#goacc Power Rankings: Week 13

You may have noticed that last week's theme was very festive, and you're probably wondering why, with Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I didn't cover a turkey day theme today. Well, let me put it simply. It's hate week y'all.

In the spirit of everyone's disdain for the University of Virginia, we have to acknowledge two things: how terrible that program has been for the past four years, and that Mike London could potentially be coaching his last game as the head man in Charlottesville.

With that being said, I wanted to take a look at just how miserable UVa has been in conference play under London's tenure. Sure, you can just say that they've gone 8-23 in almost four full seasons, but that just doesn't quite put it in enough context. So here, I'm going to bring up London's record against each team, and the highlights (or lowlights) that came in each series.

Enjoy, I know Al Groh would.

2012 Division

Virginia Tech 17- Virginia 14. A win's a win, but by far the least impressive of the group

14. Virginia (2-9, LW: L 45-26 @ Miami): So let me get this straight: a two-win Virginia team goes into Coral Gables to face a Hurricanes team that's reeling, coming off three consecutive losses. This would be a winnable game, even for a team that's played as poorly as the Cavaliers have. The one thing standing in their way? A turnover prone quarterback who had put together a two game stretch in which he averaged 129 yards passing on 46.2 percent competitions coming in to Miami. Oh yeah, he also hadn't thrown a touchdown. Despite all of that, Mike London decided to stick with David Watford, and he came through in the most predictable way possible: 100 yards with a 40 percent completion percentage and three interceptions. Turnovers killed the Wahoos, which included this beauty on the first play from scrimmage. London's solution for this problem? Announcing that he'd split snaps between Watford and redshirt freshman Greyson Lambert. SERIOUSLY?!?! I think it's time to officially admit the Head Ball Cop into Quarterback Controversy Anonymous. Lead by Steve Spurrier, QCA is a group to help coaches addicted to going through signal callers faster than Larry Fedora goes through hair gel.

Mike London's record against Virginia: I guess this goes down as incomplete? It's pretty impossible to say how many games London's impacted either way as the head man.

13. NC State (3-8 LW: L 42-28 vs East Carolina): I'm not really sure where State goes from here. Do they just chalk this season up to rebuilding? Because, as I've said before, it's not as if Tom O'Brien necessarily left the cupboard bare. It seems as if the answer lies in Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett, a former four-star recruit who will be eligible to play quarterback in Raleigh next season. Among his many strengths, Brisset is apparently prophetic and knows exactly when to leave a situation in ruin (although you could argue that he simply has eyes and can recognize a burning building when he sees one, go Gators). There's an interesting twist, however, to this upcoming Maryland/NC State game, in which someone named Omega Wolf details here.

Mike London's record against NC State: 1-1. The most memorable #LOLUVA moment was probably in 2011 when Mike Rocco and Watford combined to go 11-35, 125 yards, two scores and three picks. In case you forgot, this was the season (the lone winning season, no less) in which London inexplicably gave playing time to an incredibly raw freshman quarterback, even though his other quarterback was completing 60 percent of his passes. Because, you know, why not?

The 2008 Division

17-14 again, but at least it was to go to the ACC Championship game

12. Wake Forest (4-7, LW: L 28-21 vs Duke): He almost did it again. In yet another fit of, "If I can't have nice things, no one can have nice things," Jim Grobe almost robbed us of a potentially 10-win Duke team. In case you're scoring at home, his team has also:

1. Broke the legs of both Stefon Diggs and Deon Long.
2. Nearly robbed us of an undefeated Florida State/Miami matchup.
3. Quit a game so quickly against the Seminoles that it didn't even help Jameis Winston's Heisman campaign.
4. Allowed their one weapon, Michael Campanro, to be injured in a loss to Syracuse of all teams.

Moral of this story? Wake Forest ruins everything.

Mike London's record against Wake Forest: 0-1. You probably don't remember this game, but it happened last season. Despite giving up only 213 yards to the Demon Deacons (shocker, I know) the Cavaliers still lost by three. This was significant because London decided to kick a field goal down nine with 43 seconds left in the game. I'm sure there are a ton of different theories out there about that situation, but in a vacuum it's definitely easier to hit a long field goal than it is to score on a Hail Mary (after the onside kick). But that's just my two cents.

11. Syracuse (5-6 LW: L 17-16 vs Pittsburgh): So this is what it comes down to. Syracuse, in their first year in the ACC, could technically knock Maryland, in their last year in the ACC, out of a bowl game. Yes, Maryland has six wins, but as that link I posted earlier in the column details, the Orange could jump the Terps in ACC's bowl slots, putting Maryland in limbo. The conference bowl outlook is (WARNING, DINICH LINK ALERT) crowded this year, meaning that at least one bowl eligible team may see themselves on the outside looking in. That all being said, Syracuse is the last stop of Andre Williams' Heisman campaign, and if you think that's an easy task, just ask Maryland.

Mike London's record against Syracuse: 0-0. Hey! We've just stumbled upon the only conference team that London's undefeated against!

10. Maryland (6-5 LW: L 29-26 vs Boston College): First off let me link to this Randy Edsall Chariots of Fire video. Now let me link to this article, explaining how Randy Edsall called a timeout to try to ice the BC kicker, who promptly missed the field goal. The second time, however? Kid nailed it. Here's my analysis: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SUCK IT RANDY. And that's why I'll never get a beat writing job.

Mike London's record against Maryland: 1-3. Isn't it fitting that these two teams are inter-division rivals? They're both relatively depressing to think about, have coaches that rate very highly on the annoying scale, and have fans that want to be just about anywhere else other than their teams' game. Too bad we have to see this sad fest end as a casualty to conference re-alignment.

The 2006 Division

17-0. Boring and not particularly impressive or exciting.

9. Pittsburgh (6-5 LW: W 17-16 @ Syracuse): You would think, upon just seeing the score, that this was a "grind it out Pittsburgh game". Well, can you really consider this a "grind it out" game when the Panthers only rushed for 21 yards as a team? Somehow Pitt won, despite gaining only 239 yards of TOTAL OFFENSE. I feel bad for the 35 thousand people in attendance. Was there really nothing better to do that day? Was Syracuse basketball not playing? Was the Orange lacrosse team not practicing? Was there no pneumonia-inducing snow to sit in? Really, nothing?

Mike London's record against Pittsburgh: 0-1. I tried to figure out exactly what happened in this game, and honestly when it was. With the help of the box score, I remembered that it was this season. You're probably wondering why I didn't link to that particular box score, so let me just tell you one stat: 387 COMBINED YARDS. I'm not allowed to link to that box score because it violates three-and-a-half different sections of the Geneva Convention.

8. Boston College (7-4, LW: W 29-26 @ Maryland): Andre Williams' case for the Heisman: he's the centerpiece of one of the most improved teams in the country, he's far and away the best running back in a sport currently filled with passers, and he's putting up insane numbers.

The case against him: he's a running back in an era dominated by quarterbacks, he plays for a school located in the Northeast, he puts up a ton of yards...but does he look the part?

I think that's probably the toughest case against Williams: he doesn't look like a Heisman candidate. Sure, he has insane stats, but there's no "Heisman moment". He rips off long runs, but it just doesn't seem like he has the spark that follows some guys. Is that fair? Absolutely not. It's not fair that something so asinine and indescribable follows the trophy voting. I'm happy for him, the guy has been going bananas, I just don't think his chances to win are high.

Mike London's record against Boston College: 0-1. The coolest thing about this game? It was Andre Williams' first career 100-yard outing. As the backup running back, Williams ran for 108 yards on 12 carries. London obviously saw the bright future in that kid and gave him the confidence boost he needed going further.

The 2004 Division

24-10. Now we're getting somewhere. Much more exciting and meaningful.

7. North Carolina (6-5 LW: W 80-20 vs Old Dominion): Did the 80-point smackdown UNC laid on Old Dominion feel like they were overcompensating to anyone else? We get it, Tar Heels. You're a good offensive team that just got off to a bad start. No need to take it out on Andy Bitter's favorite team. That being said, Tech fans are going to be in the awkward position of rooting for Carolina this weekend. Let's just all be glad that Butch Davis doesn't coach in Chapel Hill anymore, because poor Frank Beamer would have an aneurism if he had to wish good things for that man.

Mike London's record against North Carolina: 0-4. These games haven't been kind to London. His teams have not only lost all of these games, but have lost them by an average of 25 points per meeting. I know that sounds like a lot, but think about it. UNC under Butch Davis was known for its skirting around the NCAA rulebook. Obviously the Head Call Cop's keen sense of detection picked up on this, and he was too focused on justice to actually coach games.

6. Georgia Tech (7-4 LW: W 66-7 vs Alabama...A&M): You know what's annoying? This stupid Georgia Tech team will probably beat Georgia and finish 8-4, simply due to Aaron Murray's injury. Know what's even more annoying? This stupid team could make an argument that they would win anyway (see, the 323 rushing yards that Georgia gave up to Auburn). I don't know why I have such irrationally strong feelings against the Yellow Jackets, every fan I've met has been very nice, but I do. I think it's the combination of grumpy Paul Johnson and the fact that every time I watch this team I feel like this:

Mike London's record against Georgia Tech: 1-3. The lone win may be the high water mark on the London tenure, a 24-21 triumph over the twelfth ranked Yellow Jackets. The other three games? Yeah, the Cavs gave up 41 points a game.

The 2009 Division

42-13. Much better than all of the other wins above, still not the best of the group.

5. Miami (8-3, LW: W 45-26 vs Virginia): Is Al Golden a good coach, or did he just trick everyone into thinking so? Sure, he had some winning seasons at Temple (which is probably more miraculous than anything a head coach is doing right now), but his Hurricane teams haven't looked particularly different than previous iterations. They are supremely talented, but seem to fold when the going gets tough. Hasn't that been the knock on Miami since the glory years of the early 00s? Sure, we all gave Golden a pass because his team was getting into trouble right when he took the job, but the talent was still there, and still being brought in by the dozens. Despite all of that, the defense hasn't gotten better and the quarterback situation is still inconsistent. I'm not saying that he isn't a good coach, but the jury is definitely still out. Let's see what he does now that the NCAA's shadow is finally off the program.

Mike London's record against Miami: 3-1. Literally the most inexplicable thing in the ACC over the last four years is London's record over Miami. Let's remember the good things that came out of this series. namely, the fatigues. We (or at least I) will NEVER forget the fatigues.

4. Virginia Tech (7-4, LW: BYE): I'm not going to lie, going into this week I was incredibly nervous. Now, I'm usually nervous going into UVa week, but this one felt a little different. Nine consecutive wins combined with a team that's about as unpredictable as they come? That seemed like a recipe for a potential upset to me. Now I may have been overreacting, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that there would be the lack of an edge that comes with beating up on a rival so badly. That was before I heard the press conference on Monday. All four players (Logan Thomas, Andrew Miller, Jack Tyler and Tariq Edwards) got their digs in to the Wahoos. Heck, even Frank got in on the action, saying that he didn't mind the negative sentiments that his players had towards Virginia. I like that. It feels like this team is going to come out riled up, regardless of what happens in the Duke/Carolina game. And about that bulletin board material? It's cool, London never was able to get his board rotation settled, which lead to transfers.

Mike London's record against Virginia Tech: 0-3 (for now).

3. Duke (9-2, LW: W 28-21 @ Wake Forest): Okay, I'm going to make one more pitch for this. I understand that David Cutcliffe is 59, which is a little bit older than you aim for when hiring a head coach, but why doesn't a team like Florida look towards C-dog as a potential replacement should Will Muschamp hit the old dusty trail? Think about it: what does Cutcliffe do better than arguably any other coach in the country? Coach quarterbacks. What does Florida not have right now? A quarterback (well, really a whole offense, but I digress). Are you trying to tell me that if Cutcliffe goes to Gainesville, that he wouldn't bring in a five star guy within the first two years on the job? Talent already flocks there, look at that Gator defense, they just need a guy that can come in, motivate and remind people at UF what moving the football looks like again.

Mike London's record against Duke: 1-3. I just want to remind you that for the first three years of London's tenure that the Blue Devils were a combined 12-25. TWELVE AND TWENTY FIVE. If the HBC's record against Miami was the most inexplicable, his record against the Fighting Cutcliffes was the most hilarious.

The 2005 Division

52-14, this one would take the cake if not for this last one.

2. Clemson (10-1, LW: W 52-6 vs Citadel): This is the most important game of the regular season for both Clemson and the ACC. For Clemson, sure their win over Georgia was great, but it's been significantly diminished by the fact that we all now know that the Bulldog's defense is abysmal. The Florida State game was also very important, but no matter what happened the national outlook would be "an ACC team beating another ACC team". Is that fair? No, it's not fair to Clemson, Florida State or the conference as a whole, but that's just the way it is. This is Clemson's test against a top ten team, from the country's favorite conference, and it will be seen on national television. If Clemson wins this game, they will remind everyone again that they deserve to be thought of among the nation's best. For the ACC, it will further legitimize itself as a conference. Sure, that's a tired (and completely inaccurate) notion, but if the Tigers win and gives the ACC two top teams, it will make thoughts of a "lesser conference" seem distant.

Mike London's record against Clemson: 0-1. They played this year. Clemson won 59-10. Watford completed under fifty percent of his passes. You know, the usual.

The 2011 Division

38-0. Cream of the crop. The best of the winning streak.

1. Florida State (11-0, LW: W 80-14 vs Idaho): I'm going to put this as simply as possible. When discussing the best teams in the country, there's Alabama and Florida State, a gap the size of the knot on Jesse Palmer's necktie, and then everyone else. It's not even close. That being said, there is one very big reason that the Seminoles could potentially not make the BCS Championship Game this season, and that's karma. I'm sure everyone remembers 2005. Sitting fifth in the BCS standings at 10-1, a Marcus Vick-led Virginia Tech team came into the ACC Championship Game looking to be seen as one of the best teams in the country and destined for a bowl matchup against a top-four Penn State team. Instead, a 7-4 Florida State team took a 27-3 lead and held off Tech to win the conference. For eight long years I've been awaiting a chance for Tech to get its revenge and the time has finally come. THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN. Well, you know, in my dreams at least.

Mike London's record against Florida State: 1-1. I take it back. After the Wahoos beat the Seminoles in November of 2011, they were ranked 23rd and all set to take on the Hokies with a trip to the ACC Championship Game on the line. Since then they've gone 6-19, leading to numerous jokes and the general theme of this column.