College Football Preview: The ACC


It is one month away until the first pigskin is blasted off a tee and into the awaiting arms of a speedster in pads.

Since the major conferences are having their pre-season luncheons and pre-season predictions and All Conference teams are being guessed, I figured I'd join the fray, and give you the inaugural Lake Report Preseason favorites and first team selections.

I'll start this week with the ACC.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is in its fifth year of merger from when it robbed the Big East of its best schools-Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Miami. Since the inception of the "super conference" things have been less than mighty. Ticket sales for the title game-which has been moved to Tampa in Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL Buccaneers-have been abysmal.
The conference winner hasn't won the BCS tie in game since Florida State beat a Mike Vick led Virginia Tech team like a dog in the late '90s. But could this be the year the conference's fortune changes?

The first look at the Coastal Division suggests it should be renamed the Rebuilding Division. All of the teams in the division are at some point of rebuilding: Virginia is replacing a lot of players that led them to close victories a season ago, Duke has hired David Cutcliffe as head coach, Miami is in year two of the Randy Shannon era, Georgia Tech hired former Navy headman Paul Johnson and will be running a form of the option offense, Virginia Tech is replacing many starters, and North Carolina is in year two of the Butch Davis era.

Teams that we can throw out of contention are Duke-who I think will win 3-4 games this year on the arm of Thadeus Lewis-and Virginia-who I think just lost too much. Miami I think will recover and post a 7-8 win season this year, and will continue to shed the thug U persona that grew out of the Larry Coker era. North Carolina will see another leap taken this year, as they will be in the upper half of the division, and will probably finish 3rd. Georgia Tech I think will face many bumps this year, and will probably finish 4th, but will pull off an upset and throw a wrench in the divisional standings.

But the winner of the Coastal will again be Virginia Tech. They may have lost a good bit a talent-Running back Brandon Ore, and their top 3 receivers are gone, and linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall, along with half of the starting defensive backfield are gone-but it is still Virginia Tech, and they still play Beamer ball. Plus, Bud Foster is still the defensive coordinator. Their only issue-who is going to be the starting QB? Either Sean Glennon or Tyrod Tayler (I predict a dual system again).

One half of the title game is notched, but who will the Hokies play from the Atlantic Division?
Again the phrase in this division is rebuilding. It won't be a repeat appearance by last years winner Boston College, who lost golden boy Matt Ryan to the Atlanta Falcons. Also, NC State is out of the question in year two of the Tom O'Brian era. Florida State will be second or third as they await for Bobby Bowden to finally quit and hand the program over officially to Jimbo Fisher. Maryland will be fourth as they are still just an average team. The division is really between two polar opposites-Wake Forest and Clemson.

On one hand, you have a team with okay 6-6 talent, but a fantastic 10-2 type coach in Jim Grobe. At Clemson, you have a team with 10-2 talent, but a 6-6 coach in Tommy Bowden. The October 9th game between the Tigers and Deacons could very well serve as the divisional title game. One thing going for Wake, it is in Winston-Salem, a place where Clemson hasn't historically played well.

I still think superior talent will edge out, and Clemson should win the division. For the title game in Tampa, Clemson will have to shore up its special teams if it wants to stand a chance against the Hokies. I'm just not ready to proclaim Clemson the masters of the ACC.

They have historically choked under Tommy Bowden's now near decade reign, producing now conference titles, no national titles-only 8 win seasons and a Peach Bowl victory over Tennessee the highest accomplishment.

Virginia Tech I predict will complete a back-to-back ACC title, and go to their bowl where they again will probably get manhandled by a team from the Big 12....my guess would be Oklahoma or Missouri.

Atlantic
Clemson
Wake Forest
Florida State
NC State
Maryland
Boston College

Coastal
Virginia Tech
Miami
North Carolina
Virginia
Georgia Tech
Duke

And now, the first team offense and defense.
Offense
QB: Cullen Harper (Clemson)
RB: James Davis (Clemson)
RB: Josh Adams (Wake Forest)
WR: Aaron Kelly (Clemson)
TE: Ryan Purvis (Boston College)
OL: Andrew Gardner (Georgia Tech)
OL: Scott Burley (Maryland)
OL: Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)
OL: Cliff Ramsey (Boston College)
C: Thomas Austin (Clemson)
WR: Preston Parker (Florida State)
WR: Akeem Nicks (North Carolina)

Defense
DE: Ricky Sapp (Clemson)
DT: Marvin Austin (North Carolina)
DT: Dorrell Scott (Clemson)
DE: Everett Brown (Florida State)
LB: Derek Nicholson (Florida State)
LB:Aaron Curry (Wake Forest)
LB: Cam Martin (Virginia Tech)
CB: Victor "Macho" Harris (Va. Tech)
S: Myron Rolle (Florida State)
S: Michael Hamlin (Clemson)
CB: Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest)

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