9:33 pm June 7, 2009, by Doug Roberson

Summertime, and the choosin’s easy.
Actually, it wasn’t.
Last week, Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman ranked the games in the Big 12 this season, from 1 on down.
So, since there’s nothing new under the sun, I thought it’d be fun to rank this year’s ACC games, from one on down.
The criteria was fairly simple: which games would be the most exciting, and have something important riding on them, for the division, the conference, the school’s psyche, the conference’s rep, etc.
You’ll notice the top 10, heck the top 20, are a bit top heavy with games featuring the ACC’s big five: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
It’s also no coincidence that three of those teams: Both Techs and the Heels, are expected to compete for the ACC championship this season.
Don’t give up reading after the first 20. The bottom 10 are also ranked. Couple of Duke games in there.
So, without further adieu, my pick for the game of the year in the ACC is:
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech Saturday, October 17. It may be heresy to not put Georgia Tech vs. Georgia here, but this game will likely decide the Coastal Division rep in the championship game. I guess the question for Tech fans, beat the Tar Heels and have a chance to play for a conference title and a spot in a BCS game, or beat your rival? And, for this exercise, there aren’t any co-No. 1s.

The rest of the top 10:

Georgia at Georgia Tech Saturday, November 28. No explanation needed.
Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (Ga. Dome) Saturday, September 5. Is it fair to have the Hokies or Jackets dominate the top six? Who cares? These games are going to rock.
Nebraska at Virginia Tech Saturday, September 19. Huskers vs. Hokies. Always about alliteration.
Georgia Tech at Florida State Saturday, October 10. Division implications a plenty.
Florida State at Florida Saturday, November 28. The nation’s last hope for UF to get tripped up before the SEC title game.
North Carolina at Virginia Tech, ESPN Thursday, October 29. Coastal ramifications. Blacksburg will be rocking.
Georgia Tech at Miami, ESPN Thursday, September 17. See next comment.
North Carolina at Georgia Tech Saturday, September 26. Another in a brutal start for the Jackets.
Maryland at California Saturday, September 5. A barometer game for the ACC. If the Terps win, and the Hokies beat ‘Bama, the ACC suddenly looks really good.
The top 10 honorable mentions, or 11-20, however you prefer:
Florida State at BYU Saturday, September 19. Lots o’ points. Lots of em.
Miami at Virginia Tech Saturday, September 26
Florida State at North Carolina, ESPN Thursday, October 22
Miami at Florida State, ESPN Monday, September 7. Kind of sad this game is all the way down here, but…
Clemson at Georgia Tech, ESPN Thursday, September 10
Pittsburgh at NC State Saturday, September 26. Benchmark game for the ‘Pack.
Oklahoma at Miami Saturday, October 3. Why is this one so low? Cuz it’ll likely be a blowout.
Boston College at Notre Dame Saturday, October 24
TCU at Virginia Saturday, September 12. TCU is Top-25 worthy this year. Another benchmark game for the ACC. Let’s hope the Cavs do a bit better than last year’s butt-whipping by USC.
Clemson at South Carolina Saturday, November 28.
The rest, well the rest except for the 10 worst, which are at the bottom. I tried to put the top and the bottom of the list in order. The middle, well, I did my best:
TCU at Clemson Saturday, September 26
Miami at North Carolina Saturday, November 14
Florida State at Wake Forest Saturday, November 14. It’s no secret the Noles have lots of troubles with Wake.
South Carolina at NC State, ESPN Thursday, September 3
Baylor at Wake Forest Saturday, September 5
South Florida at Florida State Saturday, September 26
Clemson at Miami Saturday, October 24
East Carolina at North Carolina Saturday, September 19. Watch out Tar Heels. Trap game.
Florida State at Clemson Saturday, November 7
North Carolina at Connecticut Saturday, September 12
Miami at South Florida Saturday, November 28
Coastal Carolina at Clemson Saturday, October 31
North Carolina at NC State Saturday, November 28
Virginia Tech at East Carolina, ESPN Thursday, November 5
Stanford at Wake Forest Saturday, September 12
Boston College at Clemson Saturday, September 19
Wake Forest at Navy Saturday, October 24
Duke at Kansas Saturday, September 19
Wake Forest at Boston College Saturday, September 26
NC State at Boston College Saturday, October 17
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech Saturday, November 7
Wake Forest at Clemson Saturday, October 17
Rutgers at Maryland Saturday, September 26
Florida State at Boston College Saturday, October 3
Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt Saturday, October 31
NC State at Virginia Tech Saturday, November 21
Clemson at Maryland Saturday, October 3
Miami at Wake Forest Saturday, October 31
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State Saturday, October 3. If this were most any other SEC team, this game would have been in the top 20. Same goes for Vanderbilt matchup.
Virginia at North Carolina Saturday, October 3
Virginia Tech at Virginia Saturday, November 28
NC State at Wake Forest Saturday, October 3
Boston College at Virginia Tech Saturday, October 10
Maryland at Wake Forest Saturday, October 10
Virginia at Maryland Saturday, October 17
North Carolina at Boston College Saturday, November 21
Miami at Central Florida Saturday, October 17
Maryland at Duke Saturday, October 24
Georgia Tech at Virginia Saturday, October 24
Central Michigan at Boston College Saturday, October 31
NC State at Florida State Saturday, October 31
Virginia at Clemson Saturday, November 21
Maryland at Florida State Saturday, November 21
Duke at North Carolina Saturday, November 7
Maryland at NC State Saturday, November 7
Virginia at Miami Saturday, November 7
Boston College at Virginia Saturday, November 14
Clemson at NC State Saturday, November 14
Virginia Tech at Maryland Saturday, November 14
Duke at NC State Saturday, October 10
Boston College at Maryland Saturday, November 28
Wake Forest at Duke Saturday, November 28
Virginia Tech at Duke Saturday, October 3
Georgia Southern at North Carolina Saturday, October 10
James Madison at Maryland Saturday, September 12
Gardner-Webb at NC State Saturday, September 19
Georgia Tech at Duke Saturday, November 14
Virginia at Southern Miss Saturday, September 19
Elon at Wake Forest Saturday, September 19
Duke at Virginia Saturday, October 31
Richmond at Duke Saturday, September 5. This could be embarrassing for the Dookies.
Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech Saturday, September 5
Duke at Miami Saturday, November 21
The Citadel at North Carolina Saturday, September 5
William & Mary at Virginia Saturday, September 5
Jacksonville State at Florida State Saturday, September 12
The worst of the worst:

Duke at Army Saturday, September 12
Murray State at NC State Saturday, September 12
Middle Tennessee at Maryland Saturday, September 19
Northeastern at Boston College Saturday, September 5
Marshall at Virginia Tech Saturday, September 12
Florida A&M at Miami Saturday, October 10
Kent State at Boston College Saturday, September 12
Indiana at Virginia Saturday, October 10
Middle Tennessee at Clemson Saturday, September 5
And, the worst game in the ACC this year will be:
North Carolina Central at Duke Saturday, September 26. Central is an independent that is returning a whole bunch of starters. But really, scheduling North Carolina Central? Why?


Ranking all of the ACC games | Tech