(06-24-2013 01:48 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 01:02 PM)jaminandjachin Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 12:45 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 12:14 PM)jaminandjachin Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 11:17 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  Don't create a strawman: I've always maintained that the ACC is clearly a P5 conference. I've only maintained that structurally, the ACC is in the weakest position within the P5, and because of the Sugar Bowl deal, it is.

Eventually you'll stop saying this as it's beginning to make zero sense. Obviously, the B1G and SEC want to increase their presence with the ACC. Otherwise, they'd be treated like the G5 conferences. ACC has more matchups with the Big Two than the Pac or Big 12. Doesn't sounds like #5 structurally to me. Sugar Bowl is ONE bowl, and yes it's one of the biggies. However, if the Sugar loses its luster because the Big 12 gets their teeth kicked in every year, how good will it be then?

Couldn't the same be said for any league in any bowl? Of course league have to perform in bowls.

As far as the ACC bowls, I think it is important to recognize every one of them is against a team at least a half rung down the ladder from the ACC rep slot. Orange- #1 ACC versus #2 Big 10/SEC. Capital One (the years it plays) #2 ACC vs #3 SEC. RA- #2 or 3 ACC (2.5 or so avg) vs #3 Big 12. Every other one of the PAC-12, Big 12, SEC and Big 10 play every one of their top two games against teams on the same or lesser "rung", and that is true for the top 3 bowls for the SEC, Big 10 and Big 12. The ACC has a good lineup, but if it was a fantasy bowl "draft", and I had the choice of selecting the different lineups, I'd actually pick the SECs #1, Big 10 #2, Big 12 #3, PAC-12 #4 and ACC #5. They are all fine lineups, but I just couldn't pass up a slot in the Rose or Sugar for the Orange, and the .5 or 1 rung down matchups the ACC has would dissuade me.

Because of the playoffs and access bowls that will never happen. You will always get a misalignment of pairings which is why I don't get too caught up in it. I'm more interested in the match ups. The Chick Fil A bowl is #2 ACC vs #5 SEC right now and it's one of the best bowls out there. Why? Because the #5 SEC team is as good as the #2 SEC team most years. If you look at last year, you don't think LSU was as good as Georgia or Florida?

Yeah, there will be misalignments year to year, but if you are starting out with misalignments, it isn't going to get better in the wash.

And I think you are rationalizing a bit with #5 versus #2 SEC team example. Sure some years that is true, but most years it is not.

That's one of the reasons why I don't worry about it. There's no consistency when it comes to misalignments. I for one don't care if it's SEC (or whatever conference) #2 or #4 as long as it's a good match up.