Patrick Hite from accnation.com was kind enough to answer some questions for Bleacher Report ACC liaison, Doug Adams.
Who do you see as the front-runners in the ACC conference? What teams appear primed for a run at the ACC title?
The easy pick in the Atlantic is Clemson. The Tigers have the best skill players in the conference. Cullen Harper was every bit as good as Matt Ryan last year and is my preseason first-team all-ACC quarterback for 2008. James Davis and C.J. Spiller form the best running-back tandem in the country and Aaron Kelly is a first-team receiver.
That being said, my pick to win the Atlantic is Wake Forest. Clemson’s offensive line worries me, and other than their secondary, the Tigers defense is full of holes. And don’t forget, Clemson has a way of underachieving. A loss at BC or UVa wouldn’t shock anyone.
Meanwhile, Wake has a quarterback in Riley Skinner that, if healthy for the entire season, may put up numbers similar to Harper. Also, Josh Adams will give both Davis and Spiller a run for first-team all-ACC. But it’s the Wake defense that could be the difference. Two years ago, during Wake's surprise run to the conference title, the Demon Deacons won in part with a strong defense. Expect the same this season.
Wake's schedule also helps. The Deacons don't have to play Virginia Tech or North Carolina, the teams many experts think will battle it out for the Coastal Division title, and Clemson has to play in Winston-Salem on a Thursday night. Wake does have to go to Florida State, but it's the third game of the season and the Seminoles will still be hurting because of early-season suspensions.
The Coastal appears to be the weaker of the two divisions for the upcoming season. Virginia Tech has questions at running back, receiver, and linebacker, just to name a few positions, but the Hokies still appear to be the best team in this division.
Tech needs to find a way to use Tyrod Taylor effectively. He's as talented as anyone on the Tech roster, but Sean Glennon is probably the better quarterback. Will the Hokies use both like they did at the end of last season? The quarterback situation and how Tech uses both players may be a key to this team.
North Carolina is young and it will be interesting to see how the players deal with preseason hype. Georgia Tech and Duke have new coaches. Virginia is dealing with personnel losses, both expected and unexpected. Miami needs someone to step up at quarterback, receiver and most spots on defense. The Hurricanes could be really good or really bad. That goes for a lot of teams in the Coastal.
Who do you see as the dark horse or sleeper teams?
In the Atlantic, I like Maryland as a surprise team. They need to settle on a quarterback. Chris Turner finished strong last year after replacing Jordan Steffy. Those two will be in the mix again, as will Josh Portis, who may be the most talented. Whichever player nails down the job, they'll have great receivers, starting with Darrius Heyward-Bey, as targets.
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