Virginia
Virginia Football: Final ACC Football Power Rankings
The 2024 college football regular season is officially in the books. For one final time, let’s check in on the Atlantic Coast Conference to see how the season wrapped up for all 17 ACC teams and unveil our final ACC Football Power Rankings.
Congratulations to Rhett Lashlee and the SMU Mustangs. There isn’t really anything else to say at this point. They’ve taken the league by storm in their first year in the ACC, punctuating a perfect 8-0 season in the conference with a 38-6 victory over California on Saturday, SMU’s ninth win in a row. There’s still some question as to whether the Mustangs would still make the College Football Playoff if they lose this weekend, but they can lock up their spot with a victory over Clemson in the ACC Championship in Charlotte.
Up next: vs. Clemson [ACC Championship Game]
I can only imagine the mixed feelings Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers experienced on Saturday, losing at home to hated rival South Carolina 17-14, a defeat that essentially eliminated them from earning an at-large berth to the College Football Playoff, but then watching as Miami was upset by Syracuse, a gift that sends Clemson to the ACC Championship Game, where the Tigers can force their way back into the College Football Playoff by beating SMU. We’ll see if Cade Klubnik and company can bounce back and take advantage of their second chance.
Up next: vs. SMU [ACC Championship Game]
Cam Ward threw for nearly 350 yards and two touchdowns… and Miami suffered a disastrous 42-38 loss on the road to Syracuse. The Hurricanes survived several close calls this year to remain unbeaten, but that caught up with them in November, as they suffered two costly losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse in the last three games of the season. Those defeats mean that Miami, who started the season 9-0 and 5-0 in the ACC, will now watch the ACC Championship Game from the couch and will have to hope that the College Football Playoff Committee looks more favorably on its resume than the Associated Press, which had the Canes down at No. 14 in this week’s AP Top 25. With fate out of its hands, Miami will be rooting for SMU to beat Clemson in the ACC Championship and maybe for UNLV to beat Boise State to improve its odds of snagging an at-large bid to the CFP.
What a first season for Fran Brown as head coach at Syracuse. The Orange finish the year 9-3 and punctuate the season with a program-defining top-10 win over Miami, spoiling the Canes’ ACC Championship hopes. If not for a couple of close losses to Stanford and Boston College, Syracuse might have been contending for an ACC title game too. The future is bright in upstate New York, but first, the Orange should be playing in a pretty good bowl game.
Much of what we said about Syracuse can also be said about Duke, as the Blue Devils put together a tremendous first season under Manny Diaz. Absent a tough four-game stretch in the middle of the year in which Duke lost three out of four (all to good teams), it was all wins, all the time. Most notably, the Blue Devils cruised through Tobacco Road, beating North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest. That will make a lot of folks in Durham happy and they’ll be even happier with what should be a top-tier bowl game for Duke.
The roller coaster that was the 2024 Louisville football season ended on a high note as Isaac Brown and Duke Watson combined to rush for 282 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-14 route of in-state rival Kentucky. The four one-score losses to Notre Dame, SMU, Miami, and Stanford will always feel like missed opportunities in what could have been a special season for the Cards, but this was still a solid second year for Jeff Brohm and Co.
Speaking of missed opportunities, the Yellow Jackets came oh so close to notching what would have been a second top 10 win in their last three games, and technically their third top 10 win of the season if you include their win over then-No. 10 Florida State to begin the year (I know, I know). Georgia Tech jumped out to a 17-0 lead over Georgia and led 27-13 with five minutes left in regulation. But a costly fumble and eight overtimes later, Georgia was celebrating a 44-42 victory. This loss undoubtedly hurts, but Brent Key deserves a lot of credit for guiding the Yellow Jackets to a 7-5 record with one of the tougher schedules in college football.
Bill O’Brien and the Eagles capped their season a quality 34-23 victory over Pittsburgh. The move to Grayson James at quarterback seems to have paid off, as he replaced Thomas Castellanos and proceeded to lead Boston College to win three of its last four games. That was a tough closing schedule as well as the Eagles faced all bowl eligible team in Syracuse, SMU, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh and went 3-1, winning all of their home games.
What a collapse by the Panthers. Pitt started the season 7-0, then proceeded to lose each of its last five games, including the last two by a combined 39 points. There’s not much to be said other than that.
Death, taxes, and Virginia Tech defeating Virginia in the Commonwealth Clash. Pop Watson’s performance against the Cavaliers – 254 passing yards and two total touchdowns – has many Hokie fans wondering why he wasn’t the starter all year. Virginia Tech didn’t make a run at the ACC title or the College Football Playoff as many of its followers had hoped for, but the Hokies are still bowl eligible for the second season in a row under Brent Pry.
The Rest:
11. NC State (6-6, 3-5 ACC)
12. North Carolina (6-6, 3-5 ACC)
13. Virginia (5-7, 3-5 ACC)
14. California (6-6, 2-6 ACC)
15. Wake Forest (4-8, 2-6 ACC)
16. Stanford (3-9, 2-6 ACC)
17. Florida State (2-10, 1-7 ACC)
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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