Let the Florida State coronation begin

	Bobby Bowden and FSU can lock up a BCS bowl game with victory against N.C. State. AP
	1   Maryland 2   Florida State 3   Virginia 4   Georgia Tech 5   N.C. State 6   Clemson 7   Wake Forest 8   Duke 9   North Carolina
	6 Total number of ACC teams (Florida State, Maryland, Virginia, N.C. State, Clemson and Georgia Tech) that are bowl eligible heading into the final two weekends of the regular season. Wake Forest could join them if it wins this weekend against Navy or next weekend against Maryland.
	"Those doubters who said we weren't a top-10 team ended up being right. We are not a top-10 team. Top-10 teams don't lose three straight games." -- N.C. State tight end Sean Berton, after the Wolfpack's third consecutive loss.

By Tim Peeler, Special to CNNSI.com

Florida State is now eligible to schedule its once-annual fitting for ACC championship rings, and to tell the truth, coach Bobby Bowden and his players are more excited about that than they ever thought possible.

But after going 8-4 last year and losing two conference games, to North Carolina and N.C. State, the Seminoles had to watch as Maryland won the league outright, with only one conference loss, ending FSU's nine-year reign over the conference.

The No. 14 Seminoles (8-3 overall, 7-0 ACC) assured themselves of a share of the title by beating the Tar Heels 40-12 last weekend, and can get the outright title by beating the foundering Wolfpack (9-3, 4-3) this weekend in Raleigh.

The Seminoles believe that would be proper payback, winning the title by beating the two teams that ended the dynasty last year.

What they didn't expect, however, was how much they missed having the championship banner fly at Doak Campbell Stadium.

"I don't think our team or staff ever accepted the fact that it's very important to win your conference," Bowden said. "If you don't win the conference -- if you beat Florida and Miami, and don't win your conference -- then you don't go BCS bowl.

"I'm not saying I'd rather lose those two and win the conference -- I'd still rather beat those two than anybody out there, because they're usually top-10 teams. But it sure shows you the importance of winning your conference. I think what we went through last year, and the threat of this year, I think we learned that that's very important."

The Seminoles have lost three games this year (to Miami, Louisville and Notre Dame) and still have Florida left to play. But they can assure themselves of a BCS bowl by beating the Wolfpack. If they don't, the Gator or the Peach Bowl could be in their future.

Players, more accustomed to the big-time bowls that are traditional stops for the Seminoles, don't want that to happen.

"I tell you, I don't want to go to Jacksonville [for the Gator Bowl]," junior defensive tackle Darnell Dockett told the Tallahassee Democrat earlier this week. "That's just the [most] horrible bowl I ever went to in my life. I want to get to that big bowl. A BCS game they talk about all week on TV and stuff. Jacksonville nobody mentioned. Jacksonville is boring, and there's nothing to do.

"It's not what Florida State is used to going to."

That has to make a coach feel good, finally, about his team's understanding of the importance of conference games, something that took a couple of generations for a school that was an independent for so long.

"I don't think there's a guy in garnet and gold in the United States that felt [the ACC championship] was that important," Bowden said. "It's Florida and Miami. It's the state championship. When we set our goals every year, winning the conference was not No. 1. Winning the state championship's No. 1, because if you win that, you're going to win everything. That's the way we looked at it. It's still probably pretty true. If you're good enough to beat Miami and Florida, you're going to be good enough to beat anybody else you play.

"But let's put it this way: Six years ago, if we won the conference championship, the attitude of the alumni and fans would have been 'Well, so what?' I don't think that's true anymore. It used to be 'So what?' Now, it's 'Thank goodness.'"

Virginia went into last weekend's game against then-No. 22 N.C. State with the second worst rushing offense in the ACC, averaging just 108.1 yards per game on the ground. Part of that was because freshman tailback Wali Lundy catches a lot of short passes that are similar to option plays. But Al Groh also has been looking for someone to add a little consistency to the running game. Early this year, Groh though that player might be sophomore Marquis Weeks, who started in Virginia's season-opening loss to Colorado State. However, Weeks had hardly been heard from since then until Saturday's 14-9 victory over the Wolfpack. He had rushed for only 37 yards in nine games. Against N.C. State, however, Weeks rushed for 129 yards, the most by a Cavalier tailback this season. Of those 129 yards, 102 came in the second half, allowing the Cavaliers to hold off the Wolfpack's comeback bid.		HOT: N.C. State's Jerricho Cotchery Despite playing on a high ankle sprain last week, Cotchery caught seven second-half passes and has 26 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns in the Wolfpack's past three games, compared with only 15 catches for 174 yards and no touchdowns for all the other receivers on the team. NOT: N.C. State's offense After averaging 40.9 points in its first nine games, the struggling Wolfpack has scored only 47 points in its last three games, all losses. HOT: Florida State's defense The once fearsome unit is getting back to its old form, after allowing only three touchdowns in the past 10 quarters, helping the Seminoles win three straight to clinch at least a tie for the ACC title. NOT: Wake Forest After consecutive weekends off -- the first time in seven decades the Demon Deacons had back-to-back open dates -- Jim Grobe's team will be looking to shake off the rust Saturday against Navy.
Thought North Carolina sophomore quarterback Darian Durant was done for the year? Think again. Durant, who was leading the ACC in total offense at the time, suffered a broken thumb in the Tar Heels' loss at Virginia on Oct. 19. North Carolina has lost all four games since then and is in line for its worst overall season since the 1989 team went 1-10. Originally, team doctors said Durant's injury would take six to eight weeks to heal. But Durant practiced on a limited basis last week, participated in several full practices this week, and could return to action this weekend in the Tar Heels' season finale at Duke. Durant's return would not be particularly good for the Blue Devils, who were hoping to end a 12-game losing streak to the Tar Heels and a 24-game losing streak to ACC opponents.		Matt Schaub, Virginia quarterback His two touchdown passes against N.C. State not only gave Schaub 11 straight games with a scoring pass, but they also gave him a school-record 23 touchdown passes for the season.  Ralph Friedgen, Maryland head coach The Terps' win over Clemson gave him the best record for any second-year coach in ACC history. Friedgen's 19-4-0 record (with at least three games remaining) tops the 19-4-1 record Clemson's Ken Hatfield compiled in 1990-91.  Justin Miller, Clemson freshman cornerback Miller leads the ACC and is fifth nationally with seven interceptions, the most by any Division I-A freshman.
Maryland ended an eight-game losing streak at Clemson last weekend by beating the Tigers 30-12 at Memorial Stadium. Now the Terps hope to keep their dream for winning consecutive ACC titles alive by breaking a similar futility at Virginia. The Terps have lost five straight to Virginia at Scott Stadium, dating to a 35-30 Maryland win there in 1990. But Maryland will need help to retain its title. The Terps lost to Florida State earlier this season, and the Seminoles have not yet lost a game to a conference opponent. Florida State plays at N.C. State Saturday, hoping to avenge last year's loss to the Wolfpack at Doak Campbell Stadium, the only home loss the Seminole have ever suffered to an ACC opponent. If Bobby Bowden and his team win that game, they will have the outright ACC championship for the seventh time since joining the league in 1992. Virginia and Georgia Tech shared league titles with the Seminoles in 1995 and '98, respectively.
Maryland's eight straight wins are the most by the Terps since the 1977-78 teams won 12 in a row over two seasons. … Despite three straight wins, Florida State has yet to score in the first quarter with sophomore Adrian McPherson at quarterback. … Virginia wide receiver Billy McMullen needs two more catches this season to become the third player in ACC history with 200 career receptions. Desmond Clark of Wake Forest, with 216, and Peter Warrick of Florida State, with 207, are the other two. … Clemson placekicker Aaron Hunt, who made all four attempts against Maryland, has made 10 consecutive field goals and 15 of his past 16. … One good thing about Wake Forest's two-week layoff is that several injured players should be healthy by Saturday's kickoff against Navy. Defensive back Quintin Williams (hand), wide receiver Fabian Davis (knee) and linebacker Jamie Scott (neck) all could see action against the Midshipmen. None of them would have played the past two weeks. … N.C. State is still banged up going into its regular-season finale. Tailback T.A. McLendon (shoulder) and wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (ankle) likely will play again, but starting tight end Sean Berton (broken hand) and cornerback Marcus Hudson may not be able to play. For Hudson, whose older brother Jerel plays for the Seminoles, his absence could prevent an on-field family reunion. … North Carolina sophomore defensive tackle Carl Smalls was suspended from last week's game against Florida State for disciplinary reasons. … Tar Heel wide receiver Sam Aikens needs 98 receiving yards to become the first player in school history to amass 1,000 yards receiving.

Tim Peeler covers the ACC for the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record. His "This Week in the ACC" column appears Wednesdays during the season.