RE: 2015 ACC Schedule is out!
I don't suppose there will ever be a way to make everybody happy with a conference schedule unless you can play a full round robin. And with bye weeks, the need to provide weekday games for ESPN will always create situations perceived as unfair to certain teams.
We've read a ton of different proposals for division alignment to fix one problem or another, and each one seems to create a new problem for every one it solves. I just don't see how it's possible to make everybody happy, and also benefit the league when it comes to postseason play. Nevertheless, since I don't know the meaning of the word "quit", here's yet another suggestion.
I would propose a variant on the 3+5+5 model. I would have four groups of teams. Two of them would consist of five teams each. The first consists of BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and Va Tech. In the second group there would be UVa and the four NC schools. That leaves the four southern schools. I would put FSU and GT in one group, and Clemson and Miami in the other.
Each year, these groups align into divisions by pairing one five team and one two team group. The two team groups rotate each year, so that one year FSU and GT play the northern group and the next year the southern group. The schedule, then, plays out like this. You play six games within your division and two outside it. Each of the teams in a five team group is paired with a permanent rival from the other. I would suggest BC-WFU, Syracuse-NC State, Pitt-Duke, Louisville-UNC and Va Tech-UVa. The other four non-division opponents rotate so you play each of them once each four year cycle.
For the four southern schools, their two non-division games are against the other pair. So FSU, GT, Miami and Clemson play each other every year, and play every other team every other year. What does that accomplish? Well, even though Clemson still plays FSU every year, each could still win their division despite losing to the other. If all the southern schools are relatively strong, whoever emerges as champion will be sure of a decent SOS (especially if they are in the ND rotation that year).
In this model, the four NC teams and Virginia are assured of playing each other every year, maintaining their long-standing rivalries and boosting their attendance. Same with five of the six former Big East schools. Everybody plays a Florida team every year. Clemson gets FSU, Miami, GT and South Carolina every year, and may also get Georgia or Auburn OOC if they choose. That can't hurt attendance.
The downside, as I see it, is that the ACC's #2 team may have more losses, and have a harder time getting an access bowl bid, except when the champion qualifies for the playoff and the Orange Bowl isn't a playoff site. The tradeoff is more attractive regular season matchups.
So, which schools would be happy with this, and which ones mad about it? How about your school? Better or worse than what we have now?
(This post was last modified: 02-12-2015 11:50 AM by ken d.)
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