ACC football preview: 5 biggest storylines and questions entering 2019

The biggest ACC football questions and storylines entering camp, including whether anyone can slow Trevor Lawrence and reigning champion Clemson.

Clemson stood atop college football and represented the ACC with their blowout win over Alabama in the College Football National Championship Game. They stood atop the sport for the second time in three years and could trek towards that again.

There are other teams in the ACC to watch, though, and a full slate of conference games to play out. Nothing is guaranteed for the Tigers — yet — so there are aspects of the upcoming season to watch from the rest of this Power Five group.

5. Syracuse replaces its star quarterback

Syracuse was only a headline for basketball. After last fall’s play, however, this became a football school for a few months, with quarterback Eric Dungey taking this program to one of its best years ever.

The problem is replicating a 10-3 record in consecutive years, and without Dungey around anymore due to graduation. That pressure will apply to the newest face, Tommy DeVito, throwing passes.

Per 247Sports, DeVito was a four-star recruit in the 2017 class. He only has 87 passes on his resume, but head coach Dino Babers runs an explosive offense, so the junior passer has the chance to break out quickly in Northern New York. If so, the Orange could make noise.

4. Can Mack Brown take another program to prominence?

Les Miles returning to college football was one thing. Mack Brown, who stayed out of the game for six years, took over the program where it all started for him in the Power Five: North Carolina.

22 years since last coaching the Tar Heels, Brown has added two title-game appearances and one championship to his resume. Nine of his 16 seasons also featured double-digit wins.

The legendary coach is 67 years old, though, and college football has evolved since his exit from Texas, including the evolution of Clemson into a powerhouse atop the ACC. Add in an intriguing Miami team and Pitt and Virginia Tech having quality units, and finding success quickly, especially at 67 years old, will be a challenge for Brown.

3. Can Tate Martell lead Miami back to relevance?

The quarterback carousel saw Tate Martell bolt from Ohio State after Justin Fields took his talents to Columbus. Miami, under new head coach Manny Diaz, was in long need of a quarterback to lead their annual “Is Miami football officially back?” campaign.

While unproven, Martell can be the guy. He is diminutive, at 5-foot-11, but has the mobility to cause chaos and create plays for the Hurricanes’ offense, potentially making it one of the ACC’s most exciting groups.

How far does that go, though? Perhaps the battle for second place in the conference and a good bowl game, which this program needs after a disappointing 2018 and head coach Mark Richt’s surprise retirement.

2. How hot is Willie Taggart’s seat?

Miami had its issues, but Florida State fell apart in Willie Taggart’s first season as head coach, after leaving two jobs in two years. A 5-7 record kicked the Seminoles out of bowl season for the first time since 1981.

One year later, is Taggart’s job on the line? Initially, maybe not, but if this program is below .500 two-thirds of the way in, Florida State will continue its quick free fall.

Success has always been prevalent in Tallahassee, from Bobby Bowden to the title behind Jameis Winston’s stellar season. Downfalls are unusual and Florida State continues this trend in Year Two, Taggart could be searching for his fourth job since 2016. He can only ride on this team learning and better understanding a system that once led South Florida to a 10-2 season.

1. Trevor Lawrence is only a sophomore, and no one is stopping Clemson

There is no doubt about it: Clemson stands head and shoulders above not just the ACC, but the entire country, except for Alabama.

Better yet, Trevor Lawrence is back for just his sophomore year, and that is all the Tigers need to be considered a favorite for their latest College Football Playoff National Championship Game win. He is also a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, with the Crimson Tide’s Tua Tagovailoa as his top competition entering the season.

The rest of the ACC is a non-factor to Clemson, barring surprises and upsets. They have a stranglehold of this conference, and no one is probably going to catch them. Pencil them in for a spot at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Jan. 13, 2020.