2009 ACC College Football Preview

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The ACC has is now near the top of the list when it comes to winning conferences.  They are still behind the Big 12 and the SEC but ever year they put together a winning effort.  This year the ACC will be out to prove they are just as good as any other conference in the country.

Atlantic Division

1. Florida St. Seminoles–Bobby Bowden showed that he can still coach and when all the experts expected the Seminoles to falter they played very well in 2008.  Experience is going to aid the Seminoles this year as they return Chris Ponder at quarterback and the majority of the offensive line.  Jermaine Thomas will get a full time role running the ball and will have a breakout season.  The defense lost some star caliber position players but will reload with recruits.  Depending on how fast they may gel as a unit could be the difference between a good year and a great year.
2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons-Jim Grobe has made the Demon Deacons into a force in the Atlantic division.  His recipe of running the ball and playing stingy defense has been a winning formula.  Riley Skinner will be under center and is one of the best signal callers in the ACC.  Josh Adams will be at tailback after sitting out with injuries and the offense will be fierce.  The problem will be on defense where Grobe has to fill vacancies left by outstanding NFL players like Aaron Curry.  Grobe is a defensive coach and will be able to put new players into his system and Wake Forest will be a force yet again.
3. Clemson Tigers-Is there any other team with more talent that has disappointed more than Clemson? After a rough start Dabo Sweeny took over Clemson and made them play to a higher level at the end of last year.  Now this year he looks for a full season of effort from the Tigers.  Luckily for Sweeny C.J. Spiller returned for another season and he is the Clemson offense.  The Tigers will win and lose games based on the line play.  The offensive and defensive line has gone through some changes and need to replace some position players that have departed.  It may be asking too much for a huge season this year but that is exactly what Clemson fans expect.
4. NC St. Wolfpack-Tom O’Brien is ready to take the Wolfpack to the next level.  This hard nosed coach is known for turning programs around and a bowl game is not out of the question this year.  Russell Wilson returns as quarterback and leader of the team and this kid is truly a special talent and if he can stay healthy he will shine.  The Wolfpack bring back the core of the offensive line and will be potent on offense.  The defense ranked last in pass defense but they return seven starters.  If anything, the experience will help this team and will bring the Wolfpack back to near the top of the standings in the Atlantic division.
5. Boston College Eagles–Jeff Jagodzinski left the Eagles in one of the most bizarre firings in the off-season.  In comes Frank Spaziani to right the ship.  The Eagles are stocked and return seven players on both sides of the ball but that does not automatically equal success.  Dominique Davis will get the start at QB after playing in three games last year.  He will not have much time to adjust.  The defense was one of the best last year but you can expect a downgrade after losing BJ Raji and Ron Brace.  Boston College will have to get some big games out of the offense to compete in this conference.  Expect a down year for the Eagles.
6. Maryland Terrapins–Coach Ralph Friedgen will look to finally get Maryland over the hump and into the ACC Championship game.  On offense he returns some key pieces starting with Da’Rel Scott in the backfield.  He ran for over 1,000 yards last year and should have another successful campaign.  The problem is they have to replace some serious talent on the offensive line to make some way for Scott to run.  On defense the Terps need to replace seven starters from last year’s bunch.  This transition will lead to a poor season for Maryland fans.

Coastal Division

1. Virginia Tech Hokies-Virginia Tech should be considered to be one of the best in the country and will have a real shot at the National Title. Tyrod Taylor will be back at the helm calling the shots and is one of the most explosive QB’s in the country.  His ability to run and throw will make him a dual threat that defenses will have a tough time dealing with.  Darren Evans is a fierce runner and this offense will be able to move the ball on the ground.  The defense has some holes at linebacker to fill but Frank Beamer
   

   Who can stop the Hokies?

   knows how to recruit.  This team will win the coastal and a win against Alabama early in the season could set the bar.

2. Georgia tech Yellow Jackets-Paul Johnson brought the triple option offense to Georgia Tech and it worked very well as the Jackets won nine games in his first year.  The offense rushed for over 5 yards a carry and all the pieces are back to run it again.   With a year in the system they could be even better at it this year.  Jonathan Dwyer and Roddy Jones may be the deadliest backfield combination in the country and will pound the ball against defenses with a threat to break a big run on any down.  The Jackets return eight players on defense and even though they lost some key players, the defense should be just as good as last year.  Look for the Yellow jackets to challenge for the crown in the costal division.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels- Coach Butch Davis has turned this program around and he has Carolina fans watching football instead of just basketball.  Davis has a unique ability to recruit star athletes and should have this program going in a positive direction for years to come.  The defense was the strength of this unit and look for a return to form as they just lost two players from the starting unit a year ago.  T.J. Yates is back at quarterback but his targets have all left and he will have to rely on young freshmen to make an impact.  If those targets pan out this team can be deadly.  If they don’t pan out yet look for Carolina to challenge for the ACC title in the near future.
4. Miami Hurricanes-Randy Shannon got a lot out of a young group last year but the real challenge will be to see if he can get more out of them this year.  Mark Whipple came in as offensive coordinator and this will be the first year that Miami will be using his pro-set system which may cause some growing pains.  Linebacker Sean Spence leads 8 starters back on defense and that will help the offense adjust to the new style of defense.  If the offense picks up the new system than the defense will push it to the next level and Miami will go to the post season.
5. Virginia Cavaliers- Al Groh is on the hot seat in Virginia and this could be his last season.  In the off-season a slew of new assistant coaches were brought in and any one of them could replace Groh if the season turns ugly early.  The offense is shaky and there will be a QB battle in the spring.  On defense the Cavaliers were gutted at linebacker by the NFL draft and they will be soft in the middle.  Al Groh bids farewell after eight seasons as the Cavaliers struggle through another losing season.
6. Duke Blue Devils- David Cutcliffe got Duke Nation to appreciate football again.  The team only had four wins last year but that was the most they had in quite some time.  It is too early to have high hopes for Duke football but it is on the right track.  Thaddeus Lewis is back at quarterback and this will give the offense an experienced leader that limits turnovers.  They lost three starters on the offensive line and it may be asking too much of this team to win enough games to go to a bowl.

Atlantic Division Winner: Florida St.

Costal Division Winner: Virginia Tech

ACC Winner: Virginia Tech