Atlantic Coast Conference
Conference Rank: #3
Bowl Teams: 8
Conference Champ: Florida State
Offensive Player of the Year: Cullen Harper-QB-Clemson
Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Johnson-DE-Georgia Tech
Coach of the Year: Butch Davis-North Carolina
Conference Forecast: Last season the ACC was awful and it has really been fairly weak in every season since expanding to 12 teams in 2005. I may be alone in this but I think the ACC will be the most improved conference this year. I really only see one top 5 team (Clemson) and I don’t see any team that can win a National Title, but I think there are a number of good teams in the ACC. I think the depth in the conference will be much better. The ACC is not in the same class as the SEC or the XII but I think it will be the best of the other 4 BCS conferences this year.
Predicted Standings (Note: (#,#) = conference rec; #,# = regular season rec; [#,#] = final rec)
Atlantic
1. Florida State (6-2) 9-3 [10-4]
2. Wake Forrest (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
3. Clemson (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
4. Maryland (4-4) 8-4 [8-5]
5. NC State (2-6) 4-8
6. Boston College (2-6) 6-6 [7-6]
Costal
1. Miami (6-2) 8-4 [8-6]
2. Virginia Tech (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
3. UNC (5-3) 8-4 [8-5]
4. Georgia Tech (2-6) 4-8
5. Virginia (2-6) 4-8
6. Duke (1-7) 3-9
ACC Championship Game
Florida State (10-3) over Miami (8-5)
Team Notes and Predictions
Florida State (6-2) 9-3 [10-4]
Finish in Atlantic: 1st
Bowl Game: Orange Bowl
Forecast: I admit that this pick is a bit of a strange one. FSU has not been FSU for a while now if you know what I mean and they continue to battle disciplinary problems. This season they will have an inexperienced OL which is usually trouble but they have 15 returning starters and a favorable schedule. Although I’m not sure FSU is the best team in the ACC, I am picking them to win the conference because most of their tough games are at home. I predict they will open the season 4-0 before losing to Miami. I see them starting the season 9-1 before losing their last two games, at Maryland, and at home to rival Florida. I see FSU, Wake, and Clemson all going 6-2 in the ACC but Florida State plays them both at home and I have them winning both those games to earn the birth in the ACC Championship Game. I have them beating Miami to win the title and then losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
Wake Forrest (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
Finish in Atlantic: 2nd
Bowl Game: Chick-fil-a Bowl
Forecast: Wake is coming off two excellent seasons and returns 14 starters. Their WR corps will be down a bit but they have a good defense and play good special teams. I see them going 6-2 in the conference, with losses at FSU and Miami. I have them losing to South Carolina in the Chick-fil-a bowl.
Clemson (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
Finish in Atlantic: 3rd
Bowl Game: Rose Bowl
Forecast: I actually think Clemson is probably the best team in the ACC. They have 16 starters returning, a great RB, and the best QB in the conference. However, Clemson has had a history of underachieving under Tommy Bowden and they play both Wake Forrest and FSU on the road. I think they will lose both those games but will start the season with a win over Bama and end it with a win over rival South Carolina. I have them receiving an at-large bid to the Rose Bowl and losing to Ohio State.
Maryland (4-4) 8-4 [8-5]
Finish in Atlantic: 4th
Bowl Game: Emerald Bowl
Forecast: Maryland could be one of the more improved teams in the conference this season, with 46 lettermen returning. They also lost a number of close games last year and I think they’ll improve. I see them beating Cal early and beating FSU in November. I have them losing to ASU in the Emerald Bowl.
NC State (2-6) 4-8
Finish in Atlantic: 5th
Bowl Game: None
Forecast: The Wolfpack didn’t have a successful season in Tom O’Brien’s first year and this year they return only 10 starters and lose 47% of their lettermen. They have some talented running backs but they weren’t able to win with the talent left by Chuck Amato last year. They had some bad luck with injuries and now much of that talent and experience is gone. It will take another year before O’Brien starts to win in Raleigh. I do see O’Brien getting a win over his former team, Boston College, but I have them losing 5 of their final 6 games for another losing season.
Boston College (2-6) 6-6 [7-6]
Finish in Atlantic: 6th
Bowl Game: Champs Sports Bowl
Forecast: Jeff Jagodzinski led his team to a surprising 11 win season in his first year at BC but now he faces life without “Matty Ice.” Ryan is not the only one gone from the team, as BC loses 22 lettermen and returns just 10 starters. BC will be moving down while the rest of the ACC is getting better. I see them starting the season 4-0 but then losing 6 of 7 before winning against Maryland in the last game of the season to reach bowl eligibility. I also see them beating Notre Dame for the 6th straight time. I have them beating Iowa in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Miami (6-2) 8-4 [8-6]
Finish in Costal: 1st
Bowl Game: Humanitarian Bowl
Forecast: Though Larry Coker was gone last year, it was in Randy Shanon’s first season that the slide Miami had been on under Coker finally reached its low point. Now the process can begin back up. It may be soon to think the Canes can be a great team again but I think they will be much better than last year and they have a very favorable schedule. Miami returns only 11 starters but they have more experience than that would indicate, as 48 lettermen return for them. They are young at QB and that may hurt them early but they have a lot of talent. I see them losing to Florida and A&M to start the year 1-2 but then winning 7 of 9 after that with wins against FSU and VT. I have Miami making it to their first ever ACC Championship Game but losing to FSU and then losing to Boise State in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Virginia Tech (6-2) 10-2 [10-3]
Finish in Costal: 2nd
Bowl Game: Music City Bowl
Forecast: Virginia Tech has won at least 10 games in each of their last 4 seasons but they lose a lot this year. Their top running back is gone, their top 4 receivers are gone, and their top 3 tacklers are gone as well. Sean Glennon is not exactly a strength at QB either, even if he is a senior. But there is talent on this VT team just as there always is and of course there is Frank Beamer. I think they’ll begin the year 7-0 but then lose down the stretch at FSU and Miami. I see them beating UVA for the 5th straight year and I have them losing to LSU in the Music City Bowl.
UNC (5-3) 8-4 [8-5]
Finish in Costal: 3rd
Bowl Game: Gator Bowl
Forecast: UNC was just 4-8 in their first year under Butch Davis but they came out on the wrong side of a number of close losses and they have 18 of 22 starters returning. I expect UNC to be the most improved team in the ACC. The schedule is tough early and I see them starting off just 1-3 but then winning 7 of 8. I think they’ll finish the season with back to back wins over rivals NC State and Duke, and I have them going to the Gator Bowl and losing to Pittsburgh.
Georgia Tech (2-6) 4-8
Finish in Costal: 4th
Bowl Game: None
Forecast: Tech has been as consistently decent as any team for many years but Chan Gailey’s teams were too often closer to mediocre than good, and thus Paul Johnson was hired to bring the system he ran at Navy to Georgia Tech. But before they get to be a good team, the Jackets are probably going to have to fall below that line of decency for at least one year. I believe this will be that year, as they are putting in new systems on both sides of the ball and returning just 9 starters. The strength of the team was defense and special teams and this year they lose their Defensive Coordinator, 7 of their top 10 tacklers, and they kicker and punter. I’m predicting some lowlights for the Jackets in 2008, including a loss to Duke at home and an 8th straight loss to the Bulldawgs. I have them going 4-8 to snap their streak of 11 consecutive seasons going to a bowl.
Virginia (2-6) 4-8
Finish in Costal: 5th
Bowl Game: None
Forecast: UVA had a surprising 9 win season last year but things could easily have been completely different, as they won 5 games by 2 points or less! This year they return only 11 starters and have major question marks at both offensive and defensive line and also at QB. They also lose all of the key members from their special teams other than punt returner. I’m predicting that UVA’s luck will run out this season and that they’ll miss the bowl season for the second time in 3 years.
Duke (1-7) 3-9
Finish in Costal: 6th
Bowl Game: None
Forecast: I think Duke made a brilliant hire getting David Cutcliffe, who kept Ole Miss consistently competitive despite often having less talent than the opposition. Duke returns 17 starters and 50 lettermen and perhaps Cutcliffe will guide them out of the cellar in the ACC. He may do that someday, but I don’t think it will be this year. For one thing, is it really a good thing to have all those guys coming back when they’ve gone 2-33 over the last 3 years with wins over VMI and Northwestern? I’m predicting Duke will win as more games this year (3) than they have in the last 3 seasons combined, and I’m calling for them to win their first conference game since 2004, but I’m still not picking them to finish anywhere other than last in the ACC.
Big Games on the Schedule
Sat, August 30th
USC @ UVA (This could get ugly)
Ala @ Clem (Good one early in the Dome)
Sat, September 6th
NW @ Duke (Duke won this battle of the heavy weights last season)
Mia @ Fla (Miami leads all-time series 28-25)
Thu, September 11th
UNC @ Rut (Early test for UNC)
Sat, September 13th
Cal @ Mary (Friedgen vs. Tedford)
Sat, September 20th
WF @ FSU (Who would have ever thought this could be a big game?)
VT @ UNC (VT has won 4 straight since joining ACC in 04)
Mia @ A&M (Mia won big last year but that was in Florida)
Sat, September 27th
UNC @ Mia (UNC won last year in North Carolina)
VT @ Neb (Tough road test for Hokies)
Sat, October 4th
BC @ NC St (O’Brien’s former team comes to Raleigh)
FSU @ Mia (Last 7 decided by tot of 31 pts with none decided by more than 8)
Thu, October 9th
Clem @ WF (Big game in the Atlantic)
Sat, October 25th
VT @ FSU (VT broke 12 game losing streak vs. FSU with win last year)
WF @ Mia (Should be big game for both teams)
Sat, November 8th
Clem @ FSU (Bowden Bowl)
ND @ BC (BC has now won 5 straight in this Catholic rivalry)
Thu, November 13th
VT @ Mia (Huge game in the Costal)
Sat, November 20th
NC St @ UNC (UNC has won 3 of 4 and 11 of 15)
Sat, November 29th
Fla @ FSU (Still a great rivalry)
GT @ UGA (Clean Old Fashioned Hate)
UNC @ Duke (Not as good as the basketball rivalry)
SC @ Clem (Bowden has won this game enough to keep his job)
UVA @ VT (Hokies have won 10 of 13)
No comments:
Post a Comment