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Your Horizons The ACC gave everyone something to talk about, on Sunday morning. I'd personally like to thank ACC Commissioner John Swofford, for scheduling his announcement that Pitt and Syracuse were the newest members of the league at 9:30am. Since I was hosting SiriusXM's College Football Sunday from 9am-1pm, he made my job easy. The sudden announcement that the deal was done with the two former Big East schools is a testament to the desperate times that await many schools and conferences in college athletics. As for the new additions, I have some questions about the move....and I'll address that later in the blog. Let me say that I'm on record for being pro-Expansion. I have been, since the days of the ACC's first invasion of the Big East which captured Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami. I'm also on record for believing that those institutions would have been an upgrade to the ACC in football. I was wrong.....dead wrong. Miami has been a total flop. Since joining the league, the mighty (and dirty) Hurricanes have been a robust 30-27 in conference play on the gridiron. Boston College has made two appearances, albeit losing ones, in the ACC title game. But old-school ACC fans still can't relate to the Eagles, much less remember that they are actual conference members. Virginia Tech has been the only acquisition that has exceeded expectations. Their football program has been top-notch (for ACC standards) and their loyal fans have embraced the opportunity. Unfortunately, the ACC became politically correct by misplacing their title game in the state of Florida for four years while the game was played in front of tens of thousands of empty seats. The league finally came to their senses by placing the game in its rightful place: Charlotte. In the meantime, the ACC has an embarrassing 2-11 BCS record, to match. Nobody else is even close to the ineptitude on the football field of the ACC. The league can spew all the NFL Draft picks it wants....all that does is ask the question of why the conference can't be competitive with all those outstanding players? Now that the ACC has kicked the Big East around for the second time by acquiring Pittsburgh and Syracuse, it is time to ask the simple question:
Again, I'm a pro-Expansion guy....there is no question that Pitt and Syracuse help the conference immediately in basketball. The ACC has been basically reduced to Duke and UNC in hoops. Every now and then, one of the other 10 schools will have a nice season, but Duke and UNC have become so dominant, that the league is about as exciting as the NL East. Syracuse and Pitt will be able to compete from day one. The two additions will also help the ACC's TV package with the additions of more TV sets in the Northeast, and it gives Boston College and Maryland some comfort that they have neighbors nearby. The problem I have with Pitt and Syracuse is that expansion is driven by football. Pitt and Syracuse don't help the ACC's football profile one bit. Neither one of the latest additions is a player on the national scene. Neither team has won a BCS game....the last time Pitt won a national title was 1976. The last time Syracuse won it in football was 1959. The last time Syracuse finished in the Top 10 was 1992. The last time Pitt finished in the Top 10 was 1982....so it appears that both schools will be a perfect fit, when it comes to ACC football. There are always plenty of empty seats at both venues....from a football perspective, this move was a snoozer. Maybe the ACC has finally figured out that they can't compete with the likes of the SEC in football, so they upgraded their basketball, television and academic resume? Maybe there is hope that a Texas or Notre Dame could still enter the picture? Early reports have that possibility as slim or not at all. One thing is certain: the ACC's move has stabilized any talk of FSU, Clemson or Virginia Tech leaving to join the SEC. The league will have a seat at the Super Conference table when all the dust has settled. That reason alone might be the reason the ACC acted so quickly to raid the Big East for the second time in recent memory. The league might not be on par with the SEC, Pac 12 or the Big 10.....but it is certainly in much better shape than the soon-to-be-extinct Big 12 and Big East. Perhaps John Swofford and his member institutions understood that the key to success is to be sure you don't finish last. Last week, I came to terms on a new radio show. The details will be announced later this week. I'm excited about the opportunity, and thrilled to be associated with the new regime. I will give out the details when all the paperwork is signed, sealed and delivered. The new show will premier on Monday, September 26th.....so stay tuned. Cam Newton is breaking records every week. Panther fans are excited about seeing Newton and the team at least appear competitive. Despite the 0-2 start, this is more than I can say for the last couple of years in Charlotte. Before the season, I thought the team would go 5-11, and not much has changed on that front. But I have been very impressed with the Panthers' top pick. I would have never thought he could produce those kinds of numbers in the early going. As I mentioned last week, Jimmy Clausen might as well grab his favorite beverage and a chair. His work is through in Carolina. The Panthers will not be in the playoff hunt, but for the first time in a long, long time....they are entertaining. After watching three weeks of the college football season, I can now start to see some separation at the top. Oklahoma's gutsy win at FSU puts them in a prime position to play for the national title. The Big 12 has OK State and Texas A&M in the Top 10 as well, but the Sooners' defense is legit. Even though they have found ways to go brain-dead against lesser conference foes from time-to-time, this OU team has a chance to exercise some of those past screw-ups. Bama and LSU are loaded defensively....and they'll have to navigate around dangerous opponents that are littered on the schedule. LSU will get tested in Morgantown and the Tide has Arkansas this week in T-town. I expect Boise State to run the table, but their schedule will come back to haunt them. Even Virginia Tech can dream of a perfect season with their limited schedule, but I can't see the Hokies in New Orleans. I can see Wisconsin running the table in the Big Ten. Russell Wilson has been fabulous, and the Badgers are tough. Even out West, Stanford and Andrew Luck are the owners of the nation's longest winning streak. The Cardinal has a chance, if they can figure out a way to stop Oregon. College football has been awesome in September, and there are still so many big games to be played out. I happened to catch the controversial Floyd Mayweather, Jr. knockout. Boxing has turned into a pathetic display....and I like boxing. But, let's face it: the MMA has taken them to the woodshed. But, back to Floyd....his HBO interview with ancient Larry Merchant was a classic. The 80-year-old Merchant has seemingly had it out for Mayweather since the guy entered a boxing ring. After the fight, Merchant declared on the air that if he was 50 years younger, he'd kick Mayweather's ass. Hilarious. He's lucky that Floyd didn't make the old man realize he'd crossed the line. Unfortunately, the interview was more entertaining the fight. |
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