Impressive Paranoia: Jeff Capel Is Blaming The ACC Network For The Reason People Keep Saying The Conference Sucks This Year

I love the paranoia coaches have in big time college sports. They always are looking for a reason as to why things aren't going to plan or perception. But let's get one thing straight here. The ACC is in fact down this year. Here are some facts:

-Their highest ranked KenPom team is No. 25 Virginia. 

- They are rated behind the Mountain West Conference.

- They have 5 teams ranked 170th or worse. 

- Louisville is in the conference. 

It's bad. There are a variety of reasons why. New coaches, conference realignment has really fucked some of the programs and how they recruit, certain coaches refuse to retire. Whatever it might be, the ACC is down. And I know the response. 

'It was down last year and look at the Elite Eight.' 

Yeah, fine. That's how the NCAA Tournament works. It's not the best way to view a conference. People defend the Big 10 despite the fact they suck in the NCAA Tournament. It can't work both ways. The ACC had a damn good NCAA Tournament, but that was also a year ago. I also think Miami can make a Final Four this year and I wouldn't bat an eye. 

But the conference as a whole is a disaster. It's not the ACC we grew up on. That's what sucks. The old ACC was the perfect basketball conference. I'm talking the 90s when you had round robin regular season, rivalries and 9 teams who were good - for the most part. You had big names on basically every single team. 

This isn't even anything against Pitt. Capel took himself off the hot seat and is having a hell of a year. He has Pitt in position to make an NCAA Tournament. But the ACC Network isn't the reason why people are talking bad about the conference. I've watched far too much ACC Network to know this is true. They hype it up as much as anything I've seen.