2008 CFN ACC Preview
Team Previews &
Predictions
Atlantic
Boston Coll
|
Clemson
|
Florida
St |
Maryland |
NC State |
Wake Forest
Coastal
Duke |
Georgia Tech
| Miami |
North
Carolina
|
Virginia |
Virginia
Tech
-
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Predictions
By
Richard Cirminiello
Opportunity is
knocking, Clemson. You better capitalize now because the path to an ACC
crown may never be this smooth again.
The Tigers are the storyline of the 2008 season in the ACC. While
they’ve got the league’s best quarterback, Cullen Harper, and as much
talent as anyone in the conference, the rest of the ACC is down. Way
down. Florida State and Miami remain weak facsimiles of the programs
that used to collect crowns faster than anyone else in the country.
Boston College was built for last year. Georgia Tech and Virginia are
about to undergo some serious growing pains. Virginia Tech is a shell of
last year’s squad. Wake Forest? Well, the Deacons are still a feisty
group that’s capable of getting to a second BCS bowl game in the last
three years. The rest of the league, however, is a cut or two below the
contenders.
That brings us back to Clemson, that unpredictable program which hasn’t
been able to fully break through under head coach Tommy Bowden. In
almost a decade with the Tigers, he’s yet to win 10 games or play in a
major bowl, making this a pivotal season in his coaching career. The
Chick-Fil-A Bowl isn’t going to cut it. Nine wins will be a
disappointment. Anything less than an ACC Championship will be labeled
underachieving for a program deep enough to finally get over the hump.
The bar is set high, Clemson. Get used to it.
In the Atlantic, Florida State is certainly capable of winning the
division, but it won’t happen unless Jimbo Fisher’s offense does an
about-face from a year ago. The pressure is on QB Drew Weatherford to
finally play up to his potential. Wake Forest is dangerous under Jim
Grobe. Again. If the lines can be retooled, it’ll be in every game.
The Coastal Division is a mess. Virginia Tech is the measuring stick,
but it has gaping holes on offense and defense that need to be
addressed. Miami’s best talent is very young, meaning championship
contention might still be a year away. Pay close attention to North
Carolina, which has the improving talent and right coach to make a
quantum leap.
Team That'll Surprise
North Carolina – The Tar Heels aren’t quite all grown up under Butch
Davis, but after using a ton of underclassmen a year ago, they’ll be far
better prepared to compete in the ACC. And far less intimidated by the
surroundings. Davis, and John Bunting before him, has helped upgrade the
talent level in Chapel Hill, which will become apparent this fall. If
Carolina gets more consistency out of the quarterback, look out. The
program has the potential to be one of this season’s bigger upstarts.
Team That'll Disappoint
Virginia Tech – Yes, Tech will win plenty of games and be the favorite
in the Coastal Division, but there are too many holes on both sides of
the ball to anticipate a repeat ACC title. In fact, even in a division
that’s short on viable contenders, the Hokies might struggle to land a
spot in the title game. The chief concerns are a dearth of skill
position players and a defense that’s replacing seven starters.
Game of the Year … Clemson at Florida State, Nov. 8. Although
the so-called Bowden Bowl has become increasingly passé, this year’s
game could have a lot more than just familial bragging rights at stake.
The Tigers have won the last three in this series, but will be wearing a
fat target on their chests all year as the ACC favorite.
5 Big-Time Players Who Deserve a Bigger Spotlight ...
1. QB Cullen Harper, Sr. Clemson
2. CB Alphonso Smith, Sr. Wake Forest
3. DT Vance Walker, Sr. Georgia Tech
4. WR Hakeem Nicks, Jr. North Carolina
5. DE Everette Brown, Jr. Florida State
Coach on the Hot
Seat
Randy
Shannon, Miami – Barring a disaster, Shannon isn’t losing his job after
just two years. In fact, it’s likely that no ACC coach will be shown the
door at the end of the year. Still, after leading the once-mighty ‘Canes
to their worst season in three decades, Shannon needs to show tangible
signs of progress, or else the temperature will be soaring a year from
now. After cleaning up in February, he needs to prove he’s more than
just an ace recruiter.
5 Non-Conference Games the ACC had better take very, very seriously
1. Colorado at Florida State, Sept. 27
2. Wake Forest at Baylor, Aug. 30
3. UCF at Miami, Oct. 11
4. Delaware at Maryland, Aug. 30
5. East Carolina at NC State, Sept. 20
Bold Prediction … North Carolina will win the Coastal Division.
What do you get when you combine one of the league’s young,
upwardly-mobile programs with a division that’s flush with turnover and
uncertainty? A major surprise out of the Tar Heels in Butch Davis’
second season in Chapel Hill.
5 Best Pro Prospects
1. DE
Michael
Johnson, Sr. Georgia Tech
2. OT Eugene
Monroe, Sr. Virginia
3. WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jr. Maryland
4.
DT Vance Walker, Sr. Georgia Tech
5.
CB Victor “Macho” Harris, Sr. Virginia Tech
5 Biggest Shoes to Fill
1.
QB Chris Crane for
Matt Ryan, Boston College
2. DE Alex Field for Chris Long, Virginia
3. RB
Jonathan Dwyer
for
Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech
4. LB
Dave
Philistin for
Erin Henderson, Maryland
5. LB Purnell Sturdivant
for
Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
Click for Team Previews &
Predictions
Atlantic
Boston Coll
|
Clemson
|
Florida
St |
Maryland |
NC State |
Wake Forest
Coastal
Duke |
Georgia Tech
| Miami |
North
Carolina
|
Virginia |
Virginia
Tech