What is the biggest storyline in the bowl season so far?
It is really the whining about the first round of the College Football Playoff, and now it will be about Cam Ward, but the biggest deal so far has been the ACC’s epic crash and burn, which began 1-9.
Even worse, four of the ten losses were to Group of Five programs, with the lone win coming against a Pac-12-really-2 team that was a shadow of its former self.
It is not just about the losing. The performance art creativity is being showcased here by a conference whose 2023 champion, Florida State, finished last season with a 63-3 loss to Georgia.
There is still hope, with Louisville taking on Washington in the Tony the Tiger Sun on Tuesday, Duke taking on Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator on January 2nd, and Virginia Tech facing Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo on January 3rd.
Here’s what has gone wrong so far for the ACC.
Syracuse needed one more stop against Washington State
Bowl Game: DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Final Score: Syracuse 52, Washington State 35
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it: This was the ACC’s lone bright spot, unless you had Syracuse giving away the points only to see it all wash away in the final nine seconds. Against almost all Wazzu backups, the Orange allowed 472 yards of total offense and was down 21-14 in the first quarter.
Cal did everything but score vs UNLV
Bowl Game: Art of Sport LA Bowl
Final Score: UNLV 24, Cal 13
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:It is a loss for a Group of Five program. Cal outplayed the Rebels, controlled the clock for an additional ten minutes, finished with one touchdown, and failed to score in the second half.
Clemson run over by Texas
Bowl Game: College Football Playoff First Round
Final Score: Texas 38, Clemson 24
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it: The Tigers made it interesting late, but the defense allowed 292 rushing yards and fell behind too early. The ACC champion lost by 14.
SMU picked off by Penn State
Bowl Game: College Football Playoff First Round
Final Score: Penn State 38, SMU 10
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:SMU’s performance, which was completely outclassed in every way, fueled the SEC Should Get All The Playoff Spots crowd. With two pick-sixes on the way to a 28-0 loss, SMU’s CFP run was over quickly.
Pitt lost to Toledo in six overtimes
Bowl Game: GameAbove Sports Bowl
Final Score: Toledo 48, Pitt 46 6OT
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:Pitt was defeated by a MAC team that finished last. The Panthers had more talent and opportunities, but they buckled repeatedly in a disappointing conference loss.
Georgia Tech interferes in loss to Vanderbilt
Bowl Game: Birmingham Bowl
Final Score: Vanderbilt 35, Georgia Tech 27
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:No, the Yellow Jackets could not contain Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, but wow, did they get hosed by a really, really bad kick interference call that changed everything late.
Miami opts out in the second half against Iowa State
Bowl Game: Pop-Tarts Bowl
Final Score: Iowa State 42, Miami 41
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:This will forever be known as the Cam Ward Bowl. To be fair, Miami had the game won despite Ward’s absence in the second half, but the defense was unable to make a late stop. (The Canes would almost certainly win if Ward played the entire game.)
UConn better than North Carolina in basketball AND football
Bowl Game: Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Final Score: UConn 27, North Carolina 14
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it: North Carolina played like a team missing its coaches and several key players. It was a total mess as UConn – UCONN?! – dominated from the start.
Boston College battles back, but lost to Nebraska
Bowl Game: Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Final Score: Nebraska 20, Boston College 15
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:The Eagles were completely hosed by a few rough penalty calls, but they rallied with a 13-0 run in the second half. For three quarters, BC moved the ball but could not put the biscuit in the basket.
East Carolina brawls past NC State
Bowl Game: Go Bowling Military Bowl
Final Score: East Carolina 26, NC State 21
Why this embarrassed the ACC and all those who love it:It was bad enough that NC State could not hold on and ended up losing the season, but it was not just that the team lost to East Carolina. It is 1) how, allowing 326 Pirate rushing yards, and 2) the optics of an official being hit in the head during a late brawl.
