DobbsRover2
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Unlike last year when ND ran threw the ACC games with little problem on route to an undefeated slate, this year's ACC contest is proving to be very competitive and could well go down to the final game before a regular season champ is crowned. The champ could well be the same as last year, but it is a three team race at this point with ND, FSU, and Louisville all at 7-1 and with even Duke at 6-2 and Miami at 5-2 still having an outside shot of getting a share of the title.
Since home games always seem to be the key for just about all contests, that is the key point to focus on. ND's schedule set up very well this year for them both in the home game setup against the single-game opponents and the pair of teams they play twice in the ACC's 16 game schedule. The state of predictive affairs:
1. Notre Dame. 5 of 8 remaining games are at home, and Georgia Tech and NC State (3-5 in ACC) are toughest road games unless the Irish act like Duke at BC (highly doubtful). Host Louisville and Duke as most challenging home games. Two home-and-home opponents were BC and Georgia Tech, so they got the easiest pair.
2. Florida State. Split remaining 8 games home and away. Toughest road games are at UNC and at Miami, and the Canes are undefeated in ACC play at home. Top home game testers are Syracuse and Miami. Doubled up on very easy Clemson but also got Miami, so overall it got the toughest pair of home-and-homes.
3. Louisville. Only 3 home games left and 5 on the road. With ND and Duke games remaining on road, the Cards have the toughest slate ahead. Home challenger is UNC. Got Pitt and Virginia for the double-ups and edged out Pitt earlier on the road, so it probably has survived the toughest challenge in its second hardest pair among the top three teams.
Both Duke and Miami will have a tough time catching up as they both have 5 road games left along with their 2 conference losses, though the Canes also have 4 home games left having played one game less at this point. Duke plays mainly the bottom teams on the road with the big exception of ND, and at home it has Louisville on Monday and UNC in the March 1 finale. Miami has FSU and Syracuse on the road and FSU and UNC for the home testers.
Prognosis: likely ND as regular season champ.
Since home games always seem to be the key for just about all contests, that is the key point to focus on. ND's schedule set up very well this year for them both in the home game setup against the single-game opponents and the pair of teams they play twice in the ACC's 16 game schedule. The state of predictive affairs:
1. Notre Dame. 5 of 8 remaining games are at home, and Georgia Tech and NC State (3-5 in ACC) are toughest road games unless the Irish act like Duke at BC (highly doubtful). Host Louisville and Duke as most challenging home games. Two home-and-home opponents were BC and Georgia Tech, so they got the easiest pair.
2. Florida State. Split remaining 8 games home and away. Toughest road games are at UNC and at Miami, and the Canes are undefeated in ACC play at home. Top home game testers are Syracuse and Miami. Doubled up on very easy Clemson but also got Miami, so overall it got the toughest pair of home-and-homes.
3. Louisville. Only 3 home games left and 5 on the road. With ND and Duke games remaining on road, the Cards have the toughest slate ahead. Home challenger is UNC. Got Pitt and Virginia for the double-ups and edged out Pitt earlier on the road, so it probably has survived the toughest challenge in its second hardest pair among the top three teams.
Both Duke and Miami will have a tough time catching up as they both have 5 road games left along with their 2 conference losses, though the Canes also have 4 home games left having played one game less at this point. Duke plays mainly the bottom teams on the road with the big exception of ND, and at home it has Louisville on Monday and UNC in the March 1 finale. Miami has FSU and Syracuse on the road and FSU and UNC for the home testers.
Prognosis: likely ND as regular season champ.
