Earlier today, Annette posted her "ultimate ACC road trip" which included trips to eight different ACC venues to see 11 different ACC teams. That's cute and all but isn't really tough to do. So, I enlisted CGB from College Game Balls to draft our ultimate ACC road trips.
There were only a couple of rules: You had to visit every ACC stadium at least once and once a game was selected, that game was off the board. My original idea was for each of us to select only four games that the other couldn't use and then compare trips.
However, that idea was deemed unworthy by CGB's standards so we had to draft the full trips.
As you'll see, we both had our strategies. While CGB loaded up on the choicest non-conference games early, I was taking Thursday games to give me more scheduling flexibility and more games overall. In the end, CGB almost lost completely by failing to see every ACC stadium. But, he pulled it out in the end.
Warning - abusive language ahead.
F4H: South Carolina at NCSU on Sept. 3
CGB: Interesting selection. I will have to take Miami at FSU.
F4H: Fuck. That was my next pick.
CGB: I know. Monday Night Football. Does it get any better?
CGB: I am the Bill Belichick of this game.
F4H: Clemson at Georgia Tech on Sept. 10.
CGB: Ahh, nice recovery.
F4H: Think Winfield will be drunk for that one?
CGB: I would hope so. But more so I hope he nails some girl in the back of the Reck.
F4H: He better.
CGB: And even more than that I hope he drives us around.
F4H: He better take us to the Gold Club in it.
CGB: I select FSU at Wake on 11/14.
F4H: FSU at UNC on 10/22.
CGB: Nebraska at VT on 9/19.
F4H: GT at Miami on 9/17.
CGB: This is a good one - TCU at Clemson 9/26.
CGB: Is there anyway I'm going to lose this game now?
F4H: Only If you fail to hit all the stadiums.
CGB: That would be an epic collapse.
F4H: UNC at VT on Oct. 29.
CGB: Duke at Virginia on 10/31.
F4H: I can only imagine the shittiness that is C'ville on Halloween.
CGB: I wonder what the most popular costume is.
F4H: They probably all just dress up as Jefferson and have a giant circlejerk.
[...]
CGB: I'll take Miami at UNC.
F4H: You already have a Nov. 14 game.
CGB: Goddammit, I have a 9/19 game, too, right?
F4H: Yes.
CGB: Is 10/22 open?
F4H: Yes, except its a Thursday and I took FSU-UNC.
CGB: Faaaaaaaaacccckkkk.
F4H: [Cackles maniacally.]
CGB: Duke at UNC on 11/7.
F4H: For the record you are already seeing Duke twice and have to take a third game later.
CGB: I heart Duke. Great coach. Great Tradition. Scrappy.
[...]
CGB: Having a spreadsheet is such cheating.
F4H: Someone has to keep track of this shit.
F4H: This would have been much better drunk.
CGB: Yeah it would have been. In the ATL we will get a bunch of bloggers and all conference. Hammered.
F4H: Massive drunken podcast?
CGB: Ohhhhhh, that would be fun.
[...]
CGB: I think I may have lost. I'm not sure if I can do them all.
F4H: This is why I suggested not doing it this way.
CGB: Hindsight is 20/20.
[...]
CGB: CGB HAS FAILED TO TRAVEL THE ACC.
CGB: SADFACE.
F4H: So we did this for nothing?
CGB: Haha, I can do two of the remaining three.
F4H: THAT WASNT THE POINT!
CGB: Hahahahaha.
CGB: Let me check.
CGB: Yeah, I lose.
F4H: Jesus Pogosticking Christ.
CGB: Oh wait, maybe not. I can do 10/24 UMd at Duke, 9/12 JMU at UMd and on 9/5 Northeastern at BC in the Amalie Bowl.
F4H: Awesome.
| Date | CGB | Date | F4H |
| Sept. 5 | Northeastern at BC | Sept. 3 | S. Carolina at NC State |
| Sept. 7 | Miami at FSU | Sept. 5 | Baylor at Wake Forest |
| Sept. 12 | JMU at Maryland | Sept. 10 | Clemson at GT |
| Sept. 19 | Nebraska at VT | Sept. 12 | Stanford at Wake Forest |
| Sept. 26 | TCU at Clemson | Sept. 17 | Georgia Tech at Miami |
| Oct. 3 | Oklahoma at Miami | Sept. 19 | BC at Clemson |
| Oct. 10 | BC at Virginia Tech | Sept. 26 | Miami at Virginia Tech |
| Oct. 17 | Virginia Tech at GT | Oct. 3 | Virginia Tech at Duke |
| Oct. 24 | Maryland at Duke | Oct. 10 | Georgia Tech at FSU |
| Oct. 31 | Duke at Virginia | Oct. 17 | Wake at Clemson |
| Nov. 7 | Duke at N. Carolina | Oct. 22 | FSU at UNC |
| Nov. 14 | FSU at Wake Forest | Oct. 24 | Georgia Tech at Virginia |
| Nov. 21 | NC State at VT | Oct. 29 | UNC at Virginia Tech |
| Nov. 28 | UNC at NC State | Oct. 31 | NC State at FSU |
| Nov. 7 | FSU at Clemson | ||
| Nov. 14 | VT at Maryland | ||
| Nov. 21 | UNC at Boston College | ||
| Nov. 28 | UGa at Georgia Tech |
We both claim victory. We'll leave it to you to decide who's schedule is better.
UPDATE: Hockey Picks
I was in a rush when I posted this and forgot to give the picks for the next round. I did just as good in Round 2 as I did in Round 1, getting 50 percent.
Penguins over Hurricanes in 6.
- The goalies will be the story.
Blackhawks over Red Wings in 5.
- De-troit sucks! De-troit sucks!
Memorial Cup: Kelowna over Windsor.
- Watch it be the two Q teams in the final.
Linkage
Hokies
- Virginia's cushy desk job. (College Game Balls)
- VT will miss its true point guard. (VT Fan)
- Apparently Thorns wants to play wide out for June Jones. (Norm Wood)
- Waaaaaay too many people are putting us in the Top 5. (The North End Zone)
ACC and Opponents
- The Barnhart has Bama No. 4 and VT No. 6. (Mr. College Football)
- Tech tops Annette's post-spring power poll. (Annette)
- Brendan touches all the bases on the issue of paying college athletes. (From Old Virginia)
- NCSU LB Dwayne Maddox visits his old elementary school. (Yet Another...)
- Thoughts on Mark Herzlich. (Eagle in ATL)
- Brian and Jeff collect thoughts from around the nation. (BC Interruption)
Stuff Only I Care About
- Kevin Smith is going to turn "Hit Somebody" into a movie. Awesome. (Puck Daddy)
- The Memorial Cup starts this weekend. I'll be watching, even if there are no US teams in it this year. (Globe and Mail)
- Mike Leach should be higher. (CG 365)
- Suck it, Ralph Engelstad, you racist ass hole. (Sabretooth's House)
- Brian tackles Gladwell. (MGoBlog)
- RIP Wayman Tisdale. (The Lost Ogle)