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Interesting editorial perspective on which teams in the ACC are truly dedicated to winning as part of their mission.
The New ACC has four acknowledged “Big Market” members … Miami, FSU, VaTech, and Maryland. The commitment to having a nationally prominent football program is in synch from top to bottom within those institutions. Yes, you will even find grumbling dissidents among their tweed jacketed academics and hairy armpit academicettes, but their grumbles are muffled at those four schools. A 5th school, Clemson, could be placed in that category as well.
UVA, GaTech, and Boston College occupy a 2nd strata of member institutions where the level of commitment to Football Success is sincere but not as dominant. A change in Chancellors, a new Trustee Prez, a firebrand faculty dissident and the pendulum easily could swing back to the dreaded “within the framework of our overall academic mission …” status.
That leaves our four North Carolina schools. Oh, I know you hot to trot Wuffies do so want to believe they are on a balls to the wall express train to the BCS … but in the post-#17 era and with a new Chancellor-to-be, and with “the new math requirements” looming down the road. Our Lupine friends have a “governor” on their accelerator that, over the long run, will decidedly impact their hell bent race to BCS glory. Through no fault of Chuck Amato, Wendell Murphy, Doc Holliday, Lee Fowler, et al. The commitment within the Athletics Dept is clearly there. But at the higher institutional level the “within the framework of …” is clearly in command.
As for the remaining three schools … UNC, Duke, and Wake … there is really no pretense. “The academic mission” is the straw that stirs the drink. His army of critics notwithstanding, it is to Richard “Dickie” Baddour’s best interests for UNC to be the #1 Football program in the ACC. I have no doubt that Jimmy Moe would think it quite a fine achievement too. Is there a single all-powerful jock-hating squirrel with his/her hand inhibiting the throttle? No … despite the Lunatic Fringe's demands for "a human to hate" and sacrifice ... it is an overall entrenched institutional mindset … shared by both Duke and Wake AND NCSU. Who is to say it is either incorrect or not a practical point of view? Well, actually the goggle-eyed loonies "say" ... they could give two shakes of a rat’s rear about academics. There is some merit to their angry protestations (Gawd help us all!).
Personally, I see this as too simplistic. Maybe he just means that the "top tier" will sacrifice other areas in the name of winning, like taking in a recruit that has been arrested 10 times in 5 years. No doubt GT will strive to win, but will not sacrifice integrity, academics or ethics to get there.
Meanwhile on NCST:
Real question marks about NC ST football - starting with the QB.
Is State's schedule hard? Ok, that one has an answer - yes. In fact, the only certainty of the entire season is that the schedule will be brutal. State will face three teams (Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech) on its 11-game schedule that spent some time in the top 5 last season. They also play at Maryland, Clemson and North Carolina. Off the schedule is Duke, but staying on is a team like Georgia Tech, which the Pack was able to beat just once in the Philip Rivers era.
Combine all those question marks with the unforgiving schedule, and it's easy to understand why the optimism has faded from the Wolfpack fan base this offseason. Many of the fans that were whispering greatness a year ago are now quietly saying "6-5?"
Appropriately, they end it with a question mark.