Olympic Fan
07-15-2015, 01:25 PM
ESPN has a story up looking ahead to the ACC Coastal Race:
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/83201/acc-media-days-preview-coastal-division
It got me pumped up. They don't say it, but I will -- the 2015 ACC Coastal Race is as wide open as any division or conference in the country. ANYBODY in the division can win it. The race will be shaped by both the schedule and the emergence of a handful of players.
Here's my take:
-- Georgia Tech: the defending champs and the preseason favorite, basically because they return QB Justin Thomas and 4 of 5 offensive line starters. Also eight defensive starters. The do need skill performers beyond Thomas ... but still a pretty solid lineup. But they have a problem -- their two Atlantic Division games are against Clemson and FSU. That's about as tough as it gets. And they didn't exactly dominate their Coastal foes last year -- they lost at home to Duke and on the road at UNC and edged Va Tech by a field goal.
-- Duke: the 2014 division champs would have repeated if Ross Martin, the most accurate FG kicker in Duke history had converted a makeable FG against VPI. Duke returns a very nice core from last year's 9-win team, but must replace its QB and its most explosive playmaker. I will say this about Sirk -- he has better resume at this point than Justin Thomas did when he stepped into the starting QB job at GT last year. Duke also has a huge advantage in the race since the Devils play the two weakest teams in the Atlantic -- Wake Forest (still rebuilding) and Boston College (which lost its entire OL -- every player -- and the nation's best rushing QB off last year's 6-6 team).
-- North Carolina: Nobody has more coming back than UNC -- 10 offensive starters back off a solid offense ... seven starters back off a terrible defense. Maybe new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik can help that -- he may have presided over a corrupt Auburn program, but he can coach. UNC gets Wake Forest in the Atlantic, but they also get NC State, which beat them 35-7 last year and seems to be on the rise. Interesting non-conference -- they pay two non FCS opponents
-- Virginia Tech: Dominated the division for years, but has been offensively challenged the last two years. Still a great defense with eight starters returning (nine if you count quality CB Brandon Facyson. who missed last year with an injury). Eight offensive starters back too, although they need to find a game-breaker on that side of the ball. They get BC (which should be a win) and NC State, a tough game, from the Atlantic.
-- Pitt: They do have a new coach in Pat Narduzzi. Nice core returning, including James Conner, the best RB in the ACC, WR Tyler Boyd, who may be the best WR in the league, and eight offensive starters. Seven defensive starters back. They get Syracuse (should be a win) and Louisville (a tough game) from the Atlantic.
-- Miami: Everybody loves the Canes because of the name, but they have never won a division title in the ACC. They lose some real skill players -- Duke Johnson, Clive Wolford and Phillip Dorsett -- but they have a more-experienced Brad Kayla at QB. But only four offensive and five defensive starters back. They also get the FSU/Clemson matchups from the Atlantic.
-- Virginia: Mike London continues to recruit well ... and to struggle in ACC play. The Cavs have a ton of talent, but maybe not as much as a year ago -- five offensive and five defensive starters back. They lost their best skill guys, but Matt Johns, who has seen a lot of time as Grayson Lambert's backup (and also started some in 2013) is still there. They get Syracuse and Louisville from the Atlantic.
Duke has split with every team in the division over the last two years -- except for going 2-0 vs. Va. (Duke is also 4-0 against its Atlantic fines in '13 and '14). I think 6-2 will win at least a share of the division title --
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/83201/acc-media-days-preview-coastal-division
It got me pumped up. They don't say it, but I will -- the 2015 ACC Coastal Race is as wide open as any division or conference in the country. ANYBODY in the division can win it. The race will be shaped by both the schedule and the emergence of a handful of players.
Here's my take:
-- Georgia Tech: the defending champs and the preseason favorite, basically because they return QB Justin Thomas and 4 of 5 offensive line starters. Also eight defensive starters. The do need skill performers beyond Thomas ... but still a pretty solid lineup. But they have a problem -- their two Atlantic Division games are against Clemson and FSU. That's about as tough as it gets. And they didn't exactly dominate their Coastal foes last year -- they lost at home to Duke and on the road at UNC and edged Va Tech by a field goal.
-- Duke: the 2014 division champs would have repeated if Ross Martin, the most accurate FG kicker in Duke history had converted a makeable FG against VPI. Duke returns a very nice core from last year's 9-win team, but must replace its QB and its most explosive playmaker. I will say this about Sirk -- he has better resume at this point than Justin Thomas did when he stepped into the starting QB job at GT last year. Duke also has a huge advantage in the race since the Devils play the two weakest teams in the Atlantic -- Wake Forest (still rebuilding) and Boston College (which lost its entire OL -- every player -- and the nation's best rushing QB off last year's 6-6 team).
-- North Carolina: Nobody has more coming back than UNC -- 10 offensive starters back off a solid offense ... seven starters back off a terrible defense. Maybe new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik can help that -- he may have presided over a corrupt Auburn program, but he can coach. UNC gets Wake Forest in the Atlantic, but they also get NC State, which beat them 35-7 last year and seems to be on the rise. Interesting non-conference -- they pay two non FCS opponents
-- Virginia Tech: Dominated the division for years, but has been offensively challenged the last two years. Still a great defense with eight starters returning (nine if you count quality CB Brandon Facyson. who missed last year with an injury). Eight offensive starters back too, although they need to find a game-breaker on that side of the ball. They get BC (which should be a win) and NC State, a tough game, from the Atlantic.
-- Pitt: They do have a new coach in Pat Narduzzi. Nice core returning, including James Conner, the best RB in the ACC, WR Tyler Boyd, who may be the best WR in the league, and eight offensive starters. Seven defensive starters back. They get Syracuse (should be a win) and Louisville (a tough game) from the Atlantic.
-- Miami: Everybody loves the Canes because of the name, but they have never won a division title in the ACC. They lose some real skill players -- Duke Johnson, Clive Wolford and Phillip Dorsett -- but they have a more-experienced Brad Kayla at QB. But only four offensive and five defensive starters back. They also get the FSU/Clemson matchups from the Atlantic.
-- Virginia: Mike London continues to recruit well ... and to struggle in ACC play. The Cavs have a ton of talent, but maybe not as much as a year ago -- five offensive and five defensive starters back. They lost their best skill guys, but Matt Johns, who has seen a lot of time as Grayson Lambert's backup (and also started some in 2013) is still there. They get Syracuse and Louisville from the Atlantic.
Duke has split with every team in the division over the last two years -- except for going 2-0 vs. Va. (Duke is also 4-0 against its Atlantic fines in '13 and '14). I think 6-2 will win at least a share of the division title --