College Football: 2008 ACC Preview

The NBA Finals are over, and golf is now finished since Tiger is on an injury sabbatical.  What do we have left?

Football.  Real football.  College football, to be exact.  Time to get your mean on.

In the next 60-some days before the college football season kicks off on August 30, I'll try to give you the lowdown about the season at hand—the 2008 College Football season that is (at least as good as I can).

To kick it off, I will start with the ACC Conference, and start working my way down the other five BCS conferences behind them.

Why the ACC first, you ask?  Well, I'll start with what I believe to be the weakest conference and then work my way up to what I consider the strongest BCS conference.  And until the ACC can win a BCS game, they will get first...er, last...billing in this blog.

With the addition of Boston College in 2005, coupled with Miami and Virginia Tech in 2004, many pundits were looking for the ACC to the be the next 'power' football conference—self included.

Unfortunately, for ACC fans, it just hasn't happened.  Suffering a 1-9 career record in the BCS (and 0-4 since the realignment), the ACC is finding itself the redheaded stepchild of the entire BCS formula.

In fact, the BCS instigated a rule that a BCS conference champion must be ranked in the top 16 to earn a bid.  This was put in place due to the movement of Miami and Virginia Tech from the Big East to the ACC.  Little did pundits predict that it would be a factor for the ACC.

However, such is the case when you have gone 1-9 throughout the history of the BCS as an entire conference (the only win being Florida State in the 1999 season when they beat a Big East member—and current ACC member—Virginia Tech). 

But let’s let bygones be bygones.

What does the ACC have in store for us in 2008?

I foresee the rise to power of this once-predicted great conference.  Miami and Florida State should start to get their feet back under them, and Clemson looks to be a legitimate National Title Contender.

North Carolina should be vastly improved, and the supposed bottom feeder from years of lore, Wake Forest, may well be a title contender again as well.  Throw in Duke's assumed improvement, and you likely don't have a patsy in the entire conference.

How do I see it panning out?

Atlantic Division:

1.    Clemson

2.    Florida State

3.    Maryland

4.    Wake Forest

5.    Boston College

6.    North Carolina State

Coastal Division:

1.    Miami

2.    North Carolina

3.    Virginia Tech

4.    Georgia Tech

5.    Duke

6.    Virginia

I'll look for Clemson and Miami to meet in the title game with Clemson as the eventual BCS representative from the ACC.

In the following, I'll give you my team capsules and reasons why I foresee the teams finishing where I predict them to finish.

ATLANTIC

Clemson

You will likely not find a better offensive attack than the one assembled in Clemson, SC.  Cullen Harper, James Davis, C.J. Spiller, and Aaron Kelly are the best set of QB, RBs, and WR in the country—end of story.

Throw in a backup QB in Willy Korn and some solid incoming freshman for the Tigers, and they are absolutely loaded on offense.

Problem?  With all the talent the Tigers have at the skill positions, they aren't exactly polished up front on the offensive line.  With only one returning starter amongst the front five, the Tigers will have their hands full allowing these incredibly talented individuals to showcase their talents. 

With a likely starting lineup of three juniors, a sophomore, and a redshirt freshman, Tommy Bowden will need to have some early production to iron out his concerns up front.  A game against Alabama on August 30 will let us know exactly what they have in the first contest of the season.

On the defensive side, it will be hard to replace Nick Watkins and Philip Merling, but the Tigers have a ton of talent to shore up those concerns.  Primarily it starts with TRUE freshman Da'Quan Bowers to fill Philip Merling's DE spot.

At 6'5" and 265 pounds, Bowers is ready to play right away.  Coupled with his appearance on campus in the spring, this is an AA in waiting.

Clemson has 16 starters returning from a 9-4 ballclub that was competitive against everyone on their schedule last year. 

Another problem in front of the Tigers is a fairly tough schedule, including two quality BCS schools amongst their non-conference slate.  Games against Alabama, @ Wake Forest, @ Florida State, and South Carolina loom, along with the rest of their ACC slate.

If the Tigers were to run the table, then they will have rightly deserved their slot in the National Championship game.  On the other hand, we have heard the Clemson 'National Title Contender' outlooks before, and until they can go an entire season with fewer than three losses, we should all be a bit skeptical.

I have them winning the ACC, but let’s just say I'm just a bit hesitant in selecting a team that has not won a conference championship since 1991, and has not been in the ACC Championship game since it has been in place.

Florida State

This is a team that has pretty much underperformed in the entire decade of the 2000s.  Following a period in which they were the team of the '90s, the Seminoles haven't had a whole lot to cheer about in the past eight years—and it hasn't been due to a lack of talent.

Bobby Bowden supposedly has a succession plan in place, and I wouldn't be surprised if many a 'Noles fan can't wait until his eventual departure.

That said, Florida State returns 15 starters from a 7-6 ballclub.  The 'Noles can still play some defense, and if they can get any kind of consistent play out of their much-maligned signal caller, Drew Weatherford, they can compete with anybody. 

Preston Parker is absolutely a star in the making, and I have to believe that Florida State will do whatever they can to put the ball into his hands as much as possible.  They will have a young and inexperienced offensive line, but they are ridiculously talented.

On the defensive side of the ball, Derek Nicholson is another stud linebacker in a long cast of stud linebackers out of FSU.  Couple Nicholson with one of the best secondaries and one of the top defensive lines in the country, and this could be a special stop unit, a la the '90s-type dominating defenses of Seminole lore.

Flatly put, there is too much talent on this team to not win at least nine games.  If Bobby and staff can put it together along with Weatherford, this team is a potential sleeper for a National Title run.

The schedule is tough with games against Wake Forest, Colorado, @ Miami, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Florida, but they have enough talent to win or at the least be competitive in every game.

Look for Florida State to start their comeback to national prominence in 2008.

Maryland

Ralph Friedgen ushered in his Maryland coaching career with a bang—three straight seasons with at least 10 or more wins and an appearance in the Orange Bowl started his career in College Park.  However, since 2003 there hasn't been much to shout about for Terps fans.

Ralph has some talent on hand.  Darrius Heyward-Bey is a lightning receiver, and he has one of the best Offensive Lines in the entire ACC, if not THE best, to protect whoever it is that will throw the ball to him.

Replacing Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball at RB is a concern, but they have more talented guys to replace them, although they are obviously less experienced.

The defensive side of the ball will be their largest concern.  You can't replace a talent like Erin Henderson at LB, at least not at Maryland.

The defensive line will have to step up big time if the Terps want to compete with the elite in the ACC.  Their secondary could be special, led by Kevin Barnes along with the addition of Antwine Perez from USC.

All in all, it should be an exciting year in College Park, and we should fully expect the "Fighting Fridges" to go bowling yet again.  Competing for an ACC Championship is likely out of reach due to road games at Clemson and Virginia Tech.

They also play California in the non-conference and have Florida State, Wake Forest, and North Carolina on the schedule as well.

They will be better than last year’s squad, but the record may not indicate the improvement.

Wake Forest

There may not be a better coaching job being done in all of College Football than the one we find in Winston-Salem, NC.  Jim Grobe has turned an eternal bottom-feeder in Wake Forest into a legit ACC title contender over the past two years—now make that three.

I have Wake behind Maryland in my standings, but I feel that Wake is the better team.  Their biggest problem is that they play all the heavyweights: @ Florida State, Clemson, @ Miami, and @ Maryland.  They also play a tough Ole Miss squad in non-conference play, albeit at home.

Riley Skinner is a gamer at QB.  Nevertheless, they have to replace all-everything Kenny Moore at wideout.  That won't happen. 

The defense gets nine starters back, and they will need to compete in order for the Deacs to challenge for an ACC title.  The lack of a strong Offensive Line in front of Skinner, coupled with the loss of Moore, will likely prove to be too great for the Deacs to overcome this year.

They will compete, but it is hard for me to find anything better than a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic.

Boston College

Matt Ryan is gone, and so is the dream 2007 season for the Eagles.  Jeff Jagodzinski only returns 10 starters and is without the second-greatest QB in Boston College history (yes, Doug Flutie would be No. 1).  Along with Ryan, Andre Callender, L.V. Whitworth, and Jamie Silva are gone as well.

I hate to say a 'rebuilding' year, but that is exactly what Eagles fans are in store for this year.  They will likely get some glimpses of the future out of Josh Haden at RB, but the loss of Ryan will just be too great to replace.  Losing a guy that threw the ball 654 times last year will be just too much to overcome.

North Carolina State

Tom O'Brien's move from BC to NC State wasn't exactly a raging success—and don't look for it to get any better soon.  With only 10 starters returning to a team that went 5-7, the outlook for 2008 doesn't look very bright.

The defense gave up 28.3 points per game last year, and it will likely get worse before it gets better.  The 'Pack' lost their three top tacklers from last year and don't have much talent to replace them.  Whatever the offense might be able to offer—which won't be much—the defense will give up, and then some.

With a non-conference schedule that includes South Carolina, East Carolina, and South Florida, the Wolfpack could be on their way to a two- or three-win season...at best. 

COASTAL

Miami

Will the swagger be back?  I think so.  I really like what Randy Shannon is doing at Miami, and he has a ton of young fast talent on the team.  Javarris James is on the brink of a national breakout year, and their QB position can only get better with the departure of Kyle Wright.

Throw in Graig Cooper as a backup tailback and Sam Shields as a breakaway receiver, and the 'Canes could have a pretty good offense—something that hasn't been around for quite some time in Coral Gables. 

The defense will take some huge hits in the losses of Calais Campbell, Kenny Philips, and Tavares Gooden, but defense hasn't been a problem at Miami for well over three decades.

Look for Marcus Forston to have a breakout freshman year on the DL for the 'Canes, and Colin McCarthy will keep the LB tradition at Miami alive and well.  The secondary is a bit of a concern, but they have enough 'oldies' to get it done.

This will be one of the most improved teams in the country, and I look for the 'Canes to unseat the Hokies as the Coastal Champions in 2008.

North Carolina

Ahead of Virginia Tech, you ask?  Absolutely.  This is one of my huge surprise teams for 2008.

The Tar Heels were 4-8 last year under Butch Davis's first-year guidance.  But what is missed in that record is six losses by a touchdown or less.  Much like Illinois in 2006 when they went 2-10, the Tar Heels were very competitive in 2007.

They also return everything but the kitchen sink in 19 starters, including the vastly improving T.J. Yates at QB.  There were only two QBs who threw for more yards than Yates in the ACC last year: Matt Ryan and Cullen Harper. 

With 10 starters returning on offense, we should see a serious spike in the point output from Carolina.  Last year’s 21.2 points per game should easily stretch into the 30s, and if they can improve on a defense that gave up 24.5 points per game, which is very much expected, this will be an extremely dangerous team.

At the very least, this team will be even more competitive than they were in 2007.

Virginia Tech

It is hard to put the Hokies in the three-hole in the Coastal, but I feel that they lost way too much talent to the NFL last year.  Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall have been mainstays in the Hokie LB corps for the past three years.  Their talents just can't be replaced overnight.

On the offensive side, the tough-plugging RB Branden Ore has been dismissed from the team, and their top four receivers from last year are gone.  They also only return 10 starters to the defending ACC Championship squad.

Unless Sean Glennon or Tyrod Taylor has an extremely special year, we should fully expect the Hokies to incur their first four or more loss season since 2003.

I have huge respect for Frank Beamer and Bud Foster, but the improvement of other teams, and the extremely large losses of the Hokies, equals out to a rebuilding year in Hokieland.  Throw in road games at North Carolina, Florida State, and Miami in conference play, and it gets even tougher.

Duke

Duke?  Yes, I have Duke in fourth place in the Coastal Division.

One of the best QBs you have never heard of is Thaddeus Lewis.  He also has a solid target to throw to in Eron Riley.  The cupboard for first-year head coach David Cutcliffe (ex-Mississippi head coach and Tennessee Offensive Coordinator) isn't as bare as people would expect in Durham, NC. 

Sure, they only won one game last year, but they were competitive against bowl teams last year in Navy, Virginia, and Wake Forest.  They were also very respectable in contests against Northwestern (only win), Miami, and North Carolina.

They return seven starters, including 10 on defense, and defense is where they should improve the most.  Look for the brainiacs from Duke to pull out five or six wins in 2008.

Georgia Tech

The 'Rambling Wreck' only returns nine starters from a 7-6 campaign.  They are introducing a new coach, albeit a good one, in Paul Johnson, and they will be breaking in a new QB, RB, and an entire secondary.

Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer (QB, RB) could be something special, but they are only sophomores amongst a very inexperienced team.  Just ask Notre Dame how well that went for them last year.

Throw in the loss of stud LB Philip Wheeler, along with their top four tacklers from last year, and this has nothing but rebuilding year written all over it. 

Paul Johnson will get these guys to compete, but there are too many more talented and experienced teams in the ACC for coaching to overcome.  They also play Virginia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, and Georgia on the road.

A .500 season should put Coach Johnson in line for "Coach of the Year" honors.  I don't see that happening.

Virginia

Last year, Virginia was a game away from playing in the ACC Championship game.  They also set an NCAA record for most games won by six points or fewer (that would be six for those that are counting).  The Cavs were only 18 points away from being 3-10 instead of 9-4.

They also lose one of the best players in the history of the program in Chris Long.  With only 11 starters returning, and the loss of Jameel Sewell (QB) to academics, this looks like a very long season for the Hoos.  Starting out the season with USC won't help matters much either.

Outside of a date with Richmond, this could very likely be an 11-loss season for Virginia.  It probably won't be that bad, but a struggle for three or four wins is the expectation I have for the Cavaliers this year.

NOSTRADAMUS is the College Football director at Fantasy Football Maniaxs.com