Good read here from Bill Connelly.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football...ig-ten-acc

Puts the ACC season so far in perspective.

(12-19-2016 11:42 AM)Lou_C Wrote:  Good read here from Bill Connelly.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football...ig-ten-acc

Puts the ACC season so far in perspective.

Thanks, Lou. That was one of the better analyses I've read.

(12-19-2016 11:42 AM)Lou_C Wrote:  Good read here from Bill Connelly.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football...ig-ten-acc

Puts the ACC season so far in perspective.

Definitely a great read.

Cheers,
Neil

I especially liked this part...

Quote:If you remove each league’s best and worst teams, you get a pretty good idea of conference depth. S&P+ conference rankings, with best and worst teams removed:
ACC (7.4)
SEC (6.7)
Big Ten (6.5)
...

It's fair, too. After all, Alabama NEVER has to play Alabama, but Clemson DOES have to play Florida State and Louisvlle...

Great Read Lou, Thanks!!! Very Fair and very factual. I like it!

Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

(12-19-2016 03:14 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

No doubt. 2012 was the worst... ACC football... EVER!

(12-19-2016 03:14 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

Spot on.

Happy to see Army win...hope they can rip off a few more

(12-19-2016 03:57 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Happy to see Army win...hope they can rip off a few more

playbooks?

(12-19-2016 03:48 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:14 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

No doubt. 2012 was the worst... ACC football... EVER!

On the plus side...four years of strength is still four years of strength. Seems like a blink of the eye, but a decent season next year and we're halfway to a decade. That will put a whole lot of distance between the embarrassment of the BCS era.

The good thing is...I don't see a whole lot of reason to expect a sharp dropoff. Clemson is making incredible strides in facilities and recruiting that are going to force the issue on everyone else.

Last year's coaching hires were strong, even if they haven't produced major upgrades yet (and some won't...that's not really the point...the point is the teams got best available which is a philosophy that will eventually pay off).

I don't see any scenarios where you've got a coach who's kicking butt in what is clearly just a stepping stone (Mack Brown era at UNC).

I usually don't have much trouble finding the negative, but it's hard to find a lot to say "Yeah, but as soon as __________ happens, it will be right back to the usual."

After all, when Saban leaves, Alabama can't hire Jimbo AND Dabo. Or can they?

And Jimbo's not going anywhere. Just extended through 2026, fully guaranteed.

(12-19-2016 04:31 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:57 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Happy to see Army win...hope they can rip off a few more

playbooks?

Don't blame Army for the faults of Little Wake.

(12-19-2016 05:46 PM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 04:31 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:57 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Happy to see Army win...hope they can rip off a few more

playbooks?

Don't blame Army for the faults of Little Wake.

He tossed me an alley oop and I just had to slam it home!

BTW, best wishes in the Heart of Dallas Bowl!

(12-19-2016 04:36 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:48 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  [quote='Lou_C' pid='13923270' dateline='1482178478']
Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

No doubt. 2012 was the worst... ACC football... EVER!

On the plus side...four years of strength is still four years of strength. Seems like a blink of the eye, but a decent season next year and we're halfway to a decade. That will put a whole lot of distance between the embarrassment of the BCS era.

The good thing is...I don't see a whole lot of reason to expect a sharp dropoff. Clemson is making incredible strides in facilities and recruiting that are going to force the issue on everyone else.

Last year's coaching hires were strong, even if they haven't produced major upgrades yet (and some won't...that's not really the point...the point is the teams got best available which is a philosophy that will eventually pay off).

I don't see any scenarios where you've got a coach who's kicking butt in what is clearly just a stepping stone (Mack Brown era at UNC).

I usually don't have much trouble finding the negative, but it's hard to find a lot to say "Yeah, but as soon as __________ happens, it will be right back to the usual."

After all, when Saban leaves, Alabama can't hire Jimbo AND Dabo. Or can they?
[/quot

UNC did not have to be a stepping stone for Brown. Basketball at UNC drove his move. He couldn't get a full house in Kenan in competition with an early season basketball game, and he was there during UNC-Ch's last Chancellor with independent power - Micheal Hooker. The Business School and the Ed Foundation were not running the school at that time, had it been just 5 years later, the B-School and EF would have paid to keep him at UNC, plus the accommodations that go with so many ball players that should be the local community college instead of UNC. Brown didn't want to play second fiddle to basketball.

(12-20-2016 10:16 AM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 04:36 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:48 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  [quote='Lou_C' pid='13923270' dateline='1482178478']
Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

No doubt. 2012 was the worst... ACC football... EVER!

On the plus side...four years of strength is still four years of strength. Seems like a blink of the eye, but a decent season next year and we're halfway to a decade. That will put a whole lot of distance between the embarrassment of the BCS era.

The good thing is...I don't see a whole lot of reason to expect a sharp dropoff. Clemson is making incredible strides in facilities and recruiting that are going to force the issue on everyone else.

Last year's coaching hires were strong, even if they haven't produced major upgrades yet (and some won't...that's not really the point...the point is the teams got best available which is a philosophy that will eventually pay off).

I don't see any scenarios where you've got a coach who's kicking butt in what is clearly just a stepping stone (Mack Brown era at UNC).

I usually don't have much trouble finding the negative, but it's hard to find a lot to say "Yeah, but as soon as __________ happens, it will be right back to the usual."

After all, when Saban leaves, Alabama can't hire Jimbo AND Dabo. Or can they?
[/quot

UNC did not have to be a stepping stone for Brown. Basketball at UNC drove his move. He couldn't get a full house in Kenan in competition with an early season basketball game, and he was there during UNC-Ch's last Chancellor with independent power - Micheal Hooker. The Business School and the Ed Foundation were not running the school at that time, had it been just 5 years later, the B-School and EF would have paid to keep him at UNC, plus the accommodations that go with so many ball players that should be the local community college instead of UNC. Brown didn't want to play second fiddle to basketball.

All of which made it very, very obvious that it was a stepping stone. You've just explained why if somebody didn't get it I guess.

(12-20-2016 10:16 AM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 04:36 PM)Lou_C Wrote:  

(12-19-2016 03:48 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  [quote='Lou_C' pid='13923270' dateline='1482178478']
Man, look how shortly removed the ACC is from being horrible. Not just not great, or mediocre...but horrible in 2011-12.

And a very solid #5 (or #6) for the six years before that.

I know we're feeling pretty good now, but we need eternal football diligence. We need about six more years of this at least...put a decade of credible football together and I'll be less worried about falling back to the standard of the previous four decades.

No doubt. 2012 was the worst... ACC football... EVER!

On the plus side...four years of strength is still four years of strength. Seems like a blink of the eye, but a decent season next year and we're halfway to a decade. That will put a whole lot of distance between the embarrassment of the BCS era.

The good thing is...I don't see a whole lot of reason to expect a sharp dropoff. Clemson is making incredible strides in facilities and recruiting that are going to force the issue on everyone else.

Last year's coaching hires were strong, even if they haven't produced major upgrades yet (and some won't...that's not really the point...the point is the teams got best available which is a philosophy that will eventually pay off).

I don't see any scenarios where you've got a coach who's kicking butt in what is clearly just a stepping stone (Mack Brown era at UNC).

I usually don't have much trouble finding the negative, but it's hard to find a lot to say "Yeah, but as soon as __________ happens, it will be right back to the usual."

After all, when Saban leaves, Alabama can't hire Jimbo AND Dabo. Or can they?
[/quot

UNC did not have to be a stepping stone for Brown. Basketball at UNC drove his move. He couldn't get a full house in Kenan in competition with an early season basketball game, and he was there during UNC-Ch's last Chancellor with independent power - Micheal Hooker. The Business School and the Ed Foundation were not running the school at that time, had it been just 5 years later, the B-School and EF would have paid to keep him at UNC, plus the accommodations that go with so many ball players that should be the local community college instead of UNC. Brown didn't want to play second fiddle to basketball.

Mack lost Swofford as his AD ( who left in '97 to become the ACC Commissioner) and had to deal with Dickie (who had no training in athletics except for his time as the athletic department's accountant.....Dickie was the Assist. Dean of Men when I was at Carolina).
Dickie was a bean counter and had no vision, and in order for the football program to grow into the next level it would take strong leadership from the AD, Mack didn't like his odds.