A.J. Mealor's 2008 College Football Preview: Part Two—ACC

Let's begin the breakdown of the conferences by looking at the ACC. Each conference article will include its predicted standings, champion, a breakdown of each team, key players to watch, and big games to mark on your calendar.  Each team breakdown will include its projected record, schedule, returning starters, and a small outlook on each team.

ACC

This should be an interesting year for ACC football.  This will be the year that the ACC reasserts itself in the college football world, overtaking the Big Ten and possibly the Pac-10 in the conference standings.

This will be driven by the two powerhouses of the conference, Clemson and Virginia Tech, the reassertion of power by Florida State and Miami, the continued growth at Wake Forest, and the dark horse for the Coastal title, North Carolina.  All six of these teams will be ranked in the top 20 at some point this season, and possibly the top 15.

The ACC will overtake the Big East in the drama category, as several teams will scramble to win the Coastal division crown.  The Atlantic champion will be Clemson, followed closely by Wake Forest.  The Coastal champion will be North Carolina, followed by Virginia Tech and Miami.

However, each of these teams has holes to fill, and it will be interesting to see how these matchups play out this fall. 

Atlantic

1. Clemson: 10-2 (Offense 8, Defense 8, ST 2)

Clemson is returning several explosive starters on offense, including the RB threats of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, and QB Cullen Harper.  These three did not return because they would not have been picked in the NFL draft—they returned to bring an ACC Championship to Clemson, and possibly a National Title.

The problem I see with this team is the offensive line, where they have to replace four starters.  For this reason I see the Tigers losing their opener against Alabama.  It takes a few weeks of play for an offensive line to come together, and with them opening up against an improved Tide team in Atlanta, I don't see them gelling enough to stop Alabama's defense.

However, they have several games to get their act together afterward before what will be a great game in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest on Oct. 9.

Clemson will also have to replace two linebackers and a second-round CB.  However, Tommy Bowden's recruits such as Scotty Cooper should be able to fill these holes nicely.

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