College Football: Predictions for Every ACC Team

For most of this week the college football media coverage has been beyond annoying, ignorant, and has been somewhat inexcusable. 

For most of this week, NCAA football analysts and commentators had to pretend to be offended, outraged, and most inexcusably surprised by the recent findings at the University of Miami. 

By giving round the clock coverage to the University of Miami we have not only glorified this situation but also attempted to kill all of the excitement fans had for the upcoming season. Players will get paid, boosters will go crazy, the BCS will suck, but college football will still be college football. 

College football is still one of the most popular, most fun, and most rewarding sports in the world no matter what players are involved in what scandals.

So to try and bring the proper excitement back to this college football season, it is time to preview every major conference team. Today I will preview the ACC teams.

Boston College

The Eagles bring back 14 starters from a team that went to the Fight Hunger Bowl last season. Most of the Eagles skill players return, but the key to next season is going to be quarterback Chase Rettig's progression.

He has to improve on his six touchdown and nine interception performance in 2010, if the Eagles are going to have any hope of improving on offense.

I think Rettig has the talent to improve on his mediocre and injury plagued 2010 season, but I do not know if the Eagles have enough talent on defense to improve on last seasons performance.

PREDICTION: 5-7

Clemson

Last season the Clemson Tigers had their first losing season since 1998. The problem with the Tigers last season was that they had an offense that only put up 24 points a game and a defense that gave up a lot of big plays. 

Clemson should be a bit better on defense but loses a very talented quarterback in Kyle Parker to baseball. It is tough to see the Tigers getting past the .500 mark this season, and it is even tougher seeing Dabo Swinney getting past this season.

PREDICTION: 6-6

Duke

David Cutcliffe has done a great job at Duke, and not even his coaching can guide the Blue Devils to a bowl game. It does not look like the Blue Devils will be going to a bowl game this season either. 

Duke will have adequate talent on offense, as they return a 3,000-yard passer in Sean Renfree and 500- yard rusher in Desmond Scott. Duke's defense lacks Division-I talent, though, and this unit may be one of the worst in the nation. 

It is tough to see Duke winning more than two or three games this season with this bad of a defense.

RECORD: 2-10

Florida State

The Seminoles return tons of talent off a team that went 10-4 last season and had an impressive win over South Carolina in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. 

Jimbo Fisher has also brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation to go along with all the talent he has returning. I think the Seminoles can upset the Oklahoma Sooners in the third week of the season, but I do think they will get upset on the road once during ACC play. 

Jimbo Fisher still looks like one of the best young coaches around after a 11-1 campaign, though.

RECORD: 11-1

Georgia Tech

While Georgia Tech still has one of the hardest offenses to scout in the nation (Paul Johnson's triple option attack), it remains a question mark as to if they can ever recruit enough talent to make this offense one of the most effective in the nation. 

This season Georgia Tech only returns their third and fourth leading rushers, and the biggest receiving threat they having coming back only had 15 receptions. 

With an offense that may struggle compared to previous seasons, Tech will have to rely on a defense that may have one of the worst secondaries in the entire ACC.

PREDICTIONS: 5-7

Maryland

It is going to be tough for Maryland to improve on their 2010 season in which they had a Military Bowl victory over East Carolina.

But Maryland does return Danny O'Brien at quarterback, who will likely improve on his 22 touchdown season as a freshman; they also return their two leading rushers, and they return five talented starters on defense, while bringing in lots of new talent. 

Maryland fans should expect this team to have a record above .500, and they might be able to match last seasons record.

PREDICTION: 7-5

Miami

Even though the 2011 Miami football team is very talented, there will be a Hurricane of distractions for the team throughout the season, as the NCAA continues to investigate the actions of Nevin Shaprio and the rest of the Hurricanes boosters. 

The Hurricanes do return their top three rushers, though, and they also return the very inconsistent Jacory Harris at quarterback. The Hurricanes should once again have a very fast and athletic defense that is able to cause tons of turnovers. 

It is difficult to expect the Miami program to completely turn around, though.

PREDICTION: 7-5

North Carolina

North Carolina is also a program that is in shambles but is still very talented. 

The Tar Heels lost star quarterback T.J. Yates but replace him with the very talented Bryn Renner. They return three of their top rushers and their two top receivers on the offensive side of the ball. The team also has a lot of pass rushing talent left over on defense. 

The question is how much this team will miss the fantastic coaching and leadership of Butch Davis. 

PREDICTION: 7-5

NC State

Most people gave up on NC State when they heard that quarterback Russell Wilson would be taking his talents to Madison, Wisconsin, for the 2011 season. 

What these people did not realize is that NC State has a quarterback who is more talented than Wilson in Mike Glennon, and as long as Glennon does not catch a case of the "playing like his brother's," he should be one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC. 

State also returns one of the best names and running backs in the ACC in Mustafa Greene and return all conference tight end George Bryan. State should be able to score at the same rate as last year (30.4 points per game) and that should allow them to win a lot of football games in the ACC.

PREDICTION: 9-3

Virginia

Mike London has one of the most irrelevant programs in the whole college football landscape looking a lot less irrelevant in the upcoming 2011 season. 

The Cavs will fill holes at quarterback, running back and receiver with more talented players this season. London brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the conference, and he returns a lot of senior talent on his defense. 

The team played hard for London last season but just did not have enough talent to win a lot of games.  This years team will play hard for London and have a lot more talent, which could mean the Cavs going to a bowl game in the 2011 season.

RECORD: 7-5

Virginia Tech

Even though Virginia Tech started last season by losing to a mid-major powerhouse and a Division I-AA team, the genius that is Frank Beamer was still able to guide the Hokies to an Orange Bowl berth. 

It is logical to think that the Hokies will get off to a better start this season, because they might actually have a more talented team. 

With the amount of talent on this team and Beamer's coaching, the Hokies are one upset of FSU away from another BCS berth.

PREDICTION: 10-2

Wake Forest

In 2006, Jim Grobe and Wake Forest were on the verge of making "being redshirted" cool as the Demon Deacons were going to Orange Bowl's and the program seemed to be on an upswing. 

In 2011, the only bowl game the Demon Deacons will go to is the Toilet Bowl against the University of Duke. Grobe's "redshirt always" philosophy is counter productive at a program that should be offering immediate playing time to all high school seniors rated above two stars. 

Even though the Deacs return 17 starters, most of these starters are not of ACC talent, so it looks like Wake could take another step back this season. 

Maybe they should just redshirt this entire season.

PREDICTION: 3-9

Make sure to follow me at: http://twitter.com/#!/BlairChopin