Back To ACC
ACC Responsibility on Wake’s Shoulders
By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com
Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin. Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page
SouthernPigskin.com ACC Columnist Marc Hudgens explains why Wake Forest is the new national flag-bearer for the ACC.
Marc Hudgens
SouthernPigskin.com ACC Columnist
SouthernPigskin.com ACC Columnist Marc Hudgens explains why Wake Forest is the new national flag-bearer for the ACC.
ACC’s respectability is off Clemson’s shoulders, on Wake’s
Entering this season Clemson was the ACC’s marquee program, the one chosen to hopefully boost the conference’s poor image as it was the preseason favorite to win the ACC and an Orange Bowl berth.http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wake/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/2262938.jpeg
The Tigers can still win the ACC, as we’re all still very early in the season and early enough for teams that puked up statement games to have time to make amends for their sins. But at this very moment in time, Clemson doesn’t look to be the team to beat in the ACC - that moniker belongs to Wake Forest.
As for the traditional “teams to beat”, then-number nine Clemson proved it was a national pretender in every sense of the word with its pathetic showing against Alabama and proved nothing to the contrary with its easy win over the FCS’ The Citadel. Then-number 17 Virginia Tech had it in the bag against East Carolina in week one before coughing it up in the closing seconds and proved little with its okay win over FCS school Furman. Florida State had a massive debut over Western Carolina, 69-0, but it’s Western Carolina we’re talking about. Miami, who had an impressive 52-7 debut over Charleston Southern, lost 26-3 to a fifth-ranked Florida team that clearly played not wanting to show anything. Perhaps Georgia Tech would be the team to beat in the Coastal Division, as the Yellow Jackets are 2-0 (1-0 ACC), but Paul Johnson’s offense didn’t look impressive when you weigh 162 rushing yards and two ground touchdowns against three fumbles in their paltry 19-16 win over Boston College.
So ACC fans are currently left to pin their hopes on oft-overlooked Wake Forest, the 2006 ACC champions, who is now 2-0 (0-0 ACC).
“But they haven’t hit their conference schedule yet!” you cry.
True, but coach Jim Grobe’s bunch has beaten two Big Six teams. Also true that the wins were over the Big XII’s Baylor and the SEC’s Ole Miss. But Ole Miss has shown more fight in the past two games under new (and proven) head coach Houston Nutt than it did during the entire Ed Orgeron era and took Wake to the brink of defeat and Baylor is also under a better head coach and has a very talented quarterback. Both of these teams belong to the top two conferences in college football and, although they will be considered patsies by the spin crowd, the fact is these wins over such better quality opponents are more than can be said about any other ACC team.
Sure, Wake has yet to prove themselves in conference play and could possibly do what too many ACC teams have already done in years past and cough up their title shot. But this is a Jim Grobe team…what are the chances of that happening?
.....
Share your thoughts on the SouthernPigskin.com Message Boards or email Marc at mahudgens@gmail.com
Stories written by SouthernPigskin.com columnists are done independently. Views do not always coincide with those of the remainder of the staff or the ownership of SouthernPigskin.com.
