And Then There Were Four.

Twelve teams began this season with a similar goal in mind, an ACC Championship. Here we are in mid November, and the two division champions will be decided in the next two weeks. When ACC expansion first got underway, many believed that we would see Florida State vs. Miami showdowns in Jacksonville every year. That has not been the case thus far. Florida State won the title the first year, defeating heavily favored Virginia Tech. Last year, Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech in an unlikely match up. I still can’t believe that happened by the way. For the second year in a row, a Florida team will not make the trip to Jacksonville. The four teams vying for an ACC title are Boston College, Clemson, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Lets take a look at each team’s path.

Boston College won their first eight games, earning themselves a number 2 ranking, and a potential shot at the national title. Quarterback Matt Ryan was putting together a Heisman campaign putting up 3269 yards, and 29 touchdowns. All during this impressive run, BC was criticized that they haven’t played any real teams. That all changed on Thursday October 25^th, when they traveled to Lane Stadium to take on Virginia Tech. The Eagles trailed the entire game, until the last two minutes. Thanks to two touchdowns by Matt Ryan, and a great special teams play, BC remained undefeated. Since then, things have not gone as well for the men in maroon and gold. The Eagles have lost two straight and are on the verge of being knocked out the ACC title picture. Boston College travels to Clemson this weekend for a primetime showdown. BC has never lost to Clemson since joining the league, but they will be facing a very motivated Tiger squad.

Once again for the Tigers, it has been a season of ups and downs. But unlike previous years, the ups have far outnumbered the downs. Clemson raced out to a 4-0 start on the season, earning a number 15 ranking in the AP poll. On September 29th, the season took a turn for the worse. The Tigers visited Georgia Tech, and lost 13-3. The dynamic rushing duo of James Davis and C.J Spiller were held to just 69 yards on the ground. The next week, the Tigers welcomed in the Virginia Tech Hokies. Despite a late rally, the Tigers could not overcome the defense and special teams of Virginia Tech. The Hokies scored 3 non offensive touchdowns, handing Clemson their second straight loss. This was familiar territory for Tiger fans, who had watched their team, crumble at some point these last few years. Since then, Clemson is one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 4 straight by a combined score of 191-51. The winner of the Clemson/Boston College game this week, will represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC title game.

For Virginia, from the ashes they rose. That statement pretty much sums up their season. After that pathetic 20 point loss at Wyoming, the Cavaliers have turned around their season in a remarkable way. Virginia has been nothing short of exciting this season, winning 5 of their games by 2 points or less. After that Wyoming debacle, the Hoos won seven straight including 3 on the road, something uncommon of a UVA team of recent memory. Virginia failed to reach a school record 8 straight victories with a heartbreaking loss to NC State on October 27th. Virginia responded with two huge wins, a one point victory over Wake Forest, and a historic win at Miami. Senior defensive end Chris Long has played a huge roll in Virginia's sudden rise this season. Long leads the ACC with 12 sacks, and 17 tackles for a loss. The Cavaliers get a much deserved week off this week, before their huge showdown with Virginia Tech next Saturday.

Virginia Tech much like Clemson, has had a season of ups and downs as well. After an emotional win over East Carolina in their first game since the horrific events of April 16th, the Hokies traveled to second ranked LSU. This one was one to forget if you are a VT fan; LSU bulldozed the Hokies 48-7. LSU’s offense dismantled the well-reputed Virginia Tech defense, amassing 598 total yards. Following the loss, Virginia Tech looked less than impressive in their next three wins against Ohio, William and Marry, and North Carolina. The turning point of the season was Virginia Tech’s 41-23 win at number 22 Clemson. Virginia Tech won this game with defense and special teams, registering three non offensive touchdowns. Ever since then, other than the last two minutes of the Boston College game, tech fans have nothing really to complain about, other than several injuries. This senior class would like to end their careers at Virginia Tech just like they started them, as ACC Champions. The Hokies take on Miami this weekend, before travled 157 miles to Charlottesville to take on arch rival Virginia, in a battle for the coastal division title.