ACC power(less) rankings

These days, any old bozo can (and does) rank teams.

For proof, look no further than this doofus from the San Jose Mercury News.

James Madison is ranked No. 19. Seriously.

I don't pay enough attention to the national stuff to offer a credible Top 25, but I do pay pretty close attention to the ACC.

So I'm giving myself the power to create an ACC power poll -- or powerless poll, given last weekend's events. Maybe this will be a weekly occurrence ... unless there's something more interesting to write about.

It's still a bit early to rank teams, in my opinion. Heck, what do we really know about Clemson and Boston College? They've combined to play Presbyterian, Weber State, Kent State and North Dakota State.

But so much about following sports these days is about knee-jerk reactions and overreactions.

So here goes...

(And before we begin, my logic in ranking teams is completely different from the logic used by the aforementioned writer, or some other writers. N.C. State is 2-0 and Virginia Tech is 0-2, but that doesn't mean the Wolfpack is better than the Hokies. I'm still going with the teams that I think are the best.)

1. Miami--Hey, they weren't totally embarrassed at Ohio State. And the Buckeyes are pretty darn good. Canes are still the most talented team in the conference.

2. Clemson--Again, what do we really know after Presbyterian and North Texas? We'll know a heck of a lot more after Saturday at Auburn, but we maintain this is one of the most talented teams in the league.

3. Florida State--Not a good sign when your third-best team gets carved up like a turkey at Oklahoma. But the Sooners were hitting on every cylinder Saturday and were a ticked-off bunch after squeaking one out over Utah State.

4. Virginia Tech--Awful, awful loss. But as I said yesterday, not totally shocking given the quick turnaround from a devastating defeat. This certainly isn't a great team, but it's still a good one.

5. Georgia Tech--It's been written here plenty that the Yellow Jackets under Paul Johnson are good for one stinker a year. I predicted that stinker to come later to Middle Tennessee, not last week at Kansas. Still, the thinking here is the Yellow Jackets aren't as bad as Saturday's defeat indicated.

6. N.C. State--Central Florida isn't bad, so the Wolfpack was impressive in building a big lead in Orlando (before almost giving it all up). Still some doubts about this bunch, though. Thursday's game against Cincinnati should be interesting.

7. Boston College--Still not sold on these guys because of their quarterback, their receivers and their shaky defensive line. They'll win some games because of the cake schedule, but are they any good?

8. North Carolina--Admirable showing in Atlanta, and they'd be much higher if they hadn't been gutted of almost all their talent. Horrible clock-management late against LSU undermines the notion that Butch Davis is a great coach.

9. Maryland--We thought they'd be better, and they are. Hey, they've already equaled their win total from 2009! Still gotta find a way to throw the ball.

10. Virginia--Could end up being the surprise team of the ACC. Still waiting and seeing, though.

11. Wake Forest--We'll know more early Sunday morning; Deacons kick off at Stanford at 11:15 p.m.

12. Duke--Not a bad caboose team ... and better than a lot of cellar-dwellers elsewhere.

Heather Dinich gives her power poll and also puts Miami and Clemson 1-2.

Not buying N.C. State at No. 3 -- or Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech at 9-10.

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi has an idea: Just cancel the ACC title game.

Dang ... Jimbo Fisher has been the head coach for all of two games in Tallahassee, and this guy is ready to run him off ... and Randy Shannon, to boot.

It has been said before, but I’ll say it again: The ACC will never be viewed in the same ballpark as the SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 until Miami and FSU are back in the top 10. And that won’t happen until each program makes an upgrade at head coach.

Nick Saban is doing his best to hype up Duke this week.

This Birmingham columnist wonders why the NCAA allows Kyle Parker to make a bunch of money off a baseball contract, but doesn't allow A.J. Green to make a dime off sales of his jersey.

The problem isn't that Parker is a professional athlete playing college football. The problem is that the NCAA still likes to pretend that college football is an amateur exercise.

On the official website for Georgia athletics, you can go to the official Georgia shop and purchase one of 22 different No. 8 jerseys ranging in price from $34.95 to $150.

Green gave those jerseys value by becoming one of the best wide receivers in the SEC, but he makes the same profit no matter how many they sell. He doesn't get a dime.

It's a crime.

The Division I Manual says that part of the NCAA's "basic policy" is to "retain a clear line of demarcation between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports."

The NCAA holds that line in the case of Green, Marcell Dareus, etc., but blurs that line for players such as Parker.

No wonder so many players cross the line.

Tom Dienhart of Rivals has a Q&A with Gene Chizik.

Q: What areas of the team need the most work?

A: "On offense, I don't think that there is any question that we have to run the football better, and I am talking about at our tailback position. Being able to run the ball with our tailbacks and put together some consistent drives and get some first downs, eat the clock, that's big.

"Defensively, we have got to really step it up when it comes to explosive plays. There were some things we weren't consistent on defensively last year and at times we haven't been consistent enough on this year. Our special teams also can get better. On Thursday night [in a 17-14 win at Mississippi State], we got a field goal blocked and had an onsides kick on us, things that we have to do better on."

In the Orlando Sentinel, Jimbo Fisher says he expects a "physical, hungry bunch of Cougars" this weekend.

I'm thinking that could be a distraction.



LW