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Everything Is Still Up For Grabs In ACC

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 5, 2008

When the Atlantic Coast Conference's football championship game was awarded to Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, local fans already had their dream matchup.

Florida State vs. Miami.

With one month before the ACC's title game (Dec. 6, 1 p.m.; WFTS, Channel 28), it's still possible for the Seminoles and Hurricanes to meet in Tampa for a bid to the Orange Bowl. But really, in a conference race that has become wildly unpredictable, anything can happen.

And we do mean anything.

"What a crazy, crazy race this has become," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, whose Terrapins are the lone ACC team with one conference loss.

It's too early to apply tiebreakers, but head-to-head records and records within the division are the first two criteria.

For more on the game, including information on tickets (which includes a postgame concert with country music performer Blake Shelton), log on to www.theroadtotampa

bay.com.

Here's a closer look at the ACC race.

THE STANDINGS

Atlantic Division

Thursday

Maryland at Virginia Tech

Saturday

Clemson at FSU

Georgia Tech at N. Carolina

Virginia at Wake Forest

N.C. State at Duke

Thursday, Nov. 13

Virginia Tech at Miami

Saturday, Nov. 15

Boston College at FSU

Duke at Clemson

Wake Forest at N.C. State

North Carolina at Maryland

Thursday, Nov. 20

Miami at Georgia Tech

Saturday, Nov. 22

FSU at Maryland

Clemson at Virginia

Boston College at Wake Forest

N.C. State at North Carolina

Duke at Virginia Tech

Saturday, Nov. 29

Miami at N.C. State

Maryland at Boston College

Virginia at Virginia Tech

North Carolina at Duke

ATLANTIC OUTLOOK

FSU lost control of its fate when Marcus Sims fumbled into the end zone while trying to score the winning touchdown during Saturday's 31-28 loss at Georgia Tech. It looks to be a three-team race, and FSU could live to rue its 12-3 home loss to Wake Forest. The Seminoles still have a relatively simple route to Tampa if they win out and get one loss from Wake, which plays two of its last three at home.

OUR PICK: Florida State

COASTAL OUTLOOK

Would you believe a five-way tie for the division lead? By season's end, that could be the scenario, and it wouldn't even require major upsets. Miami still has hope, thanks to its miraculous overtime victory at Virginia. But Georgia Tech - and the triple-option offense engineered by first-year Coach Paul Johnson - appears to be the front-runner. The Yellow Jackets have three consecutive wins against the Hurricanes, and this season's meeting is in Atlanta.

OUR PICK: Georgia Tech

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