ACC football constantly gets no respect but historically the last 20 years says different. In every record I’ve pulled up the ACC is second to the SEC with the Big ten being third the PAC 4th and the Big 12 fifth. In bowl wins and championships.

(01-26-2020 06:22 PM)7thHeaven Wrote:  ACC football constantly gets no respect but historically the last 20 years says different. In every record I’ve pulled up the ACC is second to the SEC with the Big ten being third the PAC 4th and the Big 12 fifth. In bowl wins and championships.

ACC football definitely needs better PR (one reason some fans have an issue with Swofford and company). However, it also has a big problem: too many high-profile losses. Part of that is teams scheduling P5 opponents they can't possibly beat. Of course, when they do win it's glorious - just not very often.

(01-26-2020 06:22 PM)7thHeaven Wrote:  ACC football constantly gets no respect but historically the last 20 years says different. In every record I’ve pulled up the ACC is second to the SEC with the Big ten being third the PAC 4th and the Big 12 fifth. In bowl wins and championships.

ACC football definitely needs better PR (one reason some fans have an issue with Swofford and company). However, it also has a big problem: too many high-profile losses. Part of that is teams scheduling P5 opponents they can't possibly beat. Of course, when they do win it's glorious - just not very often. Yet, people don't quickly forget all those losses. Even when Duke loses to Alabama or UNC loses to Auburn or NC State loses to WVU or UVA loses to Georgia or Boston College or Syracuse get blown out by Kansas or Maryland... those are black eyes which are not easily recovered.

The last 3 years it gotten progressively worse. The ACC used to produce great crops of QBs every year. This past year every QB was average to below average except Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Perkins and Sam Howell. I really hope the ACC can buck this trend.

(01-26-2020 07:14 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  The last 3 years it gotten progressively worse. The ACC used to produce great crops of QBs every year. This past year every QB was average to below average except Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Perkins and Sam Howell. I really hope the ACC can buck this trend.

Definitely something to that. Last year VT improved dramatically when they replaced serviceable 3-star Ryan Willis with dynamic 4-star Herndon Hooker. This year the Hokies QB room is full of 4s. Just wish there was more talent on defensive line.

'Strong'.......define.

In wins? In TV ratings? In depth? In titles? In revenue? In fan bases? I think in some ways it is.....in some ways it isn't.

One critical point noted above. When your own network, ESPN, is so aggressive in pushing their other product, the SEC, to the point they at times even work against you.....THAT is a problem. With friends like these who needs enemies.

That has a direct impact on PR, branding, etc.

(01-26-2020 07:36 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-26-2020 07:14 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  The last 3 years it gotten progressively worse. The ACC used to produce great crops of QBs every year. This past year every QB was average to below average except Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Perkins and Sam Howell. I really hope the ACC can buck this trend.

Definitely something to that. Last year VT improved dramatically when they replaced serviceable 3-star Ryan Willis with dynamic 4-star Herndon Hooker. This year the Hokies QB room is full of 4s. Just wish there was more talent on defensive line.

Tracking Sagarin ratings for the past 13 sseasons. The ACC was in the top 3 conferences in 2016 and 2017 - its peak years in that stretch. Perhaps not coincidentally, those were the SEC's two weakest years. Over the long haul, the ACC competes with the B1G to see which is #4 and which is #5. Both those conferences tend to be weak at the bottom with just a few dominant teams at the top.

(01-27-2020 11:13 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(01-26-2020 07:36 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-26-2020 07:14 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  The last 3 years it gotten progressively worse. The ACC used to produce great crops of QBs every year. This past year every QB was average to below average except Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Perkins and Sam Howell. I really hope the ACC can buck this trend.

Definitely something to that. Last year VT improved dramatically when they replaced serviceable 3-star Ryan Willis with dynamic 4-star Herndon Hooker. This year the Hokies QB room is full of 4s. Just wish there was more talent on defensive line.

Tracking Sagarin ratings for the past 13 sseasons. The ACC was in the top 3 conferences in 2016 and 2016 - its peak years in that stretch. Perhaps not coincidentally, those were the SEC's two weakest years. Over the long haul, the ACC competes with the B1G to see which is #4 and which is #5. Both those conferences tend to be weak at the bottom with just a few dominant teams at the top.

Recruiting is a zero sum game. Any top player the ACC signs is one less for the SEC (and/or Big Ten), and vice versa. ACC teams must be able to beat SEC/B1G teams head on if they have any hope of national relevance - just beating out other ACC teams means little when the SEC/B1G can come into your state and take what they want first. All that's left is "the tallest midgets".