Coastal Division
6. Duke Blue Devils: With all due respect to Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, what positives can really be said of a team that finished the season overall with a 3-9 record and a 1-7 record in conference play in 2010? Well, they did finish ranked 22nd in the nation in passing yards as they averaged about 270 per game. On the other hand, they were more often than not blown out of games by giving up an average of 35 per outing. Even with the strong passing game, their defense never gave them much of a chance to hang around for long after the opening kickoff. Surprisingly, their only team superstar this upcoming season should be the tight end Cooper Helfet, who averaged just over 4 catches per game in 2010 and also had 380 yards receiving. When the tight end is the only bright spot for a football team, the outlook simply can't be exciting. Look for an overall 4-8 season for the Blue Devils in 2011. I'm being generous here as I think they'[ll snag two conference victories when they host Wake Forest and Georgia Tech this season.
5: Virginia Cavaliers: Last season was a total disaster in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers posted four wins overall and lost eight. Of those four victories, only one of them was reputable. They pulled out a five point win over the Hurricanes in mid-season. Besides that, the other three wins came at the bashing of non-conference nobodies (Eastern Michigan, Richmond and VMI). 2011 will be no different and will probably carry even larger losses at the hands of powerhouses Virginia Tech and Florida State. They'll also play at Miami, so their only hope for a conference victory looks to be when they host Duke late in the season. Sophomore Michael Rocco will start at quarterback after throwing only 25 passes as a freshman. Two of those tosses were intercepted. However, Perry Jones at running back and Kris Burd appear to be reliable options on offense. Luckily for Virginia, they should be improved on the defensive side of the ball with three seniors starting on the defensive line and three seniors in the secondary.
4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Jackets were already on a down-slide at season's end in 2010. They dropped 4 of their last 5 regular season matchups, granted to some good competition, and suffered a one touchdown loss to Air Force in the Independence Bowl. What's worse is this team returns very little experience as whole on both sides of the ball. In Paul Johnson's triple option run-happy offense, a poised offensive line is key to execution. Unfortunately, for Georgia Tech, that offensive line contains four sophomores and one junior. That coupled with none listed over 300 lbs means they won't be pushing back any defensive lines in the ACC. What's worse is the wing backs on this team rarely carried the ball last season. This could set up to be one of the worst ground games in Johnson's head coaching career. Redshirt junior Tevin Washington will lead the way at quarterback. I expect the "Rambling Wreck" to finish at 4-8 overall with only 3 conference wins (at NC State, at Virginia, at Duke) in 2011.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels: It is unfortunate that a team that played well together in 2010, along with a major bowl victory over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, was hit hard by the NCAA for rules violations and the firing of former head coach Butch Davis by the university. And now, former Tar Heel defensive coordinator Everett Withers has been promoted to interim head coach for the upcoming 2011 season. To make matters worse, Chapel Hill will see a sophomore quarterback by the name of Bryn Renner starting under center who threw all of 2 passes last season. But, on the bright side, Renner will have senior wideout Dwight Jones to throw to. Jones was a decent option on offense for North Carolina last season. He posted nearly 1,000 yards receiving last year and averaged over 15 yards per catch. Those are some pretty impressive stats for a guy you've probably never heard of. Also, a positive for UNC this year is a somewhat seasoned offensive line and the return of the big bruiser at running back, Ryan Houston. The 6-foot-2, 245 pounder returns for his senior season and will look to improve on his 700+ yard season from a year ago. He has also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns in his previous two seasons in Carolina blue.
2. Miami Hurricanes: As of this writing, the formidable loss of senior quarterback Jacory Harris will hurt the Hurricanes in a significant way. His leadership, will be missed as an intangible for the team this season. But as far as numbers are concerned, the Canes should be just fine when and if they have to turn to sophomore quarterback Stephen Morris. He threw for over 1,200 yards as a freshman last season after playing in only 6 games. That translates to a 200+ passing yard per game average for this backup. So don't be surprised to see him light it up on the field. What hurts with the loss of Harris is his potential to regain his stardom as a sophomore when he threw for over 3,300 yards in 2009. This coupled with the fact that the football program is facing the death penalty by the NCAA after allegations have surfaced with player and coaches links to convicted felon Nevin Shapiro. Things certainly do not look good in south Florida at the moment, but if talent can remain on the field, they appear to still be a lock for the number two finisher in the Coastal Division of the ACC.
1. Virginia Tech Hokies: Saving the best for last, the Hokies are my clear cut favorite to win this division. Despite the fact the rest of the teams mentioned above are going to have a down year, the Hokies should play "Beamer-ball" as well as they have in year's past. The loss of phenom quarterback will hurt, but only for the first few games. Once this team meshes, they'll be just as good as any in the nation. The standouts on offense can clearly be seen in their offensive line. It will be anchored by four seniors and should protect sophomore starting quarterback Logan Thomas in the pocket just fine. After the departure of Darren Evans, David Wilson will look to fill the void at tailback. Wilson is a type of dual threat option in the backfield as he ran for 5 touchdowns and caught 4 in 2010. Jarrett Boykin, however, will be the talk of the town in Blacksburg. The wide receiver returns for his senior season after going over 800 yards receiving the previous two years. He is usually solid for a touchdown catch about every other game. If Boykin can find the end zone more often, the O-line remain healthy and the defense plays like head coach Frank Beamer wants them to, the Hokies should coast right on in to the ACC Championship game.
ACC Championship Game: Florida State beats Virginia Tech
Key ACC Coastal Division Game: Virginia Tech vs Miami, Oct. 8th
ACC Coastal Division MVP: Ryan Houston, Senior, Running Back, North Carolina
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6. Duke Blue Devils: With all due respect to Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, what positives can really be said of a team that finished the season overall with a 3-9 record and a 1-7 record in conference play in 2010? Well, they did finish ranked 22nd in the nation in passing yards as they averaged about 270 per game. On the other hand, they were more often than not blown out of games by giving up an average of 35 per outing. Even with the strong passing game, their defense never gave them much of a chance to hang around for long after the opening kickoff. Surprisingly, their only team superstar this upcoming season should be the tight end Cooper Helfet, who averaged just over 4 catches per game in 2010 and also had 380 yards receiving. When the tight end is the only bright spot for a football team, the outlook simply can't be exciting. Look for an overall 4-8 season for the Blue Devils in 2011. I'm being generous here as I think they'[ll snag two conference victories when they host Wake Forest and Georgia Tech this season.
5: Virginia Cavaliers: Last season was a total disaster in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers posted four wins overall and lost eight. Of those four victories, only one of them was reputable. They pulled out a five point win over the Hurricanes in mid-season. Besides that, the other three wins came at the bashing of non-conference nobodies (Eastern Michigan, Richmond and VMI). 2011 will be no different and will probably carry even larger losses at the hands of powerhouses Virginia Tech and Florida State. They'll also play at Miami, so their only hope for a conference victory looks to be when they host Duke late in the season. Sophomore Michael Rocco will start at quarterback after throwing only 25 passes as a freshman. Two of those tosses were intercepted. However, Perry Jones at running back and Kris Burd appear to be reliable options on offense. Luckily for Virginia, they should be improved on the defensive side of the ball with three seniors starting on the defensive line and three seniors in the secondary.
4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Jackets were already on a down-slide at season's end in 2010. They dropped 4 of their last 5 regular season matchups, granted to some good competition, and suffered a one touchdown loss to Air Force in the Independence Bowl. What's worse is this team returns very little experience as whole on both sides of the ball. In Paul Johnson's triple option run-happy offense, a poised offensive line is key to execution. Unfortunately, for Georgia Tech, that offensive line contains four sophomores and one junior. That coupled with none listed over 300 lbs means they won't be pushing back any defensive lines in the ACC. What's worse is the wing backs on this team rarely carried the ball last season. This could set up to be one of the worst ground games in Johnson's head coaching career. Redshirt junior Tevin Washington will lead the way at quarterback. I expect the "Rambling Wreck" to finish at 4-8 overall with only 3 conference wins (at NC State, at Virginia, at Duke) in 2011.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels: It is unfortunate that a team that played well together in 2010, along with a major bowl victory over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, was hit hard by the NCAA for rules violations and the firing of former head coach Butch Davis by the university. And now, former Tar Heel defensive coordinator Everett Withers has been promoted to interim head coach for the upcoming 2011 season. To make matters worse, Chapel Hill will see a sophomore quarterback by the name of Bryn Renner starting under center who threw all of 2 passes last season. But, on the bright side, Renner will have senior wideout Dwight Jones to throw to. Jones was a decent option on offense for North Carolina last season. He posted nearly 1,000 yards receiving last year and averaged over 15 yards per catch. Those are some pretty impressive stats for a guy you've probably never heard of. Also, a positive for UNC this year is a somewhat seasoned offensive line and the return of the big bruiser at running back, Ryan Houston. The 6-foot-2, 245 pounder returns for his senior season and will look to improve on his 700+ yard season from a year ago. He has also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns in his previous two seasons in Carolina blue.
2. Miami Hurricanes: As of this writing, the formidable loss of senior quarterback Jacory Harris will hurt the Hurricanes in a significant way. His leadership, will be missed as an intangible for the team this season. But as far as numbers are concerned, the Canes should be just fine when and if they have to turn to sophomore quarterback Stephen Morris. He threw for over 1,200 yards as a freshman last season after playing in only 6 games. That translates to a 200+ passing yard per game average for this backup. So don't be surprised to see him light it up on the field. What hurts with the loss of Harris is his potential to regain his stardom as a sophomore when he threw for over 3,300 yards in 2009. This coupled with the fact that the football program is facing the death penalty by the NCAA after allegations have surfaced with player and coaches links to convicted felon Nevin Shapiro. Things certainly do not look good in south Florida at the moment, but if talent can remain on the field, they appear to still be a lock for the number two finisher in the Coastal Division of the ACC.
1. Virginia Tech Hokies: Saving the best for last, the Hokies are my clear cut favorite to win this division. Despite the fact the rest of the teams mentioned above are going to have a down year, the Hokies should play "Beamer-ball" as well as they have in year's past. The loss of phenom quarterback will hurt, but only for the first few games. Once this team meshes, they'll be just as good as any in the nation. The standouts on offense can clearly be seen in their offensive line. It will be anchored by four seniors and should protect sophomore starting quarterback Logan Thomas in the pocket just fine. After the departure of Darren Evans, David Wilson will look to fill the void at tailback. Wilson is a type of dual threat option in the backfield as he ran for 5 touchdowns and caught 4 in 2010. Jarrett Boykin, however, will be the talk of the town in Blacksburg. The wide receiver returns for his senior season after going over 800 yards receiving the previous two years. He is usually solid for a touchdown catch about every other game. If Boykin can find the end zone more often, the O-line remain healthy and the defense plays like head coach Frank Beamer wants them to, the Hokies should coast right on in to the ACC Championship game.
ACC Championship Game: Florida State beats Virginia Tech
Key ACC Coastal Division Game: Virginia Tech vs Miami, Oct. 8th
ACC Coastal Division MVP: Ryan Houston, Senior, Running Back, North Carolina
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