Ugly start to '06 ACC season
'Twas not a good opening weekend for the Atlantic Coast Conference - not at all.
Would you believe 6-4 in nonconference games, for starters? I wouldn't have before the games got going with Boston College's narrow 31-24 win over Central Michigan on Thursday night.
The showing included an 1-2 mark against the Big East - with North Carolina falling to Rutgers at home, 21-16, and Virginia embarrassing itself on national TV at Pitt by a 38-13 count.
At least Wake Forest held off Big East doormat Syracuse in their opener.
Meanwhile, three of the wins - and one of the losses - came against I-AA opposition, with only Virginia Tech, in its 38-0 whitewash of Northeastern, looking at all impressive. Maryland, for its part, limped to a 27-14 win over William and Mary, and North Carolina State looked no better in a 23-10 win over Appalachian State.
Duke ... oh, Duke ... lost 13-0 at home to Richmond.
The only team that did anything worth talking about was Georgia Tech, which led second-ranked Notre Dame 10-0 into the latter stages of the second quarter before falling 14-10.
The good news this weekend - the nonconference slate includes Akron (at N.C. State), Wyoming (at Virginia), Samford (at Georgia Tech), Troy (at Florida State), Middle Tennessee State (at Maryland) and Florida A&M (at Miami).
I say that's good news - but after last weekend, there really aren't any guarantees, are there?
- Chris Graham