What is being seen in the ACC this year is balance. Miami is finding out they are not going to coast through so easily. Clemson beats Miami and Duke beats Clemson is an example of the intensity. Going to 12 in the ACC is actually promoting balance and the ACC only had 11 this year. With BC, a possible BE champion this year, is going to add to ACC depth and intensity. I was no fan, however, of BC being picked for the ACC. On that one, the ACC really has overstepped and disrespected another's fundamental turf. Obviously though, being self-serving is allowed at another's perceived expense. On the other hand, BC had no interest in playing "junior" to another Roman Catholic institution, Notre Dame. One can bet, that was a part of BC's thinking, though perhaps not the prime driving force for their move.

These rankings that have the SEC power ratings lower than expected are missing the point. When they reflect conference powers knocking each other off internally, projecting externally warrants caution. The SEC had last year's national co-champion, and contrary to polls and their pre-season guessing, Auburn may be the best in the country. Though an SEC fan, LSU and Auburn are not among my favorites, but I respect them.
In the ACC, FSU and Miami are not suddenly going softer necessarily; their conference competition is improving.
Lash, I side with Westwolf on the point about Notre Dame. There have been claims and suggestions that Notre Dame is going to grace the BE in football. To disagree with that, and no evidence to contrary, is not BE bashing. There are many of us, including yourself, that want to see a viable BCS type conference with its core in the northeast. The ACC raided three (two geographically southern), and Penn State was never a part of it. However, some of the judgments made by MT and member factions of the conference will get questioned. Some can justify all they want that Notre Dame is helping the BE, and wishful thinking abounds. The merit of the situation looks all one way, and that is in Notre Dame's favor. Remember, the Big10 never told Notre Dame they can just join them for bb and women's and other olympic sports. They wouldn't pose such an offer. The BE did. At least St. John's, Georgetown, 'Nova, etc. don't have 1-A independent football teams hanging out there. In that sense, the Notre Dame situation is unique. Rather than saying Notre Dame, "be gone if you are not fully with us", the BE is saying "oh please, will you throw a straw in the wind if it blows our way!"

Westwolf, agreed the Fridge is a good coach and will have the Terps back to form very quickly.

Guess if you have lived all your life in MD dont really need to adopt the Terps.

I agree with you on both BC providing a renewed interest to the ACC and likewise Louisiville may just be the ticket the NBE needs to get a spark.

I am very surprised at both the ACC and Big East this year. BC has never done much at all in the BE for football and this year they are trying to make a statement. Same for Louisiville in Conf USA. Maybe the departing teams have that self imposed pressure to prove thier worthiness as they get ready for the new digs.

The BE will be much better in football next year with out having those lame duck teams. Hopefully when the conference is back to full membership, the bashing will stop. Well maybe except the BCS and that is another subject.

I am pleased to see the ACC put a scare in the top two Florida bullies and should make the conference more rounded in the future for football.

I expected Maryland to do what North Carolina did this year. Maybe next year will be the Terps turn.

The ACC may have expanded for football, however, the conference may be more exciting in basketball this year.

DogsNC@cks, I am not sure the situation that happened in the ACC this year is due to balance. Maybe in a few years that will hold to be true.

Miami losing to North Carolina and Clemson which are arguably two of the worst football programs in the nation is not about balance and more about motivation.

The same can be true of Boston College and Louisville success this year is probably due to motivation because of upcoming conference changes. Louisville does have talent.

North Carolina was very much against ACC expansion and many still dont like the ACC with 11 and soon to be 12. If anything can motivate a team to take down Miami the route cause of ACC expansion, North Carolina certainly had the motivation.

Your theory on 12 teams gets some objections when you look a the Big 12 North this year. There is no desire for any team to step up in that 12 team conference.

I do agree with you on Notre Dame situation in the Big East. The problem is that Notre Dame was granted this privilege long before the BCS was created and need for BE to have more than 8 football teams.

In a perfert world, the Eastern All Sports League would have 10 perferfect sized members

Penn State, Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers, Temple, Army, Navy (UConn could be included as well now the school is 1A).

and Notre Dame would have to find a sport league in the midwest where it belongs.

I think what happened in the ACC was due to the "North Carolina St." effect. They whipped FSU 3 out of 5 years and came close one of the other years (and again this year in the 6th year). The aura of invincibility is out. Before, FSU always was sure they would win and the other schools found a way to lose. Confidence makes a world of difference.

FSU's lack of invincibility has also helped recruiting at the other ACC schools. They are getting better. As for Miami, they joined 2 years too late to inherit the invincibility aura. The other schools know they can beat FSU, and Miami has no history of beating them. Interestingly, Georgia Tech who has always given FSU fits along with Duke and Wake Forest are the only ones not to beat FSU.

As an ACC fan I'm actually embarassed by the overall performance of the league this year. Keeping in mind these are still kids, liable to lose focus if their girlfriend changes her lip gloss, there appears to be a general malaise over most of the teams. Or to be more specific, there is a real lack of consistency among the would be powers.

- Losing on the road to an inconsistent UNC club can be forgiven, especially when playing them for the first time amidst all that pressure as Miami had been experiencing. But, given their recent defensive woes, wasn't Miami due and UNC just happened to have enough muster to punch that ticket?

- Too many home losses across the board suggest, to me, a modicum of mental weakness. GT to VT, Clemson to GT, Miami to Clemson, NCSU to GT... Say what we will about how the conference matches up with the other big boys, it'd be better if more teams could win the games they're supposed to.

- Poor, poor quarterbacking across the board. NCSU and Maryland at least have the excuse of new blood, but Rix, Sexton, Berlin, Ball, Whitehurst and Durant have been models of inconsistency at best, lousy play at their worst.

- Motivation? Wasn't there when UNC played ranked sides Louisville and Utah. UVA left it at home when traveling to "bring down" FSU. It may be me, but at times I feel everyone in the league has been playing on edge under this newly refocused spotlight.


Bottom line, it's just one of those years where I can see the conference win every bowl game, or none of them! Hopefully the coaching will prove itself worthy of righting the ship for next year.

Again I dont think the situation of the ACC this year has anything to do with invincitlity of Florida State or Miami or with parity or balance, it has to do with motivation.

Florida State which has captured all but one ACC championship since joining the league is hardly concerned with invincibility.

Factor in all the NC State players from Florida than could just as well attended FSU, and no need to worry about future requiting and performance.

Motivation is a big factor of why computers dont work in ranking opponents. Computers dont see or cant be programmed to take into account a Miami losing to North Carolina which was soundly defeated by both Louisiville and Utah was due to more motivation than skill or team strength. Unless we look at the Louisville and Utah wins over North Caroline as motivation factors and North Carolina was the better team?

If the trend continues in the ACC which would be more interesting, will Miami and Florida State come to realize that ACC expansion and leaving the comforts of the Big East may not have been the best idea. Enjoy your riches because Florida State and especially Miami fans have far to many distractations to support a sub par team year in an year out.

Bullet, why are we discussing ACC on a ND future scheduling thread?

Because ND sometimes plays FSU and Miami?

I'm not sure how this drifted so far.

Perhaps TS2 was correct all along: :o

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04323/413616.stm

Interesting notes from the article:

"Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said other Big East schools will announce series with the Fighting Irish in the coming weeks or months. Tranghese always has encouraged Notre Dame to play Big East teams in football because the Irish are Big East members in all other sports.

It seems now, with the conference's BCS berth in jeopardy after the 2007 season, that he [Tranghese] has pressed Notre Dame more."

Other notes about non-conference scheduling:

"Factor in the likelihood of the 12th game legislation being passed in the spring, and scheduling becomes a slippery slope for the Big East. Schools from all BCS conferences are going to have to add games in that case, but Long said the Big Ten and Pac-10 are talking about going to nine-game conference schedules if there is a 12th game, so non-conference games with schools from those leagues are unlikely."

This is some good and bad news for the BE. I like the idea of ND scheduling more opponents, but what deal with ND will be needed for the BE to keep the BCS if the BE feels they will lose it? I will have to wait for details before I pass judgement.

In addition, if BE teams fail to schedule at least one 'medium' or 'big time' opponent then it will hurt them in the strength of schedule catagory. In addition, it won't help with national perception if they go to the BCS (or OOC games) and get killed either. Since SEC teams won't go north of Tennessee to play OOC, the BE is left to schedule games with the Big12 or ACC. I'm not sure how willing the ACC is to schedule any new games (read not currently under contract) with BE teams.

Also, some schools (Pitt, SU) need big time opponents to help get people in the stands/sell tickets for games. So, who's left?

Let's see how this shakes out......

We'll see if ND sticks to its "home only" demands for teams other than the 8 anchors, and if so, whether NBE teams go for that.

MT "PRESSED" Notre Dame? Oh please.......

Posters said Miami and Florida State will run all over the rest of the ACC, and then attribute lack of motivation because there are mixed result? Since when does lack of motivation encompass every team within a conference? What does how the ACC is organized have to do with promoting motivation beyond knowing and getting ready for the competition? That is not something under conference control nor contagious by conference affiliation.

If was just a few weeks ago so many were exclaiming the ACC was the best conference in the nation. Conferences are made up of individual teams, and motivation is not something externally rendered.

Now back to Notre Dame.......

What are you talking about, Louisville won C-USA in 2000 and 2001.

Don't try and make it look like this is a one year wonder for us. This will make the 7th year in a roll that Louisville will be in a bowl. And we will have won the conference (C-USA) out right for the 3rd time in 5 year's.

EnterSandman, winning Conf USA and playing in minor bowls does not make a BCS type team.

This year Louisiville does appear to be primed for BCS and my comments were due to future Big East and BCS membership has a lot to do with the requiting and motivation success of this year's team.

First of all have always been a big supporter of Lousiville and on the old board always preferred the 8 Big East football schools split and take Louisville as the 9th member. I continue to think that Va Tech and Miami would have been better in the very long run over a 12 team ACC.

So yes Lousiville is a good all sport school, however, until this year and the Fiesta bowl year, the school has not come close to a national title consideration year.

Likewise for Boston College, the Frutie years would not have necessarily got the school a BCS bid unless you consider the Cotton bowl. This year is quite different and it is suprising to me on both Boston College and Louisville success regardless if offends the fans of these two respected schools.

I continue to think it has a lot to do with moving to new conferences and the performance to prove your worth.

If BC beats 'Cuse, and wins the BE, their only fb conference title in their exiting year, that really is another sad note for the BE. If BC loses to 'Cuse, and Pittsburgh represents the conference as part of a multiple tie, it still reflects not so positively.

Louisville may have run the BE table if they were in the conference this year. However, that is so hypothetical, not worth the speculation. Louisville will be a good competitor frequently in the BE. It does not mean, though, Louisville will enter and initiate a long period of dominance as Miami did.

It will be interesting to see how ND's TV ratings are once the new scheduling line-up is aired and what the effect will be on the value of any future TV contracts.

Irish Remain College Football's Top Draw On Television
Six Notre Dame games among 25 highest-rated network contests in 2004.
Jan. 5, 2005
http://und.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010505aab.html