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| Clemson won last year's national championship |
There are few certainties in life -- death and taxes are two, and Florida State or Clemson winning the ACC is another. It seems like that, anyway, as the Seminoles and Tigers have won the last six championships.
Both appear steeled for another run at the crown this year, and each possess the requisite talent to reach that goal.
But it won't be easy as the Atlantic Division is getting deeper and the Coastal is getting better. In fact, one formerly dominant team, Virginia Tech, looks like it might be ascending to the point where it not only can make the league championship game, but win it. The Hokies had a run of four titles in six years prior to the run of dominance by FSU and Clemson, and with coach Justin Fuente settling in in Blacksburg it could mean a return to that championship form.
The Seminoles return most of a tenacious defense, and get safety Derwin James back from an early season injury. James is one of America's best talents, and his loss in the second game last year made for some uncharacteristically leaky moments for the FSU defense. Quarterback Deondre Francois (3,350 yards, 20 TDs) grew up quickly after some early hiccups, and if the offensive line can protect him better -- he was sacked nearly three times per game last year -- his potential is limitless. Freshman Cam Akers should be an able replacement for Dalvin Cook after impressing in spring practice, and some have even touted him as a legitimate Heisman candidate.
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| FSU quarterback Deondre Francois |
FSU opens with Alabama and hosts Miami and NC State before an open week, and then finishes with two road trips -- to Clemson and Florida -- in the final three weeks of the season. So everything the Seminoles get this season will be earned.
"I think last year will hopefully make us understand that it's not only a one game deal at the beginning, that's it's going to be all the way through and that first half of the season we're going to have to be extremely prepared," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Last year will be that teaching tool because you learn from your experiences, good and bad."
While Florida State tries to get back to the top of the mountain it ascended in 2013, Clemson comes into the year as defending national champion, knocking off favored Alabama in a wild, classic CFP title game.
Dabo Swinney has recruited well the past few years, and there is enough talent on hand for the Tigers to not drop off precipitously. But he has to find a replacement for prodigious quarterback Deshaun Watson. Freshman Hunter Johnson gets first crack, and he's fortunate to have a pretty good stable of receivers on hand to ease the transition. Clemson's defense should show the way early in the season while the offense finds its feet, and the inside tandem of Dexter Lawrence (78 tackles, seven sacks) and Christian Wilkins (56 tackles, 9.5 TFL,10 PBU) could the best in America. The secondary needs retooled, though Oklahoma State transfer Adrian Baker should help.
"If you recruit well and develop your players, then you can sustain consistency," Swinney said. "What we're trying to do is just be consistently competitive program that's in position to compete for this conference, because if we can compete for this conference year in and year out, hey, we're going to have one of those years where we get it done."
Giving chase in the Atlantic will be Louisville, which was riding high early in the season before dropping its last three games, and North Carolina State, which boasts the most experienced squad in the league.
The Cardinals return Heisman winning quarterback Lamar Jackson (3,543 yards passing, 30 TDs, 1,571 yards rushing, 21 TDs), and he may have to do even more than last year as the team lost its top running back and top three receivers. Jaylen Smith (27 catches) is an all-league talent who could shine at receiver with a larger role, and the defense pledges to get better after allowing 106 points in the season ending three game skid.
"We have a philosophy here that we call FTS, which means feed the studs," UL coach Bobby Petrino said. "Lamar is one of our studs, so don't think we aren't going to call quarterback run plays or zone read plays or option plays, because we're going to give him his opportunities to make big plays."
The Wolfpack will get it done with a lethal defense, anchored by ends Bradley Chubb (58 tackles, 10.5 sacks) and Kentavius Street (30 tackles, 5.5 sacks), as well as three of its top four tacklers from a year ago. The offense has a solid quarterback in Ryan Finley (3,059 passing, 18 TDs) and versatile Jaylen Samuels, who is equally at home rushing (six TDs on 33 carries) as he is catching (55 catches, seven TDs). NC State misses Miami and Virginia from the Coastal and hosts Clemson -- whom it outplayed and nearly defeated last year -- and Louisville.
"You want expectations, and you have to earn them," Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said.
Wake Forest hasn't been an easy out lately and should flirt with bowl eligibility this year, Syracuse is on the come in the second year under Dino Babers and Boston College, while still offensively challenged, will stay competitive thanks to a defense that gets to the quarterback and forces turnovers.
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| Virginia Tech's Justin Fuente |
Tech will have to rely on a lethal Bud Foster-designed defense to win games as the offense returns just five starters from a year ago. Wideout Cam Phillips (76 catches, five TDs) can vie for all-league honors if the quarterback position -- currently an unknown, though the favorites are redshirt freshman Joshua Jackson and JUCO transfer AJ Bush -- produces, and ground game is in the capable hands of Travon McMillan (717 yards, seven TDs). The stop unit is led by linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Andrew Motuapuaka, each of whom tallied over 100 tackles last year. Greg Stroman (13 tackles, 10 PBU) and Terrell Edmunds (89 tackles, four INTs) anchor a secondary that was the stingiest in the league in 2016.
"Our long term mission is to return Virginia Tech back to the top of the ACC," Fuente said. "But to me, it's about the process and it's about are we going about the process that's been proven over time that leads to our improvement. The ultimate number of wins and all that sort of stuff, it's a measuring tool, but it's not the only one. Each year is different, each team is different."
Mark Richt has Miami trending upward, though like the Hokies must find a quarterback -- more daunting when you consider that the signal-callers on the roster have thrown four passes, total. Malik Rosier has all four of the attempts, and will battle with sophomore Evan Shirreffs and touted freshman N'Kosi Perry for the starting job. Whomever wins will likely spend a lot of time handing off to running back Mark Walton (1,179 yards, 14 TDs), one of the more underrated great players in the conference. The front seven is solid, led by linebacker Shaq Quaterman ((84 tackles, 6.5 TFL), but the secondary will need to improve if the Hurricanes are to take that next step to true contender.
It should be easier this year, in the second season under Richt's leadership.
"Year one, it's not just football," he said. "You've got to look at everything you do and how you do it and teach everybody how you want those things done. Year two, we understand how to do the little things right, and we understand how we want to go about our business. It's a different feel, for sure."
Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech are wildcards, with the Panthers having a slight edge due to being more balanced. Receiver/kick returner Quadree Henderson (26 catches, four return touchdowns) is a special talent, but for Pitt to make a real rise it will need to play better defensively. The Yellow Jackets have their typical triple option attack, which will be paced by running back Dedrick Mills (771, 12 TDs), and will need to control the clock to keep an average defense off the field.
North Carolina starts almost from scratch, losing quarterback Mitch Trubisky (the second pick in the NFL Draft), both running backs and four of its top five receivers. Virginia appears to be on the rise thanks to defensive stars Micah Kiser (134 tackles, 6.5 sacks) and Quin Blanding (120 tackles, six PBUs), and if they can reverse a late season turnover deficit (-9 in the last four games) a bowl game is not out of the question. Duke has a burgeoning star in quarterback Daniel Jones (486 yards, seven TDs) and a star linebacker in Ben Humphreys (106 tackles), but faces Northwestern, Baylor and Miami in its first five games, so a slow start could make for a difficult season.
While the SEC continues to bask in the glow of the pundits, it should be noted that the ACC has two of the last four national champs, the only league with multiple titlists in that span.
The strength of Florida State and Clemson, and the emergence of other contenders, means the league won't take a backseat to anyone in 2017.
"There's only one conference that had a winning record against Power 5 teams, the ACC," Swinney said. "One conference had a winning record versus ranked teams, the ACC. We had 11 bowl teams, we were 10-4 versus the SEC. There's a reason why we've played so well. We've won five bowl games in a row, and it's not because I'm some great coach. We've had good players. It's what we play against week in and week out."
ACC PREDICTIONS
ATLANTIC
1. Florida State
2. Clemson
3. Louisville
4. North Carolina State
5. Wake Forest
6. Syracuse
7. Boston College
COASTAL
1. Virginia Tech
2. Miami, Fla.
3. Pittsburgh
4. Georgia Tech
5. North Carolina
6. Virginia
7. Duke
ALL-ACC
OFFENSE
QB Lamar Jackson/Louisville
RB Dedrick Mills/Georgia Tech
RB Cam Akers/Florida State
WR Deon Cain/Clemson
WR Quadree Henderson/Pittsburgh
WR Jaylen Samuels/North Carolina State
TE Christopher Herndon/Miami, Fla.
OT Mitch Hyatt/Clemson
OT Geron Christian/Louisville
OG Tyrone Crowder/Clemson
OG Tony Adams/North Carolina State
C Ryan Anderson/Wake Forest
DEFENSE
DE Harold Landry/Boston College
DE Bradley Chubb/North Carolina State
DT Dexter Lawrence/Clemson
DT Derrick Nnadi/Florida State
LB Tremaine Edwards/Virginia Tech
LB Micah Kiser/Virginia
LB Shaq Quaterman/Miami, Fla.
CB Tarvarus McFadden/Florida State
CB Jaire Alexander/Louisville
S Derwin James/Florida State
S Quin Blanding/Virginia
SPECIALISTS
K Joey Slye/Virginia Tech
P Tom Sheldon/North Carolina
KR Quadree Henderson/Pittsburgh
PR Quadree Henderson/Pittsburgh
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME -- Florida State over Virginia Tech
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Lamar Jackson
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Derwin James
COACH OF THE YEAR -- Dave Doeren/North Carolina State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR -- Cam Akers
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