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Colleges
ACC predictions
By Brian Landman
Published August 31, 2007
How they will finish
Atlantic Division
1. Florida State
2006 record: 7-6 (3-5, fifth in the division).
Coach: Bobby Bowden (293-81-4, 32nd year; 366-113-4 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 6, Defense 8.
Will return to thrilling days of yesteryear if ...: New coach Rick Trickett whips the OL into shape so that TB Antone Smith can run and the Seminole QB, Land O'Lakes grad Drew Weatherford, can show the improvement folks expect as he works with new OC/QB coach Jimbo Fisher.
2. Boston College
2006 record: 10-3 (5-3, tied for second). Finished No.??20 in the AP poll.
Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski (first year).
Starters returning: Offense 7, Defense 9.
Will continue to soar if ... : Jagodzinski, a rookie head coach who was the Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator last year, resists the temptation to re-invent the wheel and simply lets a veteran team, led by a proven winner at QB in Matt Ryan, do what it has been doing so successfully.
3. Clemson
2006 record: 8-5 (5-3, tied for second in the division).
Coach: Tommy Bowden (60-38, ninth year; 78-42 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 4, Defense 7.
Will take the heat off Bowden (again) if ...: Running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, who will spend more time on the field together (Spiller is faster and has better hands as a receiver), continue to co-exist fabulously a la Reggie Bush and LenDale White at USC a couple of years ago.
4. Wake Forest
2006 record: 11-3 (6-2, first). Won the ACC championship. Finished No.??18 in the AP poll.
Coach: Jim Grobe (37-35, seventh year; 70-68-1 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 8, Defense 5.
Will defend its title and shock the world if ...: QB Riley Skinner doesn't have a sophomore jinx and stays solid, if not spectacular, TB Micah Andrews regains his old form after an early-season knee injury, and Grobe continues to show why he's one of the best darn coaches around.
5. Maryland
2006 record: 9-4 (5-3, tied for second).
Coach: Ralph Friedgen (50-24, seventh year).
Starters returning: Offense 6, Defense 6.
Will keep the fridge in the kitchen if ...: Lightly-used junior QB Jordan Steffy or perhaps sophomore (and former Florida Gator) Josh Portis emerges to complement a strong running game led by Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore (1,558 yards, 11 TDs combined).
6. North Carolina State
2006 record: 3-9 (2-6, last in the division).
Coach: Tom O'Brien (first year; 76-45 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 8, Defense 5.
Will avoid another losing year if ...: No-nonsense O'Brien, who merely led Boston College to seven straight bowl wins, takes advantage of the speed and skill he has (RBs Toney Baker and Andre Brown and WR Darrell Blackman) and ushers QB Daniel Evans to new heights.
Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech
2006 record: 10-3 (6-2, second in the division). Finished No.??19 in the AP poll.
Coach: Frank Beamer (156-82-2, 21st year; 198-105-4 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 8, Defense 8.
Will win the league and make a run at New Orleans if ...: QB Sean Glennon can be more consistent (11 TDs and 11 INTs, 56 percent completion rate) and not put too much on a defense (led by LBs Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi and CB Brandon Flowers) that has been the nation's best the past two seasons.
2. Virginia
2006 record: 5-7 (4-4, third in the division).
Coach: Al Groh (42-33, seventh year; 68-73 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 9, Defense 10.
Will rule the commonwealth if ...: The Cavaliers take advantage of their experience (more starters back than any league team) and dual-threat sophomore QB Jameel Sewell is the real deal, playing like he did in a win against Miami instead of how he played against FSU.
3. Georgia Tech
2006 record: 9-5 (7-1, first in the division).
Coach: Chan Gailey (37-27, sixth season; 61-38 overall).
Starters returning: Offense 7, Defense 8.
Will challenge the other Tech if ...: Junior QB Taylor Bennett shows that his lone start - the Gator Bowl, when he was 19 of 26 for 326 yards and three TDs replacing the oft-maligned Reggie Ball - wasn't beginner's luck and that he can put up numbers even without Calvin Johnson.
4. Miami
2006 record: 7-6 (3-5, fourth in the division).
Coach: Randy Shannon (first year).
Starters returning: Offense 9, Defense 7.
Will regain some - not all - swagger if ...: Some playmakers emerge on offense, beginning at QB (either senior Kyle Wright or junior Kirby Freeman), and 6-8 DE Calais Campbell and FS Kenny Phillips perform at All-America levels as expected to anchor the defense.
5. North Carolina
2006 record: 3-9 (2-6, fifth in the division).
Coach: Butch Davis (first year; 51-20 overall)
Starters returning: Offense 5, Defense 4.
Will pull one big upset if ...: The Tar Heels, despite a dearth of big-time returning talent (not a single player earned preseason All-ACC honors, for whatever that's worth), play with the intensity and intelligence of their new coach, Davis, who returns to the college game after a brief stint in the NFL.
6. Duke
2006 record: 0-12 (0-8, last in the division).
Coach: Ted Roof (5-34, fifth year).
Starters returning: Offense 11, Defense 5.
Will avoid a coaching search if ...: The experienced offense shows the benefits of all that playing time and the defense, minus all-league and All-America CB John Talley, can make enough plays to actually win close games; Duke lost to Wake Forest and UNC by a single point last season.
[Last modified August 29, 2007, 10:02:26]
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