The ACC's Top Non-Conference Games 5-1

#5 Georgia @ Georgia Tech on November 28th

Last year between the hedges the Bulldogs got embarrassed by a Tech team that was a 7.5 point underdog. Stafford’s big numbers passing came largely in playing catch up for the second half following a massive Yellow Jacket rushing onslaught after halftime. The Ramblin’ Wreck just seemed to physically impose their will on the Dawgs as the Jackets carved up Georgia’s porous run defense to the tune of 409 yards. Another year under Paul Johnson sees the Jackets cracking preseason top 15’s and emerging as an ACC Title Contender. On the flip side Georgia is in an under the radar mode after losing two NFL first rounders. This season finale in Atlanta will help the ACC again show where they stand in the South compared to the SEC.

#4 South Carolina @ North Carolina State on September 3rd

Last season the Pack got beat down in Columbia both physically and on the scoreboard. Russell Wilson was abused by the Gamecocks front seven and the NC State offense looked remarkably inept. The NC State defense showed flashes but somehow managed to make Spurrier’s Chris Smelley led offense seem adequate. This season as the kickoff game Raleigh’s fairgrounds will be juiced up and the tables have turned somewhat. NC State is the team with the expectations and South Carolina is the team ensnarled in questions. Although the loss of Nate Irving hurts the Wolfpack the return of a stellar defensive line and a proven winner at quarterback should help the ACC jump start the season on the right foot.

#3 Texas Christian @ Clemson on September 26th

Gary Patterson has built the most consistent non-BCS team of the last decade in terms of taking on and hanging with the big boys. He’s scheduled solid BCS opponents and the success of the Mountain West, though punctuated by Utah recently, begins in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs will not be intimidated by Death Valley, they are one year removed from standing toe to toe with Oklahoma in Norman. For the ACC to truly move closer to the same stratosphere as the Big XII and SEC they must not lose to this non-BCS model of consistency. An experienced TCU defense will push either inexperienced quarterback the Tigers trot out and expect Patterson to have something up his sleeve for CJ Spiller the Tigers dangerous X factor. This game is a must win in Death Valley, not just for the Tigers but for the ACC.

#2 Florida State @ Brigham Young on September 19th

Provo, Utah is not the most popular destination for a group of seventy-five 18-23 year olds from Florida. However, Bobby Bowden will take his roster of talented young Seminoles out west for what will likely be a top twenty match up against the Mountain West Conference. Christian Ponder vs Max Hall will be the big showdown as the FSU defense tries to stop Harvey Unga and Jimbo Fisher’s offense looks to get on track against a BYU defense that’s proven itself porous at times. Much like the TCU and Clemson game the Seminoles must carry the torch against an up and coming Mountain West Conference for the ACC and the BCS.

#1 Virginia Tech vs Alabama on September 5th in Atlanta

The Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Game should make every ACC fans stomach turn after last season’s debacle. Aside from the 2007 BCS Title game where Florida trounced and outclassed Ohio State no game in recent memory cast more dispersions on a team and conference than last season’s 34-13 Alabama mud hole stomping of Clemson. Enter 2009’s Virginia Tech Hokies, and while they can’t redeem Bowden’s punchless Tigers of a year ago the Hokies do have the capability of resurrecting the ACC in the public eye.

The Hokies are everything the Tigers were not; they’re plain where the Tigers were flashy, they’re gritty where the Tigers were pretty and they stomp where the Tigers danced. Pair the "bring your lunch pail" mentality personified by Beamers squad with the "roll your sleeves up and get dirty" nature of Nick Saban’s Tide and you’ve got an old fashioned, hand in the dirt, "hit me and I’ll hit you back", head cracking battle in the ATL.

A thousand apologies to the September 12th USC and Ohio State match up; this game here is the top 10 heavyweight, inter-conference match for 2009. Two teams so eerily similar in philosophy and approach to football that if you removed the names and colors the only clear difference would be Tyrod Taylor scrambling and Alabama’s 3-4 defense compared to the 4-3, 4-4 hybrid of the Hokies.