The ACC is on the rise and well should be given its location in the Southeastern part of the United States! The states in this region (in particular, Florida, Georgia, North & South Carolina) are fast becoming the unquestioned best (Sorry, California, Texas & Ohio) for high school football talent in the country!
Notre Dame has got this right, they, da facto, have joined the ACC, playing 5 opponents each year from the league, while continuing to play two teams from California (SC & Stanford) and now inking Texas to a 10 year contract… Sully’s CFP thinks they will schedule another team from Texas to create the same recruiting situation they have with California (Play one @ home and one in that State each & every year)! Sorry Michigan, but the best talent is now in the southeast, the southwest & west, ND dropping you to plant its flag in these parts of the country makes perfect sense in the recruiting world!
The challenging issue that ACC Teams face in their home states really breaks down to three letters … S.E.C.! Georgia Tech has to deal with Georgia, Florida State & Miami battle Florida, Clemson has to deal with the “Old Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier & South Carolina, and UNC, NC State, Wake, & Duke have to deal with Ohio State, ND & the SEC as a whole!
These states have become a battle ground as the best college programs descend on them to attract the high level talent they now produce! So while the ACC is improving, the talent drain to in-state rivals (SEC Units) and high powered programs from outside their region is slowing their growth! That said, let take a peek at what to look for in the ACC in 2013!
Young Sully (YS) & Old Sully (OS) reviewed the ACC while keeping an eye on the Miami / San Antonio series, game two, in the NBA finals!
Atlantic Division
Clemson
Non Conference Opponents: The Tigers take on Georgia, from the SEC, South Carolina State, an FCS team, from the MEAC, The Citadel, a second FCS team, from the Southern Conferance, and its traditional, in-state rival, South Carolina from the SEC! The fact that the Tigers are playing two FCS teams means that they can only count one of the wins, against these 63 scholarship programs (FBS teams award 85 scholarships), in reaching the required 6 victories to become bowl eligible! YS has Clemson at 2-2, losing to Georgia & South Carolina, while OS has them at 3-1, beating the FCS squads and finally finding a way against South Carolina!
Divisional Games: Clemson faces FSU, Wake, & BC @ home and travel to NC State, Maryland & Syracuse. YS has the Tigers winning all six games, the pivital game being played, at home, on Oct. 19th vs FSU. OS agrees, Clemson runs the table, 6-0 in the Atlantic Division!
Conference Cross Over Games: Clemson heads to Virginia and welcomes Georgia Tech to Memorial Stadium! YS says 2-0 against the Coastal, OS concurs the Tigers go 2-0 in crossover play!
Overall Record: YS predicts 10-2 for the Tigers, while OS thinks Clemson goes 11-1 in 2013!
Florida State:
Three of FSU Non-Conference tilts are at home, their lone road game is at Gainesville vs Florida! The Seminoles welcome Nevada, from the Mountain West Conference, A FCS opponent, Bethune-Cookman, from the MEAC, & Idaho, an FBS (85 scholarship program) Independent! YS thinks 4-0, FSU beats Florida in Gainesville! OS agrees the the Seminoles shock the Gators @ Ben Hill Griffin!
Divisional Games : FSU challenges Clemson, Wake, & BC on the road and plays host to Syracuse, NC State & Maryland! YS believes 5-1, falling to only Clemson, OS agrees, the Seminoles go down in their major ACC road test at Clemson!
Conference Cross Over Games: The Florida State Seminoles welcome the Miami Hurricanes (OK … not welcome, but they are playing the ‘Canes’ at home) and travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers! YS & OS agree, FSU goes 2-0 in these tilts!
Overall Record: YS envisions a 10-2 year for the Seminoles, while OS believes FSU goes 11-1 this season!
NC State:
Non Conference Opponents: The Wolfpack’s non conference schedule is not one that jumps out at you. They do not play a team from an AQ (Automatic Qualifier’s Champion (SEC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12, AAC …. former Big East, & ACC … is always placed in a BCS Bowl Game) Conference. NC State takes on Louisiana Tech from C-USA (WAC dissolved after 2012 season to which La-Tech had been a member), Richmond from the Southern Conference, Central Michigan from the MAC, & East Carolina from C-USA All 4 of these games are in Raleigh, North Carolina! YS & OS concur, NC State goes 4-0 in this relatively weak NC schedule!
Divisional Games : NC State travels to Wake Forest, FSU, & BC and plays Clemson, Syracuse, & Maryland @ home. YS Has the Wolfpack @ 4-2, beating Wake, Syracuse, BC and Maryland, but falling to Clemson @ home & FSU in Tallahassee. OS believes that NC State is upset by both BC & WF and finishes divisional play at 2-4.
Conference Cross Over Games: The ‘Pack’ plays Duke in Durham N.C. and takes on UNC @ home in Raleigh! YS & OS agree 1-1, down goes Duke, while NC State falls to UNC at Carter-Finley Stadium!
Overall Record: YS thinks NC State finishes @ 9-3 while OS believes 7-5 a more likely result in 2013!
Maryland:
Non Conference Opponents: Maryland opens the season at home against FIU from C-USA (left the Sunbelt after the 2012 season) and then welcomes, Old Dominion, a FCS Independent, (in transition to the FBS, OD will join C-USA for the 2014 season) to College Park. They then hit the road to take on U-Conn & West Virginia! YS & OS agree, 3-1, losing to only to the WV Mountaineers, in Morgantown!
Divisional Games: The Terrapins line up against FSU, WF, & BC on the road and battle Clemson, Syracuse, & NC State in Byrd Stadium. YS & OS are in perfect alignment, 3-3, as the Terps beat Wake, BC & Syracuse but fall to FSU, Clemson, & NC State!
Conference Cross Over Games: Maryland welcomes Virginia and travels to Virginia Tech for their conference crossover match-ups. OS & YS Have the Terps @ 1-1, beating the Cavaliers but falling short in their game with Va Tech.
Overall Record: YS & OS have Maryland at 7-5 and playing in the 2013 post season!
Syracuse
Non Conference Opponents: The “Cuse” have a tough opening to their Non-Conference schedule, as the Orange take on 2 Big Ten teams, on the road, @ Penn State & Northwestern. The schedule lightens up signicantly after that, as they play Wagner, a FBS team from the Northeast Conference, & Tulane from C-USA! YS & OS agree, 2-2, losing on the road, to the Big Ten teams and then pounding Wagner & Tulane @ home!
Divisional Games: The Orange travel to NC State, Maryland, & FSU, while lining up at home vs Clemson, Wake, & BC. YS thinks that the Orange beat BC & Wake @ home, but fall to Clemson in the Carrier Dome and falter on the road, losing to NC State, Maryland, & FSU! OS says ditto, 2-4 in the Atlantic Division!
Conference Cross Over Games: Syracuse challenges Georgia Tech away from home and then plays Pitt at home. YS thinks 1-1, OS does not agree, 0-2, as the Orange will struggle to stop GT’s ‘flexbone’ or Pitt’s power running game.
Overall Record: YS says 5-7 while OS thinks 4-8 the more likely finish in 2013!
Wake Forest
Non Conference Opponents: The Demon Deacons take on Presbyterian, an FCS team from the Big South, ULM, a FBS team from the Sunbelt, while squaring off with Army & Vanderbilt on the road! YS & OS agree, 3-1, losing to only Vanderbilt!
Divisional Games: Wake plays @ BC, Clemson, & Syracuse & takes on NC State, Maryland, FSU @ home! YS has the Demon Deacons going 1-5, beating only BC, OS says yes to BC, but has Wake @ 2-4, with a Deacon upset of NC State!
Conference Cross Over Games: The Deamon Deacons travel to Miami and host Duke in their cross-over games! YS has them at 1-1, with the Deamons beating the Devils, but being blown away by the Canes! OS agrees, Wake handles the Dukies but fall to Miami!
Overall Record: YS has Jim Grobe’s team at 5-7 and home for the second season, while OS thinks 6-6 and the Decons playing in a 2013 bowl!
Boston College
Non Conference Opponents: The Eagles open their season with Villanova, a FCS team from the CAA, travel to USC, welcome Army, and end their NC schedule in New Mexico playing NM State! YS & OS concur, 3-1, BC falls only to SC!
Divisional Games: BC lines up against Clemson, Maryland & Syracuse on the road and plays host to Wake, FSU & NC State! YS think that this will be along year for BC’s new Coach, Steve Addazio, as the Eagles go winless in the Atlantic 0-6! OS thinks November 16th will be a day for the Eagles to soar, as they stun NC State @ home 1-5!
Conference Cross Over Games: Their games vs the Coastal are the toughest faced by any team in the Atlantic Division! The Eagles play @ UNC & host VT, 2 of the 4 best teams in the Coastal (Miami & GT being the other 2). YS & OS agree 0-2 is all but assured with this cross-over conference schedule!
Overall Record: YS BC will go winless, 0-8 in the ACC in 2013 and based on the NC wins, finish the season at 3-9! OS says 1-7 in ACC play & 4-8 overall
Atlantic Division vs Non Conference Opponents:
YS 20-8: vs BCS opponents 2-7, FBS Opponets 11-0, & FCS 8-0
OS 22-6: vs BCS opponents 3-6, FBS Opponets 11-0, & FCS 8-0 .
Based on 28 NC Games!
Atlantic Division Records:
YS Clemson 6-0, FSU 5-1, NC State 4-2, Maryland 3-3, Syracuse 2-4, WF 1-5 & BC 0-6
OS Clemson 6-0, FSU 5-1, Maryland 3-3, NC State 2-4, Syracuse 2-4, WF 2-4, & BC 1-5
Conference Cross Over Games:
YS Clemson 2-0, FSU 2-0, NC State 1-1, Maryland 1-1, Syracuse 1-1, WF 1-1, BC 0-2
OS Clemson 2-0, FSU 2-0, NC State 1-1, Maryland 1-1, WF 1-1, Syracuse 0-2, BC 0-2
ACC All Games:
YS Clemson 8-0, FSU 7-1, NC State 5-3, Maryland 4-4, Syracuse 3-5, WF 2-6, BC 0-8
OS Clemson 8-0, FSU 7-1, Maryland 4-4, WF 3-5, NC State 3-5, Syracuse 2-6, BC 1-7
Overall Record:
YS Clemson 10-2, FSU 11-1, NC State 9-3, Maryland 7-5, Syracuse 5-7, WF 5-7, BC 3-9
OS Clemson 11-1, FSU 11-1, NC State 7-5, Maryland 7-5, WF 6-6, Syracuse 4-8, BC 4-8
YS has four teams from the ACC Atlantic Division Bowl Eligible in 2013 while OS has 5 teams playing their way into the second season!
Next up: ACC Coastal
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