I find it odd to be so at odds with Val and CPT, whom I like as posters. 007 hit the nail on the head. To be told that if you go undefeated as a P5 team (c'mon Liberty? really?), you will make the playoffs and then not do it, was devastating. Do I wish they had elected to go and play? Yes, but I understand. ESPN and the SEC started the narrative of a 1 loss SEC team in over FSU BEFORE Jordan Travis got injured!!! It was rigged from then on. Since they lost head to head to Texas, to achieve the goal, they had to do 2 teams, Texas and Bammer. The moment UGA lost, FSU's fate was sealed! The week before conference championships, FSU with a 2nd team QB beat UF at UF worse than Bammer beat Auburn at Auburn. In fact, it required a last second miracle to get it done! Instead they compared Bammer's win against UGA to our win against the Ville when we were playing our 3rd team QB, who wouldn't have been our QB in the playoffs. That's fair. NOT! Here is objective announcers totally giddy about Alabama's win. https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/38979708 I don't have the clip, but compare that to his reaction to Michigan beating Bammer, and it's almost like a funeral. They are bought and paid for by the ESECPN company and the rat. Since y'all brought it up, there's a reason I'll be glad to be out of the ACC. In the week leading up to the ACCCG, Sankey from the SEC was on every ESPN show possible promoting the winner of the SEC (even a 1 loss team) to get into the CFP. Where was Phillips? Nowhere to be seen. 3 years ago, Clemson flew to FSU with a COVID positive player and FSU refused to play them. Dabo the Douche Swinney ranted and raved and accused FSU of being afraid to play them publicly for a couple of weeks. They absolutely would have kicked us, but that game was cancelled for health and safety reasons which Dabo almost never acknowledged when it came to COVID. Did the ACC/Swofford say or do anything? Hell no! I'll never forgive Dabo or Swofford for that. But let Mark K keep a couple of players home during the ACCT and all hell breaks loose and Mark and FSU get reprimanded and fined! I love the ACC in soccer! I love this board! As an FSU fan, I am tired of not being supported by the ACC! Rant over!
Oh come on. How they feel about a game that means nothing has nothing to do with whether they deserve a playoff spot. The results on the field ought to dictate that.
The irony in all of this is that from a purely Football perspective it actually is probably better for Clemson and FSU to be in the ACC than another conference now that the CFP has expanded to 12 teams. Obviously from a financial perspective (media rights) that’s not the case. I have a feeling that FSU (and maybe Clemson) will find a way to have their cake and eat it too through some sort of settlement. I think the ACC should really find a way come after ESPN.
Of course the goal was the CFP. But Georgia was in the same boat. Bitterly disappointed at not being able to defend their title. I don't follow football much, but I have to presume that Georgia has just as many NFL aspirants as FSU. And they had some defections. But for the most part, Georgia came to play. FSU? Not so much.
FSU had 25 players not play. 18 were starters or key players. Georgia had 2 key players not play, one due to injury. Carolina92. There is some considerable buzz about Clemson, UNC and maybe even UVA looking to greener pastures. The others are waiting on FSU to do the heavy lifting.
Well, I'm with you on my general disdain for Dabo Swinney. For what it is worth, I was proud of FSU for not playing that covid game v Clemson. It was the lead story on our old HoosPlace podcast. Also for what it is worth, I will miss FSU in the ACC. Your arrival made this a stronger conference, not just in football but women's soccer, obviously, but also softball, and men's hoops. And just as I was in favor of player freedom of movement, I'm in favor of program freedom of movement even as I mourn the passing of the Pac 12 and the imminent demise of the ACC. FSU should be free to go to whoever will have them. So pony up the half a billion dollars, hit up your mega donors, and go. If FSU wants to make a bunch of lawyers richer, I would hope the ACC fights it tooth and nail. However, I have two friends high up in admissions at Virginia and Georgia Tech, and being big huge sports fans, they well know the respective ADs. Their pessimistic view is that the ACC is going to roll over without much of a fight and agree to a much, much lower buy-out figure. So, in this case, the wishy washiness of Jim Phillips is going to work out to FSU's advantage.
I mean if FSU leaves of course other schools are going to weigh their options. The basketball programs would really need to be on board for any move UNC and UVA would want to make.
Back to ACC Soccer... What do people expect from Pitt next year? Such a solid year (and last few years) and quality staff, it has been fun to watch. Can the staff keep the positive momentum and international pipeline up? Will be hard to replace West, Mertz and Gordon. Transfer portal...
I expect a continued upward trajectory and maybe pushing for ACC title again. Excellent coach with a history and recent history on your side. Assuming good recruiting and portal, top 10 type team IMO.
I mostly agree with Tom. As you mention Pitt loses some talented players. However, that happens to most teams. I expect them to be good again next year as there is quite a bit of talent remaining (Schupansky, Phiri, Abiodun, etc.). Pitt could have easily made the College Cup last year if they had received a better seed (which they deserved) and not been put in FSU's region. Randy has the program headed in the right direction.
I'm thinking yes, they will have sarah, deb, samiah, ellie, and more still. This year proved they can compete with the best of the best
I’d expect them to very much still be in the mix toward the top of the league, but maybe a little bit of drop off from this year unless they can make some big pickups in the portal (but they haven’t yet). Internationals could be the difference maker for them though? So many variables at play. I expect resurgent Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest teams to make things more interesting in the league. How will Stanford, Cal and SMU adjust to the ACC schedule? What is travel going to look like? Who is going to get burned by a tough ACC schedule? Who is going to get lucky with an (relative) easy ACC schedule? To me (with what rosters look like now) FSU is the clear favorite, followed by Stanford. Then Clemson, Notre Dame, Pitt, UNC, Wake Forest, Duke and UVA are a toss up for spots #3 - #9.
Agree that Pitt has some very good pieces remaining that will stay and the on field chemistry was surprisingly good. Transfer Portal word is Pitt looking at a top 1-2 F and a top 1 or 2 Defender in there, but heavy competition from other top schools may be stalling things. Maybe NIL or Draft could be factoring in too. Who knows, $ seems to be the root of a lot of these decisions...
I'm a little surprised and maybe flattered that you would rank FSU #1 after all the personnel losses we've had. I think some of the incoming youngsters can be very good, but don't expect another Dudley. She's the best we've ever had IMO, and we still don't know if she sticks around. Jan 8th is the deadline for signing up I believe for the NWSL draft.
That’s why I’ve said rosters as they stand right now. FSU only has one player in the draft so far and nobody in the portal.
I get it and am flattered. BTW Alagoa has been reported as being in the portal. We don't expect to keep Olsson. Haven't heard about Brown, Flynn or Iwai. Echegini, Pais and Nesbeth are out of eligibility. I would be shocked if more than one of the 3 above stay, but that is just my opinion. No inside knowledge.
I have not done my pre-season rankings of teams yet, which are based on combinations of historic trends and average ranks. I am guessing, however, that my system will have FSU ending up at #1 or very close. Of course, my system is only one way of doing pre-season rankings, but when it comes to how teams end up ranked in their conferences, my pre-season rankings place teams in their conferences just about as well as the coaches do (they actually do a pretty good job) and as Chris Henderson does. In other words, "past is prelude" actually is about as good a basis as any for predicting future team rankings
If the ACC follows its past practice, whatever divisions it creates will be balanced in strength based on recent rankings. The crossover games might favor some teams and not others, but the ACC generally has tried to have their teams play roughly equal schedules.
Call my cynical, but if the ACC follows past scheduling for FSU, I fully expect to travel to California for 2 games this year. I fully expect UNC to be the recipient of 1 or more games from Cali schools. We'll see.
Pitt was very good, and I’d even say underrated. But the players they are losing are going to set them back. How much is another question. I hope everyone else is as excited as I am for 2024. We’re about to witness the greatest women’s college soccer league in the history of the game. And it might only last for one year.
That is a cynical view that that feels like a PIDOOMA. What makes you think that the ACC makes a more favorable schedule for UNC Women’s soccer? Show me where FSU has to travel more than UNC.
I'm referring to the pesky habit the ACC had before ?2012? of scheduling FSU on the road the week before the ACCT, which meant 2 weeks in a row away from home and school for our student athletes. Meanwhile, UNC was at home, or at least in the state of NC almost every year the week before the ACCT. I'm sure it was just a quirky scheduling anomaly That is what prompted Mark to leave key players at home for the ACCT. He/FSU were reprimanded and fined. Lo and behold, the next year, I believe they changed the format to have the first round at home and FSU and UNC's schedule the week before were not so disparate. It therefore does not fit the description of a PIDOOMA.
Agree - Pitt losing players that will set them back - question is how much? It will be hard especially losing 5th year talent like Pitt loses but several teams in the conference are losing a lot as well. Notre Dame, North Carolina, FSU etc. Teams that have more returning talent especially 3rd, 4th and 5th year talent will be positioned well to make runs at the top tier of the ACC. Especially factoring in solid grabs from the transfer portal. Duke may be improved with some of their transfer moves. Based on returning experience including transfer adds what teams could realistically contend for top 4 or top 6 of the Conference?