It’s the end of January. The ACC season is almost half-over, and the Virginia Cavaliers find themselves in a rather precipitous position.

The official standings say 2-3 in the league, and this with a winnable road game at Clemson firmly planted in the loss column. The conference appears to be as deep – and parity ridden – as it has been in many a year, meaning easy wins are as plentiful as leftovers in the Anna Nicole Smith household. And although the second swing through the schedule gives the Cavs five home games to only three road trips, the home dates include Duke, Maryland, Virginia nemesis NC State and a Georgia Tech team with as many athletes as it has uniforms.

In other words, to quote the famed nuclear physicists Laurel & Hardy, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into.”

Haven’t we seen this before?

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