NCAA football: ACC Coastal division preview

I love college football. LOVE it. It was my first love. One that started all the way back in 1984. I was a kid living in Oklahoma, and the Sooners were the hottest ticket in town. I was hooked. The Jamelle Holieway-Spencer Tillman-Lydell Carr option took me in and never let go.

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Fast-forward 30 years later, and I am still a college football junkie. I spend my Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and most of Tuesday watching every game I could record over the weekend. For love of the game, I guess.

For the last four years, I have picked every single 1-A vs. 1-A college football game against the spread. I will do the same this year. But leading up to that, I am going to do a conference by conference preview. That’s right, for love of the game. And for those of you that are rabid fans like I am.

This piece will focus on the ACC Coastal. Teams are in the projected order of finish. The AAC is here.

Dec 31, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jamison Crowder (3) makes a reception for a touchdown against Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Howard Matthews (31) during the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

1. Duke:

Schedule: vs. Elon, at Troy, vs. Kansas, vs. Tulane, at Miami(FL), at Georgia Tech, vs. Virginia, at Pittsburgh, at Syracuse, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. North Carolina, vs. Wake Forest

Prediction: Anthony Boone and Jamison Crowder are both back to an offense that did pretty well last year. RB Josh Snead ran for over 500 yards last year, so he has plenty of experience, even though he wasn’t the starter. The defense is very tough on the front seven, though an inexperience secondary could cost them at times.

Can Duke tie a school record by winning ten games again? Absolutely. I don’t see any game on their schedule that is not winnable for the Blue Devils. They dodge both Florida State and Clemson from the Atlantic, so this is about as easy as it gets in this conference. I say they set a school record. I’m picking Duke to go 11-1 and go to the ACC Championship for the second straight year!

Dec 28, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back T.J. Logan (8) returns a punt for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

2. North Carolina:

Schedule: vs. Liberty, vs. San Diego State, at East Carolina, at Clemson, vs. Virginia Tech, at Notre Dame, vs. Georgia Tech, at Virginia, at Miami(FL), vs. Pittsburgh, at Duke, vs. North Carolina State

Prediction: The Tarheels begin the season as the only Coastal team ranked, but they won’t finish the season that way. Monster TE Eric Ebron will be playing for the Lions on Sunday. QB Marquise Williams was the team’s leading rusher last year despite not starting all season. T.J. Logan was right behind him as a freshman, so this team will look to run the ball quite a bit. They have a battle tested defense that did fairly well for most of last year, but can this team fully transform to a run-first team?

The Tarheels have a tough schedule. They have ECU, Duke, Notre Dame, and Clemson on the road. There is a good chance that they lose all of those games. That said, all of the home games are winnable. I say the ‘Heels go 8-4, which might be a disappointment to some considering the preseason hype attached to the team.

Oct 26, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) stiff arms Wake Forest Demon Deacons safety Ryan Janvion (22) in the second half at Sun Life Stadium. Miami won 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

3. Miami(FL):

Schedule: at Louisville, vs. Florida A&M, vs. Arkansas State, at Nebraska, vs. Duke, at Georgia Tech, vs. Cincinnati, at Virginia Tech, vs. North Carolina, vs. Florida State, at Virginia, vs. Pittsburgh

Prediction: Duke Johnson was a beast last year before he got hurt. The Canes will run early and often with him. Gray Crow is a QB that is built like a tight end. In fact, he has played there some. But he is the starter because Miami wants to run a pro-style offense. Should Crow falter, they do have former Kansas QB Jake Heaps as the backup. The defense, led by MLB Denzel Perryman, is a solid unit once again.

If Johnson stays healhy the whole year, the Canes could win ten games. That said, Crow is too unproven for me to put too much faith in the Canes. A trip to Lincoln could be tough, and so could a trip to Blacksburg. The marquee game though is when FSU comes to town. While I’m not sure they will get embarrassed like they did last year, that is still the only sure loss on the schedule. I have the Canes at 9-3, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they won at least one more.

Dec 31, 2013; El Paso, TX, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Mark Leal (6) looks to the sidelines for the play during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins in the 2013 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

4. Virginia Tech:

Schedule: vs. William and Mary, at Ohio State, vs. East Carolina, vs. Georgia Tech, vs. Western Michigan, at North Carolina, at Pittsburgh, vs. Miami(FL), vs. Boston College, at Duke, at Wake Forest, vs. Virginia

Prediction: They are really going to miss Logan Thomas, but Mark Leal has been around and knows the offense well. The only question is whether he can execute like Thomas did. Last year’s leading rusher, Trey Edmunds, is listed as third on the depth chart right now, so they have a lot of talent at running back. Demitri Knowles caught 43 passes last year, so he should help Leal along.

They dodge Clemson and Florida State, but get UNC, Duke, and Ohio State on the road. Will they win eight games again? It is certainly possible, but I’m not sold on the quality of their offense right now. I will keep them at 7-5.

Oct 19, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Justin Thomas (5) runs the ball in the second half against Syracuse at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech won 56-0. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

5. Georgia Tech:

Schedule: vs. Wofford, at Tulane, vs. Georgia Southern, at Virginia Tech, vs. Miami(FL), vs. Duke, at North Carolina, at Pittsburgh, vs. Virginia, at North Carolina State, vs. Clemson, at Georgia

Prediction: The top three leading rushers from last year (Vad Lee, David Sims, and Robert Godhigh) are all gone. DeAndre Smelter is the only returning skill player on offense, but quarterback Justin Thomas did get some reps last year. Their defense was solid last year, and likely will be again. Are the Yellow Jackets a plug-and-play team like most option teams are? We will find out!

The Bees went 7-6 last year, and I will be surprised if they do it again. Inexperience on offense won’t do them any favors against the improved Hokie and Tarheel teams. The potential is there for the Yellow Jackets to lose up to eight games. That said, a lot of teams still have trouble with the option. I will say 6-6.

Nov 16, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Tyler Boyd (23) makes a catch against North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback Tim Scott (7) during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

6. Pittsburgh:

Schedule: vs. Delaware, at Boston College, at Florida International, vs. Iowa, vs. Akron, at Virginia, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. Georgia Tech, vs. Duke, at North Carolina, vs. Syracuse, at Miami(FL)

Prediction: Starting QB Chad Voytik threw just two passes last year, but they do return leading rusher Isaac Bennett and 1000 yard receiver Tyler Boyd. The defense might be a little shaky this year, but the dodge both Clemson and Florida State.

The only preseason ranked team that they play is North Carolina, but games against Virginia Tech, Iowa, and Duke could be tricky. The team might be a little better than the one that went 7-6 last year, but not by much. The schedule is there for them to win nine games if they play to their potential, but that always seems like a problem for Pitt. I will put them at 6-6.

Nov 2, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Kevin Parks (25) carries the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Tigers won 59-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

7. Virginia:

Schedule: vs. UCLA, vs. Richmond, vs. Louisville, at BYU, vs. Kent State, vs. Pittsburgh, at Duke, vs. North Carolina, at Georgia Tech, at Florida State, vs. Miami(FL), at Virginia Tech

Prediction: 1000 yard rusher Kevin Parks will lead the offense, but the strength of this team is the defense. They have ten upperclassmen starting for the defense. They might throw a bit more with Greyson Lambert under center, but not a whole lot more. They will run the ball to slow the game down if they can.

The Cavs won’t be nearly as bad as the team that went 2-10 last year, but you might not notice it record-wise. They have a tough schedule. Duke, BYU, Florida State, and Virginia Tech are all on the road. They do get UCLA at home, but they don’t really have much of a chance in that one. They draw Louisville, Miami, and Pitt at home, so they might win four, but I kind of doubt it. I say 3-9.

Keep coming back all week long for predictions on the other conferences!

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