Ranking the ACC OOC (FB)

Florida State: UAB, @Colorado, Alabama, @Florida - A road game against a top 10 caliber Florida team is the marquee game on a slate that also includes a game against SEC contender Alabama as well as another road game against a BCS foe and no true cupcakes.

Maryland: Villanova, @Florida International, West Virginia, @Rutgers - The West Virginia game, and the road trip to New Jersey to face Rutgers are both headline games, but the schedule does include two gimmes with one on the road, albeit against 0-12 Florida International

Duke: Connecticut, @Northwestern, @Navy, @Notre Dame - Duke is one of three conference teams to have Notre Dame on the schedule (with all three games on the road). Not a single cupcake on the schedule - although no one is for lowly Duke - but FSU and Maryland have tougher second games than Duke.

Wake Forest: Nebraska, Army, @Navy, @Vanderbilt - A similar schedule to Duke, except that the marquee game against Nebraska is at home, and the Army game is far easier than anything on the Blue Devils' schedule.

Miami: Marshall, @Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M - The game against the Sooners in Norman will be a good test, and the Texas A&M game is a very strong second game, but two home games against easy competition knock the schedule lower than perhaps it should be.

Georgia Tech @Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia - The second of three teams with a road date agains the Domers, the home game against Georgia might prove even tougher. A great test at the top, but home dates against Samford and Army are embarassing.

North Carolina: James Madison, @East Carolina, @South Florida, South Carolina - While the Tar Heels traditionally played a strong OOC schedule in recent years under John Bunting, this year's version is significantly scaled back. Two road games are on tap, though the home game against South Carolina could be the toughest test.

Virginia: @Wyoming, Pitt, @Middle Tennessee, Connecticut - Virgina goes on the road twice, but even a team as mediocre as the Cavs should have a decent shot to win both. There are no walkovers on the schedule, but the best test is a 6 win Pitt team that failed to make it to postseason play.

Virginia Tech: East Carolina, @Louisiana State, Ohio, William & Mary - The trip to Baton Rouge to play the Tigers is the toughest for any ACC team, but after that three home games that will be cakewalks don't help the team's ranking.

North Carolina State: Central Florida, Wofford, Louisville, @East Carolina - The Louisville game will be good, and likely a loss, but the rest are uninspiring, although NC State might have to settle for a split with their two CUSA foes.

Boston College: Army, Massachusetts, Bowling Green, @Notre Dame - The Notre Dame game is tough, but it may not be much of a marquee game this season. Other than that, it's possible that a I-AA team will be the second toughest on the ledger.

Clemson: Lousiana-Monroe, Furman, Central Michigan, @South Carolina - Clemson goes on the road for its annual rivalry game against South Carolina, but Clemson hits the trifecta with a I-AA team, a Sun Belt team, and a MAC team.