GREENSBORO, N.C. — Some things never change at the ACC Football Kickoff, the annual pre-season event that brings together the league's coaches, players and media.
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden draws the biggest crowds. Virginia Tech gets picked to win the Coastal Division. And everyone gets asked if this finally is the year an ACC team plays its way into the national-title race.
It's been a decade since an ACC team (FSU) won the national championship and nine seasons since a conference team (also FSU) played in the title game. Before Virginia Tech defeated Cincinnati in January at the FedEx Orange Bowl, the ACC hadn't even won a BCS bowl game this century.
But if the Chicago Cubs — who haven't won a World Series since 1908 — can dream, so can the ACC.
"You sure hope so," said Bowden when asked if a conference member will be a player in the national championship picture this season. "It just takes one team to do it."
Expanding to 12 teams by bringing in Virginia Tech and Miami in 2004 and Boston College in 2005 was supposed to make the ACC into college football's bully. Instead, it became a national punching bag.
Since the first year of expansion, no ACC team has finished higher than No. 7 in the final Associated Press rankings. Only Virginia Tech (three times) and Boston College have managed a final top-10 spot since 2004.
ACC proponents point to the league's parity and say no conference has as much depth. They might be right. In 2008, the ACC sent an NCAA-record 10 teams to the postseason and its average margin of victory for conference games was 10.77 points, third-lowest in its history.
Talent hasn't been a problem, either. Only the SEC (159) has produced more NFL draft picks in the past four years than the ACC (158). But conference depth and pro prospects haven't translated into a BCS bonanza.
Last season, Clemson began the season ranked No. 9, but got thrashed in its season opener by Alabama. Virginia Tech opened at No. 17 before losing to Conference USA opponent East Carolina. Virginia got clobbered at home by Southern Cal.
"You have to win games outside the conference," North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien said. "That's where you get respect."
The ACC has another chance to get off to a quick start this season. The Hokies, the media's choice to win the 2009 conference championship, are likely to start the season ranked near the top 10 and could move higher with an opening-day victory against Alabama in Atlanta. N.C. State opens against South Carolina.
"The SEC beat up on the ACC for a while and we just need to put our foot down and say it ain't going to happen anymore," Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor said.
The ACC's chances of making national noise should be boosted with the return of much of its best talent, including eight of the top 10 rushers from 2008 and seven of the 10 leading passers. Now it's a matter of getting it done on the field.
"I agree with that," FSU quarterback Christian Ponder said. "For the ACC to really be a top-tier conference, there needs to be some people fighting for that national championship and being ranked in the top 5."
Jorge Milian writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: jorge(underscore)milian(at)pbpost.com.