Let's assume for sake of discussion that the ACC sticks with 8 conference games, but requires 2 P5 games instead of 1 starting in 2019 when the ACC Network launches. For Tech, with the Cesspool on the schedule annually, this means we only need to schedule one more P5 opponent each season to meet this requirement. Tech is covered from 2020 thru 2026 currently... Notre Dame ('20 & '21), Ole Miss ('22 & '23), Notre Dame ('24), and Colorado ('25 & '26).
Tech would just need to schedule one more P5 opponent in '19 to go along with currently scheduled games against the Cesspool and South Florida. And who knows, by '19 South Florida may be in the Big 12. Doubtful, but maybe.
There are other ways Tech can fill that '19 spot of course. For instance, there are the ever-growing-in-popularity neutral site kickoff games to start the season Labor Day weekend. And, the ACC very well may add other schools not currently in P5 conferences as designated to complete the requirement. For example, back in Jan. 2015, the ACC conveniently designated BYU as a program which would satisfy the P5 OOC scheduling...
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...-games-byu-cougars-nonleague-power-5-opponent
If they haven't been designated already (could be) by the ACC, certainly we can see Navy, Army and Air Force obtaining a similar designation...like the Big 10 has already done...
http://www.fbschedules.com/2015/10/big-ten-count-air-force-power-five-opponent/
The Big 10 included Cincinnati and UConn as well as you can see from the above link. Let me stop here to remind you all how F'd up D1A CFB really is. There is a P5 Country Club, but we add these other riff-raff wannabees whenever convenient which kind of defeats the idea of having a country club. I mean, when you let these folks in, then EVERYBODY will want in. It'll be anarchy I tell ya. ANARCHYYYYY!
OK, enough for that silly rant. Back to Tech. We could see Tech as a last resort and very unlikely to happen to schedule another ACC member, but not count as a conference game. And finally - perhaps more likely than the scheduling another ACC member - Tech as well as others this late in the game could give the middle finger to the ACC and just say we aren't complying until 2020. Dragging feet on making a decision (how dumb) and drawing this out gives more credence to some ACC members taking an attitude of "we'll get there when we get there." What's the ACC going to do...kick us out if we aren't compliant until 2020?
Maybe in this insane world called D1A CFB, we can designate South Florida as a one-time P5 country club member in 2019. Like your neighbor's uncle's probation officer's boss who knows the Golf Pro at the country club and because you may narc on your neighbor for waving his johnson in a public setting, they somehow get you onto the private club's golf course for one time so you can see how the privileged live (don't get your hopes up, btw...it's really F'd up).
Bottom line...Tech has 2 spots to fill in '19. Maybe it will be a 9th ACC game. After all, ACC fans have been crying for an ACC Network ever since Big Brother (SEC) got their own channel. Now that ESPN says it wants more inventory, along come the head coaches crying about having too tough of a schedule. How sad. We know exciting games against Kennesaw State and Mercer are just what ESPN and the ACC Network needs.
