With the first college football games beginning on August 29, 2013, here is a preview of what to expect in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year.
Background:
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is one of the six Automatic Qualifying (AQ) conferences, meaning that the champion receives a guaranteed berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games, which is a goal shared by all teams. The ACC was created in 1953, and originally had seven members. The conference now contains 14 schools for football, 15 total, because Syracuse and Pittsburgh joined this year.
The conference is divided into two divisions, the Atlantic and Coastal, both holding seven teams. The Atlantic is made up of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State, Syracuse, and Wake Forest. The Coastal division’s members are Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. All teams play 12 games during the regular season. There are usually eight conference games and four non-conference games. The teams with the top conference record in each division then play in the ACC Championship to determine what team plays in the BCS game.
Atlantic Division:
The 2012 ACC Atlantic division champion had to be solved by a tiebreaker, with both the Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles finishing with 7-1 conference records. The Seminoles were awarded the championship due to them winning the season matchup and handing Clemson their only conference loss. The Seminoles, who went on to win the ACC and Orange Bowl championships, will have to replace an NCAA leading 11 draft picks including senior quarterback, EJ Manuel, who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the sixteenth pick in the first round. The team, however, returns their five starting offensive lineman from 2012 and most of a defense that was statistically the second best in the country. Florida State University also led the conference with six players selected to the preseason All-ACC team. Clemson’s returning team, unlike Florida State’s, could be poised to not only win the ACC, but also the National Championship. The Tigers are led by reigning ACC Player of the Year Tajh Boyd. The senior quarterback is looking to become the first player in four decades to be named to the first team All-ACC for the third straight year. The Tigers also return preseason All-ACC selection Sammy Watkins who has yet to live up to his talent and expectations, but could give Boyd a challenge for player of the year. The team’s veteran defense is good enough to keep opponents at bay and allow the offense to win the games. Wake Forest also has talent returning, including quarterback Tanner Price, who threw 2,300 yards last season and is also a good runner. There is a slim chance that if Clemson and Florida State somehow lose two or three conference games, then the Demon Deacons could find themselves in the hunt for the division title. However, other than the Tigers and Seminoles it is highly unlikely that anyone else could represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC championship.
Projected Atlantic Division Standings:
1. Clemson Tigers- 11-1/8-0
2. Florida State Seminoles-10-2/7-1
3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons- 7-5/4-4
4. Maryland Terrapins- 6-6/3-5
5. NC State Wolfpack- 5-7/3-5
6. Boston College Eagles- 4-8/2-6
7. Syracuse Orange- 4-8/1-7
Coastal Division:
The 2012 ACC regular season concluded with a three way tie for the Coastal division championship between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Miami Hurricanes, and North Carolina Tar Heels. Under normal circumstances, the Tar Heels would have won the championship and played Florida State in the ACC Championship. However, due to NCAA violations, UNC had received a one year postseason ban, and the championship was awarded to Georgia Tech. This year, the Tar Heels’ bowl ban is removed and the team will be taking the field without last season’s star sophomore running back, Giovani Bernard, who was the first running back drafted in this year’s draft. The Tar Heels will have to replace his back-to-back 1,000 plus yard rushing seasons and big play ability to be able to repeat 2012’s success. UNC will be returning 3,000 yard passing quarterback Bryn Renner, who also threw 28 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Despite the loss of Bernard, the team could still have the top offense in the league, but to win more games the Tar Heels need to improve on defense. Carolina had one of the worst defenses in the ACC due somewhat to it being their first year in coach Larry Fedora’s 4-2-5 system but also because they lost their first round pick Sylvester Williams. Another team in the ACC that could repeat last year’s success is Miami. The Hurricanes are returning the best running back in the conference, Duke Johnson, and a very athletic quarterback that will only help the running backs’ stats. Miami is also returning an improved defense that can help them win more close games than last season. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech could also contend for the title but have more difficult schedules and less talent than Miami and UNC, making it less likely for much improvement. The two teams also have more inconsistent quarterback play then other teams and rely too heavily on their running game.
Projected Coastal Division Standings:
1. North Carolina Tar Heels- 9-3/6-2
2. Miami Hurricanes- 8-4/5-3
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets- 8-4/5-3
4. Virginia Tech Hokies- 8-4/5-3
5. Pittsburgh Panthers- 6-6/3-5
6. Duke Blue Devils- 5-7/2-6
7. Virginia Cavaliers- 4-8/2-6
Championship:
After the dust settles from a long season it will be the Clemson Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels meeting in Charlotte, NC to crown the ACC Championship. The crowd won't be favoring either team heavily, due to both schools being not far from Bank of America Stadium. The game will be very high scoring as the teams likely have the two best offenses in the conference, but will come down to whose defense can stop the other late in the game. That is where Clemson gains the advantage and wins the ACC Championship over a somewhat overachieving Tar Heel team.
Prediction of Awards:
ACC Player of the Year- Tajh Boyd, Clemson
ACC Offensive Player of the Year- Tajh Boyd, Clemson
ACC Defensive Player of the Year- Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State
ACC Coach of the Year- Larry Fedora, North Carolina
ACC Rookie of the Year- Jameis Winston, Florida State
ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year- Jameis Winston, Florida State
ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year- MacKensie Alexander, Clemson
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