We really need to do better. UNC laid an egg and NCSU lost a winnable matchup. Miami lost to Rutgers, which should never happen. Louisville was fairly competitive against USC, but I think they actually overachieved this season.

Yeah, we do, I guess. It's always better to win than lose.

But what does this tell us, really?

Anymore -- Bowl Games outside the playoff structure are glorified exhibitions. It's kinda like week 18 in the NFL ... a crapshoot of who's playing, and who isn't.


But, you are right. It is always better to win, than lose.

Louisville benefited from having a new coach and system that the rest of the ACC wasn't used to seeing. Kentucky and Pitt exposed how to beat Brohm with deep passing over the secondary. USC had a quarterback tailor made for that game plan and the receivers more than capable of getting separation. USC's offensive line gave Moss the time he needed to see down field. Hopefully, Brohm and English get some help for the secondary next season.

Phew.. FSU got off easy.

ACC 2023 Bowl Record: 5-6 (P5 matchups in bold, wins in green, losses in red):
South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 | Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 | Gasparilla Bowl
Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10 | Duke's Mayo Bowl
USC 42, No. 15 Louisville 28 | Holiday Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl
Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24 | Pinstripe Bowl
No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19| Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35 | Gator Bowl
No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 5 Florida State 3 | Orange Bowl

Going 2-5 against the P5 just won't cut it!

In hindsight, I think a lot of the ACC's good OOC record in the regular season came against bad teams. MUCH room for improvement!

(01-03-2024 02:57 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  ACC 2023 Bowl Record: 5-6 (P5 matchups in bold, wins in green, losses in red):
South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 | Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 | Gasparilla Bowl
Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10 | Duke's Mayo Bowl
USC 42, No. 15 Louisville 28 | Holiday Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl
Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24 | Pinstripe Bowl
No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19| Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35 | Gator Bowl
No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 5 Florida State 3 | Orange Bowl

Going 2-5 against the P5 just won't cut it!

In hindsight, I think a lot of the ACC's good OOC record in the regular season came against bad teams. MUCH room for improvement!

I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

(01-03-2024 02:57 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  ACC 2023 Bowl Record: 5-6 (P5 matchups in bold, wins in green, losses in red):
South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 | Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 | Gasparilla Bowl
Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10 | Duke's Mayo Bowl
USC 42, No. 15 Louisville 28 | Holiday Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl
Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24 | Pinstripe Bowl
No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19| Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35 | Gator Bowl
No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 5 Florida State 3 | Orange Bowl

Going 2-5 against the P5 just won't cut it!

In hindsight, I think a lot of the ACC's good OOC record in the regular season came against bad teams. MUCH room for improvement!

In NC State's defense, KState lost to Mizzou by 3, lost to Texas by 3, lost to Ok State by 3 and lost to Iowa State by 7. There were two 4th plays that were pivotal and without all-world line backer Payton Wilson, KSU won the game by virtue of those two plays, stop just one and State probably wins.

In addition KSU had the biggest offensive line we had seen all season. They were bigger than ND. I had not expected that. They were also faster than expected.

Carolina needs no defense (pun intended). They way their schedule was backloaded they were never as good as advertised because they simply did not have the defense needed. Never bet on State or UNC in a bowl game. Save you bowl game bet for Duke.

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl

And VT beat the team that was 1 game away from the G5 access bowl.

So in all the ACC busted up 3 11-win G5 schools; all with 6-6 and 7-5 teams.

We showed the gap between the P5 and the G5.

(01-03-2024 04:20 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl

And VT beat the team that was 1 game away from the G5 access bowl.

So in all the ACC busted up 3 11-win G5 schools; all with 6-6 and 7-5 teams.

We showed the gap between the P5 and the G5.

Also made apparent by Oregon crushing Liberty. Still have not forgotten about NMSU crushing Auburn, flukish things happen.

(01-03-2024 05:11 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 04:20 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl

And VT beat the team that was 1 game away from the G5 access bowl.

So in all the ACC busted up 3 11-win G5 schools; all with 6-6 and 7-5 teams.

We showed the gap between the P5 and the G5.

Also made apparent by Oregon crushing Liberty. Still have not forgotten about NMSU crushing Auburn, flukish things happen.

Yeah, but Auburn is an SEC team -- OOC losses don't count!

(01-03-2024 05:11 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 04:20 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl

And VT beat the team that was 1 game away from the G5 access bowl.

So in all the ACC busted up 3 11-win G5 schools; all with 6-6 and 7-5 teams.

We showed the gap between the P5 and the G5.

Also made apparent by Oregon crushing Liberty. Still have not forgotten about NMSU crushing Auburn, flukish things happen.

And Air Force beating JMU.

(01-03-2024 11:50 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 05:11 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 04:20 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl

And VT beat the team that was 1 game away from the G5 access bowl.

So in all the ACC busted up 3 11-win G5 schools; all with 6-6 and 7-5 teams.

We showed the gap between the P5 and the G5.

Also made apparent by Oregon crushing Liberty. Still have not forgotten about NMSU crushing Auburn, flukish things happen.

And Air Force beating JMU.

Yes. The Hokies bowl win is amplified by the JMU and Liberty losses. It will help Coach Pry sell "big time" football to in-state recruits.

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 02:57 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  ACC 2023 Bowl Record: 5-6 (P5 matchups in bold, wins in green, losses in red):
South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 | Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 | Gasparilla Bowl
Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10 | Duke's Mayo Bowl
USC 42, No. 15 Louisville 28 | Holiday Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl
Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24 | Pinstripe Bowl
No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19| Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35 | Gator Bowl
No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 5 Florida State 3 | Orange Bowl

Going 2-5 against the P5 just won't cut it!

In hindsight, I think a lot of the ACC's good OOC record in the regular season came against bad teams. MUCH room for improvement!

I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

BC's win over a Top 25 SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl was notable in that BC was a heavy underdog and had 11 players either opting-out or out due to injuries/etc. This is one reason that they lost their last 3 games of the regular season - going from a promising 6-3 record to a regular season ending 6-6 mark.

The difference in the bowl game was that BC had over a month to prepare and all of the allotted practices to coach up their younger players. Despite the bad weather conditions, many of the BC players said the practices leading up to the bowl game were much harder than the bowl game itself. One example was that BC apparently had a lot of their practices outside in the elements rather than inside the IPF. I think it showed during the game.

The BC coaching staff made the difference in the game, in may opinion.

(01-04-2024 12:06 PM)Eagle78 Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 03:10 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(01-03-2024 02:57 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  ACC 2023 Bowl Record: 5-6 (P5 matchups in bold, wins in green, losses in red):
South Florida 45, Syracuse 0 | Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17 | Gasparilla Bowl
Duke 17, Troy 10 | Birmingham Bowl
Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20 | Military Bowl
West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10 | Duke's Mayo Bowl
USC 42, No. 15 Louisville 28 | Holiday Bowl
Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14 | Fenway Bowl
Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24 | Pinstripe Bowl
No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19| Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35 | Gator Bowl
No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 5 Florida State 3 | Orange Bowl

Going 2-5 against the P5 just won't cut it!

In hindsight, I think a lot of the ACC's good OOC record in the regular season came against bad teams. MUCH room for improvement!

I wouid not sell the conference short. 2 middle of the road ACC schools bested 2 G5 champs. I think in both cases most of their players stayed and did not have coaching turnover.

Sure, there is room for improvement in the regular season, but you can’t really tell anything from bowl season.

BC's win over a Top 25 SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl was notable in that BC was a heavy underdog and had 11 players either opting-out or out due to injuries/etc. This is one reason that they lost their last 3 games of the regular season - going from a promising 6-3 record to a regular season ending 6-6 mark.

The difference in the bowl game was that BC had over a month to prepare and all of the allotted practices to coach up their younger players. Despite the bad weather conditions, many of the BC players said the practices leading up to the bowl game were much harder than the bowl game itself. One example was that BC apparently had a lot of their practices outside in the elements rather than inside the IPF. I think it showed during the game.

The BC coaching staff made the difference in the game, in may opinion.

Sounds like a competent coaching staff and blue collar players. Hopefully a recipe for a better 2024