2013 ACC Championship Game: Although Heavy Underdogs, Duke Blue Devils Deserve More Attention

Nov 30, 2013; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliff with linebacker David Helton (47) after the game. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 27-25 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

You may or may not have seen it yet, but ABC and ESPN have begun running their ads for this Saturday’s ACC Championship Game, when your Florida State Seminoles will take on the 10-2, and 20th-ranked, Duke Blue Devils.

What you’ll notice in the ad is that it’s basically a glorified love fest for this season’s Seminoles team, even making reference to the inevitable trip to Pasadena to play for the national championship game that would follow with a win. The allotted time that’s given to the Blue Devils in this commercial in the beginning could be missed if you blink. Otherwise, you would assume that Florida State will be walking into Charlotte to just play a game of ‘NCAA ’14’ with one another.

Well, or hangman.

To me, this is wrong.

Am I saying that everyone should be looking at Duke as a possible threat to the ‘Noles in the same vain that Michigan State may be to Ohio State, or Missouri may be to Auburn in their respective title games? No, I’m definitely not saying that. As you’ll see in my prediction for the game later this week, I believe that the Seminoles are going to win the game in the same fashion that they’ve won every game this season–in a bloody, violent rout.

Still, though, even with that being the case, because of what head coach David Cutcliffe and this team has accomplished, they deserve at least an attempt from the mainstream media to make them look like they could punch the ‘Noles in the mouth when they line up against each other.

The Duke basketball team is seven games into their season, and the football team is playing for the most meaningful prize in their conference. This is unheard of. For as much as we speak of how many people predicted Auburn and Mizzou squaring off in the SEC Title Game in Atlanta, how many people predicted Duke heading to Charlotte this weekend?

Hold on, I’ll ask the numerous members of the media that picked the Blue Devils to finish dead last in the conference back in August.

Because of this, more light needs to be shed on the accomplishments of this Duke team. Saturday night will be the first time that this team will be spotlighted in prime time.

There are a lot of casual college football fans that are just now starting to pay crucial attention to what’s going on as bowl season approaches.

Introduce them to how well QB Anthony Boone has managed this offense. Introduce them to the dynamic talents of redshirt senior cornerback Ross Cockrell.

Take your flashy technology, ESPN, and make this Duke team look like a contender.

Because, although they won’t live up to it once the ball is kicked off Saturday night, they at least deserve that much.