With the implosion of the Pac 12, the NCAA power structure was reduced from the Power 5 to the Power 4.
How close are we to the Power 4 becoming the Power 3?
If the postseason bowl performances are an indication, which, they shouldn’t be, then the ACC is leading the charge to be on the outside looking in.
For those counting, the ACC is now 1-9 in bowl games this postseason.
The conference’s single bowl win was Syracuse’s win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. The Cougars were behind the eight-ball, losing head coach Jake Dickert and over 30 players.
And let’s not forget that SMU and Clemson were one-and-done in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, both losing by double digits.
Again, for counting purposes, that’s 1-11 for the ACC this postseason.
To add salt to the wound, the conference lost another future Hall of Fame basketball coach, Jim Larranaga, who recently cried uncle and retired.
Back to the gridiron woes, the ACC’s 1-9 bowl record this season is not a one-off; since 2019, its record in bowl games is just 13-29.
Whether the bowl games are now glorified exhibitions or not, this isn’t a good look for the suits in the ACC headquarters.
It might not be long before relegation topics don’t begin popping up.
This season, the league’s putrid bowl performance may support a narrative already in place, in that, Clemson, the ACC champ, got a 12-seed in the 12-team CFP field.
The trickle-down effect of the conference’s TV payouts may be taking a firm hold on the ACC.
In 2016, the league was 17-9 against the other Power 5 teams, 10-4 in head-to-head with the SEC, and had the Heisman Trophy winner in Lamar Jackson of Louisville.
Clemson claimed the national championship in 2016 and 2018, but since Trevor Lawrence left, the Tigers have declined.
Not all are lost; the ACC has three more chances to win.
Louisville plays Washington in the Sun Bowl, Duke faces Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl, and Virginia Tech takes on Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
With all the opt-outs, transfers, and coaching departures, teams participating in bowl games may only vaguely resemble what they were during the regular season.
However, the same criteria are also held for each opponent the ACC teams have faced this bowl year.
By any standard, the ACC postseason performance has been embarrassing.
The ACC tied the SEC for the most teams in the postseason with 13 apiece, and yet has won fewer games than any conference, other than the two-team Pac 12, which lost its only bowl game.
Maybe the only hope for the conference is simply imploding, like the Pac 12.
The first-round CFP performances by Clemson and SMU magnified the ACC’s woes.
Grant-of-rights or not, the internal pressure the ACC is dealing with could lead to a collapse.
Despite their recent woes, Clemson and Florida State are still actively working on an exit strategy to realign with a stronger league.
Behind the scenes, other schools can’t be far behind, with schools like North Carolina and Virginia being in greater demand than the Tigers and Seminoles.
The financial discrepancies between the ACC, the SEC and the Big Ten will only grow, meaning the league’s ability to attract top players and coaches will continue to erode.
So, the ultimate demise of the ACC is inevitable; it’s probably a matter of when, not how.
Reportedly, ESPN appears to have an option to end the ACC’s media rights deal in 2027.
If the performance of ACC teams continues to falter, then maybe Clemson’s and FSU’s exit plans won’t be needed.
ESPN may pull the plug, and ask for a reboot.
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