roundtable

Brace for awesomeness, it's another edition of the ACC roundtable. From the Rumble Seat is hosting, check back there later today to see a summary of everyone's answers.

1. Half the regular season is now kaput. Has your team exceeded, met, or fell short of your preseason predictions?

While the Hokies have fallen short of my predicted 5-1 (loss @BC) start, I've exceeded my anticipated bourbon consumption by two handles of Maker's Mark.

2. The ACC finished the first half of the season 23-14 in out of conference play. If we took out the I-AA games, that'd be a lowly 12-13 record. If we took out the non-BCS squads, that'd be a 3-10 record against BCS opponents. If we further removed the Big East, we'd have ZERO wins in out of conference play and 9 losses against the SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, and Big 12... There are nine more out of conference games for the ACC including 6 games against BCS opponents. Is there any hope for rehabilitating the ACC's tarnished image?

If the ACC can sweep the three remaining marquee games against the SEC: Clemson-South Carolina, Florida State-Florida and Georgia Tech-Georgia that'll go a long way in transforming our image from Nixon to Kennedy. And don't forget about bowl season.

The fine folks at the Georgia Tech blog From The Rumble Seat are hosting this week's roundtable. In their words it's all about, "admitting that your team is flawed, accepting this fact, and moving forward". Expect a roundup of everyone's answers to be posted on their site tomorrow. I'll update here with a link when it drops.

1. Enough with the MVP's and the National Title Talk... What ACC teams are going to be bowl eligible by November Who will be left out in the cold?

Eligible:

1. Miami
2. Boston College
3. Florida State
4. Clemson
5. Maryland
6. Georgia Tech
7. Virginia Tech
8. NC State

Yay, for another year of parity.

2. What team performance (or lack thereof) this weekend shocked you the most? What individual's performance impressed/depressed you the most?

I should say Virginia Tech's pitiful performance against I-AA James Madison. But that horse has been beaten dead, in fact I'm selling glue and dog food out of the back of my car. In hindsight it's not all that surprising the Hokies lost. They played a ranked (I-AA poll) JMU on a short (3 days of practice) week, after losing a heartbreaking game to Boise State while a talent equalizing rain fell in Blacksburg all afternoon.

Instead I'm going to say Boston College, because I'm disappointed BCI hasn't pulled the respect card out at least seven times this week and maybe this will inspire them.

From time to time I'll engage my fellow ACC bloggers and participate in a roundtable question and answer. Brendan From Old Virginia is hosting the first discussion. He'll include my answers in with everyone else's and I'll let y'all know when it's up on his site. Let's get cultured people...

1. At UVA we have made wholesale changes to everything this past offseason: the coaching staff, the offense, the defense, the uniforms, even the color of the equipment shed. What change or changes on your own team are you most looking forward to watching play out on the field this season?

Even though the philosophy hasn't changed, the offensive line will finally have of a full two-deep of rangy, athletic linemen with good feet to best execute Curt Newsome's blocking schemes. Hopefully that means we'll have an effective offensive line for the entire season, something the offense has been lacking for quite sometime.

2. Who is the next ACC coach to get fired, and when? And if you think that's your own coach, who would you like to see replace him?

I'd really like to go balls to the wall and answer Butch Davis, tomorrow. But, I'll take the safe bet of Tom O'Brien at the end of the season. The Wolfpack is looking at a 5 win season, and I'm being optimistic. Missing a bowl will be reason enough for new athletic director Debbie Yow to hire her own coach.