As fans we’re always quick to play the transitive property game. If Team A lost / beat Team B, then Team C should lose to / should beat Team A or B.
Of course that’s not necessarily how things shake out and it’s why the games get played.
Miami fans were hot and bothered last Saturday after Duke put up 55 points in a win over the same Virginia team that just upended the Canes, 24-19 weeks back.
Of course that rationale only applies to losses as few mentioned what happened in Tallahassee hours later when Florida State, who whipped Miami by four touchdowns back in October, fell 37-35 to North Carolina. The same North Carolina who Miami fans didn’t want to give credit to after the Canes rolled the Heels 33-10, citing suspensions and injuries as the reason for the beat down.
A month back the Noles sat at 6-1, undefeated in the ACC. Jimbo Fisher was on a pedestal year one as head coach and many were already pondering who would face Florida State in the Orange Bowl as a conference crown was fait accompli.
Since then, not only two losses – but two embarrassing ones, where turnovers and coaching blunders did the Noles in.
A muffed fake handoff killed a game-winning drive against the Wolfpack – marking the second Christian Ponder fumble of the night – and last week against the Heels, it was poor clock management by Fisher.
Down 35-34, North Carolina took over at their own 23-yard line with just under six to remaining and drove 72 yards in 4:54, settling for a 22-yard field goal when not scoring on 3rd and goal.
Florida State took over with under a minute remaining, taking two timeouts into their final possession, having let too much time burn. A fifty-yard return by Greg Reid looked like it’d save FSU, but after three Ponder passes picked up 25 yards, Dustin Hopkins missed a 40-yard game-winner … wide right.
Even more puzzling, the fact Mark Stoops’ defense allowed T.J. Yates to throw for a career high 439 yards and three touchdowns. The same Yates that Miami held to 140 yards weeks back.
And so it goes in the ACC again this year.
Boston College, picked by some as a sleeper in the Atlantic … only to lose its first four conference showdowns (Virginia Tech, NC State, Florida State and Maryland) before finally beating Clemson and Wake Forest. Still remaining, Duke and Virginia.
Clemson, also expected to hang in their division, has faltered. After a near OT upset of still-undefeated Auburn, lost to Miami and North Carolina back-to-back. From there, wins over Maryland and Georgia Tech, before falling to Boston College and ekeing one out over NC State. Still remaining, Florida State and Wake Forest.
Georgia Tech took out North Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia, but has fallen to NC State, Clemson and choked away an early 14-0 lead at Virginia Tech last Thursday, giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter of a 28-21 loss.
The same Hokies that fell 21-16 to James Madison week two, but has since rattled off three wins. Virginia Tech is 16-3 the past five seasons between November 1st and bowl season, though their final month stretch this year is more daunting than normal with North Carolina and Miami remaining.
The Heels welcome the Hokies on Saturday and are playing for pride and at best a second place division finish depending how the next few weeks fare for Miami and Virginia Tech. (The Hokies currently are undefeated in conference and the Canes have two ACC losses, but own the tiebreaker over the Heels.)
It’s been a valiant effort by a depleted North Carolina bunch this year, highlighted by last week’s win in Tallahassee. There have been wins over Virginia and Clemson, but an early season loss against Virginia Tech coupled with the beating administered by Miami essentially ended UNC’s hopes.
There’s no rhyme or reason to ACC play this year, so don’t hurt yourself looking for a logic or science behind what you’ve seen.
In the same breath, don’t count out anything but a wild ride down the stretch.
Virginia Tech remains the favorite, but counting out North Carolina and Miami taking out the Hokies obviously hasn’t been paying attention to how the past few months have played out. It clearly is anybody’s game.
Miami needs to focus on Georgia Tech this weekend and with a win in the books, will turn into the biggest Butch Davis fans in the country. For three hours, at least, as it’ll set up a do or die showdown between the Canes and Hokies next weekend in Miami.
Of course that’s all moot if the Yellow Jackets run their triple option all over a Canes defense that’s struggled to stop the run one week, while completely shutting it down the next.
Another up and down year in the ACC and it ain’t finished yet. If you’re a Hokie or Cane, the Coastal remains up for grabs while the Atlantic is a three team race.
Two recent losses aside, FSU is still tops at 4-2, though NC State holds the tiebreaker after the recent Thursday night upset of the Noles, while Florida State and Maryland go head-to-head next weekend – the Terps fate hinging on taking out Virginia this weekend, looking to respond from losing a heartbreaker at Miami.
Lots of football left to be played these next three weeks. Throw logic out the window and hang on because this one will come down to the wire. Anyone who thinks they know, based on ACC play thus far, you really have no idea.
Miami needs to beat Georgia tech, and North Carolina has to beat Virginia Tech this weekend, period. End of story. If that doesn't happen this weekend, any possibility of a trip to the ACC title game for Miami is over. If Georgia tech beats Miami it's over. If Miami wins against Georgia tech but the hokies beat UNC, it's over, because even if the Canes beat VT next week, they'll still be in first place. If anyone thinks Virginia will beat Virginia tech in blacksburg at the end of the season, they're delusional. The best chance Virginia tech has of losing before or after they play Miami, is in Chapel Hill this weekend. Again, even if Miami wins it's next 2 games at GT and home against VT, it won't matter if UNC doesn't beat the hokies tomorrow. Sorry, I think UNC has a way better shot of handing VT a loss than Virginia does. Point blank, if Miami doesn't win and Virginia tech doesn't lose THIS WEEKEND, No coastal division showdown takes place and Miami is out of the hunt. Thats the most logical scenario.
I cannot disagree with you with regards to the wacky world of the ACC.
This inconsistency is what has me the most outraged about this season. I know things don't always work out, but to me this seemed like the Canes year to win the Wacky ACC and ect ……
We all know the truth about 2010. Undisciplined in routes, penalties, missed tackles and so many other reasons have lead us to here.
I think the Canes win Saturday, The D is the key for this game, Disciplined Assignment Football. Each player need to fill his role and not freelance. They did this last year and kicked some G-Tech ass! Do it again. Go Canes
It seems like Miami has been put in the position to control it's own destiny in this conference the past two years and has been unable to capitalize. They've had chances to put themselves in the driver's seat in the coastal division and ended up losing to teams they weren't supposed to with the oppurtunity on the line. Yes, this is a very difficult conference to compete in and get through unscathed, but the fact remains that Miami has more talent and better athletes than most of the teams in this league. Why it doesn't translate to winning against conference foes they are expected to beat is anyone's guess. If Miami would have beaten an inferior Virginia team two weeks ago, we would be sitting pretty right now and wouldn't need other teams to knock off eachother. Virginia Tech manages to escape conference play with one loss every year and on paper we're more talented than them, especially at the skill positions. It's something that has frustrated this fanbase for years now. It's beyond puzzling.
I like to think of the ACC as the All Crap Conference. A buddy of mine asked me before the season started what I thought a successful season would be for Miami and I stated at that time "nothing less then an ACC championship". I'm sticking with my story….the fact that Miami still hasn't played in the conf championship game pisses me off to no end. Its a weak ass conference that Va Tech has for the most part owned and its time Miami gets up there with them. Quit "overlooking" teams like Virginia that you should be beating by 40 and we wouldn't have to root for a UNC loss to have hope. Go Canes – stomp the jackets!
It seems like Miami has been put in the position to control it's own destiny in this conference the past two years and has been unable to capitalize.
Maybe on paper, but not really.
Last year Georgia Tech lost one conference game – to Miami. That means the Canes could've gone into bowl season 10-2 and still not made the ACC title game, as the Clemson loss knocked them out of the mix by late October.
As for 2007 and 2008, Miami was a garbage team and really had no business thinking ACC. The Canes went 0-2 out the gate conference-wise in 2008 and never controlled their destiny and 2007 was Randy's first year and things were a mess.
This year is very frustrating because (1) the ACC is as wide open as its ever been, (2) Virginia Tech started the season 0-2 – including a loss to James Madison – but has won out and is undefeated in conference play and (3) because at 3-2 (1-1) after the Florida State loss, Miami had to win out – and the schedule was favorable with @Duke, a depleted UNC team at home, a down Virginia team, Maryland at home, Georgia Tech – who isn't the team they were last year and Virginia Tech at home.
This is the first time that Miami has needed to win out from mid-October and really should've, due to a favorable schedule.
Losing to Virginia could be the game that comes back to haunt this program for a long time. Especially if UM wins out and VT goes 2-1 down the stretch, still getting to Charlotte.
The fact of the matter is, Miami CANNOT lose another game and Virginia tech HAS to lose two of it's last three games. For Miami to have any shot what so ever at reaching the ACC title game, that is what has to happen. If Virginia Tech wins tomorrow against the heels, you can pencil them in the conference title game. Why?? because if the hokies win tomorrow, it doesn't really matter if Miami beats them or not, the chances of them losing to Virginia at home in their season finale is highly, HIGHLY unlikely. If Frank Beamer beats Butch Davis tomorrow, requardless of if Miami wins all of their remaining games including Virginia Tech, the Hokies will finish first in the coastal division and go to the ACCCG yet again. Blame the loss at Virginia, Miami players and coaches knew they controlled their own destiny before that game and failed to rise to the occassion. It's that simple.
Wow. Thanks for being the master of the obvious, Anonymous.
Heels win tomorrow. In Chapel Hill and there's a reason they're called the Chokies. Virginia Tech always trips up somewhere down the stretch when facing a good, physical football team.
What is a lumberjack block?