Georgia Tech
Last year: 5-6 (4-4 ACC) Best win: vs. Virginia Tech, 28-22 Worst loss: vs. Tennessee, 42-41 in double OT at the Georgia Dome
Coach: Paul Johnson (11th year, 75-54, 182-93 career)
Starters returning: 18 (9 offense, 6 defense, 3 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB TaQuon Marshall. As a junior, Marshall rushed for 1,146 yards and 17 touchdowns in Johnson's triple-option offense. He needs to improve as a passer, though. You don't have to be a great passer at Georgia Tech, but you should be serviceable.
Marshall completed just 37.1 percent of his passes for 927 yards, 10 scores, and five picks.
Defensive player to watch: DE Anree Saint-Amour. A senior, Saint-Amour recorded 32 tackles, 5.5 for losses, and 2.5 sacks last season. Georgia Tech will be looking for more production out of him as the defense transitions to a 3-4.
Special teams player to watch: P Pressley Harvin III. Harvin averaged 44.1 yards per punt as a true freshman, pinning offenses inside the 20-yard line 16 times with 13 punts of at least 50 yards. He was named a freshman All-American.
Schedule: vs. Alcorn State, at South Florida, at Pittsburgh, vs. Clemson, vs. Bowling Green, at Louisville, vs. Duke, at Virginia Tech, at North Carolina, vs. Miami, vs. Virginia, at Georgia.
Win-loss prediction: 7-5 or 8-4. This should be a rebound year for Georgia Tech with several returning starters, and last season's team wasn't far from 7-4 with two one-point losses to the Volunteers and Miami. The Jackets also led UVa, 28-13, before losing, 40-36. I was hesitant to tack on too many wins because of tough trips to South Florida, Pitt, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. The all-important backfield for Georgia Tech is stacked with KirVonte Benson and Clinton Lynch and the line returns four starters. Defensive improvement could be the key to whether Tech can try to contend with Miami and Virginia Tech in the division or merely get back to a bowl.
Miami
Last year: 10-3 (7-1 ACC), lost to Wisconsin, 34-24, in Orange Bowl
Best win: vs. Notre Dame, 41-8 Worst loss: at Pittsburgh, 24-14
Coach: Mark Richt (third year, 19-7, 164-58 career)
Starters returning: 13 (6 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist)
Offensive player to watch: RB Travis Homer. I've written about plenty of quarterbacks, so let's look at someone in the backfield. Homer, a junior, took over for the injured Mark Walton last season and rushed for 966 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. He also caught 18 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive player to watch: S Jaquan Johnson. A senior who was named a second-team All-American last season, Johnson led the Hurricanes in tackles (96) and added three tackles for losses, a
sack, four picks, four breakups, and three forced fumbles.
Special teams player to watch: P Zach Feagles. As a true freshman, Feagles, the son of former NFL punter Jeff Feagles, averaged 38.6 yards per punt, putting 25 inside the 20.
Schedule: vs. LSU in Arlington, vs. Savannah State, at Toledo, vs. Florida International, vs. North Carolina, vs. Florida State, at Virginia, at Boston College, vs. Duke, at Georgia Tech, at Virginia Tech, vs. Pittsburgh.
Win-loss prediction: 9-3 or 10-2. Miami is the favorite in the Coastal and is starting out the season as the No. 8 team in the AP poll. But as dominant as the Hurricanes were at times last season, they also had some close calls. Virginia led them 28-14 in the third quarter, and they beat sub-par UNC and Syracuse teams by just eight and five points, respectively. The average score of a Miami game was 29-21. The 'Canes also finished the year on a three-game losing streak. QB Malik Rosier struggled at the end of 2017 and needs to be more consistent, but he has good weapons. The defensive line lost lots of talent, but the linebackers and secondary are very deep and talented groups. LSU, FSU, at BC, and back-to-back road games at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech represent landmines.
Last year: 5-6 (4-4 ACC) Best win: vs. Virginia Tech, 28-22 Worst loss: vs. Tennessee, 42-41 in double OT at the Georgia Dome
Coach: Paul Johnson (11th year, 75-54, 182-93 career)
Starters returning: 18 (9 offense, 6 defense, 3 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB TaQuon Marshall. As a junior, Marshall rushed for 1,146 yards and 17 touchdowns in Johnson's triple-option offense. He needs to improve as a passer, though. You don't have to be a great passer at Georgia Tech, but you should be serviceable.
Defensive player to watch: DE Anree Saint-Amour. A senior, Saint-Amour recorded 32 tackles, 5.5 for losses, and 2.5 sacks last season. Georgia Tech will be looking for more production out of him as the defense transitions to a 3-4.
Special teams player to watch: P Pressley Harvin III. Harvin averaged 44.1 yards per punt as a true freshman, pinning offenses inside the 20-yard line 16 times with 13 punts of at least 50 yards. He was named a freshman All-American.
Schedule: vs. Alcorn State, at South Florida, at Pittsburgh, vs. Clemson, vs. Bowling Green, at Louisville, vs. Duke, at Virginia Tech, at North Carolina, vs. Miami, vs. Virginia, at Georgia.
Win-loss prediction: 7-5 or 8-4. This should be a rebound year for Georgia Tech with several returning starters, and last season's team wasn't far from 7-4 with two one-point losses to the Volunteers and Miami. The Jackets also led UVa, 28-13, before losing, 40-36. I was hesitant to tack on too many wins because of tough trips to South Florida, Pitt, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. The all-important backfield for Georgia Tech is stacked with KirVonte Benson and Clinton Lynch and the line returns four starters. Defensive improvement could be the key to whether Tech can try to contend with Miami and Virginia Tech in the division or merely get back to a bowl.
Miami
Last year: 10-3 (7-1 ACC), lost to Wisconsin, 34-24, in Orange Bowl
Best win: vs. Notre Dame, 41-8 Worst loss: at Pittsburgh, 24-14
Coach: Mark Richt (third year, 19-7, 164-58 career)
Starters returning: 13 (6 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist)
Offensive player to watch: RB Travis Homer. I've written about plenty of quarterbacks, so let's look at someone in the backfield. Homer, a junior, took over for the injured Mark Walton last season and rushed for 966 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. He also caught 18 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive player to watch: S Jaquan Johnson. A senior who was named a second-team All-American last season, Johnson led the Hurricanes in tackles (96) and added three tackles for losses, a
Special teams player to watch: P Zach Feagles. As a true freshman, Feagles, the son of former NFL punter Jeff Feagles, averaged 38.6 yards per punt, putting 25 inside the 20.
Schedule: vs. LSU in Arlington, vs. Savannah State, at Toledo, vs. Florida International, vs. North Carolina, vs. Florida State, at Virginia, at Boston College, vs. Duke, at Georgia Tech, at Virginia Tech, vs. Pittsburgh.
Win-loss prediction: 9-3 or 10-2. Miami is the favorite in the Coastal and is starting out the season as the No. 8 team in the AP poll. But as dominant as the Hurricanes were at times last season, they also had some close calls. Virginia led them 28-14 in the third quarter, and they beat sub-par UNC and Syracuse teams by just eight and five points, respectively. The average score of a Miami game was 29-21. The 'Canes also finished the year on a three-game losing streak. QB Malik Rosier struggled at the end of 2017 and needs to be more consistent, but he has good weapons. The defensive line lost lots of talent, but the linebackers and secondary are very deep and talented groups. LSU, FSU, at BC, and back-to-back road games at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech represent landmines.
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