Virginia Tech Wins ACC Championship, but surely BC had fun

'07 Football48

Tom O’Brien’s Boston College Eagles lost ANOTHER BIG NOVEMBER game today to one of the Big East’s powers when Virginia Tech took down the Eagles this afternoon, 30-16.

Wait. Check that.

Despite the pre-season proclamation of Boston College fans that their Eagles would finally shed historical late-year troubles without Coach O’Brien roaming their sidelines, “Coach Jags” ultimately lost two big games to “Eastern” teams – Maryland and VPI – and couldn’t turn the Eagle ship around in their big games.

BC in 2006: 10-3
BC in 2007: 10-3

Despite the loss, you can rest assured that all is well in Chestnut Hill because at least they had fun. Although we have no word if the couple of dozen BC fans that made the trip had any fun.

Boston College lost their big chance to go to a BCS Bowl with an ACC Championship today (in miserable Jacksonville) and because their fan base is so undesirable and unsupportive, the Eagles will now fall as far down the ACC’s bowl order as the rules will allow. (Let this be ANOTHER lesson to any potential recruit that would be considering Boston College over NC State, or any other ACC school for that matter).

With Virginia Tech now serving as the ACC’s lone BCS representative, SFN expects the ACC’s bowl situation to shake out as follows when everything is announced tomorrow:

Orange Bowl: VPI
Chik-Fil-A Bowl: Clemson
Gator Bowl: Virginia
Champs Bowl: Boston College
Music City Bowl: Florida State
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Wake Forest
Emerald Bowl: Maryland
MPC Computers Bowl: Georgia Tech

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'07 Football

48 Responses to Virginia Tech Wins ACC Championship, but surely BC had fun

  1. ncsuinjuneer 12/02/2007 at 1:18 AM #

    WVU and Mizzow were in the game by attrition only. This year will exceptionally expose the BCS system. The critical point of when the loss occurs during the season (i.e. start 0-1 win out..get to finals, start 11-0 lose final game, miss out) will be seen more than before because everyone has lost more. I know that might be exaggerated, but ya’ll get my point.

  2. VaWolf82 12/02/2007 at 1:32 AM #

    This year will exceptionally expose the BCS system.

    No it won’t. Alot of people are confused about the purpose of the BCS….one of its main purposes is to maximize revenue. Who plays where doesn’t really affect the revenue stream, so don’t expect any great changes in the status quo.

  3. EverettBeez 12/02/2007 at 1:36 AM #

    Agree VaWolf – how do you tell the Emperor he has no clothes, when everyone’s been pointed that out for years? and the Emperor says to hell with clothes!!??!
    The BCS will work just like it always does – with maybe a bit more confusion then normal.

  4. EverettBeez 12/02/2007 at 1:39 AM #

    BTR – JT? that doesn’t ring a bell right off. I was there 83 to 87, a TKE and a history major. You?

  5. choppack1 12/02/2007 at 1:44 AM #

    EB – I hope you know she was a girl.

    Seriously though – This game has a lot of things going against it right now.
    1. If you don’t know your way around Jax, the town sucks.
    2. It’s SEC territory, the community is not embracing this game.
    3. It’s not a great sports town. The jags don’t draw that well either and I think consideration has been given to moving this game.
    4. The Florida teams have take a nose dive.

    Why Swoff chose it:
    You probably don’t understand how much grief the ACC gets for holding the ACC tourney in NC.
    *When the game was originally commisioned, the implosion of FSU and Miami was not complete. The conventional wisdom was that either FSU OR Miami would be in the game – only fair to hold it in Florida – especially given the anti-NC feelings for much of the conference (read UMd, Florida teams, GaTech.)
    *Atlanta would be a logical choice – but the SEC holds their game there already on the same day – so that’s out of the question.
    *I’ve never thought much of Swoff’s creativity or courage. I thought that South Carolina should have been given some consideration. (I know there’s politics AND logistics surrounding that too.)
    *DC or somehwere like Annapolis could be considered. Given the dynamics of the league, and the current state of the powerhouses, smaller venues should be considered.
    *Today was an embarassment for the conference from a crowd perspective. Any one who watched the championships today could observe the stunning difference between the ACC and the SEC and Big 12.
    *Every year you could have a match-up like this…Wake, GaTech, UVa, BC, and Miami are wild cards when it comes to traveling. Moving to Charlotte or DC could be ugly too if FSU and Miami ever get their act together.
    *In a sense, his hands were tied going into this thing. The schools and politics are what they are – making the city of Jax a likely choice for this event. But make no mistake about it, this game was pretty much a clincher for the conference not coming back there for a while.
    *The game will probably be in Charlotte next year. Charlotte is a quick drive for 6 of the 12 schools – and is easier to get to than Jax. This is critical for this game since you may not know you are in it until the last week.
    *Since I know Jax, I realize that it can be a fun city – (Or more accurately I should say the surrounding communities of Jax).
    *Charlotte has tons of civic pride and will support the game out of spite as much as anything else, at least initially.
    *If the game is in Charlotte, the loser doesn’t have to worry about returning for the bowl game w/ a bitter taste in its mouth.

  6. VaWolf82 12/02/2007 at 1:53 AM #

    This year will exceptionally expose the BCS system.

    The other thing is that no matter who plays in the championship game, no one can make a valid argument that they were unfairly excluded. They all had an opportunity to win their way in….and they didn’t.

  7. EverettBeez 12/02/2007 at 2:15 AM #

    Choppack –
    lmao, As much as I drank as an undergrad I will say that I am reasonable she was a girl.

    Good points all about the Game. I think it only demonstrates what a ungainly beast the conference is that there is no natural place to hold this game. Made for TV is not conducive to travel for the most part.

    I do understand the intense anti-NC feeling among many folks, but when the rubber meets the road, that is the center of the conference. Some folks just got to grow up about that, though they never will.

    Travel to Charlotte is WAY easier – its the home hub to maybe the worse airline in the nation, and drivable, as you say, to more then half the schools. But you should put your driving ring even larger when you consider that how far folks drive for the SEC and Big 12 game. Part of that is tradition, or excitement. Football in our league does not have much of either. The drive from Fayetteville ARK to Atlanta is a good, hard 9 hours at least – flying is not much better – but by damn those hog fans will do it in a heart beat.

    It sure makes you wonder what we need to do.
    Charlotte is the clear short term answer. Maybe they can establish enough tradition and excitement for this really to become an important game.
    The noon start time says it all doesn’t it?

  8. Trip 12/02/2007 at 3:47 AM #

    I’m glad VT won the championship, they ARE the best overall football school in the ACC. Tyrod Taylor is going to be a monster dual threat quarterback in the coming years, and i’m glad that we’re getting Glennon’s younger brother.

  9. PackerInRussia 12/02/2007 at 8:46 AM #

    Why the game didn’t fill up the stadium the past few years:
    This year–BC doesn’t travel well for one. Second, it may as well be in South Africa. If you have a team whose fan base doesn’t travel well and then have a game that is a pretty good distance from the school, then a poor turnout is no surprise.
    Last year–Wake Forest and GT. Wake is a pretty small school, so it’s understandable (I have no idea how big BC is, maybe that’s a valid excuse for them as well) that they would have a smaller contingent. GT from reports on this website doesn’t fill up its own stadium. So, if you have less-than-rabid fanbases, it’s not a big surprise that the fans don’t fill it up. I’ll bet Pack fans would pack (no pun intended) out the joint.
    Also, you’re not going to have a bunch of people go to this game who don’t have a vested interest (i.e. don’t have a team they’re pulling for) in it. It’s not like the ACCT that draws people because of the history and excitement of it (not to mention every team participates in some way). In its third year people are not going to get psyched about heading to the ACC Championship game because it’s still a novelty. There are probably ACC fans who would go to the SEC Championship game before they’d go to the ACC Championship game (unless their team was in it) simply because of excitement surrounding it. As much as I hate hearing about the tradition and aura of the SEC as if I am supposed to just crap my pants at the sound of Alabama (shock!), Auburn (awe!), Tennessee (shiver down my spine!), et. al., the fact remains that when you pit two SEC teams against each other in a game of great meaning, most people are interested whereas that interest doesn’t exist for the ACC at the moment. I think this may explain part of the reason for the huge difference in turnout for each game. Also, Jacksonville probably plays a big role in that as well. I agree that a more centrally located game would be better. Thank goodness it’s changing.

  10. bTHEredterror 12/02/2007 at 10:24 AM #

    ’90-93 English major, foot phi ball, though I partied my way outta both, and ended up in Raleigh a little later (’96).

    I mistook you for another, Ev. I guess we’re even.

    Down there, ya’ll think the Right Reverend can turn water to wine bout now I gather. He was a solid pick-up. He won a lot of football games they wouldn’t have won without him, whether or not they realize it in Fayetteville. And he will win some of the recruiting battles that were lost recently.

  11. Texpack 12/02/2007 at 10:41 AM #

    The Reverend Nutt’s move to Oxford will work out better for Ole Miss than it does for Arkansas, unless the pigs land Tubberville.

  12. EverettBeez 12/02/2007 at 12:18 PM #

    BTR – everett comes from the street I grew up on, lol.
    I shudder to think how hard you were at it to party your way out of App and and english major. All I can think to say is ” dude !!” I got the history degree, but the gpa sure reflected how much I partied my ownself. (got to love that southernerism)

    Yeah, I am pumped about Nutt coming – never heard him called The Reverand before, but I like it. Apparently he is damn excited too, with that QB transfer from Texas playing next year, and a corp of good receivers, we could win some games.

    All excellent points PackInRussia – you are exactly right about people going to the SEC game regardless because it will a) be great football b) be an exciting and entertaining event. We play good football for the most part, but man we lack the excitement at this game. The teams clearly have something to do with it –
    Lets hope the game can grow into its own here in the near future.

  13. ShootingGuard 12/02/2007 at 3:42 PM #

    Didn’t really WANT to root for VPI but definitely enjoyed seeing BC lose another one when it mattered after all of their fan and admin hate directed at TOB…

  14. Mike 12/02/2007 at 4:37 PM #

    How about this – the SEC and ACC games as a doubleheader in Hotlanta? Tickets would be harder to get, which would actually guarnatee sellouts (SEC does not have that issue now but we do). Exciting 2 games of football.

    Only drawback I see is field condition, which inside on turf is a non issue. Bring it on Swofford.

  15. RabidWolf 12/02/2007 at 4:37 PM #

    “I’m setting the over/under for BC fans at the Champs Bowl at 750.”

    I’ll take the under!

  16. CaptainCraptacular 12/02/2007 at 8:53 PM #

    Add the fact that it is not a night game to the list of reasons it doesn’t draw well. That could be considered a lame excuse, but for the ACC to depend on the local Jax population helping swell attendance numbers, they’d need it to be at night. They won’t get the chance though.. its gone.. Jax has lost money hosting it and pretty much everyone there doesn’t care.

  17. EverettBeez 12/02/2007 at 10:50 PM #

    Well Captain – we all know which game gets the noon time slot. . .

  18. waxhaw 12/03/2007 at 8:52 AM #

    I heard or read (can’t remember) that Charlotte has a conflict during the weekend of the ACC championship next year and that it won’t be in Charlotte until 2009.

  19. old_pcorone 12/03/2007 at 10:03 AM #

    I wonder if the same hold true for ACC basketball.
    Woulfo you see Duke fans travelling to Indianapolis for an ACC final?
    Wolfpack fans?
    Deacon’s?
    ECU fans?

    –snip—
    Travel to Charlotte is WAY easier – its the home hub to maybe the worse airline in the nation, and drivable, as you say, to more then half the schools. But you should put your driving ring even larger when you consider that how far folks drive for the SEC and Big 12 game. Part of that is tradition, or excitement. Football in our league does not have much of either. The drive from Fayetteville ARK to Atlanta is a good, hard 9 hours at least – flying is not much better – but by damn those hog fans will do it in a heart beat.
    —snip–

  20. deenz 12/03/2007 at 4:06 PM #

    In continuing to stick it to BC, Caulton Tudor predicts next year:
    http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/806736.html
    ATLANTIC DIVISION: 1. Clemson, 2. Wake Forest, 3. Florida State, 4. Maryland, 5. N.C. State, 6. Boston College.
    Now I’m really wondering if they’ll have fun without TOB.

  21. bTHEredterror 12/04/2007 at 10:37 AM #

    Ev-I played ball and tore both Hammies in two steps, discovered after recovery my average footspeed had metmorphosed into full blown ponderosity and kind of changed my outlook on my potential.

    Also discovered some intoxicants (I denied myself before college), which made me question the real gravity of Romantic Lit, etc., class @ 8:00 a.m., on a not quite infrequent basis.

    In short, the school wasn’t payin’, and I wasn’t stayin’.

  22. noah 12/04/2007 at 11:03 AM #

    deenz – Tudor is a big fan of O’Brien. I expect we’ll see continued cattiness towards the Eagles in future columns.

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  1. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » 2007 ACC Bowls - 12/03/2007

    JQN3PS Im grateful for the post.Really looking forward to read more. Will read on…

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