In the eyes of the college football world, ACC stock might be lower than it ever has. Florida State, last season’s undefeated conference champion, missed the four-team College Football Playoff in favor of a one-loss Alabama team, and fans around the country pointed to an unemphatic title-game matchup against Louisville as justification.
At the ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday, new Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz explained why he thinks that’s a shame.
In Diaz’s eyes, dismissing Louisville feels silly when the Cardinals manhandled Notre Dame for a 33-20 win. He cited how the Fighting Irish came one play from beating Ohio State, who came one play from beating Michigan, the eventual national champions. The depth of the conference, from teams like Louisville to his new Blue Devils, routinely get dismissed.
“Louisville was a hell of a team,” Diaz said. “What do you get credit for, then? How come when Clemson loses to Duke, it’s about what’s wrong with Clemson?”
Diaz, who previously coached the Miami Hurricanes from 2019-21, spent the past two seasons as the Penn State defensive coordinator. With experience in both conferences, he said the middle of the pack in the Big Ten doesn’t compare to the ACC.
“There’s not a team in the Big Ten conference like NC State, but nobody talks about them,” Diaz said. “Watch Georgia Tech’s offense against Georgia in that game. Look what Virginia Tech did down the stretch. These are real things, this is not like opinions, all you’ve got to do is put the film on and watch it, and you can see what’s going on in this league.”
At #ACC media days, I asked those who have coached outside of the conference if they felt the ACC's perception was misrepresented after what happened to #FSU last year.
Duke HC Manny Diaz (an FSU Alum) did NOT hold back in a passionate response 😤
Manny Diaz = Football Guy 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ATfjZiqVVC
— Plant The Spear (@Plantthespear1) July 26, 2024
Diaz’s first game as the head coach in Durham kicks off at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham on August 30.