All Hail the ACC

[Olympic Fan]

I know it's Doug Gottlief's oft-stated opinion that the Pac 10 is the nation's No. 1 conference (he also likes the Big 12 and the SEC), but after Florida State's 14-point win at Florida, I should point out that:

1. The ACC is already a strong No. 1 in the RPI (with the Big East 2, the Pac 10 3).

2. The ACC has the best non-conference record (it was 40-7 going into tonight ... a couple of games are still going -- Virginia is beating Penn; but Virginia Tech is down six late against No. 23 Butler in Alaska; UNC plays very late).

I know that a lot of critics think those things are meaningless because so many of the opponents are patsies. To some extent that's true. However, the ACC has a significantly better record against the other BCS conferences than any other league. It now stands:

1. ACC 8-3 (with three wins on the road ... Virginia at Arizona; FSU at Florida; Clemson at Miss State; five wins on neutral courts -- none at home)
2. Pac 10 5-4
3. Big 12 5-5
4. Big 10 6-7
(tie) Big East 6-7
6. SEC 3-7

So far, our top rated team hasn't played another BCS team (UNC was supposed to meet Louisville in the Las Vegas final Sunday, but BYU upset Louisville from the mightly Big East, so unless ODU upsets UNC tonight -- setting up a UNC-Louisville matchup in the consolation game, the Heels will get their first BCS test at Ohio State Wednesday).

Okay, the ACC and Big Eleven have 11 games coming up next week. We'll check back in then.

But so far, you've gotta like the ACC's out-of-conference start. Now if Ga Tech can just get its act together ...

[pfrduke]

This should be one of the closer ACC-Big Televen challenges yet. The Big 10 has a couple of "should win" games - Indiana over Ga Tech (probably the easiest game in the challenge) and MSU over NC St - plus three home games that figure to be very close - Wake @ Iowa, BC @ Michigan, and VT @ PSU. The ACC should have at least 4 wins heading into Wednesday - FSU over Minn., Duke over Wisconsin, UVA over Northwestern, and Clemson over Purdue. UNC should beat OSU, but that will leave Maryland to pick up a win over Illinois or one of the three lower-division ACC teams to steal a win on the road to give the conference its ninth straight win.

[Bob Green]

...UNC plays very late...



Carolina 99 - ODU 82. Hansbrough and Lawson dominated the game in the second half. Ellington looked very good. Thompson and Stephenson are not setting the world on fire, but when you combine their numbers (12 points & 8 rebounds tonight) they are not shabby.

[Carlos]

I actually caught the end of the UNC game last night and it was closer than the 17-point final margin would indicate. With 4 minutes left in the game it was just a 10-point lead for the Heels against an Old Dominion team that is really quite average.

[Olympic Fan]

Speaking of late games, I stayed up until 2:30 this morning to catch the end of Southern Cal's 57-53 victory over Miami of Ohio.

I can't explain my fascination with OJ Mayo and the Trojans -- unless its the same thing as a guy who goes to NASCAR races to see the crashes.

Last night was no disappointment. Last minute of so of the game and SC is protecting a two-point lead. They run the shot clock down, clear out a side for OJ Mayo and he goes one-on-one -- and clanks a jumper from the 3-point arc (not behind it -- from on it).

Miami calls a timeout to set up a potential game-tying play and as the two teams are walking back to the huddle, the camera focuses on SC's Daniel Hackett, who is screaming at Mayo "Give up the %^&% ball!"

Miami misses a wide open 3 and SC runs some clock, then calls timeout with about 25 seconds left to set up what could potentially be the game-clinching play. No camera peeks into the Trojan huddles this time, but when they come out of timeout, SC runs a 1-4 set -- four bodies on the baseline with Mayo out high with the ball. It's obvious he's been told to give it up this time because he dribbles to the foul line, goes up for what looks like a good 15-foot jumper ... then rifles a pass right at Hackett, who is surrounded down low by three Miami players.

I'm just reading minds here, but I swear it looked like a classic "you want me to give up the ball? I'll give up the ball you %*#&%$ -- take it and see what you can do with it!"

Anyway, the ball kicks loose, Miami gets it and gets another wide-open 3 to win the game.

They miss again and Mayo hits 1 of 2 free throws with 1.5 seconds left to clinch the game.

Still, the interplay between the hot-shot rookie and the established veteran star is so much fun to watch. Tim Floyd is going to have fun putting this team together.