Why homecoming sucks this year
The one time d00k needs to win, they lose
Homecoming is supposed to be great. Other than beating Duke, it isn’t looking the best this year.
For starters, we got stuck with a 12pm kickoff. The ACC doesn’t have a night game this week, but it should’ve been this one.
The night game almost certainly would’ve been UNC and Duke, but Duke couldn’t do that one simple thing: win. The only time anyone from Carolina would ever want that, and they still couldn’t get it done.
Had they won, Duke would still be ranked and somehow ahead of UNC. The rivalry, plus both teams being ranked, would’ve made it easier to give us the night game we deserve.
Since the game is in the middle of the afternoon, tailgating won’t be nearly as fun. Our choices are waking up extra early to go tailgate, or waking up casually and just going to the game.
It’s a shame we don’t get a good setup to tailgate for the biggest game so far this year.
The ACC should’ve given this game the night slot. A sold-out stadium with two teams fighting to be in the ACC Championship should get more respect than a noon kickoff.
We might’ve even gotten ESPN Gameday to come. But no, Duke had to go and lose – and to Miami, who had just lost by 58.
Also, Duke’s record dropped to 3-1 in conference play. The Heels are 4-0, and now in first place in the ACC Coastal Division.
If Duke was still undefeated in conference play, this weekend’s game could have had it all. It would’ve been homecoming (it still is) and we’d be playing for first place in the division. But as always, it’s still the best rivalry in college sports.
The winner of the Coastal gets to play in the ACC Championship, which looks like a chance to knock off No. 1 Clemson. Right now, that chance belongs to Carolina.
Once we beat Duke on Saturday, they’re basically out of the running to win the Coastal. We already beat Pitt, and that could be a critical tiebreaker if we stumble in the next three games.
Saturday’s game will still be good. It would’ve been nice to have to have both teams ranked, though. The last time that happened was 1939, and Duke won.
They must have been pretty scared that narrative would change if they’d ranked. Why else would they lose to Miami?