I think many have accepted the proposition that we could be "more like the SEC" in OCC scheduling. That comes AFTER you have won 7 back-to-back national championships. Yes, we all are fairly sure of how they are doing it...forget that...we do know exactly how they are doing it. The NCAA (essentially) allowing AU to BUY the 2010 NC.
The point being that the ACC will never be seen at that level until we schedule, and BEAT topnotch opponents. No, that doesn't mean that Cuse should be held to the same expectations as FSU and CU...yet. But why would you turn away games from the B1G, Notre Dame, USCw, etc. One victory over those opponents is attention-worthy.
Ironically, FSU internet fans are scandalized that we, and GT, were placed in separate divisions. After all, the largest stronghold of FSU Alumni (outside the State of Florida) is centered around Atlanta. But Cuse, you should ignore your not-insignificant Alumni base in the Metro DC area and the impact on your recruiting.
Schedule less, for success. I guess.
See, many FSU fans "don't get it" either. Scheduling weak OOC doesn't come AFTER winning championships, it helps you get there.
I understand my "get it" and "don't get it" is obnoxious, but I don't know what else to call it. Name one program in the last 25 years that used the philosophy of scheduling multiple difficult OOC games to elevate themselves from a bad team to a good team or a good team to a great team. All the recent history supports what I'm saying. Nothing supports the opposite, that continuously playing tough out of conference games helps you take your team to the next level.
As for a dazed-and-crazed ACC crusader, that is funny. I'd have FSU on the next train to the SEC if we had a ticket, and never look back. I'd head off to the Big 12 if GT, Miami, and VT were interested in going with us. I've spent most of the last decade hating the ACC. I have had little faith in the future of this conference from a football standpoint for years.
However, we're in for the long haul. I'm putting that behind me, because there are several things that actually have me optimistic about this conference getting serious about football, and doing the things that conferences serious about football do. I care about Syracuse and Virginia and BC's schedule, because I want FSU to have more than ONE freaking ranked conference opponent every year. I don't love the ACC, but a bad ACC, even just a PERCEIVED bad ACC hurts FSU in multiple ways.
That said, obviously I'm not making any friends. I can't be convinced I'm wrong about this, unless someone can start listing the teams and conferences in the last 25 years that have built themselves to the next level scheduling tough out of conference. And I obviously can't change the mind of people that are emotionally attached to a certain kind of schedule at all costs.
I'm a guest here, and I'm obviously pissing people off, so I'm just dropping it. Obviously, the next several years will show us the trajectory of the programs that schedule one way over the other way. A quarter century of history is pretty clear the way it will play out.
I'm sorry if I've offended people with my tone, so I'll drop it on this board.