Four Tiny Tidbits On: The Atlantic Coast Conference

We must confess that we can't wait each year for the crunch of shoulder pads; for cleats churning up chunks of turf and red-faced coaches screaming from the sidelines. But enough about lacrosse. College football season is upon us, and to celebrate, we're going to get back into tiny tidbit mode and present four things you didn't know about each major conference. If you have a little-known fact about your team or conference, strap it to a freshman, point him in our direction and whack him on the ass. Or, mail to [email protected]. Today: The ACC.

• 1. Virginia Tech: Smell The Excitement. Exactly 66 players on Virginia Tech's spring roster have a redshirt year on their resume. That's impressive when you consider that 14 players from last season are on NFL rosters right now. But there's another reason to be excited about being a Hokie these days; the school's rare Stinky Plant is going to bloom any minute. You don't want to miss this! (Thanks to Jennifer Bowman and Heath Sorey).

• 2. The Fabric Of Tradition. Florida State-Miami gets all of the attention, but Clemson-Georgia Tech is also a great football rivalry. Between 1996 and 2005, nine of the 10 games have been decided by seven points or less. Meanwhile, Clemson's annual game with North Carolina State is known as the Textile Bowl.

• 3. Georgia Not On His Mind. John Richt, the 16-year old son of Georgia head coach Mark Richt, has received his first scholarship offer, from Clemson. The younger Richt is a junior quarterback at Prince Avenue Christian in Athens, Ga.

• 4. Plenty Of Seats Still Available. What's the best place to watch an ACC game? The Sporting News recently ranked the ACC football stadiums, and coming in at No. 1 was ... Florida State. Last place? Duke.