There are two things we can count on when it comes to the upcoming football season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson is going to be great again and Louisville is not. What’s in between, no one knows.
Without a doubt Clemson is by far the class of the league. The Tigers are so far ahead of everyone in the conference right now, it might be a while before anyone can truly step up and challenge them.
I know Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said last week the ACC is a good conference and it does not get the respect it deserves. That might be true, but right now the Tigers are in a class by themselves when it comes to comparing them with their ACC counterparts.
That does not mean the ACC is a bad conference. I think the conference has proven itself well for the most part against other the Power 5 conferences throughout the years. However, I don’t see anyone in the league catching up with the Tigers at the moment.
The Willie Taggert era did not get off to a good start at Florida State. The Seminoles had their first losing season since 1976 and did not make a bowl game for the first time since 1981, an NCAA record that came to an end. Taggert has since replaced his offensive coordinator with Kendal Briles to try and provide a spark.
Last year, Syracuse had its best season in years going 10-3 and finishing second behind Clemson in the Atlantic Division at 6-2. Yes, the Orange does get Clemson at home, the only ACC game the Tigers have lost the last two seasons.
However, Eric Dungy will not be so easy to replace at quarterback. He is the one who gave Clemson the most fits the last two years. The defense also lost some key pieces and let’s face it the depth at Syracuse is not exactly built like Clemson’s.
NC State lost a ton of weapons and quarterback Ryan Finley. The defense will return a lot of starters, but Dave Doeren will have three new coaches as he tries to rebuild the program and keep it in the top three of the Atlantic Division.
The good news for Boston College is that is returns quarterback Anthony Brown and running back A.J. Dillion. The bad news is they lost four starters on the offensive line and 18 starters overall on offense and defense. It’s going to be an uphill climb for the Eagles this coming season.
Wake Forest is loaded on offense and is primed to have perhaps its best season overall. However, the depth on defense is still thin and the defensive line is small. Though the Deacons have the most experienced team outside of Clemson, it’s unlikely they’ll compete for second place in the ACC Atlantic.
Like always, the Coastal Division is wide open. Former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has taken over for Mark Richt, who retired at the end of last season. Diaz was a great defensive coordinator, but no one knows how good of a head coach he can be.
However, Miami has a ton talent on the roster and, as two years ago showed, when they can put it all together, the Hurricanes can make a run to the ACC Championship Game.
Virginia might be the best coached team in the Coastal this year. Bronco Mendenhall has the Cavaliers believing the can make a run to the ACC Title game. They return a lot of their best players from a year ago, including quarterback Bryce Perkins.
Virginia Tech is a shell of what it was when it played Clemson in the 2016 Championship Game. The Hokies have a lot of holes to feel, especially after so many players transferred out of the program.
Pittsburgh made it to the championship game last year and have some things to build on. However, it was obvious in the ACC Championship Game the Panthers are nowhere near being a true contender to Clemson.
Geoff Collins comes from Temple to Georgia Tech where he is breathing new life into a football program that went stagnant under former head coach Paul Johnson. A fiery guy, Collins brings a lot of energy to the sideline, plus an offense that will spread you out and throw the football all over the field. It might take a while to build his system after Johnson ran the triple-option for so many years, but the Yellow Jackets will be a program to watch in the future.
Mack Brown will turn things around a little at North Carolina, but at 67 years old, it is obvious he is just a placeholder for the next head coach. It is going to be a while before the Tar Heels are a challenger in the ACC again.
David Cutcliffe is the most successful head coach at Duke since Wallace Wade nearly 80 years ago. However, this will be a rebuilding year in Durham.
My projected ACC Standings heading into the summer
Atlantic Division
- Clemson
- Florida State
- Syracuse
- Wake Forest
- NC State
- Boston College
- Louisville
Coastal Division
- Virginia
- Miami
- Pittsburgh
- Virginia Tech
- Georgia Tech
- North Carolina
- Duke
For the fifth straight year Clemson will play a different champion from the Coastal Division (Virginia) and for a fifth straight year the Tigers will win the ACC.