There are 15 conference series (out of 66) in the ACC with one team owning an active streak of at least four victories.
A quick look:
16: Florida State over Duke
10: Wake Forest over Duke
9: Virginia Tech over Duke
6: Clemson over N.C. State
6: Georgia Tech over Duke
6: Miami over Duke
6: Miami over Wake Forest
6: North Carolina over Duke
6: Virginia Tech over Virginia
5: Virginia Tech over Clemson
5: Virginia Tech over Maryland
4: Boston College over Virginia
4: Florida State over North Carolina
4: Georgia Tech over Clemson
4: Virginia over North Carolina
No one should be surprised Duke takes a prominent spot on the list. But it is worth wondering how many (if any) of these could be wiped off the list before season's end.
Some are unlikely candidates since there are no regular-season games between the teams this year. Those include Florida State-Duke, Miami-Wake Forest, Virginia Tech-Clemson and Virginia Tech-Maryland.
So knock those out and it's down to 11. What's the likelihood of a snapped streak? Sounds like ranking time to me.
1. Georgia Tech-Clemson (Oct. 23): The Yellow Jackets have won 12 games in this series since 1990. The total victory margin in those dozen games: 45 points. Clemson might not snap its latest skid against Georgia Tech, but it is certainly going to have the chance to do so.
2. Wake Forest-Duke (Sept. 11): Consider the Demon Deacons' 10-game run against the Blue Devils in a conference context for a moment. Wake owns a winning streak half that long against just one other ACC school (six straight against Clemson between 1942 and 1947). With the Demon Deacons facing quarterback questions, this is a good chance for the Blue Devils to end this streak.
3. Florida State-North Carolina (Nov. 6): If not for last year's ridiculousness in the second half, this wouldn't still be on the list. Nonetheless, a great offense and a great defense opposing each other make the rematch a tossup, even if it is in Tallahassee.
4. Virginia-North Carolina (Oct. 16): If ever there was a year for this streak to be snapped, it is 2010. But the Tar Heels have lost 14 straight in Charlottesville, and weird things happen in this rivalry. As a result, this game gets knocked down a couple spots as a precaution.
5. North Carolina-Duke (Nov. 27): It is a rivalry game, even if the Tar Heels have taken 19 of 20. The last five meetings have been decided by a combined 31 points, so it's not like it's an annual blowout anymore. Plus, it's anyone's guess exactly where the Tar Heels will be at that point given the the existing off-field circus.
6. Clemson-N.C. State (Nov. 6): The Wolfpack hasn't won in Death Valley since 2002, and Clemson has played especially well against Tom O'Brien's team in recent years. The Tigers might also particularly need this one, given their rough schedule.
7. Miami-Duke (Oct. 16): The Hurricanes collected fairly comfortable victories against the Blue Devils in the latter half of Thaddeus Lewis' career. A similar result wouldn't be a surprise, but Miami does draw Duke off its bye.
8. Boston College-Virginia (Nov. 20): Yes, BC got a scare in Charlottesville last season. But the Eagles are better and the Cavaliers ... well, they're probably about the same. Look for a wider margin this time as the scene shifts to Chestnut Hill.
9. Virginia Tech-Duke (Oct. 23): The Hokies get Duke at home after visits from Central Michigan and Wake Forest. The Blue Devils will be a week removed from dealing with Miami's surplus of talent. It's an unpleasant 1-2 punch for Duke.
10. Georgia Tech-Duke (Nov. 20): The Yellow Jackets have won the last two meetings 27-0 and 49-10. That's a big divide for the Blue Devils to make up.
11. Virginia Tech-Virginia (Nov. 27): The Hoos winning in Blacksburg at the end of a rebuilding season? Two words: Not happening.
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