2009 ACC Football Preview: Will Someone Step Up and Win the Conference?

Last season was a memorable season in ACC football. The conference as a whole performed fairly well, sending a record 10 teams to bowl games and posting a 41-17 out of conference record.

The problem last year was no one team was able to separate from the pack. Teams with 5-3 records in the conference won both divisions, and only Virginia (3-5) and Duke (1-7) had losing records. 

Duke's lone conference win came against UVA early in the season, and had the Cavaliers won this game, they too would have been bowl eligible.

I don't see this season resembling next season at all. 

Virginia Tech will win the ACC the Frank Beamer way: great special teams, great defense, and the ability to run the football. 

If Tyrod Taylor can throw the ball effectively next season, the Hokies will contend for the national title, but he will have to improve on his two touchdowns to seven interceptions ratio because the Hokies have the toughest out of conference schedule in the ACC.

This is how I see the season playing out. Please post how you think it will go.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES 9-3 (6-2)

Sept. 7 Miami (FL), W
Sept. 12 Jacksonville State, W
Sept. 19 at Brigham Young, W 
Sept. 26 South Florida, W
Oct. 3 at Boston College, W
Oct. 10 Georgia Tech, W
Oct. 22 at North Carolina, L 
Oct. 31 North Carolina State, W 
Nov. 7 at Clemson, L
Nov. 14 at Wake Forest, W 
Nov. 21 Maryland, W 
Nov. 28 at Florida, L

CLEMSON TIGERS 8-4 (5-3)

Sept. 5 Middle Tennessee State, W
Sept. 10 at Georgia Tech  7:30 PM ET, L
Sept. 19 Boston College, W
Sept. 26 TCU, L
Oct. 3 at Maryland, L
Oct. 17 Wake Forest, W 
Oct. 24 at Miami (FL), L
Oct. 31 Coastal Carolina, W
Nov. 7 Florida State, W 
Nov. 14 at North Carolina State, W 
Nov. 21 Virginia, W 
Nov. 28 at South Carolina, W

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS 8-4 (4-4)

Sept. 5 Baylor, W
Sept. 12 Stanford, W
Sept. 19 Elon, W 
Sept. 26 @ Boston College, W
Oct. 3 North Carolina State, W
Oct. 10 Maryland, W
Oct. 17 @ Clemson, L
Oct. 24 @ Navy  3:30 PM, W 
Oct. 31 Miami (FL), L
Nov. 7 @ Georgia Tech, L 
Nov. 14 Florida State, L 
Nov. 28 @ Duke, W

MARYLAND TERRAPINS 6-6 (4-4)

Sept. 5 at California, L
Sept. 12 James Madison, W
Sept. 19 Middle Tennessee State, W
Sept. 26 Rutgers, L 
Oct. 3 Clemson, W 
Oct. 10 at Wake Forest, L 
Oct. 17 Virginia, W 
Oct. 24 at Duke, W 
Nov. 7 at North Carolina State, L 
Nov. 14 Virginia Tech, L 
Nov. 21 at Florida State, L
Nov. 28 Boston College, W

NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK 5-7 (3-5)

Sept. 3 South Carolina, L
Sept. 12 Murray State  6:00 PM, W 
Sept. 19 Gardner-Webb  6:00 PM, W 
Sept. 26 Pittsburgh, L 
Oct. 3 @ Wake Forest, L 
Oct. 10 Duke, W
Oct. 17 @ Boston College, W
Oct. 31 @ Florida State, L
Nov. 7 Maryland, W
Nov. 14 Clemson, L
Nov. 21 @ Virginia Tech, L 
Nov. 28 North Carolina, L

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES 4-8 (1-7)

Sept. 5 Northeastern, W 
Sept. 12 Kent State, W 
Sept. 19 at Clemson, L
Sept. 26 Wake Forest, L 
Oct. 3 Florida State, L
Oct. 10 at Virginia Tech, L
Oct. 17 North Carolina State, L
Oct. 24 at Notre Dame  3:30 PM ET, L 
Oct. 31 Central Michigan, W
Nov. 14 at Virginia, W
Nov. 21 North Carolina, L 
Nov. 28 at Maryland, L

COASTAL DIVISION

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES 10-2 (7-1)

Sept. 5 vs. Alabama, L
Sept. 12 Marshall, W 
Sept. 19 Nebraska, W
Sept. 26 Miami (FL), W
Oct. 3 @ Duke, W 
Oct. 10 Boston College, W
Oct. 17 @ Georgia Tech, L
Oct. 29 North Carolina  7:30 PM, W 
Nov. 5 @ East Carolina  7:30 PM, W 
Nov. 14 @ Maryland, W 
Nov. 21 North Carolina State, W 
Nov. 28 @ Virginia, W

MIAMI HURRICANES 10-2 (6-2)

Sept. 7 @ Florida State, L 
Sept. 17 Georgia Tech  7:30 PM, W 
Sept. 26 @ Virginia Tech, L 
Oct. 3 Oklahoma, W
Oct. 10 Florida A&M, W
Oct. 17 @ UCF  7:30 PM, W 
Oct. 24 Clemson, W
Oct. 31 @ Wake Forest, W 
Nov. 7 Virginia, W 
Nov. 14 @ North Carolina, W
Nov. 21 Duke, W
Nov. 28 @ South Florida, W

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS 9-3 (6-2)

Sept. 5 Jacksonville State, W 
Sept. 10 Clemson  7:30 PM, W
Sept. 17 @ Miami (FL)  7:30 PM, L 
Sept. 26 North Carolina, W
Oct. 3 @ Mississippi State, W
Oct. 10 @ Florida State, L 
Oct. 17 Virginia Tech, W
Oct. 24 @ Virginia, W
Oct. 31 @ Vanderbilt, W
Nov. 7 Wake Forest, W
Nov. 14 @ Duke, W
Nov. 28 Georgia, L

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS 9-3 (5-3)

Sept. 5 Citadel, W
Sept. 12 @ Connecticut, W
Sept. 19 East Carolina, W
Sept. 26 @ Georgia Tech, L
Oct. 3 Virginia, W
Oct. 10 Georgia Southern, W
Oct. 22 Florida State, W 
Oct. 29 @ Virginia Tech  7:30 PM, L 
Nov. 7 Duke, W
Nov. 14 Miami (FL), L 
Nov. 21 @ Boston College, W 
Nov. 28 @ North Carolina State, W

DUKE BLUE DEVILS 4-8 (1-7)

Sept. 5 Richmond  7:00 PM, W
Sept. 12 @ Army, W
Sept. 19 @ Kansas, L
Sept. 26 North Carolina Central  7:00 PM, W 
Oct. 3 Virginia Tech, L 
Oct. 10 @ North Carolina State, L 
Oct. 24 Maryland, L
Oct. 31 @ Virginia, W
Nov. 7 @ North Carolina, L
Nov. 14 Georgia Tech, L 
Nov. 21 @ Miami (FL), L 
Nov. 28 Wake Forest, L

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS 2-10 (0-8)

Sept. 5 William & Mary, W
Sept. 12 TCU, L
Sept. 19 @ Southern Miss, L 
Oct. 3 @ North Carolina, L
Oct. 10 Indiana, W
Oct. 17 @ Maryland, L
Oct. 24 Georgia Tech, L
Oct. 31 Duke, L
Nov. 7 @ Miami (FL), L
Nov. 14 Boston College, L 
Nov. 21 @ Clemson, L
Nov. 28 Virginia Tech, L

The 2009 ACC championship game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. I have Florida State from the Atlantic versus Virginia Tech from the Coastal. 

Virginia Tech wins the conference title and goes on to the Orange Bowl.

This could be the year that the ACC gets an at-large BCS game, and if Miami finishes 10-2, the Canes will get that at-large game.

I only have Va Tech and Miami finishing in the top 10, but the ACC could have as many as eight bowl teams and as many as seven in the top 25. 

It looks like another exciting season is ahead of us. 

I can't wait.