappointment for North Carolina fans to watch an eight-win season get laid to waste, it’s also built this program some street cred. Despite Giovani Bernard‘s departure to the NFL Draft, QB Bryn Renner will stick around for his senior year, meaning this team returns plenty of firepower; most of which this season only served as a preview for.

4. Syracuse Orange (8-5) (LW: 5): As if it was meant to be, Syracuse closed out their time in the Big East — the conference they built — by putting together its most impressive season in a decade. Up against one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules, and a top-heavy league to boot, the Orange still managed to win six of their final seven games. The exclamation point, however (on top of a split conference title), was their resounding victory over rival West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl. As someone who braved the cold to watch in-person, it was amazing to see this squad’s transformation from the season’s opening-week struggles to the machine-like execution against the Mountaineers.

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ACC Football 2012 Previews & Predictions: Week 1 (Part One)

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Can Logan Thomas and Virginia Tech Avoid an Early Upset Against Georgia Tech?

It’s here! After nearly eight excruciating months of realignment nonsense, smatterings of recruiting updates, spring practice injuries and arrests, the 2012 college football season is finally here! As per usual around these parts, I’ll be offering up my previews and predictions for each week’s ACC games in a format very much resembling the post you see below. Agree with my choices? Tell me all about it. Or are you wondering with disgust how I could possibly pick against your favorite squad and their mediocre collection of former three-star recruits? Feel free to voice your dissenting opinion in the comments section below as well.

At least for this week: Good luck this season, everyone! And hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day/College Football Kickoff weekend!

Game of the Week

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Tech Hokies: This Labor Day matchup has a ton of implications for the first week of the season, giving the winner a nice inside track to take home the Coastal division title. With a full offseason to prepare, though, will the VPI defense (one of the nation’s best) be too prepared for the Wreck’s triple-option to succeed? Or will the Georgia Tech defensive line catch an inexperienced Hokies O-line sleeping in their first game? I’m tempted to believe that Logan Thomas is the real deal, regardless of who’s blocking for him. Plus, if Tevin Washington still hasn’t figured out how to throw the ball, it could be far too predictable a gameplan for the league’s second-best rushing D to sniff out. Prediction: Virginia Tech 24, Georgia Tech 20

The Rest of the Slate (in order of start time):

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ACC 2012 Schedule Outlook: Virginia Cavaliers

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Virginia Head Coach Mike London Is Fairly Satisfied With the Prospects of His Team's 2012 Schedule

With all of the realignment and rescheduling nonsense going on around the country, we wanted to give a breakdown of each of the ACC teams‘s schedules — how the squads stack up, and some thoughts on overall difficulty. If these change at all, we’ll also be sure to update them on a rolling basis. All information is up-to-date as of publishing, based on the latest from FBSchedules.com.

Today’s breakdown: Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia gets a moderately challenging slate for 2012, though much of that is focused in on their non-conference opponents. Unlike many of their conference-mates, the Cavaliers wrap up their entire non-ACC schedule by the end of September, playing five games in the season’s first month (four non-ACC, plus one league). Opening the year, they play host to the FCS Richmond Spiders, whom you may recall upset Duke last season, followed by a Penn State program that’s still reeling from their 2011 fiasco and Joe Paterno’s unfortunate passing in the offseason.Also headed to Charlottesville is Louisiana Tech — last year’s WAC champions — for a game most will likely overlook, but can still pose a legitimate challenge should UVa get off to a slow start. Most importantly, Virginia travels to Fort Worth, Tex. to take on TCU in one of the ACC’s most difficult non-conference tests. When the late September matchup rolls around, the Horned Frogs could very well be in the top 10 — an intimidating, but welcome test for the Cavaliers as they’re trying to prove 2011 was no fluke. Continue reading →

ACC 2012 Scheduling Outlook: Duke Blue Devils

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Head Coach David Cutcliffe Leads Duke Into the ACC's Toughest League Schedule in 2012

With all of the insanity going on over in the Big East, we wanted to give a breakdown of each of the ACC‘s schedules — how the teams stack up, and some thoughts on overall difficulty. If these change at all, we’ll also be sure to update them on a rolling basis. All information is up-to-date as of publishing, based on the latest from FBSchedules.com.

Today’s breakdown: Duke Blue Devils

For the 2012 season, Duke plays about as manageable a schedule as possible when you’re a Blue Devils team that hasn’t reached a bowl game since 1994. With an eye on six wins, the team’s non-conference features three highly winnable games, along with their own gig as Stanford‘s sacrificial lamb. Among their other non-ACC matchups, Duke gets three home games — versus Memphis, Florida International and NC Central. All are highly winnable, and all will be imperative to the Blue Devils’ six-win goal. Of course, no FCS squad should be counted out completely for Duke. See last year’s Richmond debacle as exhibit-A. Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson, though.

Lucky for Duke they scheduled as they did in non-conference play however, because they arguably face the toughest collection of conference opponents any ACC opponent is stuck with. Of the nine bowl-eligible league teams in 2011, Duke faces eight of them, only missing out on NC State. While they do get rivals North Carolina and Virginia at home, both are programs that seem to have continued pulling in talent on this year’s recruiting front and thus, are unlikely to drop off from solid 2011 campaigns. To make matters worse, the Blue Devils will get the demoralizing experiences of hosting Clemson’s frightening offense at home, along with both Florida State and Virginia Tech on the road. Even if Duke is improved in 2012, it’s uncertain as this juncture whether their W-L will indicate as much.

Previously: Boston College, Clemson

2011 ACC Season Recap: Duke Blue Devils

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Sean Renfree Needs Even More Improvement If Duke Hopes to Leave the ACC Cellar

Team: Duke Blue Devils

W-L: 3-9 (1-7)

Postseason: N/A

Top Offensive Performer: Sean Renfree, QB

Top Defensive Performer: Matt Daniels, SS

For the first time in 15 years, Duke opened their football season with the potential promise of a postseason bowl berth. Quarterback Sean Renfree was continuing to develop and head coach David Cutcliffe seemingly had the squad believing it had turned the corner. While this may have been true from a morale standpoint, the on-field results still could not deliver. Of course, the Blue Devils were competitive in most games — something unseen around Durham for quite some time — but with just three wins (and a loss to FCS school Richmond), there must be some doubt about whether Cutcliffe (15-33 in four seasons) can truly get it done.

In the passing attack, Duke made great strides, finishing among the top 30 teams in the country throwing the ball, at over 272 yards per game. What would kill them, though, was their lack of a running game. Averaging about 94 yards per contest, only five teams were worse than Duke in that department. It showed when they got to the red zone, scoring just 26 touchdowns on 47 chances. Combined with Renfree’s nearly one-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio (13:11) and there’s still plenty of growth left to do on that side of the ball for 2012. Continue reading →

Big East Expansion: Who’s Looking to Start a New Basketball Conference?

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Could Georgetown Be Stirring Up Another Big East Exodus?

Apologizing for the slight divergence from our regularly scheduled programming (football) in advance:

In what has become a weekly saga around these parts, we take a look at our (and by our, I mean Syracuse‘s) former stomping grounds (the Big East), which look more like a graveyard most days. While addition has been on everyone’s mind lately, it appears that some more future defections could lead to subtraction in the future (shockingly?). Says the Chronicle of Higher Education: “…two Big East members (that) have had conversations about leaving the conference to start a new league built around traditional basketball powers.” This is, of course, of no surprise to anyone who’s ever been on the inside of the hulking, slow behemoth known as the Big East. But the bigger questions still loom — who are the two Benedict Arnolds, soon to be the “new Pitt and Syracuse?” and if these schools were to form a basketball superconference, who else would be on board?

Obviously, the additions of schools like SMU, Houston and UCF to the basketball league do nothing for the overall quality but provide additional punching bags for the likes of Georgetown and Louisville. Since most of the Big East currently pads their out of conference schedule in advance of what’s usually a brutal 18-game league schedule, these additional bottom-feeders really don’t help. We can surmise that multiple basketball schools are unhappy about this, but which ones are so unhappy they’d consider defection? Keep in mind that candidates will almost definitely be of the league’s old guard, and won’t have a football program (or much of one to speak of). They also won’t be Providence, because John Marinatto and the school hold joint ownership of the conference (metaphorically). Which leads us to Georgetown and St. John’s. Why them, but not say Seton Hall or Marquette? Simple: TV revenue.

Once again, we know that schools are unhappy with this setup, but you have to look at which ones possess enough value to attract other big basketball schools away from their respective conferences and into the “Roundball League” (or whatever probably horrendous name it adopts). Since the Hoyas and Red Storm deliver parts of the New York and D.C. markets, these are your best options. We avoid Villanova since not only do they fail to be the hottest game in town, but their football program is looking to move up in the world (not possible in a basketball-only league). With these two main players set, the following Big East teams probably jump at the chance to join up: Marquette, Seton Hall, DePaul. Assuming they aim for 12, who else do they grab?

In this scenario, we assume Memphis and Temple are pushed by the Big East failing to extend an invite (highly plausible). Recognizing the sinking ship they’d remain a part of, ‘Nova would finally jump to this league, as would Providence. For the final two spots (and to keep it semi-regional), I’d encourage George Mason and VCU. What you’re left with is a 16-team basketball superconference, whose weak link would probably still be DePaul (surely the Demon Deacons don’t find this as entertaining as I do). To be honest, they’d probably get just as many bids as the ACC for the NCAA Tournament every year (if not more). A frightening thought, but far too important to ignore.

If this all comes to fruition (we’re far from that right now), who’d you like to see in this basketball-only superleague? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.