2010 College Football Predictions: The ACC's Toughest Schedules

The ACC has been called many things by experts in the past few years. Some of them true. Some of them false. But the one thing that is true about ACC football programs is that they aren't scared to go toe to toe with the top programs in the country. Here is a small list of programs that ACC teams have played in the last few years in non-conference action:

USC, Oklahoma, Alabama, California, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Florida, Texas A&M, Nebraska, LSU.

This year will be more of the same and most of them will be on the road. The ACC will go up against some of the best teams in the country early on in the 2010 season. Some of the marquee match-ups include:

-North Carolina vs. LSU

-Virginia Tech vs. Boise State

-Florida State at Oklahoma

-Miami at Ohio State

-Clemson at Auburn

-Virginia at USC

-Miami at Pittsburgh

-Maryland at West Virginia

As well as the usual rivalry games:

-South Carolina at Clemson

-Georgia Tech at Georgia

-Florida at Florida State

If the ACC wins a lot of these big time match-ups in 2010, the ACC could get some respect back and be considered one of the best conferences in the country. If they lose most of them, things will not change and the ACC will continue to be bashed by many college football fans. 

12. Boston College Eagles

It's not even close. Boston College starts the season with four straight home games. The Eagles non-conference schedule is by the far the easiest in the entire conference. They play in the Atlantic. They do get Virginia Tech from the Coastal but miss out on Miami, Georgia Tech and North Carolina and get Virginia and Duke. The only tough road game is in Tallahassee. Notre Dame shouldn't be terribly difficult at home. With this schedule and a solid team, Boston College should win no less than 9 games this season.

9/4: Weber State

9/11: Kent State

9/25: Virginia Tech

10/2: Notre Dame

10/9: at NC State

10/16: at FSU

10/23: Maryland

10/30: Clemson

11/6: at Wake Forest

11/13: at Duke

11/20: Virginia

11/27: at Syracuse

Top 25 preseason teams: 2

2009 bowl teams: 3

11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Demon Deacons get a nice start to the season to break in their new quarterback before they travel to Stanford. September 18th will start a fairly tough five game stretch with games at Stanford, at FSU, home against Georgia Tech and Navy, and at Virginia Tech. But they have the luxury of playing in the Atlantic, playing Clemson and Boston College at home and also starting with Presbyterian (0-11 in FCS last year) and ending at Vanderbilt. 

9/2: Presbyterian

9/11: Duke

9/18: at Stanford

9/25: at FSU

10/2: Georgia Tech

10/9: Navy

10/16: at Virginia Tech

10/30: at Maryland

11/6: Boston College

11/13: at NC State

11/20: Clemson

11/27: at Vanderbilt

Top 25 preseason teams: 3

2009 bowl teams: 7

10. Maryland Terrapins

Navy is a solid team that will be tough on Labor Day for Friedgen and the Terrapins. A road trip to West Virginia will also be difficult. FIU and Morgan State should help equal the win total from 2009. They play Miami from the Coastal but also play Virginia and Duke. It's not a ridiculously difficult schedule but it will be tough for a team that won two games last year. 

9/6: Navy

9/11: Morgan State

9/18: at West Virginia

9/25: FIU

10/2: Duke

10/16: at Clemson

10/23: at Boston College

10/30: Wake Forest

11/6: at Miami

11/13: at Virginia

11/20: FSU

11/27: NC State

Top 25 preseason teams: 3

2009 bowl teams: 6

9. Virginia Tech Hokies

Other than the opening night game against Boise State, the non-conference schedule is terrible. East Carolina and Central Michigan lose their quarterbacks and won't be very good. They have a tough division schedule as always but they miss out on FSU and Clemson from the Atlantic. If they can get past Boise State on Labor they should be 8-0 going into the Thursday night showdown against Georgia Tech. The Hokies have the schedule to make a BCS run. 

9/6: Boise State

9/11: James Madison

9/18: East Carolina

9/25: at Boston College

10/2: at NC State

10/9: Central Michigan

10/16: Wake Forest

10/23: Duke

11/4: Georgia Tech

11/13: at North Carolina

11/20: at Miami

11/27: Virginia

Top 25 preseason teams: 4

2009 bowl teams: 7

8. Virginia Cavaliers

Other than the trip to USC, the non-conference slate is a joke. Two FCS teams and an Eastern Michigan team that won 0 games last year. Those games should be nice confidence boosters for the start of the London era in Charlottesville but I wouldn't guarantee a victory against London's old squad. Playing in the Coastal will be tough and they get FSU, BC and Maryland from the Atlantic. 

9/4: Richmond

9/11: at USC

9/25: VMI

10/2: FSU

10/9: at Georgia Tech

10/16: UNC

10/23: Eastern Michigan

10/30: Miami

11/6: at Duke

11/13: Maryland

11/20: at Boston College

11/27: at Virginia Tech

Top 25 preseason teams: 6

2009 bowl teams: 7

7. North Carolina State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack start off with a nice warm-up game at home against Western Carolina. Then, they start a stretch where they play 8 consecutive games against teams that played in bowl games in 2009. UCF is a team that will be competitive and Cincinnati won't be the team they were a year ago. East Carolina will be in rebuilding mode and they get Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and UNC from the Coastal division . The Pack also get Boston College and FSU at home. It's a schedule that includes a lot of solid teams but it is a schedule that should propel them to a bowl bid.

9/4: Western Carolina

9/11: at UCF

9/18: Cincinnati

9/25: at Georgia Tech

10/2: Virginia Tech 

10/9: Boston College

10/16: at East Carolina

10/28: FSU

11/6: at Clemson

11/13: Wake Forest

11/20: at UNC

11/27: at Maryland

Top 25 preseason teams: 4

2009 bowl teams: 9

6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech should be at least 5-1 through the first half of their schedule. After that, it will be a toss up. The Jackets first half isn't too difficult other than the trip to Chapel Hill in week 3. They miss Florida State and Boston College from the Atlantic and face NC State and Wake Forest. South Carolina State from the FCS won't be a tough game and the trip to Kansas will be an interesting one but a game that the Jackets should win. The end of the year will be tough with road games at Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia. Not to mention a home game with Miami. Middle Tennessee isn't an automatic win after they won 10 games last season. 

9/4: South Carolina State

9/11: at Kansas

9/18: at UNC

9/25: NC State

10/2: at Wake Forest

10/9: Virginia

10/16: Middle Tennessee State

10/23: at Clemson

11/4: at Virginia Tech

11/13: Miami

11/20: Duke

11/27: at Georgia

Top 25 preseason teams: 4

2009 bowl teams: 6

5. Duke Blue Devils

The non-conference games against Elon and Army are very winnable for the Blue Devils but the rest of the schedule will be very tough. The defending national champs visit Durham and Duke must travel to Navy. They luck out with the Atlantic match-ups but have to play Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech on the road along with UNC and Miami inside the division.

9/4: Elon 

9/11: at Wake Forest

9/18: Alabama

9/25: Army

10/2: at Maryland

10/16: Miami

10/23: at Virginia Tech

10/30: at Navy

11/6: Virginia

11/13: Boston College

11/20: at Georgia Tech

11/27: UNC

Top 25 preseason teams: 5

2009 bowl teams: 7

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels of North Carolina have a defense that will be nasty and could lead their team to a Coastal division championship. But the schedule will be too tough for the Tar Heels to take the next step. LSU on opening night in Atlanta will be a tough start to the season. Not to mention, they get a bye week after opening night and have to play 11 games in a row. The two games following LSU will be home against Georgia Tech and at Rutgers. UNC gets FSU and Clemson from the Atlantic and has to travel to Miami. 9 wins with this schedule would be a huge accomplishment. 

9/4: LSU

9/18: Georgia Tech

9/25: at Rutgers

10/2: East Carolina

10/9: Clemson

10/16: at Virginia

10/23: at Miami

10/30: William and Mary

11/6: at FSU

11/13: Virginia Tech

11/20: NC State

11/27: at Duke

Top 25 preseason teams: 5

2009 bowl teams: 8

3. Clemson Tigers

The Tigers get a nice warm-up for weeks 1 and 2 before they go on a tough three game stretch. They travel to Auburn, come home for a game against Miami and then travel to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels of UNC. They get Georgia Tech and South Carolina at home in the season finale but go on the road to face Boston College and Florida State. Unfortunately for Clemson, they get the best from the Coastal division and play their toughest division foes on the road. Another trip to the ACC championship would be well earned. 

9/4: North Texas

9/11: Presbyterian

9/18: at Auburn

10/2: Miami

10/9: at UNC

10/16: Maryland

10/23: Georgia Tech

10/30: at Boston College

11/6: NC State

11/13: at FSU

11/20: at Wake Forest

11/27: South Carolina

Top 25 preseason teams: 5

2009 bowl teams: 7

2. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State might have the toughest pair of non-conference games in the entire country. In week two, they travel to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. BYU won't be a pushover the following week in Tallahassee and on November 27th, the Gators come to FSU. Outside of Oklahoma, their toughest games are at home. In conference they get Clemson, Boston College and North Carolina at home and Miami on the road. Luckily, they miss Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech from the Coastal division. It's a tough schedule but they get most of their big games in Doak Campbell. 

9/4: Samford

9/11: at Oklahoma

9/18: BYU

9/25: Wake Forest

10/2: at Virginia

10/9: at Miami

10/16: Boston College

10/28: at NC State

11/6: UNC

11/13: Clemson

11/20: at Maryland

11/27: Florida

Top 25 preseason teams: 4

2009 bowl teams: 7

1. Miami Hurricanes

Talk about brutal. Miami could possibly compete for a national title if their schedule wasn't ridiculous. A nice opener at home against Florida A&M and then the three week road trip starts: at Ohio State, at Pitt and at Clemson. Then they come home and are treated with a visit from rival Florida State. A breather at Duke follows FSU and then North Carolina comes to Miami. Then the Hurricanes end the season with games at Georgia Tech and home against Virginia Tech and South Florida. Man.

9/2: Florida A&M

9/11: at Ohio State

9/25: at Pitt

10/2: at Clemson

10/9: FSU

10/16: at Duke

10/23: North Carolina

10/30: Virginia

11/6: Maryland

11/13: at Georgia Tech

11/20: Virginia Tech

11/27: South Florida

Top 25 preseason teams: 6

2009 bowl teams: 8