Share
(Raleigh) News & Observer columnist Caulton Tudor offers his midseason report card:
A - Duke
By no means are the Blue Devils a great team, but that's not the point.
David Cutcliffe has found a way to make Duke competitive.
A - Georgia Tech
Paul Johnson is in the perfect league to make a fast splash. But will his option offense work for long? Probably not. It's one thing to make a splash, but it's tougher to ride the wave.
A - North Carolina
Win or lose against Notre Dame, Butch Davis has established that he can turn the long-suffering Tar Heels into a contender. The program is going to get stronger, too.
A - Wake Forest
The offense isn't there yet, but the Deacons clearly have built the best defense in the conference, and linebacker Aaron Curry is in the league MVP race.
B - Boston College
The Eagles aren't all that and a lobster tail, but they are dangerous.
So dangerous, in fact, that they could beat Virginia Tech next week and throw both divisions into a Ouija board scramble.
B - Virginia Tech
Frank Beamer might spend the rest of his life trying to figure out how the heck East Carolina's T.J. Lee blocked that punt in Charlotte, but the Hokies are still the best bet to reach the league title game.
B - Florida State
It's a low “B”, though. The offense probably bottomed out in the 12-3 loss to Wake Forest, but this team could still go 7-5 if losses occur at N.C. State and Georgia Tech.
C - Maryland
Ralph Friedgen gradually has evolved into the big question mark in the middle of the league. He's up, he's down, he's all around. He's here, he's there, he's nowhere. The Terps are about as predictable as a lottery pull.
C - N.C. State
By far, the Wolfpack is the most difficult team in the ACC to judge. The coaches are sound, but the roster of available players is so ridiculously lean that determining an accurate reading on the program's status is out of the question.
C - Miami
The big surprise has been the defensive unit's struggles against North Carolina and Florida State.
The defense was supposed to be the team's strong suit.
D - Virginia
The loss at Duke put the team in a corner that probably will be impossible to escape. Other than last week against Maryland, the offense has been invisible.
F - Clemson
It's not all Tommy Bowden's fault, but it is entirely his responsibility, and he'll probably have to go. One coach to start tracking is South Florida's Jim Leavitt.
