"He Can Coach N.C. State And We'll Coach FSU."

In recent years, the ACC has made a conscious effort to tone down disagreements, preferring a more collegial if not corporate approach.

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So it's really good, as far as we're concerned, to see Dave Doeren and Jimbo Fischer get on each other's nerves.

Doeren didn't directly come out and accuse FSU of faking injuries to slow the tempo of Saturday's game, but he came close enough to incense Jimbo, who said this: "I accuse him of not knowing what he's talking about. We did not fake injuries. We wouldn't do that....He can coach N.C. State and we'll coach FSU."

Just one minor point: saying we wouldn't isn't the same thing as saying we don't.

It's not exactly Dean and Rick getting ready to duke it out at midcourt, but every bit of antipathy helps. People forget how much mileage the ACC got out anger. Consider the Heyman fight (Heyman claimed he hit UNC coach Frank McGuire in his Irish Pride. Years later, McGuire told him "it still hurts, Arty." We've told it before but we love that story). Consider the heat over UNC allegedly turning State in for the recruitment of David Thompson. Consider McGuire's Tour Of Rage at South Carolina. Recall Clemson's fury over how the ACC managed a Tiger probation. And look how thoroughly everyone in the ACC went after Dean Smith.

Football is a bit different, but still: anger is a valuable resource. This will come up next time State visits Tallahassee.

Note - Al Featherston has provided a convincing argument that the Heyman punch to Al McGuire's tenders never actually happened. It's a great story, but like so many stories, it could not be contained by the thin walls of truth.