Why the ACC is Underrated as a Football Conference

While other college football conferences get more press, the ACC is vastly underrated and deserves more attention

Much has been made of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s performance over the week as the ACC went a perfect 4-0 in rivalry games against the SEC. While the ACC has been maligned in recent years — largely for its play against the SEC and in BCS games — the conference as a whole has actually been under-appreciated for a while. Here are five reasons why the ACC is underrated as a football conference:

1. It Has a Powerhouse

For years, the ACC carried a perception of mediocrity due to its traditional powers underachieving. Miami stopped contending for national championships almost upon joining the ACC in 2004 while Florida State also took a nosedive just before. Virginia Tech had been the class of the ACC, winning the conference in four of its first seven years as a member, but failed to ever make much noise in terms of the national championship picture.

Fortunately for the ACC, Florida State has returned to its winning ways with what looks to be a third straight top 10 finish on the horizon. The Seminoles hold the nation’s longest current winning streak at 28 games and happened to be the team to end the SEC’s stranglehold on the BCS last season.

While some like to scoff at Florida State for playing in and beating the rest of the ACC, it’s worth noting that FSU is 6-1 against the SEC under current head coach, Jimbo Fisher. Though the Seminoles may take flak for preying on the ACC, a number of powers from outside leagues have actually not fared so well against the conference. Over the last three seasons, Florida State has fewer losses to ACC schools than Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC. In the final season of the BCS, the ACC was also the only conference to have two teams win BCS bowls.

2. Talent

It’s not hard to make the argument that a number of ACC schools have underachieved on the football field over the last decade, but the conference’s talent is pretty hard to deny.

Since 2005, the ACC has had the second most players selected in the NFL Draft of any conference behind only the SEC. The ACC has also ranked second in first round picks over that span.

As far as individual honors are concerned, the ACC racked up last season, winning 10 of the 24 major awards including the Heisman Trophy which was won by Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.

3. Depth

It’s true that prior to last season, the lack of a perennial national championship contender did some harm to the ACC’s image, but as a whole, the conference has actually had great parity over the last couple years.

For a second straight season, the ACC has 11 teams that are bowl-eligible. That total led the nation a season ago and this year, it ranks second behind only the SEC. While the conference does have four teams that are currently 6-6, it also has five teams with at least nine wins.

Clemson, Louisville and Duke are all 9-3 while Georgia Tech is 10-2 following a rivalry victory over Georgia. Florida State of course is the nation’s last remaining unbeaten for a second year in a row as the Seminoles sit just one victory from a spot in the first College Football Playoff. Only the SEC has as many teams with at least nine victories.

4. Non-Conference Play in 2014

Against other Power 5 conference in 2014, the ACC has played its best football in quite some time, going 8-5 and 10-7 if you include contests against Notre Dame. Against the SEC this season, the ACC is 4-1 and even the conference’s middle-of-the-pack teams have made noise.

It was Virginia Tech, who needed to rally at home against rival Virginia in the regular season finale just to become bowl-eligible, that handed playoff hopeful and projected Big Ten champion, Ohio State its only loss. That contest came in Columbus in early September with the Hokies winning 35-21.

Though other contests did not result in victory for the ACC, Virginia, who finished 5-7, stayed within one score of UCLA while 6-6 Miami fell by just a touchdown at Nebraska. Both the Bruins and Cornhuskers are currently ranked in the human polls.

5. It’s Expanding

In college football today, conference affiliation is not necessarily something for the long haul. Over the last several years, we’ve seen the Big XII shrink from 12 teams to 10 and the Big East we once knew has virtually become a blend of holdovers and teams from Conference USA with a new banner that reads, “American Athletic Conference”.

While other conferences have dramatically shrunk in size, the ACC has nearly doubled in total members since 1992 when Florida State joined the conference. The Seminoles were the ACC’s ninth team and since 2004, it has added five more.

It’s only detractor during that time is Maryland, who is in its first season as a member of the Big Ten. The ACC has not only managed to add Notre Dame as a member of the conference for every other sport, but it’s been able to convince the storied football power to abandon a slate loaded with Big Ten opponents to take on four ACC teams each season.

Next: Where do ACC teams fall within the greatest college football programs of all-time?