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Has something seemed odd to you about the BCS bowls this year? Does it seem like ... oh wait, West Virginia just scored again.

Does it seem like ... wait, there goes De'Anthony Thomas. Don't think he'll get caught from behind.

Does it seem like ... wait, would somebody please tackle Justin Blackmon?

Does it seem like there have been a lot of points this bowl season?

It's not just you. There have been a lot of points. More points than ever before. And by huge quantities.

So far, BCS bowl teams have averaged a total of 77 points in the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls. That, folks, is nearly 26 points more than last year (51.6). And it's nearly 11 points better than the previous high of 66.3 from 2001-02.

Perhaps pairing two SEC teams in the title game has created a black hole sucking all defensive stinginess into the LSU-Alabama rematch, which you might recall went 9-6 with no touchdowns in their first meeting. West Virginia scored 10 touchdowns -- 10! -- against Clemson. Alabama gave up 12 TDs all season.

Speaking of Clemson: ACC. Well, well, well.

After the Tigers ingloriously fell 70-33 to the Mountaineers, we got our second story from the BCS bowl season: The ACC's insistence on throwing up on itself in BCS bowl games.

The conference that was once expected to challenge the SEC is now 2-13 in BCS bowl games. That's hard to do. You'd think in 15 BCS bowls the conference could get lucky at least five or six times. But no, it insists on making ACC blogger Heather Dinich, a genuinely nice person, into some sort of Grim Reaper every bowl season.

Heck, the Big East has won seven BCS bowls -- second fewest among AQ conferences -- but it's 7-7.

Of course, this all ties together, and we're here to bring out a bow, but first a warning: If you don't want to read about how good the SEC is for the 56,314th time this year, then stop reading. I'd recommend an episode of "South Park" or perhaps a John le Carré thriller as an alternative for passing the time.

We can all agree the SEC plays great defense right? Alabama and LSU will play for the title Monday with the nation's top-two defenses. Do you think perhaps that it's not a coincidence that the conference that is 16-7 in BCS bowl games plays great defense?

The only other AQ conference with a winning record in BCS bowl games is the Pac-12, which is 11-7. The Pac-12 isn't known for defense, either, but USC was when it won the conference's last national title in 2004.

The only team to win a BCS national title without an elite defense was Auburn in 2010, but the Tigers' defense seemed to find itself late in the season. Since 1999, eight national champions had a top-10 defense. Other than Auburn, the lowest-rated defense to win a BCS national title was Ohio State in 2002. It ranked 23rd in the nation in total defense.

Three of the four BCS bowl games have been thrillers. Two went to overtime. We've seen big plays all over the field in the passing game and running game. Yet, if things go according to script in the title game, we'll see none of that. We might not see more than a couple of plays that go for more than 20 yards. We might not see any.

Some might call that boring. It might seem that both offenses are so paranoid of making a mistake that they are stuck in mud, both in game plan and execution.

But, snoozefest or not, when the clock strikes zero a team from the SEC will hoist the crystal football for a sixth consecutive time.

That might say something about playing better defense.

Heather Dinich talks about the ACC's overall bowl record, two teams that will continue to surprise and two potential NFL draft departures.

Heather Dinich looks at one good thing from Week 4 in the ACC.

Heather Dinich offers the top four storylines for the ACC.

ACC blogger Heather Dinich takes a look at the frontrunners for ACC Coach of the Year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The ACC and the Chick-fil-A Bowl have agreed to a four-year contract extension, which will keep them partners through the 2013 season. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the first selection of ACC teams after the BCS.

From the release:

“Our 18-year partnership with ACC is among the most important assets we have and is a huge part of our bowl’s success,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “The ACC is a big part of our identity. It’s who we are. We consider it a privilege to provide their member institutions a BCS-like experience in both the Chick-fil-A Bowl and in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.”

The ACC has been a conference tie-in for the Chick-fil-A Bowl since 1992 and the Chick-fil-A Bowl has owned the first non-automatic selection in the conference since 2006. An ACC team has played in 30 of the 41 Chick-fil-A Bowls dating back to 1968.

“The Chick-fil-A Bowl has been a tremendous partner over the years and we look forward to our continued relationship,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “Showcasing an ACC-SEC matchup on New Year's Eve in Atlanta has proven to be a solid formula for success. I know the experience of our teams and fans is second to none and we appreciate every aspect of our association with the Chick-fil-A Bowl.”

The 42nd annual Chick-fil-A Bowl will be played Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

The same unpredictability as year ago is engulfing the ACC, when the clear-cut division winners didn’t emerge until the final two weeks of the season. This time it’s for a different reason -- the Atlantic Division just isn’t very good.

Unlike the Coastal Division, which boasts some true parity at the top, the Atlantic Division is simply muddled in mediocrity. Everyone has at least two losses already and only one team -- Wake Forest -- won this past weekend. In the Coastal Division, however, every team won on Saturday -- including Duke. I’m not sure that’s ever happened before. While the Blue Devils and Virginia have been making progress each of the past few weeks, teams like Boston College, NC State and Florida State seemed to have taken steps back.

For NC State and Florida State to be a combined 0-5 in conference play right now is a huge disappointment for the ACC, as both were expected to be legitimate contenders for the ACC title. If the ACC championship game were to be played this weekend, it wouldn’t even be a fair fight. Just look at what happened on Saturday.

We knew heading into the season that the Coastal Division was expected to be the stronger of the two, but there was no better illustration of the disparity between the divisions than what happened on Saturday in Virginia Tech's 48-14 thumping of Boston College. The Hokies completely dominated the Eagles on both sides of the ball, as BC was held to just 3 yards of total offense in the first half. And yet somehow, Boston College could still win the Atlantic Division because of its wins over Wake Forest and Florida State.

If Boston College and Virginia Tech would happen to meet in the ACC title game for a third straight season, ACC and Tampa officials should start giving away tickets -- yesterday.

The Coastal Division has three nationally ranked teams, including two -- Miami and Virginia Tech -- that could wind up in BCS bowls. The Atlantic Division has two teams with four losses each already in Florida State and Maryland.

We already saw Virginia Tech play Miami. On Saturday, we’ll see Virginia Tech travel to Georgia Tech. Odds are the ACC title game will have a hard time rivaling either of those this year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Florida State trails 21-6, and if it doesn't turn things around quickly, the Noles will be making the wrong kind of history.

The Seminoles would fall to 2-3 with the loss. They have not been under .500 five games into the season since 1983, when Florida State defeated East Carolina and LSU before losing three straight to Tulane, Auburn and Pitt -- all on the road.

FSU finished 7-5 that season. So far, it looks headed in that direction again.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Yes, they were very winnable games, but at least Boston College scored enough offense to make up for what NC State didn't do and what Wake Forest currently isn't doing.

Boston College -- the team that entered this season with ZERO collegiate snaps at quarterback -- is trouncing Northeastern 47-0. No, it's not an ACC win, but it shows the Eagles are capable of putting up some points, and it should give them a much-needed boost of confidence. Finally, some good news in Chestnut Hill and a reason to celebrate.

And Georgia Tech took care of Jacksonville State with a 37-17 win.

If only those two teams could have shared some of their points with the Wolfpack and a now-struggling Wake Forest team, the ACC would be looking pretty good.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

OK, so it wasn't the start the conference and its fans were looking for, but the ACC still has plenty of reasons for hope today. Maryland is on the West Coast to take on a talented Cal team, a new Wake Forest defense will try to contain Baylor's potent offense, and of course, Virginia Tech has a legitimate chance to beat Alabama when everyone is watching.

That's the Pac-10, Big 12 and SEC that could all potentially fall to the ACC today. Potentially.

NC State's performance was a disappointment, but it doesn't take away from what could happen today, nor does it lessen the Wolfpack's chances of winning the Atlantic Division. Russell Wilson, the 2008 Rookie of the Year, might have looked a step slower, but he's still a talented quarterback capable of making that offense effective.

Before we jump to any conclusions about the ACC's place in the BCS pecking order, let's see if the rest of the conference can take advantage of today's opportunities, and make sure the other teams don't suffer embarrassing losses to teams they're supposed to beat.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A quick update from this congressional hearing on the BCS.

I'm still in the middle of the hearing, and Texas Republican Joe Barton is firing rapid questions and constantly interrupting ACC commissioner John Swofford, the BCS coordinator. Among the questions that came up, was, "Why was the attendance down in the ACC championship last year?"

"That's a good question," Swofford said. "We'd like to get it back up, and I think we will. It might have been the matchup, might have been the geographic ..."

"Why does Notre Dame get a vote?" Barton interrupted.

"Because of their history, their tradition ..."

"Well, OK, why wouldn't USC get their own vote?"

"Because ..."

"And Penn State? And Ohio State? And ..."

"Notre Dame is an independent."

Consider Swofford and his conference officially on the hot seat in this building.

Rep. Gene Green of Texas just asked why the ACC should be given more consideration for the BCS bowls than the Mountain West and noted that the ACC "hasn't been a powerhouse in football."

"The ACC's market value at the time -- which has probably been enhanced with the addition of Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College -- I think you could say the same thing about the other conferences that are automatic qualifiers," Swofford said. "You can always take one year in the standings and say this, that or the other thing. The previous year, the ACC champion was Virginia Tech, and they were ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings. There are three schools in our league that have played in the national championship game, some on multiple occasions. You can take any one year and it looks good or it doesn't look as good."

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

I'm getting a ton of questions about the ACC schedule, and it's 99 percent complete. League officials are in the process of cross-checking with nonconference opponents and other leagues. They hope to have the schedule released by Monday afternoon, but certainly by early next week.

One nonconference game announced today was Duke vs. NC Central on Sept. 26 at Duke.

Terms of the contract will not be released. We'll break down the rest of the ACC schedule next week, and no, I don't have any official confirmation on Miami/FSU on Labor Day just yet.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The ACC is making progress, and J.P. Giglio of the Raleigh News & Observer has proof:

While the SEC won its third straight national title, the ACC can claim more wins (17) against teams from the Bowl Championship Series than the SEC or any of the other major conferences during the 2008 season.

Well, the ACC also played more games against BCS opponents, but hey, kudos for scheduling the big boys (and Notre Dame). A losing record against the Big East and Pac-10 isn't anything to brag about, but at least it was better than the Big Ten's season.

Check back tomorrow for more on the state of the ACC and its bowl season in particular.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The final votes are in, and the ACC finished with three teams in the top 25 of the Associated Press poll -- No. 15 Virginia Tech, No. 21 Florida State and No. 22 Georgia Tech.

The coaches had a slightly different opinion, as their final order was No. 14 Virginia Tech, No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 23 Florida State. (Don't forget during the regular season the Yellow Jackets did beat the Seminoles at home).

For what it's worth, I had Virginia Tech No. 16, Florida State No. 18 and Georgia Tech No. 19 in the ESPN.com Power Ranking I turned in this morning. (And Utah No. 1, but that's a whole other discussion). I put FSU ahead of the Yellow Jackets because of the way they handled Wisconsin and because of what Georgia Tech didn't do against Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Still, Georgia Tech is better than it played in its bowl game, and despite the losses on defense should have one of the most productive offenses in the league and again compete for the Coastal Division.

It's safe to say these three teams should be the league's representatives in the 2009 preseason poll, with the Hokies possibly earning a top 10 spot.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

I just stumbled upon this, but thought you might find it interesting since somebody brought up how smart the ACC is today.

David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that if fans -- and recruits -- have to choose between football and academic supremacy, the SEC wins.

For the best education it's the ACC, Whitley writes, and for the best football it's the SEC.

Agreed, and it doesn't take a degree from Duke to figure it out.