ACC ticket sales lower than necessary

[thelakelander]

Based off play this year, the SEC is not head and shoulders above all conferences.  Yes, its above the ACC, but with FSU and Miami down that's not saying much.  I'd say this year, the Big 12 could give them a run for their money.  They also have two teams that are projected to play in BCS bowls (OU & Kansas) and another that was ranked #1 in the country before last night's loss to Oklahoma.

Btw, I can't believe LSU jumped over three teams to move to #2.  If I were a Georgia fan, I'd be pissed.  Conference championship or not (since there's no rule saying you have to win your conference to play in the big dance), Georgia was playing the best ball in that conference during the second half of the season with a pretty young team.

[RiversideGator]

Georgia could have been there if they had taken care of business earlier in the season.  Not getting blown out by Tennessee would have helped.  LSU on the other hand lost two very close games in triple overtime but they were to lesser teams.  I still think a two loss LSU is still better than any of the 1 loss teams out there though.  We will see how it all shakes out in a few weeks.  The bowl games are a good indication of conference strength.

BTW, here are the rivals.com bowl projections:  http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=746471

[thelakelander]

BTW, weather in Charlotte today is a balmy high of 56 with the temps dropping into the 40s tonight and a chance of rain.  I dont know how many Charlotteans would sit through an average game with teams they dont care about in bad weather.  Even if BOA steps up and buys all of the unsold tickets, there would still be a lot of empty seats in Charlotte.  I just think the ACC needs to be a little more realistic as to the football passion in their conference.

For all its recent progress, Charlotte alone can't change the fortunes of this albatross.  The ACC needs to build up its football tradition before this championship game will take off.  I think they would be better off rotating the game for while.

[thelakelander]

Georgia could have been there if they had taken care of business earlier in the season.  Not getting blown out by Tennessee would have helped.  LSU on the other hand lost two very close games in triple overtime but they were to lesser teams.  I still think a two loss LSU is still better than any of the 1 loss teams out there though.  We will see how it all shakes out in a few weeks.  The bowl games are a good indication of conference strength.

BTW, here are the rivals.com bowl projections:  http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=746471

A loss is a loss and LSU dropped their last game of the regular season with all the marbles on the line.  Yes, Georgia had some injuries and lost early on, but that team responded by whipping Florida by 12, blowing out Auburn, held Kentucky (who beat LSU) to 13, and scored 31 on a pretty good Ga Tech defense.  I think a healty Oklahoma, USC, Oregon (if Dixon was still around) or Georgia would give LSU fits.  Unfortunately, OSU sneaked in this thing with a pathetic schedule and will be exposed again while better teams are on the outside looking in.

[tufsu1]

RG....you are proving to be like many other Gator fans....you need to wake up and realize that good football is played all over the country....not just in the SEC....I agree that the top tier of the SEC is better than the top tier of the ACC but the difference isn't as big as you think.
 
Three examples of the ACC beating the SEC during the regular season have been shown...now let's see what happens in the bowl games.

Sure LSU pummeled Va Tech...but that was a Sat. night in Baston Rouge (almost no road team wins those games) and Va Tech was still trying to put their offense together.

You also quoted that the SEC has the most players in the NFL....you may want to check the #1 and #2 schools in terms of NFL players....that would be Miami and FSU of the ACC...'Nuff Said!

[RiversideGator]

tufsu: 
1)  I agree that good football is played all over the country.  I just said that the best college football is played in the SEC.
2)  Thanks for reminding me of the most compelling piece of evidence that the SEC is better than the ACC right now.  The SEC Champs LSU absolutely destroyed the ACC Champs VA Tech 48-7 this year in a head to head match up.  Ouch.
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=272510099
3)  As for NFL players, there has been some good talent at Miami and FSU obviously.  However, both programs have really dropped off here lately.  In the 90s, they were the premier football programs in Florida.  This is not that case anymore.

[thelakelander]

3)  As for NFL players, there has been some good talent at Miami and FSU obviously.  However, both programs have really dropped off here lately.  In the 90s, they were the premier football programs in Florida.  This is not that case anymore.

Everything runs in cycles.  You can't stay at the top every year.  For Florida, this is good, because now they'll finally be able to beat Miami next year.  That's something the Gators haven't done in over 20 years.

[spidey]

OUCH!   

[RiversideGator]

3)  As for NFL players, there has been some good talent at Miami and FSU obviously.  However, both programs have really dropped off here lately.  In the 90s, they were the premier football programs in Florida.  This is not that case anymore.

Everything runs in cycles.  You can't stay at the top every year.  For Florida, this is good, because now they'll finally be able to beat Miami next year.  That's something the Gators haven't done in over 20 years.

It isnt as if we have been playing Miami every year for the past 20 years either.  Either way, look for the Gators to win big against Miami in 2008.

[thelakelander]

All streaks must come to an end.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Florida canceled the rivarly when Miami was playing some of its best ball ever in the late 80s.  Currently, Miami has a six game winning streak with four coming in the last six years, including a 41-16 thumping in 2002 and the crazy Brock Berlin comeback a year later.  With that said, Miami will definately be huge underdogs next year with a team full of freshman going up against Tebo. 

[RiversideGator]

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Florida canceled the rivarly when Miami was playing some of its best ball ever in the late 80s.

This was done when the SEC went to divisional play and increased the mandatory number of SEC games to 8.  So, with FL-GA always being played in Jacksonville, we had to drop the home and away series with Miami in order to insure a minimum of 6 home games in Gainesville.  Now that the NCAA allows for 12 football games in the regular season as opposed to the previous limit of 11, we can add them back on which has happened at least for one home and away series.  The bottom line is Miami has had a lot of success in the 1980s and 90s but are in serious decline now coming off a losing season at 5-7 and 3-6 in the ACC.  I expect a little payback for the Gators in 2008.

[tufsu1]

oh the poor poor Gators....they needed 6 home games every year with an 11 game schedule....why, splitting the revenue of an 85,000 seat stadium with GA every year wasn't enough?

Other big name teams were able to make it work with 5.....even my beloved Temple Owls (who are by no means big time) had 4 game home seasons quite often...and this year FSU played 5 at home with a 12 game schedule

of course the home schedule is the "official" reason UF dropped the rivalry....lets see whether UF and Miami play each other every year now that 12 game schedules are allowed....they didn't in 2006 or 2007!

[RiversideGator]

oh the poor poor Gators....they needed 6 home games every year with an 11 game schedule....why, splitting the revenue of an 85,000 seat stadium with GA every year wasn't enough?

Other big name teams were able to make it work with 5.....even my beloved Temple Owls (who are by no means big time) had 4 game home seasons quite often...and this year FSU played 5 at home with a 12 game schedule

of course the home schedule is the "official" reason UF dropped the rivalry....lets see whether UF and Miami play each other every year now that 12 game schedules are allowed....they didn't in 2006 or 2007!

Well, in Gainesville, as opposed to at Temple and FSU, we have 90,000 plus fans who are very excited to come to every game and who pay a lot of money for 6 home games so this is sort of due to them.  And, if we were ducking Miami why have we played them so many times since dropping the series due to scheduling contraints?

BTW, why is a Temple/FSU fan carrying water for the Miami Hurricanes?

[RiversideGator]

And, Miami was lucky to play us when they were good and we were bad.  They got us for home and away during the Zook era (who despite his relative success at Illinois was a bumbling failure at UF) and we never played them during our national championship seasons or when we were so good in the mid to late 1990s.  This is an accident of timing and will be corrected in 2008 and 2009.  Book it.

[thelakelander]

Some claim that the Gator's good teams of the late 90s are a direct result of Miami's probation.  The Hurricanes lost 31 scholarships during that period and were banned from postseason play sending many top high school players in the State to UF and FSU in the process and enabling them to get a better hold on recruiting in South Florida. 

The Zook era parallels Miami's decline with Coker leading the Canes down the tubes.  Nevertheless, they were still able to handle the Gators, laying the wood to them 27-10 in the 2004 Peach Bowl.  The Hurricanes are a QB and a DL or two away from being a decent team again.  Depending on if Miami's top rated recruiting class pans out this year, I can see this upcoming home & home end up with the Gators winning in 2008 and Miami in 2009.

As for FSU, I wonder how long are they going to stay with Bowden?  Its time for a coaching change.