ACC FBall Power Rankings

'11 Football24

Updated look at the current nature of the conference by HD at ESPN linked here.

NC State has managed to defeat the top two teams in the league that we have on our schedule. So, you can imagine how maddening it is that we lost to the 10th rated team in the league and got embarrassingly shut out by #6 Florida State (who would not be ranked #6 if they hadn’t beaten us so convincingly).

Let’s keep hoping that the ‘good Wolfpack’ makes their appearance in Saturday’s game vs Maryland.

7. N.C. State (6-5, 3-4; LW: No. 8) – The Wolfpack beat Clemson in all four phases of the game and can now become bowl eligible by beating Maryland in the regular-season finale on Saturday. There’s only one question remaining: Which N.C. State team will show up? The one that lost to BC and got drubbed by Cincinnati? Or the one that beat UNC for a fifth straight time and knocked off a Top 10 team two weeks later?

[snip]

12. Maryland (2-9, 1-6 ACC; LW: No. 12) – And yet despite Duke’s miserable finish to the season, Maryland has fared worse. The biggest problem is the defense, which can’t seem to stop anyone. The Terps haven’t won a game since Oct. 1 against Towson. They’ve lost seven straight.

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'11 Football

24 Responses to ACC FBall Power Rankings

  1. cWOhLFrPAiCKs 11/22/2011 at 11:57 AM #

    Thoroughly prepared to lose this weekend, but hoping I’m wrong. If we do win, I hope we just wear all red at all home games from here on out. And just stick with the red helmets regardless.

  2. Prowling Woofie 11/22/2011 at 12:01 PM #

    All red – ALL OVER the Terps !!!

  3. TruthBKnown Returns 11/22/2011 at 1:35 PM #

    Stop worrying. We are NOT losing this game. Not THIS year, we’re not!

  4. Hungwolf 11/22/2011 at 1:51 PM #

    ACC needs NCSU to win to fill bowl obligations since Miami not going bowling. Even Miami’s vilations are not as bad as those over at the Hill, they still self imposed a bowl ban. Penn State trustees have appointed an independent invistigation. Interesting to watch other programs reactions to violations in comparison to UNC. The BOG here is yet to do anything other than want to know how recruiting is going. The leaders of our university system here in NC still has made us look like the biggest bunch of idiots for their nonaction towards the mess at the Hill.

  5. WolftownVA81 11/22/2011 at 1:55 PM #

    We have a large score to settle with the Terps and a chance to right much of what has gone wrong this season. Let’s hope we players still have some gas in the tank. Go Pack and finish the season on a positive note.

  6. Plz2BStateFan 11/22/2011 at 3:12 PM #

    #WOLFBLOOD

    #NOMERCY

    #HONGRY

  7. Wufpacker 11/22/2011 at 4:03 PM #

    After seeing that the team actually CAN play at a high level against an opponent not named “Carolina”, laying an egg against Maryland on Saturday would be unforgivable for many.

    Statistically speaking, Maryland is not that much worse than we are. We should win, especially at home, but if we waltz in there thinking we’re God’s gift because we handled Clemson, we’ll get beat. Even well prepared, I suspect we’ll have our hands full on Saturday.

    That being said, I hope we stomp a mudhole in their collective arse.

  8. blpack 11/22/2011 at 4:46 PM #

    If we come out ready to play, we should have a nice semi-relaxed 4th quarter. IF we come out ready to play.

  9. BJD95 11/22/2011 at 5:37 PM #

    I’m a State fan. I will stop worrying when I’m dead. Maybe.

  10. TruthBKnown Returns 11/22/2011 at 5:47 PM #

    I suppose there is one way we could lose. We could stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving turkey and sleepwalk through the game like we did about four years ago against Maryland when we lost 37-0.

    Not gonna happen, folks. Don’t even worry about it. State wins this one by a minimum of two touchdowns.

  11. 61Packer 11/22/2011 at 6:21 PM #

    The main reason we won’t lose this game Saturday is because we’re playing AT HOME. I know everybody’s excited over last weekend, including me, but the big red flag that continues to fly over this coaching staff is ROAD GAMES, especially ACC road games.

    We might win the bowl game too, but when this coaching staff returns next season, and they will, I’m going to hold my nose when we play at Maryland, Clemson and even UNC, unless Withers gets the gig.

    I’m not so perplexed over how we can stomp nationally ranked teams like Clemson as I am over how we lose on the road to almost EVERYBODY.

  12. primacyone 11/22/2011 at 6:29 PM #

    I think the BC loss has done permanent damage to my fandom as I seem to be completely disinterested.

  13. wheresthedefensein2011 11/22/2011 at 8:06 PM #

    Look my log-in was established after the Ga Tech beat down, I have to give Archer and defense credit they are getting after it. They were simply worn down @ FSU, they really didn’t play so bad, the offense was awful. As happy as I am with the wins against UNC and Clemson, once again we have to look at what could have been. If the Pack had pulled through with two very winnable games @ WFU and @ BC, they would be playing for the Atlantic Division Title on Saturday. We have to become better than Wake and BC.

  14. gtspack 11/22/2011 at 8:43 PM #

    If we can overcome the Maryland curse. What bowl are we looking at?

  15. Wufpacker 11/22/2011 at 9:28 PM #

    ^ Hard to say. Assuming we beat UMd, VT takes care of UVa and Carolina sleepwalks past Duke, we could conceivably go as high as 3rd choice or as low as 8th, if my math is correct. 3rd would be Champs in Orlando, but we were just there so probably they would make a different pick anyway. 4th choice is El Paso for the Sun, then Charlotte, Nashville, Shreveport, and DC, in that order.

    I’m guessing Charlotte or Nashville.

  16. redsteel 11/22/2011 at 9:30 PM #

    ^”I’m a State fan. I will stop worrying when I’m dead. Maybe.”

    Love this quote…….

  17. Gang of Wolves 11/22/2011 at 10:08 PM #

    How about red helments/jersey and black pants?

  18. vtpackfan 11/22/2011 at 10:08 PM #

    It’s not just how bad the Twrrps are on D, but what makes them bad. Giving up 66% completion rate to opposition and not much pressure to the QB. When MG gets adequate protection and coverages are that soft then its all on the receivers to make the clean catches. Our running just needs to be efficient and not put it on the turf. That should be more than enough for the “Red Terror” D-Fence.

  19. Marvin 11/22/2011 at 10:09 PM #

    A lot of you pounced on TOB when he said our players were “immature” after the BC game. But doesn’t the Clemson game prove his point? They’re up one week and down another. That’s not giving 100% week in and week out. That’s immaturity.

    Besides, don’t any of you remember what you were like when you were 19? Didn’t you blow some tests you ought to have aced? TOB wasn’t passing the buck; he was telling the truth.

    The BC game was a classic trap. We were on the road against a reportedly weak team, coming off a big win against our arch rival. And it was their senior day. Given the thinness of our roster and given our previous road losses, a loss to BC shouldn’t have surprised anyone, although it was disappointing.

    I think we’ll beat Maryland this weekend. We’re at home, and we have something to play for–a winning record and a bowl game. Immature teams need something to play for, a carrot, something more than simply the pride of a job well done.

  20. choppack1 11/22/2011 at 10:18 PM #

    “…but the big red flag that continues to fly over this coaching staff is ROAD GAMES, especially ACC road games.”

    OK, in year 1, we won road games at ECU and Miami (losing at BC, at Wake, and at FSU). In ACC 1-3 on the road vs. 2-2 at home
    In year 2, we won road games vs. Duke and UNC (losing at SC, UMd, and Clemson). In ACC 2-2 on road, 2-2 at home.
    Year 3 – 2-2 at home, 0-4 on the road.
    Year 4 – 3-1 at home, 2-2 on the road.
    Year 5 – 2-1 at home, 1-3 on the road.
    So, overall – TOB is 11-8 at home in conference and 6-14 on the road.

    Are we worse on the road. Yes – but so traditionally so is almost every team in any sport. (Sports Illustrated did a story on it last year, and basically they attributed the difference to officiating.) The 6-14 road record as it pertains to his home record isn’t a red flag.

    To me, it’s all comes back to “living on the margins.” Clearly, in TOBs 5th year, we are clearly “on the bubble” – always a couple plays and players away from 2-6 or 6-2. Heck, at BC, I’d tell you, he lived on those margins as well. What his program does well historically – protect the ball above average – and not kill yourself with penalties – can tilt that margine just enough in your favor…and if we win Saturday (and let’s face it, that’s a huge flippin’ if) – chalk up another season very slightly above average season to doing these little things that help you win just a bit more than you lose.2

    Just to compare this to Butch…
    2007 – 3-1 at home, 0-4 on road
    2008 – 2-2 at home, 2-2 on road
    2009 – 2-2 at home, 2-2 on road
    2010 – 1-3 at home, 3-1 on road

    8-8 at home, 7-9 on road…
    for Chuck
    2000 – 3-1 at home, 1-3 on road
    2001 – 1-3 at home, 3-1 on road
    2002 – 3-1 at home, 2-2 on road
    2003 – 3-1 at home, 1-3 on road
    2004 – 1-3 at home, 2-2 on road
    2005 – 1-3 at home, 2-2 on road
    2006 – 2-2 at home, 0-4 on road

    14-14 at home, 11-17 on road…

    You get the picture. TOB is better at home, but so is everyone. In his case, he’s much better at home than the road – but I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we’re getting pretty tough to beat at home.

  21. vtpackfan 11/22/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    What sucks is our division-TOB has won at every Coastal Divisions house sans VT. Not once in the Atlantic on the road-baffles me. I set the lack of maturity comment aside because we are purposely recruiting guys who have higher aptitude in this area versus stud recruits who get A’s in 400 level classes but fail rocks for jocks. Our margin for error is too small for our guys to go up then down week to week.

  22. choppack1 11/22/2011 at 11:04 PM #

    vtpackfan – I’m tempted to agree.

    I don’t know if we’ll ever have the ability to take opponents lightly – especially on the road…

  23. pack76 11/23/2011 at 4:01 PM #

    The simple fact remains, this team needs consistency!!! They can go a long way in showing that by taking this game with Maryland seriously and thumping them at home! The up and down nature of this team so far has any number of reasons, including the “get to grow up” statement. Beat Maryland and let’s go Bowling!!!

  24. choppack1 11/23/2011 at 6:34 PM #

    pack76 – I’d argue that we were initially consistent – consistently bad.

    I think we’re pretty much the same team we were at the beginning of the year w/ some key defensive players back that we didn’t have the first half of the season.

    Our offense has kind of sucked but for one game. Now, we did have some big plays, but our offense has struggled to sustain drives and get TDs all year.

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