After watching last night's Orange Bowl and seeing Virginia Tech get crushed in the second half by Stanford you realize just how far the ACC is from the elite of college football. Then I started thinking it's been over a decade since any ACC school has made a legitimate National Title run. That being Florida State back in 2000 when they lost 13-2 Oklahoma. Can any ACC Schools get back to the title sometime in the next 10 years? Here's how'd I rank the schools chances from top to bottom.
1) Florida State Seminoles
Pros - The Noles have it all. They have a winning tradition, the ability to recruit at an elite level, and a strong fanbase that can make playing in Tallahassee real tough.
Cons - The only Con I can think of is if maybe Jimbo Fisher was a one year wonder, but I don't think he is. In fact I know he isn't.
Big Drop off here
2) Virginia Tech Hokies
Pros - They are the ACC's most consistent winner since expansion. Frank Beamer puts out 10+ win seasons like clockwork. Two top 10 recruiting classes and they can finish in the top 5.
Cons - I think the Hokies are at their ceiling. They just can't get elite level talent in Blacksburg. That's why the Hokies struggle so much against the top tier teams.
3) Miami Hurricanes
Pros - Miami can recruit with the best of them. As recently as 2002 they played for the national title.
Cons - Fans in Miami don't care unless you are in the top 10. Don't count on a homefield advantage in Miami. This isn't the early 90s. The Canes just hired a new head coach, former Temple head Coach Al Golden. They should be right behind FSU, but I think they are years away from being great.
4) Clemson Tigers
Pros - Normally great talent is a pre-requisite to contending for a national title. Clemson typically recruits very well. Death Valley in it’s hey day was one of the toughest places to play in College Football.
Cons - Great coaching... The Tigers haven't had it in more than 20 years. Until the Tigers hire a great coach, the program will be stuck in neutral. There hasn’t been an ACC Title since 1991.
5) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Pros - Georgia Tech has proven in the not too distant past they can win a national title. It happened in 1990. Paul Johnson won 11 games and the ACC Title in 2009, and has a history of success where ever he's been.
Cons - I believe the triple option can succeed, but I don't know if they can recruit the guys in the trenches necessary to be great defensively. Overall the school is limited in the number of majors they can offer to athletes.
6) North Carolina Tar Heels
Pros - Before all the NCAA investigation stuff, the Heels had a defense laden with NFL talent. Butch Davis rebuilt the Miami program from the ashes of the late 90s. It was the foundation to their 2001 national team.
Cons - Fans care more about basketball program. The Heels have never been a big winner.
7) Boston College Eagles
Pros - Outside of Virginia Tech, BC has been the ACC's most consistent winner since expansion. They've won two Atlantic Division Titles.
Cons - The Eagles have just 3 10+ win seasons since 1950. Overall the winning tradition is fairly light, and the fanbase can be lukewarm.
8) Maryland Terrapins
Pros - In the early part of the 2000s, Maryland won over 30 games in 3 years, including an ACC Title in 2001. In the 80s they won 3 ACC Titles in a row. There is a precedent for winning big in College Park.
Cons - The Maryland fans can be finicky. A relatively successful coach like Ralph Friedgen was forced out in part because of low ticket sales.
9) North Carolina State Wolfpack
Pros - NC State has a good fan base. Chuck Amato for a time recruited pretty well to Raleigh.
Cons - When has Wolfpack won big? They haven't won an ACC Title since 1979.
10) Virginia Cavaliers
Pros - George Welsh proved in the 80s and 90s that you could consistently win 8-9 games at Virginia. Virginia is a good academic school that has put players in the NFL, they should be able to recruit there.
Cons - See NC State. Two shared ACC Titles since 1953
11) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Pros - Jim Grobe won an ACC Title in 2006 and Jim Grobe won an ACC Title in 2006. Just a couple of years ago The Deacs had more players drafted in the NFL than Florida State.
Cons - Wake Forest has a nearly impossible task of recruiting the type athlete that can get them to the national title. Grobe had a handful of great players just 2 years ago, but across the board would be tough. The school is one of Division one's smallest.
12) Duke Blue Devils
Pros - Maybe a Steve Spurrier type will come across and catch lighting in a bottle.
Cons - Where do I begin? Their field has track around it need I say more?
