ACC in NC is DOA
Posted September 7, 2005, 9:12 PM ET

One week into the Division-1A college football season and it is obvious that some things in North Carolina never change.

Duke and Wake Forest have already gotten off to lousy starts, and their fan bases are counting down the days to Midnight Madness. Wake laid an egg by losing at home to the normally inept and perennial SEC cellar-dweller Vanderbilt Commodores. Despite having a running back rush for a career-high 254 yards, the Deacs found a way to lose another close game and embarrass the new and improved ACC. For their effort, Wake travels to Lincoln this week to play Nebraska.

Duke rolled into Greenville, NC as the favorite against East Carolina. The Blue Devils went home a loser after watching the Pirates celebrate the Skip Holtz era with a win in front of Pirate Nation. ECU had lost 22 of their last 25 games, but a dose of Duke has the Pirates unbeaten in 2005.

N.C. State was immune from the same old nonsense. The Wolfpack is a talented team that happens to play the dumbest brand of football in the college ranks. There is no shame in losing to Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a Top 10 team and program, but the Pack teases their fanbase more than anybody on the planet.

Jay Davis, the State QB, played well and the defense looks as menacing as ever. But what is up with the stupid penalties and turnovers? This week, 12 penalties totalled 105 yards - and State has an amazing knack of committing them at the absolutely wrong time. Three turnovers didn't help, either. It is tough to beat a team like Va. Tech, or anybody else when you continually give the other guy freebies. I still think N.C. State is good enough to win 8+ games, but they've got to start playing smarter and with more discipline.

One more thing: what is the deal with HYPE's love-affair with the Vick family? I'm all in favor of older brother Michael hanging out and supporting his younger brother, Marcus...but does ESPN (HYPE) have to show Michael on every possession? Give it a rest.

Fans of the Carolina Panthers already got a dose of ESPN and their infatuation with Michael Vick during a Panthers-Falcons game a few years ago...now, college football fans in the Carolinas saw it again with Marcus Vick at Va. Tech. College football fans deserve better coverage than that...but what do you expect from a network that thinks Nick Lachey is a good addition to College Gameday?

Brutal.

Carrying the banner this week on Tobacco Road is North Carolina...the Tar Heels boss-man, John Bunting, complained earlier about the Heels having to sit out the opening week and watch all the action from the sidelines. After checking out the games from week #1, it was a good thing UNC was chilling out.

The bad news for UNC is that their first game is this week in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. All the Jackets did was open the season at Auburn and upset the Tigers in front of 87,000 at Jordan-Hare. It snapped Auburn's 15-game winning streak and marked the eleventh straight season that Ga. Tech has beaten a top ranked team. Maybe the Heels are catching GT at the right time...we'll see this Saturday afternoon.

I'll be curious to see which ACC football team in North Carolina gets the first win of the season...hopefully it will be sooner than later.