At this point, I have previewed Boston College, Syracuse, Maryland, and Wake Forest. I've predicted all four to finish the season 6-6 or worse. You might be wondering where the good teams are in the ACC's Atlantic Division. Well, the power resides in the south. Now, I'll look at the remaining three teams in the division: N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State.
N.C. State
Last year: N.C. State finished 7-6 last season and 4-4 in the ACC, placing it third in the Atlantic Division. The team came into the year with high expectations, coming off nine- and eight-win seasons. N.C. State started the year off in disappointing fashion, falling to mediocre SEC team Tennessee, 35-21, in Atlanta. The Volunteers ended up 5-7 and 1-7 in the SEC. N.C. State won its next three games, but could not stop Miami in a shootout loss. The Wolfpack then got a landmark win, 17-16, over No. 3 Florida State. They could not carry on momentum from that victory, however, falling to UNC in another shootout and getting shellacked by Virginia, 33-6, in Raleigh. The Wolfpack lost, 38-24, to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl. N.C. State beat all the bad teams on its schedule except UVa. Against superior teams, the Wolfpack's defense kept falling flat, except vs. Florida State. The Wolfpack gave up 33 or more points in every loss. Quarterback Mike Glennon gave the Wolfpack a great passing attack. The senior completed 58.5 percent of his passes for more than 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 17 interceptions, however, were most in the ACC. Six receivers were the main beneficiaries of Glennon's solid season -- all had at least 30 receptions -- with Tobias Palmer and Quintin Payton each catching over 50 passes for close to 800 yards apiece. In the backfield, Shadrach Thornton and Tony Creecy combined for nearly 1,200 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Head coach Tom O'Brien was let go after the regular season. He is now an assistant at Virginia.
Offense: Dave Doeren is the new coach of the 'Pack. He spent the last two seasons at Northern Illinois, guiding the Huskies to a combined record of 23-4. His final game at NIU was a blowout loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Doeren went with a strong run-based spread attack with the Huskies and is
implementing it in Raleigh. Both Creecy and Thornton are back and expected to put up big numbers in the offense. Only two starters return on the offensive line so that is a point of concern, however. The Wolfpack must find a QB to replace Glennon. Doeren has said a starter will not be named until N.C. Sate's Aug. 31 opener vs. Louisiana Tech. Fifth-year Arkansas transfer Brandon Mitchell and junior Colorado State transfer Pete Thomas are the pair contending for the spot. Whoever wins that competition will have a veteran receiving corps to throw to. Palmer is gone but Payton is back, as is deep threat Rashard Smith and Brandon Underwood, who had the most catches on the team last season after Palmer and Payton.
Defense: N.C. State returns just five players on defense. All-ACC cornerback David Amerson is now roaming the defensive backfield of the Redskins. The secondary still has some talent, however. Dantae Johnson is a tall cornerback with lots of experience who had 74 tackles and eight pass breakups last season. Justin Burris tallied three picks in 2012 and Hakim Jones nabbed one. The linebacking corps is lacking in experience with only seven starts between the returners. The defense could actually be better than last year because Doeren built his reputation as a strong defensive coordinator at Wisconsin before becoming the head coach at NIU.
Special teams note: Tobias Palmer was strong as a kick returner last year, notching 25.7 yards per return and two touchdowns. The Wolfpack will miss him.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Louisiana Tech, Richmond, Clemson, Central Michigan, at Wake Forest, Syracuse, at Florida State, North Carolina, at Duke, at Boston College, East Carolina, Maryland. The Wolfpack will miss Glennon, Palmer, and Amerson this season. They could still have a solid, year, though. All Doeren has known so far is winning as a head coach and his assistant coaching stops have also been successful. He's been around lots of winning. The schedule is favorable. Eight home games. Non-conference bouts with Louisiana Tech, Richmond, Central Michigan, and East Carolina are all certainly winnable. The Wolfpack has to go to Florida State but gets Clemson and UNC at home. They avoid playing Virginia Tech and Miami, which could be two of the stronger teams from the Coastal. Doeren has two strong running backs back in the fold and he's been known for molding good defenses. Slow starts to seasons were a problem under O'Brien but the schedule sets up to where State should be 4-2 or 5-1 after six games. If the 'Pack can find a decent quarterback, they should go bowling.
Win-loss prediction: 6-6 or 7-5
Clemson
Last year: The Tigers went 11-2 and 7-1 in the conference, falling to only Florida State on the road and South Carolina at home. Clemson got a nice, 25-24, win over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to end the year. Tahj Boyd had a good year at quarterback, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,896 yards for 36 touchdowns and 13 picks. He also ran for 514 yards. Andre Ellington led the team in rushing with 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. De'Andre Hopkins was a beast at receiver with 82 catches for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns. Sophomore Sammy Watkins dipped in production from his freshman season, but still caught 57 passes and a trio of touchdowns in 10 games. The defense was average but didn't get embarrassed like it did when it gave up 70 point to West Virginia at the end of the 2011 season in the Orange Bowl. What it did do, instead, at the end of the 2012 season was hold LSU to just 219 yards in the bowl game.
Offense: Boyd, the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, is poised for a huge season in his senior campaign. Some analysts think he is a dark horse contender for the Heisman Trophy. He doesn't have Hopkins to throw to anymore, but Watkins is expected to make a rebound from his dip in production last season. Junior Adam Humphries is a solid second receiver who snatched 41 catches last season. Ellington is gone from the backfield, but senior Roderick McDowell should make a capable replacement. He ran for 450 yards and five scores in 2012. Any running back should have an advantage, too, since Boyd is a capable runner.
Defenses know that on any given play, Boyd is a triple threat who can run, hand it off, or throw the ball. The Tigers also return four starters on the offensive line, another factor that bodes well for the rushing attack.
Defense: Clemson returns six starters to a defense that was third in the ACC in points allowed per game last year. Brent Venables is in his second year as defensive coordinator, making the move from Oklahoma before last season. Senior linebacker Spencer Shuey is the leading returning tackler, racking up 93 stops last season. Defensive end Vic Beasley returns for his third year after totaling eight sacks a season ago. The weak link of the Tigers defense will be in the secondary, where it loses three starters. Clemson returns no players who had more than one pick last season.
Special teams note: The return game should experience some flair with Watkins making some big plays. Senior kicker Chandler Catanzaro is back as well, converting on 18 of 19 field goals last year. His only miss was from 48 yards.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Georgia, South Carolina State, at N.C. State, Wake Forest, at Syracuse, Boston College, Florida State, at Maryland, at Virginia, Georgia Tech, Citadel, at South Carolina. The Tigers are now entering their sixth year under coach Dabo Swinney and they avoided many of the surprising letdowns last season that normally plague a Clemson team. Their only losses were to Florida State on the road, a team that went on to win the ACC and the Orange Bowl, and to South Carolina, a team that went 11-2. The squad has strong returners to all three units. Boyd is a dynamic threat on offense and the Tigers should have no problem putting points on the board. The defense might be able to take a step forward in Venables' second season, but the passing defense will be a concern early on. That doesn't bode well for Clemson in its first game, because the Tigers' first opponent -- Georgia -- returns one of the top QBs in the country in Aaron Murray. That is a huge game for Clemson. Otherwise, the Tigers have a pretty favorable schedule of seven home games. They get Florida State and Georgia Tech at home and avoid playing Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech, three teams which could finish near the top of the ACC Coastal's Division. If Clemson can get past Georgia and an early road test at N.C. State, the sky is the limit and the Tigers will be touted as possible BCS championship contenders. The FSU game will loom even larger if the Tigers are undefeated at that point. And then if they keep it up, obviously the game at South Carolina could be enormous because the Gamecocks are up there with the best teams in the nation as well. This should be another great year for Clemson, if it has gotten over the hump of shocking losses. The Atlantic Division title will probably come down to the FSU at Clemson game.
Win-loss prediction: 10-2 or 11-1
Florida State
Last year: The Seminoles posted an overall record of 12-2 and an ACC mark of 7-1 last season. The 'Noles lost on the road to N.C. State by a point and to Florida by 11. FSU beat Georgia Tech, 21-15, in the ACC title game and trucked Northern Illinois, 31-10, in the Orange Bowl. The offense scored nearly 40 points per game. E.J. Manuel had a great year under center, completing 68 percent of his passes for 3,392 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 picks. Like Boyd, Manuel (both are from Virginia by the way) was a rushing threat, too, and found 310 yards on the ground. Chris Thompson was the best running back for FSU, picking up 687 yards in just eight games because of a torn ACL. Receiving-wise, Rashad Greene had 57 catches for 741 yards and six touchdowns. Florida State had a great defense last season. Only three opponents scored more than 20 points.
Offense: Manuel is in the NFL with the Bills now, and Clint Trickett announced he would transfer after the spring. Redshirt freshman Jameis Winston and sophomore Jacob Coker are battling for the starting QB spot. Winston is more of a scrambler while Coker is a pro-style QB. Based on the information out there, it seems like Winston will win the job. Either one will benefit from an offensive line that is returning every starter. Thompson's injury last season meant Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. were able to develop in the backfield. Both return after racking up more than 600 yards each and 19 touchdowns combined. At receiver, Rodney Smith (38 receptions) is gone but there is lots of production back, including Greene, Kenny Shaw (33 catches) and Kelvin Benjamin (30 receptions). Depth at receiver and tight end is a bit of a concern because of injuries, academics, and such.
Defense: Only four starters return on defense. FSU must replace the entire defensive line, which featured defensive end standouts Bjoern Wenrer (third in the nation with 13 sacks) and Tank Carradine (11 sacks). Only one starter returns at linebacker, senior Christian Jones, who led the 'Noles last season in tackles. The secondary is strong with three starters returning. The 'Noles have some holes to fill on this side of the ball, but a lot of last year's backups, who are now starters, got experience last season. It should also be noted that FSU has a new defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt, who was the secondary coach at Alabama. Last season's DC, Mark Stoops, is now the head coach at Kentucky.
Special teams note: Four-year starting kicker Dustin Hopkins will be missed by FSU. He made 25 of 30 field goals and is the ACC's all-time career scoring leader and the NCAA's all-time leader in field goals made.
Schedule, notes, outlook: at Pittsburgh, Nevada, Bethune-Cookman, at Boston College, Maryland, at Clemson, N.C. State, Miami, at Wake Forest, Syracuse, Idaho, at Florida. FSU's schedule is fairly easy. The 'Noles avoid UNC, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech from the Coastal Division. The Seminoles should go 3-1 in their non-conference games and they have a chance to beat Florida. They will not be as good as last year but will rack up a lot of wins. They might even get as many wins as Clemson and perhaps more if the Tigers slip up and suffer an unexpected loss. Clemson, though, should beat FSU in Death Valley and I think it will ultimately win the Atlantic Division. Florida State should have another solid year, however. There are lots of great players returning, especially on offense. If FSU can find a solid QB and the defense comes of age sooner rather than later, FSU could make a run for another ACC title.
Win-loss prediction: 9-3 or 10-2
N.C. State
Last year: N.C. State finished 7-6 last season and 4-4 in the ACC, placing it third in the Atlantic Division. The team came into the year with high expectations, coming off nine- and eight-win seasons. N.C. State started the year off in disappointing fashion, falling to mediocre SEC team Tennessee, 35-21, in Atlanta. The Volunteers ended up 5-7 and 1-7 in the SEC. N.C. State won its next three games, but could not stop Miami in a shootout loss. The Wolfpack then got a landmark win, 17-16, over No. 3 Florida State. They could not carry on momentum from that victory, however, falling to UNC in another shootout and getting shellacked by Virginia, 33-6, in Raleigh. The Wolfpack lost, 38-24, to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl. N.C. State beat all the bad teams on its schedule except UVa. Against superior teams, the Wolfpack's defense kept falling flat, except vs. Florida State. The Wolfpack gave up 33 or more points in every loss. Quarterback Mike Glennon gave the Wolfpack a great passing attack. The senior completed 58.5 percent of his passes for more than 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 17 interceptions, however, were most in the ACC. Six receivers were the main beneficiaries of Glennon's solid season -- all had at least 30 receptions -- with Tobias Palmer and Quintin Payton each catching over 50 passes for close to 800 yards apiece. In the backfield, Shadrach Thornton and Tony Creecy combined for nearly 1,200 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Head coach Tom O'Brien was let go after the regular season. He is now an assistant at Virginia.
Offense: Dave Doeren is the new coach of the 'Pack. He spent the last two seasons at Northern Illinois, guiding the Huskies to a combined record of 23-4. His final game at NIU was a blowout loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Doeren went with a strong run-based spread attack with the Huskies and is
implementing it in Raleigh. Both Creecy and Thornton are back and expected to put up big numbers in the offense. Only two starters return on the offensive line so that is a point of concern, however. The Wolfpack must find a QB to replace Glennon. Doeren has said a starter will not be named until N.C. Sate's Aug. 31 opener vs. Louisiana Tech. Fifth-year Arkansas transfer Brandon Mitchell and junior Colorado State transfer Pete Thomas are the pair contending for the spot. Whoever wins that competition will have a veteran receiving corps to throw to. Palmer is gone but Payton is back, as is deep threat Rashard Smith and Brandon Underwood, who had the most catches on the team last season after Palmer and Payton.Defense: N.C. State returns just five players on defense. All-ACC cornerback David Amerson is now roaming the defensive backfield of the Redskins. The secondary still has some talent, however. Dantae Johnson is a tall cornerback with lots of experience who had 74 tackles and eight pass breakups last season. Justin Burris tallied three picks in 2012 and Hakim Jones nabbed one. The linebacking corps is lacking in experience with only seven starts between the returners. The defense could actually be better than last year because Doeren built his reputation as a strong defensive coordinator at Wisconsin before becoming the head coach at NIU.
Special teams note: Tobias Palmer was strong as a kick returner last year, notching 25.7 yards per return and two touchdowns. The Wolfpack will miss him.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Louisiana Tech, Richmond, Clemson, Central Michigan, at Wake Forest, Syracuse, at Florida State, North Carolina, at Duke, at Boston College, East Carolina, Maryland. The Wolfpack will miss Glennon, Palmer, and Amerson this season. They could still have a solid, year, though. All Doeren has known so far is winning as a head coach and his assistant coaching stops have also been successful. He's been around lots of winning. The schedule is favorable. Eight home games. Non-conference bouts with Louisiana Tech, Richmond, Central Michigan, and East Carolina are all certainly winnable. The Wolfpack has to go to Florida State but gets Clemson and UNC at home. They avoid playing Virginia Tech and Miami, which could be two of the stronger teams from the Coastal. Doeren has two strong running backs back in the fold and he's been known for molding good defenses. Slow starts to seasons were a problem under O'Brien but the schedule sets up to where State should be 4-2 or 5-1 after six games. If the 'Pack can find a decent quarterback, they should go bowling.
Win-loss prediction: 6-6 or 7-5
Clemson
Last year: The Tigers went 11-2 and 7-1 in the conference, falling to only Florida State on the road and South Carolina at home. Clemson got a nice, 25-24, win over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to end the year. Tahj Boyd had a good year at quarterback, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,896 yards for 36 touchdowns and 13 picks. He also ran for 514 yards. Andre Ellington led the team in rushing with 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. De'Andre Hopkins was a beast at receiver with 82 catches for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns. Sophomore Sammy Watkins dipped in production from his freshman season, but still caught 57 passes and a trio of touchdowns in 10 games. The defense was average but didn't get embarrassed like it did when it gave up 70 point to West Virginia at the end of the 2011 season in the Orange Bowl. What it did do, instead, at the end of the 2012 season was hold LSU to just 219 yards in the bowl game.
Offense: Boyd, the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, is poised for a huge season in his senior campaign. Some analysts think he is a dark horse contender for the Heisman Trophy. He doesn't have Hopkins to throw to anymore, but Watkins is expected to make a rebound from his dip in production last season. Junior Adam Humphries is a solid second receiver who snatched 41 catches last season. Ellington is gone from the backfield, but senior Roderick McDowell should make a capable replacement. He ran for 450 yards and five scores in 2012. Any running back should have an advantage, too, since Boyd is a capable runner.
Defense: Clemson returns six starters to a defense that was third in the ACC in points allowed per game last year. Brent Venables is in his second year as defensive coordinator, making the move from Oklahoma before last season. Senior linebacker Spencer Shuey is the leading returning tackler, racking up 93 stops last season. Defensive end Vic Beasley returns for his third year after totaling eight sacks a season ago. The weak link of the Tigers defense will be in the secondary, where it loses three starters. Clemson returns no players who had more than one pick last season.
Special teams note: The return game should experience some flair with Watkins making some big plays. Senior kicker Chandler Catanzaro is back as well, converting on 18 of 19 field goals last year. His only miss was from 48 yards.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Georgia, South Carolina State, at N.C. State, Wake Forest, at Syracuse, Boston College, Florida State, at Maryland, at Virginia, Georgia Tech, Citadel, at South Carolina. The Tigers are now entering their sixth year under coach Dabo Swinney and they avoided many of the surprising letdowns last season that normally plague a Clemson team. Their only losses were to Florida State on the road, a team that went on to win the ACC and the Orange Bowl, and to South Carolina, a team that went 11-2. The squad has strong returners to all three units. Boyd is a dynamic threat on offense and the Tigers should have no problem putting points on the board. The defense might be able to take a step forward in Venables' second season, but the passing defense will be a concern early on. That doesn't bode well for Clemson in its first game, because the Tigers' first opponent -- Georgia -- returns one of the top QBs in the country in Aaron Murray. That is a huge game for Clemson. Otherwise, the Tigers have a pretty favorable schedule of seven home games. They get Florida State and Georgia Tech at home and avoid playing Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech, three teams which could finish near the top of the ACC Coastal's Division. If Clemson can get past Georgia and an early road test at N.C. State, the sky is the limit and the Tigers will be touted as possible BCS championship contenders. The FSU game will loom even larger if the Tigers are undefeated at that point. And then if they keep it up, obviously the game at South Carolina could be enormous because the Gamecocks are up there with the best teams in the nation as well. This should be another great year for Clemson, if it has gotten over the hump of shocking losses. The Atlantic Division title will probably come down to the FSU at Clemson game.
Win-loss prediction: 10-2 or 11-1
Florida State
Last year: The Seminoles posted an overall record of 12-2 and an ACC mark of 7-1 last season. The 'Noles lost on the road to N.C. State by a point and to Florida by 11. FSU beat Georgia Tech, 21-15, in the ACC title game and trucked Northern Illinois, 31-10, in the Orange Bowl. The offense scored nearly 40 points per game. E.J. Manuel had a great year under center, completing 68 percent of his passes for 3,392 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 picks. Like Boyd, Manuel (both are from Virginia by the way) was a rushing threat, too, and found 310 yards on the ground. Chris Thompson was the best running back for FSU, picking up 687 yards in just eight games because of a torn ACL. Receiving-wise, Rashad Greene had 57 catches for 741 yards and six touchdowns. Florida State had a great defense last season. Only three opponents scored more than 20 points.
Offense: Manuel is in the NFL with the Bills now, and Clint Trickett announced he would transfer after the spring. Redshirt freshman Jameis Winston and sophomore Jacob Coker are battling for the starting QB spot. Winston is more of a scrambler while Coker is a pro-style QB. Based on the information out there, it seems like Winston will win the job. Either one will benefit from an offensive line that is returning every starter. Thompson's injury last season meant Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. were able to develop in the backfield. Both return after racking up more than 600 yards each and 19 touchdowns combined. At receiver, Rodney Smith (38 receptions) is gone but there is lots of production back, including Greene, Kenny Shaw (33 catches) and Kelvin Benjamin (30 receptions). Depth at receiver and tight end is a bit of a concern because of injuries, academics, and such.
Defense: Only four starters return on defense. FSU must replace the entire defensive line, which featured defensive end standouts Bjoern Wenrer (third in the nation with 13 sacks) and Tank Carradine (11 sacks). Only one starter returns at linebacker, senior Christian Jones, who led the 'Noles last season in tackles. The secondary is strong with three starters returning. The 'Noles have some holes to fill on this side of the ball, but a lot of last year's backups, who are now starters, got experience last season. It should also be noted that FSU has a new defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt, who was the secondary coach at Alabama. Last season's DC, Mark Stoops, is now the head coach at Kentucky.
Special teams note: Four-year starting kicker Dustin Hopkins will be missed by FSU. He made 25 of 30 field goals and is the ACC's all-time career scoring leader and the NCAA's all-time leader in field goals made.
Schedule, notes, outlook: at Pittsburgh, Nevada, Bethune-Cookman, at Boston College, Maryland, at Clemson, N.C. State, Miami, at Wake Forest, Syracuse, Idaho, at Florida. FSU's schedule is fairly easy. The 'Noles avoid UNC, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech from the Coastal Division. The Seminoles should go 3-1 in their non-conference games and they have a chance to beat Florida. They will not be as good as last year but will rack up a lot of wins. They might even get as many wins as Clemson and perhaps more if the Tigers slip up and suffer an unexpected loss. Clemson, though, should beat FSU in Death Valley and I think it will ultimately win the Atlantic Division. Florida State should have another solid year, however. There are lots of great players returning, especially on offense. If FSU can find a solid QB and the defense comes of age sooner rather than later, FSU could make a run for another ACC title.
Win-loss prediction: 9-3 or 10-2
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