Way back in August, the ACC had a horrible debut, wherein N.C. State, Virginia and preseason favorite Clemson were all obliterated on national television and perennial bellwether Virginia Tech was done in by lowly East Carolina. With the exception of Wake Forest over bottom dwelling Baylor, the conference's only wins on opening weekend were against I-AA schools. It was a nightmare for a conference with a bad reputation to begin with, and it's hardly recovered.

North Carolina and Miami were among those feasting on lower-division flesh then (Florida State had the first weekend off), but a season later, they can go a long way to repairing the ACC's national standing with the exact opposite kind of day against West Virginia, California and Wisconsin. If the Heels, Canes and Noles can manage to finish the day 3-0 -- with Wake having already knocked off Navy in the EagleBank Bowl and streaking Georgia Tech carrying the torch into the annual showdown with the SEC in Atlanta -- the P.R. department for this oft-mocked league should be back in business.

What: Game day live blog covering the Meineke Car Care (that's all one name there), Champs Sports and Emerald bowls, running all day. All comments welcome, preference to snark, wit and other irreverence.
When: Blog kicks simultaneous with West Virginia-North Carolina from Charlotte, around noon Eastern.
Why: It's the last Saturday of 2008. If you don't spend it obsessed with college football, are you really an American? I mean, yes, you're probably from America, which makes you a legal American citizen and therefore by definition an American regardless of your tastes, hobbies, dress, language, politics, religion or behavior patterns, but ... really?
Who: You and/or all your rowdy friends. It's almost 2009. Precious and few are the moments, people.