ACC Championship: Virginia Tech vs. Clemson Should Be the Norm for Years

When looking at the depth charts of the two teams playing each other in today's ACC Championship Game, it's hard to imagine not seeing these two face off for the league title again next season. For various reasons, it looks as if the Virginia Tech Hokies and Clemson Tigers could dominate their respective divisions for the next few years to come.

Virginia Tech's Side

Virginia Tech has dominated the Coastal Division and the ACC as a whole since joining the conference in 2004. The Hokies have won four ACC Championships in their seven years in the league, and they've won the Coastal Division four of the six years since the ACC broke into divisions in 2005.

There's no reason to think their dominance will diminish soon. Frank Beamer has one of the most stable coaching staffs in the country. He and his assistants don't regularly bring in five-star recruits, but they get guys that fit their system, and Virginia Tech's recruiting classes usually rank in the top 25 in the country.

As far as next season is concerned, the Hokies bring back a ton of talent from this year's team. The defense will return 10 starters, assuming Jayron Hosley doesn't leave for the NFL. And while the offense loses four offensive lineman and wide receivers Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin, the return of the most important piece of the puzzle (Logan Thomas) and the depth at receiver should keep the offense rolling. If star tailback David Wilson stays, the Hokies will definitely still have a potent offense.

Clemson's Side

The Clemson Tigers have been known as the perennial underachievers in the ACC, but with this year's berth in the ACC Championship Game, they've won the Atlantic Division and played for the conference title twice in the last three years.

Since Dabo Swinney took over as head coach, the Clemson Tigers have been doing very well with recruiting. The Tigers are currently in the process of bringing in their third straight top 20 and second straight top 10 recruiting class. They have an enormous amount of talent in the program, and they're bringing in more and more every season.

Just like Virginia Tech, Clemson returns a majority of starters next season and could be even better in 2012. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers will return seven starters next year. With regard to the offense, the only seniors are three of the offensive lineman (though tight end Dwayne Allen will probably move on to the NFL). Quarterback Tajh Boyd will be getting most of his offensive weapons back.

There are other teams that could be argued as potential challengers next season. The Florida State Seminoles will look to rebound from a disappointing season while the Virginia Cavaliers will look to build off a surprisingly good one. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets typically challenge Virginia Tech, and will likely do so in the future.

With the amount of talent the Hokies and Tigers return, it seems likely that they will both start 2012 in the preseason top 10, and be clear favorites to repeat as division champions.