With kickoff just a few days away, what better time to roll out my predictions for the 2010 ACC Football Season.
No, I’m not smoking crack. Yes, I’m actually agreeing with the
media this season (that was painful to type by the way).
For those who actually read my writing (all 3 of you right?) you know by now main stream sports media is my pet peeve. For the most part, it consists of mindless drones simply putting out something to make their respective employer happy or bring in traffic, with no real knowledge of the game or conference. But somehow, someway, I think they got it right this year.
I’ll go ahead and feed you a quick breakdown of the divisions and follow it up with my predicted standings at the end of the year and a few other goodies. Enjoy.
Atlantic Division
The Atlantic could be considered the weak sibling of the Coastal, but don’t get it twisted – I think 2010 will offer a ton of drama in the race to the Conference Title Game, with three of the six teams being viable options to win the division.
Florida State: The Seminoles are the trendy pick this season to win the 
Atlantic. All-ACC QB Christian Ponder is back and has the luxury of lining up behind one of the best offensive lines in the nation. Just like Boston College and Clemson, the Seminoles lack stability at the receiver position. Bert Reed and Jarmon Fortson have a ton of potential but they have to step up big this year for Ponder to do his thing. Defensively the Noles were the laughing stock of the nation last year, and rightfully so. Allow 30 points a game and that’s what happens. New defensive coordinator Mark Stoops poured his soul into revamping the defense this off-season and I can almost guarantee you’ll see a marked improvement. On a side note – get to know this name: Greg Reid. The kid is good. I mean gooooood.
Clemson: The Reigning Atlantic champ Tigers are in a better position to
repeat than most people think. Yes, CJ Spiller is gone but his replacement Andre Ellington is actually a better true running back. He’s not as elusive but he possesses great speed and hits the holes harder than Spiller did, and is complemented by bruising back Jaime Harper. Their defense will once again be lights out, led by All-American Saftey DeAndre McDaniel. The linebacker position was their Achilles heel last season, but a more experienced Brandon Maye should help solidify things. Their biggest question mark is the receiving corps. Xavier Dye should be a reliable go to guy and unknowns like Marquan Jones, Jaron Brown and even freshman Bryce McNeal could provide a solid threat to spread the ball.
Boston College: Just like every year, no one is looking at the Eagles to
contend. Big mistake. With an uber experienced offensive line, a 1,400 yard rusher returning and one of the best linebacking groups in the nation, the Eagles have almost every piece in place to finish 6-2 or maybe even 7-1 in conference play. The QB spot was a bit shaky last year, but Dave Shinskie seems to have settled down a bit. Their main issue will be on the outsides on both offense and defense. The receiving group was already thin with the departure of Rich Gunnell. Making matters worse was the loss of their leading returning receiver Colin Larmond Jr. , who was injured and is expected to miss the entire 2010 season. The cornerback spot is just as inexperienced. A major plus, though, is their schedule. They get most major conference games at home this year. I’ll go on a limb and say now – don’t be surprised if they wind up 7-1 and headed to a BCS bowl, with RB Montel Harris getting some Heisman talk.
Coastal Division
Of the five ACC teams in the preseason Top 25, four are from the Coastal. The only Atlantic team is Florida State and they’re actually the lowest of the ranked teams. That’s a testament to how much stronger the Coastal is this year.
It’s basically a toss-up between four teams at this point who ends up representing in the title game.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies sit in the best position to win it all. They return 
QB Tyrod Taylor, who has gone from run first to pass happy over his career. Their backfield is probably one of the best in the nation. Ryan Williams, the 2009 ACC Rookie of the Year and arguably one of the best backs in the country, returns with Darren Evans. Evans you may remember burst onto the scene in 2008 much like Williams did last year, but missed all of 2009 with an ACL injury. Even with a few new faces on the line, this offense is capable of 30+ points per game. Defensively, they lost a ton of starters but Coordinator Bud Foster has shown year in and year out that no matter what the circumstances he can produce a solid D. It should be no different in 2010.
Miami: Just like 2009, The ‘U’ is considered a contender in the conference. 
QB Jacory Harris should once again have a stellar year and garner Heisman talk. He has the luxury of one of, if not the best, receiving groups in the league. The only real cause for concern is the offensive line. Stud OL Jason Fox is gone and the Canes are breaking in three new guys on the line. That could spell trouble for a team relying heavily on their QB. Defensively there aren’t many concerns. Linebacker depth is a slight issue, but not enough to raise any red flags. The player to watch on D is CB Brandon Harris. Don’t be surprised to see a 5 INT season along with a ton of pass breakups.
Georgia Tech: The Jackets get the same level of respect that Boston College 
does – not enough. I’m sure it’s fine with Coach Johnson though. The reigning ACC Champs are in partial rebuilding mode with RB Jonathan Dwyer and WR Demaryius Thomas gone. Dwyers replacement, Anthony Allen, looks perfectly suited to top 1,000 yards, so there might not be that much of a difference. This is the guy that averaged a jaw dropping 9.7 yards per carry last year. QB Joshua (not Josh anymore!) Nesbitt is a lock for 1,000 yards rushing this year as well. It’s the receivers (yes Tech uses them) that’s a concern. Thomas was a human vacuum for Nesbitt’s passes last year. The leading returning receiver this year had a mere eight catches in 2009, compared to Thomas’ 46. On defense, the Yellow Jackets are switching schemes to a 3-4 thanks to new Defensive Coordinator and former Virginia Head Coach Al Groh. It won’t be an easy task with superstars DE Derrick Morgan and SS Morgan Burnett bolting for the NFL a season early. Defense will definitely not be the name of Techs game this year. They’re going to have to hope the offense is explosive again.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are probably the hardest team to read this
year. Defensively, you could almost create an NFL roster with the guys they have on the field. Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn, Bruce Carter, Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams could all be named defensive MVP’s. The Heels will probably allow 3 points per game this year (that was exaggerated – but could actually be accurate). The agent/academic scandal that is still ongoing could be their major downfall. Not only is it distracting but could very well eliminate a few of these key guys from even playing. That aside, it’s the offense they need to be concerned about. QB T.J. Yates has potential but potential doesn’t win games – performance does. He had a nearly even TD to INT ratio last season and just didn’t look as if he was in control. Rumor has it freshman QB Bryn Renner is GOOD and brings a ton of energy to the field. He could actually snatch playing time away from Yates if he falters. No matter who is back there, they’ll have plenty of talent to throw to as the Heels have one of the better groups of receivers in the league.
Atlantic
Florida State 7-1
Clemson 6-2
Boston College 6-2
NC State 2-6
Maryland 2-6
Wake Forest 1-7
Coastal
Virginia Tech 7-1
Miami 6-2
Georgia Tech 5-3
North Carolina 5-3
Duke 2-6
Virginia 0-8
Championship Game: Virginia Tech over Florida State
Game of the Year: Virginia Tech at Miami
Offensive Player of the Year: Christian Ponder, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
Comeback Player of the Year: Mark Herzlich, Boston College. Have to mention Nate Irving, NC State as well.
With the chaos gone that surrounded the forcing out of Bobby Bowden, new head man Jimbo Fisher inherits a fully stocked team. Keeping in line with the above mentioned teams, the Noles too have a HUGE out of conference game early in the year with their trip out west to play Oklahoma. Aside from that, and a trip to Miami, the Noles are fortunate enough to have every other ‘challenging’ game at Doak Campbell, which include conference match-ups against Boston College, Clemson, and North Carolina and a visit from Florida.
ACC teams. Not only do they have the highest starting poll position of an ACC team (#6), but they get potential contender Georgia Tech at home, and one of their Atlantic opponents is a Wake Forest squad that will struggle just to break even this year. They do face difficult road trips to Boston College, Miami and North Carolina. Three of their four out-of-conference match-ups won’t carry much weight and are easy ‘W’s’. It’s their first game of the year (vs Boise State) that has a chance to catapult them in the top 10 before conference play even starts.
get stopped cold in the Orange Bowl. It won’t be an easy task, to say the least. While there is no marquee game to start the season (other than a trip to Kansas who went 5-7 last year), their road schedule is brutal. They travel to North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech and wrap the year up with a visit to rival Georgia, who year in and year out has a solid squad. The only ‘big team’ from the ACC they host is Miami, who ironically enough was responsible for their only conference loss last year.
games but look at the 2010 Miami schedule and one word comes to mind – DAMN. They have the luxury of North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home, but have road games against Georgia Tech and Clemson, two notoriously difficult places to play. They, like Virginia Tech, have a chance early in the year to make their mark in the world of college football with their September 11th trip to Columbus to take on #2 Ohio State. Two weeks later they travel north to take on Big East runner-up Pittsburgh. Then the fun starts with a conference schedule that has them playing not only the Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech AND North Carolina, but they also get the Atlantic’s two best teams in Florida State and Clemson.
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