Atlantic Coast Conference what if's

1. What if Bobby Cremins doesn't get his pocket picked and South Carolina ends up winning the 1970 final against NC State. SCar went undefeated that season in ACC play during the regular season and were considered a real contender to UCLA. Because of that loss they didn't even get to be in the NIT because they were hosting the East Regional and NCAA rules at that time prohibited a team hosting from participating in the NIT.

2.What if the University of Sorry Chickens stayed in the ACC instead of leaving following the next season. They left because of academic standards they felt were too stringent, and which actually ended up being repealed a year or two later.

3. What if Clemson had left with them as originally planned. Clemson was all set to go but got cold feet at the last second. If they go the ACC is down to 6 teams, could they have survived??

4. What if Ga Tech does not leave the SEC back in the 60's?? Could this have forced the ACC to add Virginia Tech during this era when the Hokies were much lighter weight.

5. What if the ACC had turned down Ga Tech when they in essence came to the ACC hat in hand because they were on the verge of going broke.

6. What if the ACC had added Penn State in the late 80's when Penn State was interested in joining.

7. What if FSU is not added in the early 90's???


8. What if Maryland ends up winning the 1974 ACC tourney, State and David Thompson won a thriller 103-100 in OT in what many consider the best game ever played. State parlayed this into a national title ending UCLA's steaK at 7 in a row.

9. What if UVA comes out of their zone in the 1982 title game and chase Carolina, becuase they did not Carolina in essence ran out the clock and the uproar from the stall lead to the ACC and many other conferences instituting shot clocks and 3 pt lines which eventually lead to where we are now.

10. In 1981 Clemson won the college football NC, mainly spurred by a 10-8 win in Chapel Hill, what if the Heels had won that matchup??

11. What if Duke, instead of in essence de-emphasizing football over time instead do what they have to do in order to stay relevent?

12. Dean Smith is a good friend of Tom Osbourne. After the 1977 season Bill Dooley bailed on Carolina to take the coach/AD job at Va Tech. Tom told Dean that he would love the gig, but when Dean relayed this info the search committee said Osbourne would have to interview just like anyone else. Due to the nature of the situation this was not possible and Carolina eventually hired Dick Crum. What happens if the powers that be actually would have realized just what they had dropped into their laps.

13. What if Jim Tatum doesn't leave Maryland to take over at Carolina. He ended up dying from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

14. What if Mack Brown decides to stay at Carolina instead of going to Texas?

15. What if Greensboro did not enlarge the Coliseum over the years, would the ACC tourney have found another place considered to be a true home??

16. What if Bill Foster does not leave Duke after the 1980 season??

17. What if Vic Bubas does not leave back in the late 60's?

18. What if Frank McGuire had taken the Alabama job instead of the Carolina job???

19. What if Frank McGuire does not later in life return from coaching the pros to make South Carolina a power?

20. What if Len Bias does not die? Eventually it led to Lefty Dresell losing his job and to a decade of irrelevence for Maryland.

21. What if Carolina ends up losing in the 1957 semi's to Wake??

22. What if no point shaving scandal occurs in the early 60's and the Dixie Classic holiday tournament survived??
 
ACC

1. What if Bobby Cremins doesn't get his pocket picked and South Carolina ends up winning the 1970 final against NC State. SCar went undefeated that season in ACC play during the regular season and were considered a real contender to UCLA. Because of that loss they didn't even get to be in the NIT because they were hosting the East Regional and NCAA rules at that time prohibited a team hosting from participating in the NIT.

2.What if the University of Sorry Chickens stayed in the ACC instead of leaving following the next season. They left because of academic standards they felt were too stringent, and which actually ended up being repealed a year or two later.

3. What if Clemson had left with them as originally planned. Clemson was all set to go but got cold feet at the last second. If they go the ACC is down to 6 teams, could they have survived??

4. What if Ga Tech does not leave the SEC back in the 60's?? Could this have forced the ACC to add Virginia Tech during this era when the Hokies were much lighter weight.

5. What if the ACC had turned down Ga Tech when they in essence came to the ACC hat in hand because they were on the verge of going broke.

6. What if the ACC had added Penn State in the late 80's when Penn State was interested in joining.

7. What if FSU is not added in the early 90's???

8. What if Maryland ends up winning the 1974 ACC tourney, State and David Thompson won a thriller 103-100 in OT in what many consider the best game ever played. State parlayed this into a national title ending UCLA's steaK at 7 in a row.

9. What if UVA comes out of their zone in the 1982 title game and chase Carolina, becuase they did not Carolina in essence ran out the clock and the uproar from the stall lead to the ACC and many other conferences instituting shot clocks and 3 pt lines which eventually lead to where we are now.

10. In 1981 Clemson won the college football NC, mainly spurred by a 10-8 win in Chapel Hill, what if the Heels had won that matchup??

11. What if Duke, instead of in essence de-emphasizing football over time instead do what they have to do in order to stay relevent?

12. Dean Smith is a good friend of Tom Osbourne. After the 1977 season Bill Dooley bailed on Carolina to take the coach/AD job at Va Tech. Tom told Dean that he would love the gig, but when Dean relayed this info the search committee said Osbourne would have to interview just like anyone else. Due to the nature of the situation this was not possible and Carolina eventually hired Dick Crum. What happens if the powers that be actually would have realized just what they had dropped into their laps.

13. What if Jim Tatum doesn't leave Maryland to take over at Carolina. He ended up dying from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

14. What if Mack Brown decides to stay at Carolina instead of going to Texas?

15. What if Greensboro did not enlarge the Coliseum over the years, would the ACC tourney have found another place considered to be a true home??

16. What if Bill Foster does not leave Duke after the 1980 season??

17. What if Vic Bubas does not leave back in the late 60's?

18. What if Frank McGuire had taken the Alabama job instead of the Carolina job???

19. What if Frank McGuire does not later in life return from coaching the pros to make South Carolina a power?

20. What if Len Bias does not die? Eventually it led to Lefty Dresell losing his job and to a decade of irrelevence for Maryland.

21. What if Carolina ends up losing in the 1957 semi's to Wake??

22. What if no point shaving scandal occurs in the early 60's and the Dixie Classic holiday tournament survived??

1. If they would have defeated the Wolfpack, they would have played St. Bonaventure and big man Bob Lanier in their first NCAA game. If they get by them, they probably defeat Villanova, and then have to take on Jacksonville in the Final Four, which wouldn't have been easy with Artis Gilmore and Penbrook Burrows.

3. Where was Clemson going to go? The SEC? As for the ACC, if it would have been down to six teams, maybe it would have floundered, or would have turned into more of a mid-major, and maybe they would have let some schools in like Miami and FSU as the 70's went on.

6. Penn St. was looking at the ACC if the Big 10 didn't work out (which it almost didn't).

8. I don't know if Maryland would have defeated UCLA. I think that they played them tough and lost a close one either that year or the year before, though, so maybe they would have pulled it out. However, I think that Pitt would have had a better chance against them in the East Final then they had against N.C. State.

10. If UNC defeats Clemson, they would have been 10-1, and maybe they would have locked horns with 10-1 Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl for all the marbles. I put my money on Pitt and Dan Marino. If Dan wins a national title at Pitt, maybe he has a better senior year, and gets drafted much higher.

12. Osborne going to Carolina? That changes a multitude of things. UNC had some good teams in the late-70's and early-80's, and that becomes the norm rather than the exception with Tom.

14. Mack has a good career, but doesn't win a National Title like he did with the Longhorns.

16. Maybe Puke would have competed more fairly without coach cheater.

18. I didn't know Frank McGuire almost went to Alabama. Maybe he gives the SEC another relevant basketball power to go up against Kentucky, who owned that league for a long time. Before 1979, LSU didn't go to the tourney much, and Auburn and Florida had never been there. Ole Miss rarely went as well.
 
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