Pittsburgh
Last year: 6-7 (4-4), lost, 35-34, to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl
Best win: at Boston College, 30-20 Worst loss: vs. Akron, 24-10
Coach: Pat Narduzzi (first year)
Starters returning: 17 (8 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: WR Tyler Boyd. The junior was charged with a DUI in June but will just miss the team's opener against Youngstown State. He is one of the biggest deep threats in all of college football coming into the season, this coming on a team that likes to emphasize the run. The speedy Boyd caught 78 passes last year for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns. He's the first receiver in the history of the ACC to top 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons.
Defensive player to watch: LB Matt Galambos. He was third on the team last year with 72 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss. He didn't have any sacks, but did have a pick.
Special teams player to watch: Boyd. The Panthers return both their kicker, Chris Blewitt, and their punter, Ryan Winslow, but neither was spectacular last season. Boyd was 10th nationally and first in
the ACC with 27.6 yards per kick return. He was also 21st nationally and second in the ACC in punt return average (10.1).
Schedule: Youngstown State, at Iowa, at Akron, at Virginia Tech, Virginia, at Georgia Tech, at Syracuse, North Carolina, Notre Dame, at Duke, Louisville, Miami.
Outlook: Four of Pittsburgh's first six games are on the road but they are doable. Pitt almost beat Iowa last year and the Hawkeyes finished just 7-6, Akron is surely a game Pitt should win and the Panthers will want some revenge for the loss last year, and the Pitt traditionally gives the Hokies problems and beat them last year. The Georgia Tech game will be difficult but the Panthers do have lots of defensive players returning, one of the keys to stopping the Yellow Jacket offense. If the Panthers can beat Virginia and one of Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech, they could turn the corner in the second half of the season with a fighting chance to claim the Coastal Division with plenty of home games left. The team also avoids having to play Florida State and Clemson. Boyd is truly dynamic and gives the offense lots of firepower. Returning QB Chad Voytik completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,233 yards, 16 TDs, and seven picks. Returning RB James Conner is a bulldozer who ran for 1,765 yards a year ago and scored 26 TDs. Pitt has plenty of weapons on offense to get the job done and the defense returns a good amount of experience. It does need to create more turnovers (just 14 a year ago) and get more pressure on the QB (just 19 sacks) but Narduzzi, who was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State and successful in that role, might be the guy that can make Pitt's 'D' more aggressive.
Win-loss prediction: 7-5 or 8-4
Virginia Tech
Last year: 7-6 (3-5), beat Cincinnati, 33-17, in the Military Bowl
Best win: at Ohio State, 35-21 Worst loss: at Wake Forest, 6-3, in double overtime
Coach: Frank Beamer (29th year, 231-115-2)
Starters returning: 18 (8 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB Michael Brewer. The Hokies have options at running back (if they all stay healthy) and two good young receivers in Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips. But Brewer will have to be the straw that stirs the drink. He had some good moments and not-so-good moments a year ago when he completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,691 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He will have to get to a more consistent level for the Hokies to get to where they want to be this season.
Defensive player to watch: DE Dadi Nicolas. It would have been easy to pick any one of eight returning starters to a unit that is expected to be very good but it starts up front for Tech with an imposing defensive line. Nicolas, a senior, compiled 72 tackles last year, 18.5 for loss, and nine sacks.
Special teams player to watch: K Joey Slye. Just a freshman last season, he emerged as the No. 1 kicker and had his fair share of struggles, but converted 20 of 28 field goals, including four in the
bowl win, one of which was a season-long 49-yarder.
Schedule: Ohio State, Furman, at Purdue, at East Carolina, Pittsburgh, N.C. State, at Miami, Duke, at Boston College, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, at Virginia.
Outlook: As usual in Blacksburg, the defense is expected to be solid to exceptional and it will probably be up to the offense to determine what kind of year the team has. As I said, there are some nice weapons on offense. One running back after another got injured last season but J.C. Coleman (533 yards, three TDs) emerged as a solid (albeit small at 5-foot-6) option. Shai McKenzie (269 yards, three TDs) ran into some trouble with the law and will miss the Ohio State game but is back from a torn ACL that caused him to miss eight games. Trey Edmunds only had 97 yards last year but averaged 4.6 yards per carry before breaking his clavicle against UNC -- this after breaking his leg against Virginia in 2013. Marshawn Williams (475 yards, 4 TDs) tore his ACL in November and is working back but might redshirt. Ford, just a sophomore, led all the receivers last year with 56 catches for 709 yards and six TDs. Tech also has great options at tight end with Bucky Hodges and Ryan Malleck. The offensive line, a bugaboo for Tech in recent years, could be a problem. Only two starters return and the unit as a whole is inexperienced. Schedule-wise, Tech dodged a bullet when Ohio State suspended four players for the opener, including All-American defensive end Joey Bossa, but OSU will still obviously be a very good test for the Hokies. The defending national champions will surely be looking to win in Blacksburg, just as Tech did in Columbus in 2014. Nevertheless, I could definitely see Tech winning that game. Lane Stadium will be fired up for that one. The road game at ECU could be another non-ACC pothole. The Pirates beat Tech last year and in 2008. The ACC schedule is not too bad, as the Hokies avoid Clemson and Florida State, but road games at Boston College and Georgia Tech do stand out. The defense could be the best in several years for Tech, but it will come down to the offense to see how far this team can go.
Win-loss prediction: 8-4 or 9-3
Last year: 6-7 (4-4), lost, 35-34, to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl
Best win: at Boston College, 30-20 Worst loss: vs. Akron, 24-10
Coach: Pat Narduzzi (first year)
Starters returning: 17 (8 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: WR Tyler Boyd. The junior was charged with a DUI in June but will just miss the team's opener against Youngstown State. He is one of the biggest deep threats in all of college football coming into the season, this coming on a team that likes to emphasize the run. The speedy Boyd caught 78 passes last year for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns. He's the first receiver in the history of the ACC to top 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons.
Defensive player to watch: LB Matt Galambos. He was third on the team last year with 72 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss. He didn't have any sacks, but did have a pick.
Special teams player to watch: Boyd. The Panthers return both their kicker, Chris Blewitt, and their punter, Ryan Winslow, but neither was spectacular last season. Boyd was 10th nationally and first in
Schedule: Youngstown State, at Iowa, at Akron, at Virginia Tech, Virginia, at Georgia Tech, at Syracuse, North Carolina, Notre Dame, at Duke, Louisville, Miami.
Outlook: Four of Pittsburgh's first six games are on the road but they are doable. Pitt almost beat Iowa last year and the Hawkeyes finished just 7-6, Akron is surely a game Pitt should win and the Panthers will want some revenge for the loss last year, and the Pitt traditionally gives the Hokies problems and beat them last year. The Georgia Tech game will be difficult but the Panthers do have lots of defensive players returning, one of the keys to stopping the Yellow Jacket offense. If the Panthers can beat Virginia and one of Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech, they could turn the corner in the second half of the season with a fighting chance to claim the Coastal Division with plenty of home games left. The team also avoids having to play Florida State and Clemson. Boyd is truly dynamic and gives the offense lots of firepower. Returning QB Chad Voytik completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,233 yards, 16 TDs, and seven picks. Returning RB James Conner is a bulldozer who ran for 1,765 yards a year ago and scored 26 TDs. Pitt has plenty of weapons on offense to get the job done and the defense returns a good amount of experience. It does need to create more turnovers (just 14 a year ago) and get more pressure on the QB (just 19 sacks) but Narduzzi, who was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State and successful in that role, might be the guy that can make Pitt's 'D' more aggressive.
Win-loss prediction: 7-5 or 8-4
Virginia Tech
Last year: 7-6 (3-5), beat Cincinnati, 33-17, in the Military Bowl
Best win: at Ohio State, 35-21 Worst loss: at Wake Forest, 6-3, in double overtime
Coach: Frank Beamer (29th year, 231-115-2)
Starters returning: 18 (8 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB Michael Brewer. The Hokies have options at running back (if they all stay healthy) and two good young receivers in Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips. But Brewer will have to be the straw that stirs the drink. He had some good moments and not-so-good moments a year ago when he completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,691 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He will have to get to a more consistent level for the Hokies to get to where they want to be this season.
Defensive player to watch: DE Dadi Nicolas. It would have been easy to pick any one of eight returning starters to a unit that is expected to be very good but it starts up front for Tech with an imposing defensive line. Nicolas, a senior, compiled 72 tackles last year, 18.5 for loss, and nine sacks.
Special teams player to watch: K Joey Slye. Just a freshman last season, he emerged as the No. 1 kicker and had his fair share of struggles, but converted 20 of 28 field goals, including four in the
Schedule: Ohio State, Furman, at Purdue, at East Carolina, Pittsburgh, N.C. State, at Miami, Duke, at Boston College, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, at Virginia.
Outlook: As usual in Blacksburg, the defense is expected to be solid to exceptional and it will probably be up to the offense to determine what kind of year the team has. As I said, there are some nice weapons on offense. One running back after another got injured last season but J.C. Coleman (533 yards, three TDs) emerged as a solid (albeit small at 5-foot-6) option. Shai McKenzie (269 yards, three TDs) ran into some trouble with the law and will miss the Ohio State game but is back from a torn ACL that caused him to miss eight games. Trey Edmunds only had 97 yards last year but averaged 4.6 yards per carry before breaking his clavicle against UNC -- this after breaking his leg against Virginia in 2013. Marshawn Williams (475 yards, 4 TDs) tore his ACL in November and is working back but might redshirt. Ford, just a sophomore, led all the receivers last year with 56 catches for 709 yards and six TDs. Tech also has great options at tight end with Bucky Hodges and Ryan Malleck. The offensive line, a bugaboo for Tech in recent years, could be a problem. Only two starters return and the unit as a whole is inexperienced. Schedule-wise, Tech dodged a bullet when Ohio State suspended four players for the opener, including All-American defensive end Joey Bossa, but OSU will still obviously be a very good test for the Hokies. The defending national champions will surely be looking to win in Blacksburg, just as Tech did in Columbus in 2014. Nevertheless, I could definitely see Tech winning that game. Lane Stadium will be fired up for that one. The road game at ECU could be another non-ACC pothole. The Pirates beat Tech last year and in 2008. The ACC schedule is not too bad, as the Hokies avoid Clemson and Florida State, but road games at Boston College and Georgia Tech do stand out. The defense could be the best in several years for Tech, but it will come down to the offense to see how far this team can go.
Win-loss prediction: 8-4 or 9-3
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