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Friedlander: Contenders or pretenders? Week 4 ACC games will provide an early indication
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Contender or pretender?
With the exception of Florida State, which has already played its way out of everything except the social media bashing it so richly deserves, it’s far too early to accurately identify the teams with a realistic shot of meeting Miami (probably?) for the ACC championship in Charlotte on Dec. 7.
But it’s never too early to start speculating.
Especially with the 4 conference matchups on this weekend’s schedule that will help set the conversation as we move into the meat of the season. One of which, tantalizingly enough, involves the soon-to-be dethroned defending champion Seminoles.
Besides Cal at FSU, the other games of interest are the annual Textile Bowl between Clemson and NC State at Death Valley, Georgia Tech at Louisville, and Syracuse’s home game against the ACC’s other newcomer, Stanford.
Also on the schedule are a pair of ACC-Big Ten showdowns, Boston College at home against unbeaten Michigan State, and Virginia Tech welcomes Rutgers.
It’s Week 4 my dudes 😄 pic.twitter.com/8NbDybltMw
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 17, 2024
Saturday’s game in Tallahassee was already going to be a curiosity because it marks the Bears’ official entry into league competition. Recent developments, however, have piqued interest even more. In the same way a fender-bender on the side of a busy road does for rubber-necking motorists.
Everyone, not just those around the ACC, will be slowing down to take a peek at the wreckage of the defending league champions and see if there’s a depth below rock bottom for Mike Norvell’s 0-3 team.
At the same time, it will also be an early measuring stick to see how seriously Cal – at 3-0 with a marquee win at Auburn – should be taken in this first season of its opposite coast odyssey.
The other game involving a California newcomer will be a similar test.
Only not for Stanford.
It’s more of an opportunity for Syracuse to show off its new-found offensive firepower under rookie coach Fran Brown and transfer quarterback Kyle McCord, and build on its win against Georgia Tech 2 weeks ago.
While the Orange and Call need victories just to get onto the periphery of contention, the results of the other 2 ACC games on the Week 4 schedule will have a much more substantive impact on what appears to be a wide-open conference race.
Especially in the case of Clemson.
Even though NC State has a chance to reset its narrative after getting blown out by Tennessee 2 weeks ago, especially now that coach Dave Doeren has announced that freshman CJ Bailey will make his first career start, all eyes will be focused on the Tigers.
Dabo Swinney’s 21st-ranked team was already being written off after an opening week beatdown against then-No. 1 Georgia. But it reopened some eyes with an impressive bounce-back showing against Appalachian State.
Now after a week off, Cade Klubik and Co. have a chance to show they can continue their offensive growth against an ACC rival whose defense has traditionally been among the league’s best. The Pack stifled Klubnik last year in Raleigh.
But just winning isn’t enough. Clemson has beaten NC State 9 consecutive times at Death Valley. The Tigers need to make an emphatic statement to firmly establish themselves as 1 of the ACC’s 2 championship game frontrunners.
At least for now.
Clemson’s road to Charlotte still has plenty of potential speed bumps. The toughest of which could be a game against Louisville on Nov. 2.
The Cardinals came out of nowhere to earn a title shot in coach Jeff Brohm’s debut season last year and are flying under the radar again.
They could be a factor again after putting up big numbers in their first 2 games, outscoring Austin Peay and Jacksonville State 111-14 with an offense almost completely rebuilt through the transfer portal and a 25-year-old quarterback in his 7th college season.
Still, they remain an enigma because of the competition – or more accurately, the lack of it. Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech will be their first real test. It’s already a must-win situation for the Yellow Jackets, who negated their season-opening win against Florida State with a loss at Syracuse.
Winning at Louisville won’t certify Brent Key’s team as a contender in the ACC race. It’s too early for that. But it’s certain they’ll be dropped from the conversation completely with a 2nd conference loss.
Because it’s never too early to spot a pretender.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
