It’s no secret that ACC football has lived off the success of Florida State. From 1991-2000, the Seminoles won two national championships, appeared in three BCS title games and finished in the top five every year. Over that same span, only one other team from the league (UNC in ‘96) finished its season in the top ten.
The epitome of top heavy.
Ironically, the league is now faltering and it has nothing to with FSU being down or a lack of depth. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The ACC has become too good for its own good.
When Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College left the Big East to join the league in 2004 (BC began play last year), a super-conference was born. With the Hurricanes and Hokies as perennial national title contenders and BC good for a top 25 finish every year, cupcake schedules became nonexistent. Now, with teams like Georgia Tech and Wake Forest stepping up, it’s becoming impossible not to slip up.
Unlike in basketball, where a strong conference prepares a team for March, only dominance prevails in college football.
Only perfection really.
That’s how mini-dynasties are born. Today USC has what Oklahoma had a few years ago, and what Nebraska had before that. Undefeated seasons put you on the map. It’s also no mistake that while these teams flourished, they had no more than one team in their respective league to mount a serious challenge.
How can any team in today’s ACC go undefeated? Mini-dynasty? What school is going to be able to control the league for even one year, let alone two or three? It’s just not going to happen.
It’s going on six seasons since an ACC team has even appeared in the BCS title game. It was FSU and they lost.
From the looks of things, the league might never get another chance.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Meanwhile, the Big East has three undefeated teams.
2 - Sean
hahahahahahaha what? The ACC is too good for its own good? I'm not sure how you can write that...is this a joke? Maryland got smoked by West Virginia, Miami got blasted by Louisville...I believe the ACC has the worst non-conference record of any BCS conference. Beating each other up in conference has nothing to do with it. Do you see the SEC? It has 5 teams in the top 15...THAT'S too good for its own good. The ACC is so bad that Boise State would get into the BCS because the ACC champion right now is BC at 15. The ACC is bad this year, no more, no less. Too good for its own good? A super conference? Good stuff...
3 - Charles L Smith
I think the house that Bobby built is unraveling.And if FSU wants ro be a powerhouse.FSU will have to make a lot of changes.To the football coaching staff.
4 - cow
ga tech finished #9 in the ap in 1998. get ur facts str8
5 - RAC
From what I see, the ACC is a long way from competing with the other confrences. FSU dominated for 10 yrs or so! that don't say much for the other ACC teams. To fix that they go and welcome Miami, BC, and VT. The ACC had no solid foundation to build on, they even have a poor fan base, go and recruit Texas, OSU or who ever and you still won't be able to compete. The reason is confrences like the Big 10 , and SEC football is almost a way of life. OSU and Michigan, Tennesee and Florida those games are like a championship game to their schools and fans. That comes from decades of playing each other along with faithful fans. Tennessee had a losing season last year and STILL! put over 100 thousand fans in Neyland Stadium for each home game. The ACC will have it's moments but it will take decades to be like the the big boys, not matter who they bring in.