FSU Football: Why ACC Atlantic is best Power Five division

FSU football will take the field of battle first looking to win the ACC Atlantic Division – which is by far the toughest of all the major leagues.

On September 23rd, FSU football will take the field inside Doak Campbell Stadium for a battle against the NC State Wolfpack. While it won’t be the first conference game of the season for the Seminoles, it will be the first foe from the Atlantic Division – a group of seven teams that has produced two of the last four national champs and played for another.

When the experts talk about which division is the best right now among the five biggest conferences in the FBS, the Big Ten East and SEC West tend to be the ones mentioned. While both of them are good, neither as a whole can hold a candle to the seven teams from the Atlantic.

Last year was a season to remember for the conference, as Clemson won the national title while FSU football bought home an Orange Bowl title to go along with a Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville – all Atlantic Division teams.

The conference was able to enjoy a 9-3 (6-1 by Atlantic Division teams) record in the postseason, which included wins by the Tigers over Big Ten East member Ohio State and SEC West member Alabama. At the same time, the Seminoles won their bowl game over another Big Ten East foe, the Michigan Wolverines. As a whole, the ACC went 10-4 against the SEC and 6-2 against the Big Ten.

While the biggest competition when it comes to bragging rights, the ACC will always be in a battle with a fellow geographical conference, the SEC. But the Big Ten has been getting mouthy about having three teams ranked in the preseason top 10 – and coaches like Jimbo Fisher are reminding people they don’t have much to base that off of (h/t ESPN):

"“We get caught up in ‘that league’s the best league this year.’ For instance, last year it was Big Ten, Big Ten. All of a sudden the ACC spanks them to death in bowl games, major games, big games."

All three divisions in the competition have been able to produce a national champion during the playoff system – but only the ACC Atlantic is the best all round group. Last year, six teams went to a bowl game with the division having 5-1 record…which goes up to six wins if you count the national title game.

At the same time, there is a decent chance that Syracuse, the one team who didn’t go bowling from the division in 2016, could do so this year and all seven teams could be in the postseason. With the Big Ten East having Rutgers and Maryland while the SEC West still has Ole Miss and their problems, neither one of those divisions can argue that.

With most experts picking either Alabama, FSU football or Ohio State to win the national title, the argument could be settled in 2017. I’m still putting my money on the men from the Atlantic Coast to continue the argument in their favor for the coming season.

Home/FSU Football