With Georgia Tech loss, ACC struggling for attention again
This was the sad scene in Jacksonville at the 2007 ACC title game. Attendance was announced as 53,212.
The ACC wanted to be the SEC. It wanted the money, the clout, the conference championship game, the TV contracts and pollsters to give mid-level ACC teams the benefit of the doubt because, well, they were in the ACC.
But once again, the ACC looks like a souffle that keeps collapsing.
Georgia Tech lost to Georgia Saturday. Clemson lost to South Carolina. So both halves of next week’s ACC championship game in Tampa lost to mid-level SEC teams that are headed to third-tier bowl games. That’s not how a conference gets money or clout or a big TV contract or the benefit of the doubt.
Meanwhile, the SEC title game matches No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama.
While Tech coach Paul Johnson tries to figure out how to motivate his players after Saturday’s lost to the Dogs, ACC commissioner John Swofford needs to figure out how to spin this almost annual disaster into a positive. Good luck with that.
The conference has never received the marquee Miami-Florida State match-up it was hoping for when it expanded and split into two strangely divided geographic divisions (Atlantic and Coastal). Here’s the ACC’s brief championship game history:
♦ 2005: The first game has been the high point. It was a good game (FSU beat Virginia Tech, 27-22), was well attended in Jacksonville (72,749) and TV ratings that exceeded the SEC and Big 12 title games.
♦ 2006: Tech and Wake Forest were the surprise finalists and played a dreadful, touchdown-less game (won by Wake, 9-6). That year, just as this year, the Jackets were coming off a season-ending loss to Georgia. Announced attendance on Jacksonville dropped 10,000 (62,850).
♦ 2007: Two teams from the distant north (Boston College and Virginia Tech) caused attendance to continue to plummet. The No. 5 Hokies won, 30-16, so at least it gave the conference a highly ranked team going into the bowls. But then Virginia Tech was upset by Kansas in the Orange Bowl.
♦ 2008: The game was moved to Tampa. But it was the repeat matchup the ACC couldn’t afford. This time, B.C. and VaTech drew only 27,360 — which means half of the tickets distributed/sold weren’t even used. The Hokies won, 30-12. Not that anybody noticed.
♦ 2009: This week’s losses and the economy likely will hurt attendance. Regardless, the game would’ve garnered a lot more attention if Tech and Clemson were coming off victories.
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468 comments Add your comment
Damon Evans
November 29th, 2009
6:11 pm
Coach Richt:
I just found out there is a game played after the season and before the bowl games. I cannot believe I never knew about the SEC championship. Has that game always been played? I hope that some year we can get to play in the Dome.
Do you suppose Jeremy Foley could get us a couple of tickets?
Damon
Louis Skolnick
November 29th, 2009
6:12 pm
if im a dogg i feel real good now like my season is complete, except for a nice holiday trip somewhere cool.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
6:12 pm
ALABAMA JACK, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
booger
November 29th, 2009
6:13 pm
louis, pay the doggs for the pizza so they’ll go away.
BitDawgBarking
November 29th, 2009
6:13 pm
You could look at PJ’s face and body language and tell he knew he was beat. And that look started when he realized nothing GT did would keep UGA from running the football. Maybe he should try placing some value on defense. If you look at his history he has never had teams that played strong D. He will not live on that offense at this level. Between the LSU game last year and this one, he’s started to understand some things.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
6:14 pm
ORANGE BOWL PREFERS #50 TEAM THAN GT. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
415 yards up dat a$$!!!!
November 29th, 2009
6:14 pm
The losers from the Trade School crying again!!! Nice to see the world is righting itself!!! LOL!!!
Louis Skolnick
November 29th, 2009
6:15 pm
bitdogg must be the doofus who dumped the gatrorade on CMR and got his ass chewed out.
James T. Kirk
November 29th, 2009
6:16 pm
At least I have my Star Trek reruns to look forward to
Dawg Central
November 29th, 2009
6:16 pm
last post of the night for me guys………30-24…..hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha….ok thats a little obnoxious…Go Dawgs!!
Alabama Jack
November 29th, 2009
6:17 pm
Damon, the only way the dawgs will ever get there is with free tickets. In fact there is a move afoot to rename the SEC Championship the Meyer-Saban December Game.
this game means the world to tech!!!!
November 29th, 2009
6:18 pm
love the fact the tech fans keep pointing to things they still can do!!!!! one thing they can’t do the rest of the year is beat Georgia!!!!!! so sad yechies 30-24
American Express
November 29th, 2009
6:18 pm
Two weeks to prepare. 10 dollars. Playing at home. 50 dollars.Being ranked 7th in the nation. 100 dollars. Getting embarrassed by a mediocre SEC team without their best player? Priceless…..
steve
November 29th, 2009
6:18 pm
i agree with you tech tony. they are just kids. You never know about 18-21 yr old kids. I hated to see tech go down but i knew if they did that it wouldn’t mean a hill of beans as far as a bowl game goes for us. It hurts but i know things are gonna be good at tech. Tech may have looked over Georgia a little bit i think and that falls in the coaches hands. Georgia had a little more to play for and kudos to them for taking advantage of a small defensive line and just crushing them up the middle and making the plays they had to play to win the game. I had just as soon not have a buy week before the UGA game because look at what happened in last years game. same scenario. It can kill your rhythm. It’ll be an interesting game to watch next week between tech and clemson with both teams coming off hard losses to their rivals. we’ll see who wants it more. So congrats to UGA when not hardly anybody thought they could win, they pull out a big one.
Louis Skolnick
November 29th, 2009
6:19 pm
Do reserve a room in Pasadeno, boys, after the splendid escape from BD. Oh that’s for Florida or Alabama, forgot, sorry……….and Florida already kicked you out of Jax….sorta like they did the noles.
this game means the world to tech!!!!
November 29th, 2009
6:21 pm
so thats what Richt was doing all year? he knew cox was great against high school teams and he groomed him for the tech team!! lmfao…how many times are the urine and white gonna play on thursday in 2010??????????????? lmfao…30 to 24,,,,losers!!
RealityYech
November 29th, 2009
6:21 pm
Looks like God’s sense of humor is running out. Making braindead Americans electing a Communist as President. Yech beating UGA in football, both appear to be flukes that have ran their course.
ccrider
November 29th, 2009
6:22 pm
Tech People have probably experienced this moment themselves, but for the Dawg supporters on this blog, let me tell you why Tech fans hold so many of your fans in such low class regard.
I was at the game last night with my son and daughter in the upper deck of the North stands. A family of Bulldog fans sat in front of us. A mother, father and 4 early teens, the mother began trash talking an older Tech couple below them, who shortly after the first quarter got up and left telling the people around them” These people are the rudest we’ve ever run into in the 50 years we have been coming here.”
That display by the woman would have been bad enough, but when Josh Nesbitt went down with an injury late in the first quarter , she made the statement that personified her standing as a human being, I quote” That’s what that N++ger gets for going to Tech instead of Georgia” .
Later. when another Tech Player went down with injuries she said, ” Good, that N++ger deserved it”
I know this is not represenative of most Georgia Fans, but I have seen similar behavior in many of Georgia followers which are obviously not Georgia Grads.
This lady and her family: a Husband that said little between chewing his chaw and spitting in a cup other that to nod at his wife’s racial diatribes, the children who cheered the injuries along with their mother ,the mother that spent the entire game stuffing food and drink into her fat overweight body and face: only pausing long enough to yell another racial slur or applaude another Tech Injury.
So, when you jump on Tech fans as having a “we’re better than you” attitude, these are the Georgia fans we are talking about. Maybe, the Georgia faithful should put a call out to their fans to represent their favorite school in a more positive way, if they want a more respectful relationship with Fans from other schools. You are perceived by how you act!
Oh, one last thing, before you write this post off as another wimpy, nerd Tech fan post, understand I am a former cop that would have no problem taking on fans physically or verbally, but I know the difference between being civilized and not, something this family does not.
steve
November 29th, 2009
6:23 pm
It is funny that all those fans that were barking last night after the game were the same ones who were walking out of Sanford last week with 2 minutes to go and the thugs down by one touchdown and 2 minutes left with posession of the ball. Talk about fair weather fans . I’ve seen it all now.
this game means the world to tech!!!!
November 29th, 2009
6:25 pm
shultz, just write the articles , don’t talk trash to dawg fans, none left to be talked!!!! dawgs won, period
proud jacketfan
November 29th, 2009
6:30 pm
talk all you want to we will see these redneck uga fans at the sherapova bowl while were down in miami enjoying an orange bowl see ya next year puppies!
Geaux Tigahs
November 29th, 2009
6:31 pm
ccrider, I can say the exact same thing about a GT fan I encountered at last years chicken bowl. This Tech fan was so drunk and abusive that his wife was apologizing to all those around her and eventually he got around to calling her a bit%n and slapping her in the face. He was escorted from the stadium by APD. Tech has theirs too.
Barbara Dooly for Congress
November 29th, 2009
6:32 pm
Only 12 teams in the top 25 have 10 or more wins,
take your sorry 7-5 record and cram it up your willie.
gtforme
November 29th, 2009
6:32 pm
I am disappointed that GT lost the football game. However, thanks to GT I make a butt load of money and have a future.
J dog
November 29th, 2009
6:33 pm
Louis Skolnick, you miss the whole point. Compaired to the elite of the SEC, Georgia is at best middle of the pack, maybe lower. We know that. Duh. Tech, however, is supposed to be elite ACC. Based on the game I saw last night, Georgia was slightly better, on offense & defense. And yea, your reciever dropped a pass on 4th down he should have cought, but Wooten #17 for Georgia, dropped an easy TD as well. Did you see a different game???
proud jacketfan
November 29th, 2009
6:33 pm
Georgia Tech has more sec championships than UGA we have fifteen yeah look it up…..thats if you uga fans can afford a computer with a middle school edumacation
proud jacketfan
November 29th, 2009
6:34 pm
tellem barbara!
BitDawgBarking
November 29th, 2009
6:34 pm
Who’s getting screwed the worst? The ACC title game or the Orange Bowl. Tak about pitiful. And proud jacketfan how do you know you won’t be back on the blue rug after Clemson beats you too?
Abe Lincoln
November 29th, 2009
6:35 pm
I’ve got an idea; let’s give Spurrier a rematch of the UGA/USC game and call it the REAL ACC championship!
WoodstockGT
November 29th, 2009
6:36 pm
Cracks me up how all these Bulldog fans are such big talkers today. 50% of you were blogging last week how you wanted UGA to loose so it will force some changes. 25% of you wanted to fire Richt and the other 25% were loyal fans. You guys are twisted. I love GT , win or loose. They got beat last night and I give UGA credit for that. We are still a much improved team from a couple years ago. The future is only bright and I can’t wait for next weekend rematch with Clemson and then on to the bowls. Go Jackets!
Hoyt Holden
November 29th, 2009
6:36 pm
Good thing the A.SHE.SHE raided the Big East for Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College or that conference would be beyond lame at this time.
Abe Lincoln
November 29th, 2009
6:37 pm
P.S.
WTF is an “edumacation,” Oh Edukated Wun?:
ccrider
November 29th, 2009
6:38 pm
Geaux Tigahs: May I be the first to offer an apology for that Tech fans behavior, but I guarantee the number of Bulldog fans out number that one a hundred to one!
yo mama
November 29th, 2009
6:40 pm
Are there any more excuses for Tech fans. All i keep hearing is our recruits are coming. Let me tell you, that your coach will ruin football at tech, with his high school offense, and his nonsense play calling. get a real coach, with a real offense, and you will rcruit better players. ask the michigan QB who left for arkansas, because he didnt want to run to win. tech will not elevate any higher than they are right now, they have peaked and watch it crumble as the “recruits” roll in. what a joke. only 5 plays in the playbook.
Hoyt Holden
November 29th, 2009
6:41 pm
I’ll bet the A.SHE.SHE is glad it raided the Big East for Virginia Tech, Boston College and Miami, huh?
tech man
November 29th, 2009
6:41 pm
Uga fans are the most jealous fans in college football.While they are not looking at the big picture. All they have to be happy about is a 30 to 24 win a Tech which easily could have turn out differently out the end of the game. Uga fans are mad that the are 7 and 5 & should be 7 and 6 because of the sorry playing agaist Arozonia State and that the fact Tech is 10 and 2 and have a chance to play in major bowl while Uga eats pizza at the Papa Jhons or is it the burger bowl.
gtforme
November 29th, 2009
6:46 pm
I am proud of the progress GT football has made. Some of us don’t live or die by a football score. I have come to realize that I love my team much more than I hate other teams such as UGAy. Proposition 48 brought real change to college football; however, the SEC schools will always offer lame degrees such as in Family Studies and Housing so they can recruit superior athletes.
hm
November 29th, 2009
6:47 pm
also, all this acccg talk is foolish, because both school have already well surpassed their allotment and regardless of what happened yesterday these two southern schools will be well represented in tampa……a WORLD of a diff from the VT-BC matchups over the past two.
Say What?
November 29th, 2009
6:48 pm
Seatle Jacket: The “rock” being thrown here is YOUR initial ststement that Georgia’s best beat GT’s worst. This is absolutely your best team in quite some time. No problem here in acknowledging that. This is, perhaps, the poorest Georgia team in 15 years. Don’t rationalize the loss by grossly distorting reality. If you are man enough you and anyone else (myself included) will acknowledge that we would all cut our eye-teeth out to win this game. Come on, just be intelectually honest!
shards1967
November 29th, 2009
6:51 pm
I watched Johnny ( Two Step Depp ) Dwyer be interviewed on WSB tv last night after the game and still on on historically funny Grant Field and he was humiliated and embarrased as he said meekly “the line, the line play was the difference on BOTH sides.” He knew that tech was in the pathtic ACC and they were given a physical whuppin by a very, very very mediocre UGA team.
Did he only get 33 yds? Over rated like CPJ and knowing that CPJ is about to bail out on tech is hillarious.
UGA, class of 71 & 73
The Ghost of Wally Butts
November 29th, 2009
6:53 pm
ccrider – Touching speech…….
I too have been persecuted at this game once. Got my hat knocked off and my girlfriend was tripped by some Tech kids in 2001 at Bobby Dodd. I grabbed one and spat “chaw” juice in his eye. I then took his slide rule and used it to whip the other one while I called them both Asians.
Seriously Chief, the world is full of idiots. Let’s not use a sports blog to whine about them.
Taliban Goes Down!
November 29th, 2009
6:54 pm
Never a good idea to run your mouth before the outcome is known.
Now, I have some fun.
“god and greyhound
July 30th, 2009
9:35 pm
Uog: 1-4 last 5 games not coached by gailey. oh yeah and 45-42. get ready for another beatdown in 2009
“
Get Real
November 29th, 2009
6:55 pm
If and that is a big if, the game in Tampa is well attended it will be attended by the Clumpson fans. Yech can’t fill up that sh!t hole of a stadium without some type of give away.
came to get my medicine
November 29th, 2009
6:56 pm
what a crappy taste that game leaves behind. with the opportunity to win 13 games we screwed the pooch against uga. poop. I don’t think there are two teams I would like to have beaten more than miami and the ugaless ugags. turnovers: GT 2 – uga 1 (no interceptions). simple. Oh, AND RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING RECRUITING
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
6:56 pm
EVERY TIME GT LOSSES AN ARGUMENT THEY COME UP WITH GA FANS HAVE NO CLASS OR ANY OTHER THINGS AS IF THEY HAVE EXCLUSIVE OWNERSHIP OF THESE. LETS KEEP THINGS ON WHAT HAPPENED ON THE PLAYING FIELD AND I CAN SAY HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER.
UGA puts sour note on SEC
November 29th, 2009
6:57 pm
7-5 is a sorry record
to be jumping up and down about.
…………………………………………………
ORANGE BOWL OR BUST
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 29th, 2009
6:57 pm
Tech fans lose interest in their team when they realize that MARTA goes to the airport and not to the game.
UGA puts sour note on SEC
November 29th, 2009
6:58 pm
7-5 STINKS
the worst won-loss record in the Peach State
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
6:59 pm
A 7-5 TEAM TRASHES A 10-2 TEAM. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
Super Dog
November 29th, 2009
7:00 pm
Why don’t they move the ACC Championship game to Bubba Dump Stadium at historic Grant Field
It is a high school sized stadium
And with hardly anyone wanting to come watch it will give the perception of a sell out
Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ACC what a joke
30-24