College football starts in just three days, and it is time for more previews. In this article, I will preview the ACC Coastal. If you are looking for a specific team, they are listed in alphabetical order.

Duke

Last Season

Duke got off to a hot start in 2018 with a 20 point victory over Army and a 14 point win at Northwestern. The high continued as they took down Baylor and FCS foe NC Central to run the table on a fairly tough non-conference schedule. Once ACC play started, the Blue Devils stumbled a bit as they fell to Virginia Tech in the conference opener. Losses at Pittsburgh and Virginia put the Blue Devils at 5-3 but 1-3 in ACC play. Duke then beat Miami and rival North Carolina in their next two games. They hung with Clemson for about a half before folding. The next week, they inexplicably lost 59-7 to Wake Forest. Duke was able to end the season on a high note as they beat Temple in the Independence Bowl.

Offense

The Blue Devils will enter 2019 with a new quarterback as Daniel Jones was a three year starter for the Blue Devils. Even though he might not should have gone sixth overall, he was a first round pick which is not a common sight for Duke’s football program. He was their highest drafted player since 1987. Last season, Jones threw for 2,674 yards and 22 touchdowns. In his spot will be Quentin Harris who has some game experience stepping in for Jones when he was injured. Although he completed just 50% of his pass attempts last season, he had a higher quarterback rating than Jones as he boasted a touchdown to interception ratio of 7/1 and ran for another five touchdowns. Harris is a dual threat that needs a bit of changes in the playbook to fit his skill set. Harris will also have the advantage of Deon Jackson returning at running back. Jackson led the team with 847 rushing yards last season. Brittain Brown was a nice complimentary piece in the backfield and will be back as well. Where Duke does have undergo quite a bit of attrition is at receiver. The Blue Devils lose their four leading receivers from last season. Receiver TJ Rahming and tight end Daniel Helm were both named second team all-ACC last season and I am not sure if Duke has anyone to replace their production. Rahming had 75 catches for 811 yards and eight touchdowns. Receivers Johnathan Lloyd and Chris Taylor also started and leave an spot open. Jake Bobo, Aaron Young, and Scott Bracey will fill in the three receiver spots with nobody really establishing themselves as the top guy. Bobo leads the group with 167 receiving yards last season. True freshmen Eli Pancol and Darrell Harding will probably also be rotated in. Noah Gray will fill in at tight end and had 234 receiving yards in 2018, more than any other receiver from last season. On the offensive line, three starters are back. Guard Zach Harmon and Christian Harris will be gone. Tackles Robert Kraeling and Jaylen Miller will be the anchors of this unit and both should be solid.

Defense

Duke returns quite a bit of production on the defensive line. Derrick Tangelo is back at defensive tackle after being a reliable starter last season. Edgar Cerenord is back at defensive tackle as well and has fully healed from his injury that shortened his 2018 campaign to just four games. Trevor McSwain filled in for Cerenord and is back as well. Victor Dimukeje is back at defensive end and looks to have some breakout potential. Dimukeje had 8.5 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries last season. Drew Jordan returns at the other defensive end spot. Tre Hornbuckle and true freshman DeWayne Carter will likely be key rotational players as well. At linebacker, the Blue Devils lose the best player from their defense last season in Joe Giles-Harris. Giles-Harris had a team leading 81 tackles as well as seven tackles for loss in nine games last season. They also lose Ben Humphreys who received a second team all-ACC nod. Giles-Harris and Humphreys were a very good duo that can not be easily replaced. Brandon Hill will fill in at one of the spots while Shaka Heyward and Koby Quansah will battle it out for the other. Hill has some starting experience and was a rotational player last season. Heyward and Quansah will both see time at middle linebacker. Duke loses Brandon Feamster at cornerback, but gets just about everyone else back. Leonard Johnson started at cornerback his freshman season and looked solid. Mark Gilbert was a first team all-ACC cornerback in 2017 but played in just two games last season before going with a season ending injury. Josh Blackwell has some starting experience and will see time at cornerback as well. Michael Carter is back at safety after leading the team in pass deflections last season. Dylan Singleton finished second on the team in tackles last season and will return as well. Marquis Waters is also back at free safety. Waters finished third on the team in tackles last season and can do a bit of everything. This secondary is going to be the strength of the defense, and will torture opposing quarterbacks if they are not careful. Collin Wareham is gone at kicker, meaning the Blue Devils will trot out AJ Reed. Reed was a kickoff specialist in 2018 and started in 2017 before being replaced because of shaky performance. Austin Parker is back at punter.

Coaching Staff

David Cutcliffe returns for his 12th season in Durham. Cutcliffe is most known for coaching both Manning brothers while they were in college but should get some notoriety for what he has done at Duke. He took over a shipwrecked program and has turned them into a consistently solid team and even led Duke to their first ten win season ever in 2013. Cutcliffe is a coach that I feel should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to building a team. Zac Roper is back for his third season as offensive coordinator. Ben Albert and Matt Guerrieri will be working together as co-defensive coordinators. Albert is entering his third season as a co-coordinator but it will be his first season working with Guerrieri.

Final Prediction

While David Cutcliffe has done an outstanding job at Duke, last Season was a tad disappointing. Cutcliffe said it was his most talented team but they were unable to get over the injury bug and a tough schedule. This is just more frustrating for Duke fans as they were close to winning the division, which was wide open. If they beat Pittsburgh in a game where their defense was run all over, they would have won the ACC Coastal. While they likely would have been blown out by Clemson, a division title would have been a nice thing to hang their hat on. Duke also loses a tremendous amount of offensive production from last season and enter 2018 with some questions at quarterback and even more questions at receiver. The keys to success this season will first be to find a way to be effective through the air. Defensively, they need to create more turnovers and big plays. The offense might struggle some but the defense also struggled to get takeaways in 2018. I do not know if either of those issues will be solved. The Blue Devils also have a non-conference schedule that does not do them any favors as they play Alabama and Notre Dame, while also having a tricky road game at Middle Tennessee. I think Duke goes 4–8 and uses this season to find their footing before making a run in 2020.

Georgia Tech

Last Season

Georgia Tech won their season opener in 2018, but then lost three straight games. The losses to South Florida and Pittsburgh were close, but the loss to Clemson was not. The Yellow Jackets evened up their record with wins over Louisville and Bowling Green but then lost to Duke. After that, Georgia Tech went on an impressive four game win streak that featured victories over Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Miami, and Virginia. They were not able to beat rival Georgia and finished the regular season 7-5. Unfortunately, Georgia Tech could not end the season on a good note as they lost to Minnesota 34-10 in the QuickLane Bowl.

Offense

Georgia Tech will be trotting out a new quarterback in 2019. TaQuon Marshall started last season and has now graduated. Marshall was a solid quarterback for the triple option offense, but might have struggled with the scheme changes Georgia Tech is having. The likely starter at the position will be Lucas Johnson. Johnson was recruited as a pro style quarterback out of high school, and is probably the most prepared to play in a traditional offense. Tobias Oliver could see time in certain packages or even get some carries at running back. Oliver played some at quarterback in 2018 and was the team’s second leading rusher with 876 yards but only threw 16 passes last season. At running back, the Yellow Jackets will turn to Jerry Howard. Howard ran for 564 yards last season on five yards per carry. Jordan Mason should also see time as will true freshman Jamious Griffin who was a USA Today first team all-American his senior season in high school. Since they never threw the ball often at all, it already would have been hard for Georgia Tech to establish depth at receiver, but it is even harder since they lose their three leading receivers from last season. Brad Stewart led the team in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns last season and will need to be replaced. The Yellow Jackets only have one player on the team with more than seven catches from last season. Jalen Camp started at receiver last season and will take one of the spots. Malachi Carter saw time at receiver in 2018 and will take one of the other spots. True freshman Ahmarean Brown will likely start as well. Miami transfer Marquez Ezzard will probably take one of the starting roles if he is granted immediate eligibility. His status is still up in the air right now. For the first time since 2008, Georgia Tech signed a tight end this offseason as it is now a position in their offense once again. The man to take the spot will probably be Connecticut transfer Tyler Davis. Davis, who was originally recruited as a quarterback, started 10 games and had 226 receiving yards for the Huskies last season. True freshman Dylan Deveny might also see time. Georgia Tech returns just two starters on the offensive line from last season. Parker Braun was a first team all-ACC guard that was not easy to lose via the transfer portal. Guard Kenny Cooper and tackle Zach Quinney are the lone returning starters. Vanderbilt transfer Jared Southers will start at right guard after being a rotational player and occasional starter for the Commodores.

Defense

Georgia Tech loses all of their starters on the defensive line from last season. They also will need to create another spot as they move from a three man front to a four man front. Anree Saint-Amour was a very strong player at defensive end who had a team leading 12 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries on the season in 2018 and will need to be replaced. Desmond Branch is also gone at defensive end after starting last season. Defensive tackle Kyle Cerge-Henderson is also gone after starting in 2018. Antwan Owens saw time in every game last season and will take over the starting spot at nose tackle. Converted offensive lineman Jahaziel Lee could also get some looks. At the other defensive tackle spot, The Yellow Jackets turn to another offensive line convert in Brad Morgan. Redshirt freshman Jordan Domineck will start at defensive end. The other starter will be Florida transfer Antonneous Clayton. Clayton was a rotational player for the Gators last season and is the most experienced player on this unit. Charlie Thomas is back at linebacker after starting last season. David Curry started last season and will play the middle linebacker. Brant Mitchell was a starter last season and will be gone. Mitchell led all linebackers on the team in tackles last season. Bruce Jordan-Swilling is a player to watch at linebacker as well. Jordan-Swilling (son of former NFL linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year Pat Swilling) was a blue chip recruit coming out of high school and should see time this season. The Yellow Jackets lose Jalen Johnson at nickel back. Johnson finished second on the team in both tackles and tackles for loss in 2018. Kaleb Oliver will take over the spot after he saw time in all 13 games last season. Lamont Simmons is gone at cornerback after starting last season. The Yellow Jackets brought in Michigan transfer Myles Sims at cornerback who will start if he is granted immediate eligibility. Sims is still waiting on the news but Georgia Tech’s staff is hopeful. If the waiver is not granted, Jaytlin Askew started some last season and will take the spot. Bruce’s brother Tre Swilling is back at cornerback as well after starting last season and will have the title of number one cornerback. Free safety Malik Rivera will need to be replaced after leading the team in tackles last season. In his spot will be Juanyeh Thomas who has already made his mark as a kick returner, and saw time at safety as well during his freshman season. Tariq Carpenter is back at strong safety and will be a difference maker for Georgia Tech. The same will go for Christian Campbell who will see time at safety as well. Wesley Wells is back at kicker and will probably be taking a bit more field goals this season Wells went 39/39 on extra points and 9/9 on field goals so he looks up to the task. Pressley Harvin (who is a bit big for a punter at 6’0” and 245 pounds) is back at punter and will be one of the best in the conference at his position.

Coaching Staff

Paul Johnson resigned as head coach after this season. Johnson was a very good coach for Georgia Tech and did a lot of great things for the program in his 11 years there. The hiring of Temple head coach Geoff Collins was a good one but it did bring one wrinkle. Collins had no intention of running the triple option offense Johnson ran during his tenure. This drastic style change could hamper things at first for the Yellow Jackets but should still work out if Collins is the coach Georgia Tech expects him to be. The offensive coordinator that will have to help this transition process is Dave Patenaude. Patenaude held the same position for Collins at Temple the last two seasons and was an offensive coordinator for different FCS programs before that. Andrew Thacker was Temple’s defensive coordinator last season and will have that same job here but will also have Nathan Burton as the co-defensive coordinator. Burton coached the secondary for Temple last season.

Final Prediction

even without the coaching change, Georgia Tech would have had to replace a lot of key guys and find some new contributors. While the triple option is a great offensive scheme to run in order to work around their disadvantages in who they could recruit, it is a very hard offense to transition out of. Some people might say that football is still football and that it should be an easy switch, but the players on this roster were recruited with a specific brand of football in mind. This team and their coaching staff will need to get a bit creative when it comes to finding ways to move the ball, especially through the air. The Yellow Jackets will have their work cut out for them while they figure out this new system. I think Collins was a good hire and has already made some waves recruiting, but he has to also wait for his players to get into his system. I expect Georgia Tech to improve as the season goes but finish 3-9. I should also add that their game at Temple will be one to watch with Collins going to his previous school.

Miami

Last Season

Miami started off 2018 on the wrong foot as they lost their opener to LSU. The Hurricanes rebounded with a couple of wins over cupcake teams (sorry Toledo and Savannah State) and a decent G5 program in FIU. Where Miami got everyone’s attention again is when they came back to best Florida State. The excitement of that win did not last long as the Hurricanes then lost at Virginia and again at Boston College the next week. Losses to Duke and Georgia Tech extended the streak to four losses. Thankfully, Miami got it together as they beat Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh to end the regular season. In the Pinstripe Bowl, Miami did not seem ready to play as they were blown out 35-3 by Wisconsin.

Offense

Miami’s camp long quarterback battle looks to have ended as head coach Manny Diaz made a bit of a surprising decision this past week when he named redshirt freshman Jarren Williams the starting quarterback for week one. Williams was in the midst of a three person battle with Ohio State transfer Tate Martell and N’Kosi Perry who took the majority of the snaps last season. Many people, myself included were expecting Martell to get the job as he was the highest rated recruit of the three and seemingly would not have transferred to Miami if he would not have had a very good chance of getting the job. It seems as though Williams is who Diaz trusts the most and I can not really argue with his call. Williams has a strong arm and is a good athlete, but has no real game experience yet. At running back, the Hurricanes lose Travis Homer who started last season and ran for a team leading 985 yards. DeeJay Dallas is back at running back after getting a nice chunk of carries in 2018 and leading the team in rushing touchdowns. Dallas is a bit more of a speed back and he has experience playing receiver and is the main return man for the Hurricanes. Sophomores Lorenzo Lingard and Cam’Ron Harris will probably be getting their fair share of carries as well. Jeff Thomas led the team in receiving yards last season and will be back again after rumors that he would transfer to Illinois. Lawrence Cager and Darrell Langham were starters last season that will be gone, but Miami did bring in a solid replacement. KJ Osborn amassed 892 receiving yards at Buffalo last season and transferred over to Miami in the spring. Osborn was a very good addition and will be a key player on this offense. Dee Wiggins will likely take the other receiver spot but Brian Hightower could take it as well. Both saw some action in their freshman seasons in 2018. There are rumors circulating that after failing to win the starting quarterback job, Tate Martell will make a switch to receiver. He might be someone to watch for if the rumors are in fact true. Brevin Jordan is back at tight end after finishing second on the team in receiving yards last season and getting a second team all-ACC nod. Miami loses three starters from last season’s offensive line. Tackle Tyree St. Louis and center Tyler Gauthier were both multi year starters and will have to be replaced. The best player on the line is probably guard Navaughn Donaldson.

Defense

Miami loses a great defensive tackle from last season’s team in Gerald Willis. Willis had an impressive 59 tackles and a team leading 18 tackles for loss. Tito Odenigbo started some and was a key player at defensive tackle and his loss definitely hurts the depth at the position. In Willis’s spot will be Jonathan Ford who saw limited action the last two seasons. Pat Bethel is back for his third season starting at the other defensive tackle spot. UCLA transfer Chigozie Nnoruka will see some time too. At defensive end, Joe Jackson will be gone after being a starter last season and accumulating 14.5 tackles for loss. His replacement will be Virginia Tech transfer Trevon Hill. Hill was dismissed from the team at Virginia Tech early in 2018 but was a two-year starter for the Hokies and will be an impact player on this defensive line if he stays out of trouble. The best player on the defensive will be defensive end Jonathan Garvin. Garvin picked up 17 tackles for loss last season and a solid 60 tackles. Garvin also added five pass deflections. At linebacker, Miami boasts one of the best units in the country. While their depth is a bit of a concern with backups Waymmon Steed and Bradley Jennings suffering season ending injuries, they return every starter from last season. Shaq Quarterman will be the leader of this unit and the entire defense. Quarterman finished second on the team in tackles last season with 82 and had 14 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Quarterman has been on the all-ACC team for three straight seasons and will surely be on it a fourth time as well s the all-American team if he improves like expected. Outside linebacker Michael Pinckney was third on the team and is a very good athlete. Zach McCloud rounds out the unit and is another playmaker at outside linebacker. Romeo Finley will also see time at the position after starting some in 2018 when McCloud went down with an injury. The Hurricanes lose Michael Jackson at cornerback as well as key backup Jhavonte Dean. Jackson was a third team all-ACC cornerback and a fifth round draft pick (my Cowboys really were trying to draft the whole Jackson five as they also drafted fellow Hurricane Joe Jackson) and Dean picked off three passes. Miami returns their top cornerback from last season in Trajan Bandy. Bandy led the team with with eight pass deflections and tied for first with three interceptions. The other cornerback spot is up for grabs. The two contenders for the spot are sophomores Al Blades Jr. and DJ Ivey. Blades, whose father and two uncles played for Miami and later the NFL, was the more highly touted recruit but Ivey has impressed so far in camp. Regardless, both of them will see the field. True freshmen Christian Williams and Te’Cory Couch could also get some looks. At safety, the Hurricanes lose Jaquan Johnson who led the team in tackles last season as well as Sheldrick Redwine who picked off three passes and was fourth in tackles. Redwine and Johnson were a very strong duo and both were drafted last spring. The strong safety spot is likely going to former backup Robert Knowles but Amari Carter can not be counted out. USC transfer Bubba Bolden will get the nod at free safety. Bolden was a blue chip recruit in high school but was dismissed from the team at USC following a fight he had off campus. If Bolden can keep his head on straight, he will be a very good player for the Hurricanes. Bubba Baxa returns as the kicker but still has a ways to go before being a quality player. Miami returns Jack Spicer, their starting punter from last season, but will still likely make a change after he played a bit poorly last season. Junior college transfer Louis Hedley gained notoriety during his signing day for looking much more muscular and tatted up than one would expect a punter to be, but the former Australian Rules Football player has an absolute boot and will look to give Spicer a run for his money.

Coaching Staff

Mark Richt retired as head coach at the end of last season. The new hire was defensive coordinator (and Temple head coach for 11 days) Manny Diaz. Diaz led a very strong defense the last couple season that has done the lion’s share of work for Miami in 2017 and 2018. Diaz seems to have learned from his mistakes at Texas and has turned into a great coach on that side of the ball. This will be his first head coaching job. Dan Enos takes over as offensive coordinator. Enos was the quarterbacks coach at Alabama last season and turned down their offensive coordinator job to come to Coral Gables. He also was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas and the head coach at Central Michigan before. Enos will change up the scheme a bit by moving to more of a spread offense this season. Blake Barker was hired on as defensive coordinator after holding the same job for the last four seasons at Louisiana Tech. His co-defensive coordinator will be Ephraim Banda who coached safeties at Michigan the last three seasons.

Final Prediction

With some exceptions, Miami’s football team has just flat out not played up to their talent level in the last decade or so. Their last four coaching hires (Randy Shannon, Al Golden, Mark Richt, and Diaz) have been brought on with that as a main goal. Miami is in a great position to succeed with the money going into the program, the location of the school, and a pretty wide open division for the last five years or so. Miami is out of excuses. Diaz has done very well with their defense and has had them typically playing to their talent level in his time here. This team has no shortage of talent either, the key is just maximizing that potential. There are some questions about the passing game as it was woeful last season, but the coaching staff is very high on Jarren Williams. The secondary has some new faces but the front seven has the ability to make up for it. I expect Miami to do well this season and win the ACC Coastal with a 10-2 record, benefitting from an easy conference schedule.

North Carolina

Last Season

The Tar Heels lost their first two games in 2018 at California and East Carolina. They won their conference opener over Pittsburgh but soon fell back to their losing ways as they were blown out by Miami. The Tar Heels kept it close with Virginia Tech and Syracuse, but the losing streak kept ballooning. After a loss at rival Duke, the streak was up to six games. North Carolina snapped the streak at last with a win over FCS Western Carolina but lost again to North Carolina State in the season finale to finish 2-9.

Offense

New head coach Mack Brown made the somewhat bold decision of naming true freshman Sam Howell the starting quarterback for week one. North Carolina struggled to get good quarterback play to begin with last season, and with Nathan Elliott gone, the battle for the starting quarterback job was a bit wide open. The quarterback competition was between Howell and redshirt freshman Cade Fortin. Howell was a blue chip prospect who originally signed with Florida State before flipping to Chapel Hill. Howell has a strong arm and is able to play well in chaotic situations. North Carolina returns their two leading rushers from last season. Antonio Williams and Michael Carter each surpassed 500 rushing yards last season and should get their fair share of carries. Williams is a bit more of a power runner while Carter is more of a speed back. They each bring something to the table and should split carries this season. Javonte Williams did well toward the end of last season, then was the recipient of some positive buzz during camp and should also get some looks as well. The Tar Heels lose their top receiver from last season in Anthony Ratliff-Williams. Ratliff-Williams led the team in receiving yards last season. Dazz Newsome is back and will look to be the number one receiver on the team this season. Newsome led the team in catches last season and is a bit of a speed demon. Dyami Brown started some last season and will look to take the spot left by Ratliff-Williams. Rontavius Groves will likely see time at that spot too. Beau Corrales and Antoine Green are battling it out for the other starting spot, but it looks as though Corrales will get the nod. Carl Tucker finished third on the team in receiving yards last season and will be back at tight end. The Tar Heels return three starters on the offensive line from last season. The best player on the line will definitely be tackle Charlie Heck who is entering his third season as a starter.

Defense

North Carolina loses the best player on their defensive line from last season in defensive end Malik Carney. Carney finished third on the team in tackles and first in sacks and tackles for loss. Defensive end Tyler Powell and defensive tackles Jeremiah Clarke and Jalen Dalton all started some and were key contributors to the defensive line that will need to be replaced. Aaron Crawford will fill in at nose tackle as the Tar Heels switch to a 3-4 defense. Crawford started in 2016 and 2017 but saw limited action last season while nursing an injury. At defensive end, the next man up is probably Chris Collins. Jason Stowbridge will start at the other defensive end spot and is the only returning starter from last season on this unit. At linebacker, the only big loss is Cole Holcomb. Holcomb led the team in tackles last season and was a bright spot on an otherwise rough defense. In Holcomb’s spot at middle linebacker could will likely be Jonathan Smith who has started some before but Jeremiah Gemmel could see time. Tomon Fox will return at outside linebacker after starting last season. Dominique Ross returns at the other outside linebacker position after starting in 2018 and should be the best player on this unit. A player to watch for at linebacker is Chazz Surratt. Surratt has been a part time starter at quarterback the last couple of seasons but decided to make the position switch after knowing his playing time would dwindle. Trey Morrison returns after started at the nickel back spot his freshman season and had a solid showing. At safety, JK Britt will be gone after starting last season. His replacement will probably be Myles Wolfolk. Wolfolk started six games in 2018. Myles Dorn returns as the starting fee safety and leads all returning players in tackles from last season. Patrick Rene returns as a starter at cornerback in what will be his fourth season playing either a starting or key backup role. The other cornerback spot is a bit more difficult to figure out. Cam’Ron Kelly was a four-star recruit who originally signed with Auburn in February before flipping to North Carolina to be closer to his mother and sister who each have serious health issues. Kelly applied to be immediately eligible and he looks to have a good chance of getting the waiver, but no word has come out from the NCAA as of now. Although he is a true freshman, Kelly could very well start at cornerback. If his waiver is denied, the spot will go to Greg Ross who started six games last season. The Tar Heels will trot out a new kicker and punter this season which should be fine since neither were too effective. Michael Rubino graduate transferred from Appalachian State and will get the nod at kicker. The punting job will likely go to freshman Ben Kiernan. Dazz Newsome will be the main return man this season.

Coaching Staff

After firing Larry Fedora, North Carolina made a bit of an intriguing hire this offseason with the hiring of Mack Brown. Brown last coached college football in 2013, but was a well renowned coach for sure. Brown coached in Chapel Hill from from 1988-97 and boasted a 69-46-1 record after going 2-20 his first two seasons. Brown is most known for his time at Texas where he won a National Championship and had a 98-33 record. If Brown is fully invested, which people accused him of not being during the end of his tenure at Texas, he should do great things for the Tar Heels. Phil Longo has been brought on as offensive coordinator after leading a high powered Ole Miss offense last season. Jay Bateman was the defensive coordinator at Army last season and is being brought on as co-defensive coordinator with former Tennessee linebacker coach Tommy Thigpen who played for the Tar Heels under Brown.

Final Prediction

North Carolina football has been in a bit of a rut the last couple seasons as they have a combined 5-18 record in 2017 and 2018. I believe Mack Brown was hired because of his winning pedigree and because he is seen as someone who can win in Chapel Hill because he has. While I do not think Brown will be a long term solution considering he is 67 years old, the Tar Heels need someone to elevate the floor of their program and get them into a place of consistency. Butch Davis had them in a good spot a decade ago, although there were some NCAA violations during that time. Larry Fedora had them in a good spot as well before cratering. North Carolina does not need to win 10 games every single season or be in the playoff hunt to be successful right now. At this current time, it will be a great success if the Tar Heels can win 7-8 games regularly. Once Brown inevitable leaves, they can hope their next hire will look to move them up. While that plan sounds fine and dandy, they have a lot of work to do. I think Brown has recruited well so far and should continue to, but this team will go 4-8 in a rebuilding season this year. I at least think they will beat Duke which should be nice for Tar Heels fans.

Notre Dame

Last Season

Notre Dame got off to a big start in 2018 as they won their opener against Michigan, a game in which they were not favored. After wins over Ball State and Vanderbilt that were closer than what they would have wanted, the Fighting Irish made a switch at quarterback and the offense picked it up. The next three games were all wins of at least three scores including one over seventh ranked Stanford and another over 24th ranked Virginia Tech. Notre Dame stumbled a bit against Pittsburgh, but bounced back with a win over Navy. Their critics found more fuel as they struggled to put away Northwestern. Notre Dame silenced those critics again with blowout wins over Syracuse and Florida State, but planted a bigger seed of doubt when they beat USC by just seven points. Notre Dame earned a berth to the playoff (if you do not think they deserved to be in, then you are a moron) where they struggled against Clemson and lost 30-3. Despite a disappointing loss, this was a very good season for the Fighting Irish.

Offense

Head coach Brian Kelly made a gutsy decision last season by deciding to switch off from Brandon Wimbush at quarterback three games into an undefeated season and give the job to Ian Book. It was definitely a gamble, but it paid off as Book threw for 2,628 yards in just nine starts while completing 68% of his passes. Book might not have the strongest arm but he is very accurate and efficient. Book also is a solid runner that can take advantage of an opportunity to run with the ball. Notre Dame loses their starting running back from last season in Dexter Williams. In just nine games, Williams ran for 995 yards and 12 touchdowns. This season, Notre Dame will likely be rotating between Jafar Armstrong and Tony Jones Jr. who both got looks last season. Armstrong and Jones Jr. are both more athletic backs who can be threats in the receiving game as well. While Armstrong has the slight edge in ability to me, I think both will be getting their fair share of carries. The Fighting Irish lose Miles Boykin at receiver. Boykin finished first on the team in each of the three major pass catching statistics with 59 catches, 872 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Boykin was a larger receiver who also had nice speed. His all-around game is not something found often. Chase Claypool returns at receiver after starting last season. Claypool had 50 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns last season, finishing second on the team in each. Chris Finke is back at receiver after he had 49 catches for 571 yards last season. Finke and Claypool compliment each other well as Finke is more of a smaller speedier receiver and Claypool is a bigger possession receiver. The receiver spot left by Boykin will likely go to Michael Young. Kevin Austin will also see time at receiver. Notre Dame loses their tight end from last year’s team in Alize Mack. Mack was a good player and nice complimentary piece to the offense in 2018. In his spot will be Cole Kmet who has seen time in games and should be a good player at his spot. On the offensive line, four starters return from a solid unit last season. Sam Mustipher was a three-year starter at center and Alex Bars will be gone as well. Bars started the first five games of his senior season before going down with injury. The best two players on the line will be guard Tommy Kraemer and tackle Liam Eichenberg.

Defense

On the interior defensive line, Notre Dame will be putting in some new faces. Jerry Tillery was a multi year starter at defensive tackle and a definite impact player as he was a first round draft pick. Tillery had 10.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks on the season. Jonathan Bonner started at nose guard last season and will also need to be replaced. Kurt Hinish will be the next man up at nose guard as he saw time as a backup the last two seasons. Tillery’s spot at defensive tackle will probably go to Jayson Ademilola who saw time as a true freshman last season. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa will play some as well. The Fighting Irish return both starting defensive ends from last season and could make up the best duo in the country at the position. Khalid Kareem had 10.5 tackles for loss last season, a drop in production in 2017 likely because of the extra attention he has received. Julian Okwara, like Kareem turned down the NFL Draft to return to South Bend. Okwara finished 2018 with 12.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and an eye popping 21 quarterback hurries. Daelin Hayes is a key rotational player who would start for most schools but will see time this season in a backup role. At linebacker Drue Tranquil needs to be replaced. Tranquil, a converted safety, was a very good player at his spot but was also a great veteran leader for the Fighting Irish. In his spot will be either Jordan Genmark Heath or Jack Lamb. Genmark Heath played some last year while Lamb is a redshirt freshman and a highly touted recruit out of high school. Asmar Bilal started at middle linebacker last season and will return. Notre Dame loses their leading tackler from last season in Te’Von Coney. Coney racked up 123 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and six quarterback hurries last season. Coney was another veteran leader for the team as well. His replacement at the rover position will be Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. At cornerback, the Fighting Irish will have to replace Julian Love. Love had an impressive 16 pass deflections and was a great lockdown cornerback for the team. His replacement will likely be Donte Vaughn. Vaughn might not bring up fond memories from fans as he was burned by Justyn Ross in the Cotton Bowl, but he is a solid experienced player. Troy Pride Jr. started at cornerback last season and put up 10 pass deflections and two interceptions of his own. Pride Jr. will take over the number one cornerback spot on the team this season. Houston Griffith could see time at cornerback as well. At safety, Notre Dame boasts one of the best duos in the country. Jalen Elliott picked off four passes last season and finished fourth on the team in tackles. Alohi Gilman burst onto the scene last season as he finished second on the team in tackles at free safety. Notre Dame will have to replace punter Tyler Newsome who averaged 44 yards per punt. In his spot will be true freshman Jay Bramblett. Bramblett, the top punter recruit in the country last season, averaged 45 yards per punt his senior year of high school. Justin Yoon will have to be replaced at kicker. Yoon leaves Notre Dame as their all-time leading scorer. In his spot will be Jonathan Doerer who was a kickoff specialist last season.

Coaching Staff

Brian Kelly returns for his 10th season as head coach in South Bend. Kelly has faced some criticism at times, but I think he has done well at a job with as much pressure as Notre Dame. Kelly is 81-35 in his time at Notre Dame. Rumors have circulated about Kelly taking an NFL job, and I think he deserves a shot if he wants one after the job he has done in South Bend. Chip Long returns for his third season as offensive coordinator. Notre Dame fans were disappointed at the news of Mike Elko leaving his job as defensive coordinator for the same job at Texas A&M a year ago, but Clark Lea did a good job in his first season at the spot.

Final Prediction

Last season was a perfect storm of good events for Notre Dame. A few of their usually good opponents had down seasons, they had good injury luck, and had a very good group of upperclassmen and leaders on the team. This season, they lose some key players and have a tougher schedule. I still think the Fighting Irish have a good path to success. They have become a team that can be relied upon to do well. Notre Dame has won 10 games in three of the last four seasons. They have a good quarterback, good depth at skill positions, and some talent on defense. Their schedule has three pretty tough games as they play at Michigan, Georgia, and Stanford. I expect Notre Dame to do a little bit worse than last season but still go 10-2 and contend for a NY6 Bowl. There is a path to a playoff return but it is not an easy one.

Pittsburgh

Last Season

After beating up on FCS foe Albany, Pittsburgh had a disappointing loss the next week as they fell 51-6 to rival Penn State. Losses to North Carolina and UCF were not ideal either. The Panthers upset Syracuse to improve to 3-3, but lost to Notre Dame the next week. After that, Pittsburgh went on a run. They beat Duke in a shootout, took down Virginia, demolished Virginia Tech, and beat down Wake Forest. The regular season ended on a low note with a 24-3 loss to Miami, but the Panthers were still headed to the ACC Championship Game. There, they lost to Clemson 42-10 and also lost the Sun Bowl to Stanford. Pittsburgh ended their weird season with a 7-7 record.

Offense

Kenny Pickett returns at quarterback after starting last season. In a run heavy offense, Pickett was not asked to do too much. He completed 58% of his passes and had a touchdown to interception ratio of just 12/6. Pickett ran with the ball some and has some ability there as well. With the losses at running back, Pickett will need to throw the ball more this season and needs to be at least mildly successful at it for the Panthers to have a good season. At running back, the Panthers lose two players who surpassed 1,000 rushing yards. Qadree Ollison has been a key part of Pittsburgh’s backfield for the last four seasons, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards twice in his career, and had 1,213 this past season. Darrin Hall also had a strong showing with 1,144 rushing yards on 7.4 yards per carry. Pittsburgh ran through teams with faulty run defenses and I doubt they will be able to do that as effectively this season. The next guys up at running back will be AJ Davis and V’Lique Carter. Davis saw some action last season while Carter was third on the team among running backs in rushing yards. The two will likely be splitting carries to start things off. The Panthers return their two leading receivers from last season. Taysir Mack led the team in receiving yards and will return. Maurice Ffrench led the team in receiving touchdowns and also ran for another two touchdowns on the season in 2018. Ffrench (I still can not get over the spelling of his name) is a game-breaking athlete who could wear many different hats in Pittsburgh’s offense. Receiver Rafael Araujo-Lopes finished third on the team in receiving yards and led the team in catches, and will be gone. He was a solid receiver and good punt returner, but did not start last season. Tre Tipton is back after starting some at receiver last season. He will be battling for his starting spot with Aaron Mathews. Pittsburgh needs a new tight end this season and signed Rutgers graduate transfer Nakia Griffin-Stewart to take the job. On the offensive line that paved the way well for the running backs, Pittsburgh returns just one starter in center Jimmy Morrissey. First team all-ACC tackle Stefano Millin will be tough to replace as will third team all-ACC guard Mike Herndon and fellow all-ACC third teamed tackle Alex Bookser. Morrissey will still be solid as he was named second team all-ACC last season. Michigan transfer Nolan Ulizio should be solid.

Defense

On the defensive line, the Panthers lose two starters. Dewayne Hendrix started at defensive end while Shane Roy was a starter at nose tackle. Filling in Hendrix’s spot at defensive end will be Patrick Jones. Jones appeared in all 14 games last season and had more tackles for loss than Hendrix did. The open spot at nose tackle will come down to Jaylen Twyman and Keyshon Camp. Camp has 11 starts to his name while Twyman has had a very good showing at camp. Both of them should see the field. Amir Watts started last season and returns at defensive tackle. The best player on this defensive line will be defensive end Rashad Weaver. Weaver led the team with 6.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hurries last season. He will be the primary focus for opposing offensive lines. Pittsburgh loses three fairly important players at linebacker from last season. Oluwaseun Idowu is gone after he was second on the team in tackles last season and finished second in tackles for loss as well. Elijah Zeise also started at outside linebacker and will be gone. Quintin Wirgins started the first six games at middle linebacker before going down with an injury. Before the injury, Wirgins was on pace to lead the team in tackles. Elias Reynolds stepped in for Wirgins when he went down and will be back. Kylan Johnson played in the rotation at Florida last season before graduate transferring to Pittsburgh this spring. Johnson has the pedigree but will not be handed the starting gig as Chase Pine and Kyle Nunn will be fighting for it as well. Phil Campbell will start at the other outside linebacker position. Pittsburgh returns both starting cornerbacks from 2018. Phillipie Motley started some last season, but was never the main guy. Dane Jackson was the main guy as he had 14 pass deflections at cornerback last season and will return. Jason Pinnock also returns after being a starter last season. Strong safety Dennis Briggs will need to be replaced. In his spot will be Paris Ford. When Ford signed in 2017, he was the highest rated recruit to sign for the Panthers since 2013. Ford sat behind Briggs and should be ready to play. Damar Hamlin is back at free safety and is probably the best player on the defense. Hamlin led the team with 90 tackles last season and picked off two passes as well. Kirk Christodoulou returns at punter whole Alex Kessman is back at kicker. Maurice Ffrench will be the main return man for the Panthers this season.

Coaching Staff

Pat Narduzzi returns for his fifth season as head coach. Narduzzi had tremendous success as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator, but has yet to truly have that level of success in Pittsburgh. Still, the Panthers won eight games in his first two seasons and won their first division title in the ACC last season. Former Massachusetts head coach Mark Whipple was brought on as the offensive coordinator. Randy Bates is back for his second season as defensive coordinator.

Final Prediction

Pittsburgh had a great opportunity to make a run in the ACC last season. They made the most of it by taking home their division with a 6-2 conference record. I was impressed by how Pittsburgh knew their strengths and did those well. What is now concerning for this season is that while they relied heavily on two backs, they are both gone as is the majority of the offensive line who paved the way for them. This leaves a gaping hole in the offense. For the offense to be decent, Kenny Pickett needs to improve as a passer or the Panthers need to find some more rushing threats. They also can not afford to take too much of a step back on the offensive line. Pittsburgh also has two pretty tough non-conference games at they travel to Penn State and have to play UCF. I expect Pittsburgh to take awhile to figure things out this season but still go 6-6

Virginia

Last Season

Virginia started off the season in 2018 with a 2-1 record as they took care of business against lesser opponents but had a concerning loss to Indiana. The Cavaliers smothered Louisville in the conference opener but lost to North Carolina State the next week. An upset win over Miami seemed to spark things. Virginia then won over Duke and North Carolina. Unfortunately, they fell to Pittsburgh and surrendered control of the ACC Coastal. A win over Liberty was fine, but the Cavaliers lost their last two regular season games in overtime to Georgia Tech and rival Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Cup. The Virginia Tech loss was especially frustrating since they have lost 15 straight games to the Hokies and could not take advantage Virginia Tech’s worst team in recent memory. Virginia ended the season on a good late though as they beat South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. Their eight wins in 2018 was the most they had since 2011.

Offense

Bryce Perkins returns at quarterback for the Cavaliers. Perkins, who originally signed with Arizona State before ending up in Charlottesville via the junior college route, did quite well in 2018 and was named third team all-ACC. Perkins completed 64% of his passes for 2,680 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding another 923 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Perkins was one of two FBS quarterbacks who ran for 800 yards and threw for 2,400. The other was Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. Perkins should take another step up this season as well. Virginia loses Jordan Ellis at running back. Ellis was a bell cow back and led the team with 1,026 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Ellis was relied upon heavily in the run game along with Perkins. With Ellis gone, the Cavaliers do not have a running back on their roster who had more than 100 rushing yards last season. It seems likely that Virginia will go running back by committee with PK Kier, Wayne Taulapapa, and Lamont Atkins until one emerges as the top rushing threat. Kier looks to have the slight edge, but all have nearly a blank slate in terms of game experience. Virginia loses their top receiver from last season in Olamide Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus had 93 catches for 1,058 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the team in all three by a good margin. Hasise Dubois will like to be the number one receiver on the team this season after finishing second in catches and yards last season. Joe Reed will start at the other spot after being the starter last season. Tavares Kelly will take the spot left by Zacchaeus. One player to look out for is Dejon Brissett, a graduate transfer from Richmond. Brissett, a Canadian native and older brother of NBA rookie Oshae Brissett, had over 900 receiving yards for the Spiders in 2017 and went over 100 receiving yards in their first two games before going down with an season ending injury in the third game of the season. Brissett could very well be in the starting lineup if he recovers fully from his injury and picks up the playbook quickly. Arizona State graduate transfer Terrell Chatman might be someone else to keep an eye on. Evan Butts is gone at tight end but his replacement, Tanner Cowley, has started before at the spot. On the offensive line, Virginia loses three starters. This unit loses some experience and will need to develop quickly. Guard Dylan Reinkensmeyer will be the best player on the unit.

Defense

Up front, Virginia brings back all three starters from last season. Eli Hanback returns at nose tackle where he started in 2018. Jordan Redmond also saw time at the spot and will continue to this season. Jowon Briggs was the highest rated recruit to sign with Virginia this past offseason, but might struggle to get time at nose tackle with the depth in front of him. Converted tight end Richard Burney started the first three games at defensive end last season before going down with an injury. Burney will reclaim a starting role this season. The other starting spot at defensive end will go to either Mandy Alonso or Aaron Faumui. Both started some last season but Mandy had much better production. Chris Peace was named second team-all ACC at outside linebacker last season and will be gone. Peace was third on the team in tackles last season, and was first on the team with 7.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hurries. His spot will be up for grabs between Elliott Brown, Noah Taylor, and Matt Gahm. Either way, all three will see the field in some fashion. Jordan Mack returns at inside linebacker for what will be his fourth season starting. Zane Zandier will start at middle linebacker. A potential breakout candidate for this team will be outside linebacker Charles Snowden. Snowden would not look out of place on Virginia’s basketball team as he stands 6’7” and is long, but he is equally adept in coverage as he is at rushing the passer as he had nine pass deflections and nine quarterback hurries last season en route to a third team all-ACC nod. At cornerback, the Cavaliers will have to go without Tim Harris who started last season. In his spot will be Darrius Bratton. Bratton started some for an injured Harris and had seven pass deflections in the season. What does help Bratton out is that he has Bryce Hall as the cornerback opposite him. Hall was a second team all-American and had a nation leading 22 pass deflections and added two interceptions as well. Hall will be the best player on Virginia’s team this season and will likely rarely get balls thrown his way. Virginia loses Juan Thornhill (I am still mad that my Cowboys passed up on him in the second round of the Draft) at free safety. Thornhill was a tremendous athlete who led the team in tackles by a wide margin and had seven pass deflections and six interceptions. In his spot will be former backup Joey Blount. While he is a far cry from Thornhill, he has experience and is battle tested. Brenton Nelson is back at the sabre position (which I am sure is named after the company from The Office) which is essentially strong safety. Nelson will be entering his third season starting and has been an impact player on this defense for awhile. Virginia loses Lester Coleman at punter and will replace him with Nash Griffin. Brian Delaney is back as the starting kicker.

Coaching Staff

Bronco Mendenhall returns for his fourth season as head coach. After a rocky year one, Mendenhall has started to turn things around in Charlottesville. Mendenhall had success at his previous head coaching gig at BYU, and while people questioned his hiring, it is looking like a very good one for Virginia right now. Robert Anae returns for his fourth season as offensive coordinator. Anae previously worked for Mendenhall at BYU. Nick Howell has worked with Mendenhall since 2007 and is the defensive coordinator while Kelly Poppinga was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Mendenhall still runs the show for the most part on defense.

Final Prediction

Bronco Mendenhall has done a very good job of building up Virginia’s football program during his time in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers made bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2004-05. Still, last season was a bit disappointing for Virginia. They had an opportunity to win the division, but lost to Pittsburgh. They also could have improved upon their record as they lost two games in overtime to end the season and three of their five losses were by four or fewer points. The Cavaliers were 1-3 in one score games. While they had a good season in 2018, there is room for growth. Offensively, they need to find a reliable rushing threat besides Perkins. Still, I am very high on Virginia this season as I expect to go 9-3 and more importantly, beat Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech

Last Season

Virginia Tech got off to a good start last season with a dominant win over Florida State. Things came crashing down for the Hokies though when their defense was shredded by Old Dominion in a 49-35 loss that had to have been one of the biggest upsets against the spread all season. A win over Duke calmed things a bit but the Hokies then were blown out by Notre Dame. After another win over North Carolina, the Hokies went in a downward spiral. They were blown out by Georgia Tech, lost to Boston College, got run over by Pittsburgh, and were blasted by Miami. In order to be bowl eligible, they needed to end the season with two wins. They did just that by winning the Commonwealth Cup over Virginia in overtime and beat Marshall. Sadly, the season could not end on a good note for the Hokies as they lost to Cincinnati in the Military Bowl. This season was Virginia Tech’s first losing season since 1992.

Offense

After an injury to then starter Josh Jackson during the third game of the season, backup and Kansas transfer Ryan Willis was called into action. Willis was still not a completely inexperienced player as he was a two-year starter at Kansas. He did well in his time at the spot and with Jackson transferring, he is the clear cut starter going into this season. Willis completed 58% of his passes last season and threw for 2,716 yards on a touchdown to interception ratio of 24/9. Virginia Tech loses their top running back from last season in Steven Peoples. Peoples led the team with 786 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The new starting running back will be Deshawn McClease. McClease finished second on the team in rushing yards in 2018. Jalen Holston and Terius Wheatley could also see some carries. The Hokies lose Eric Kumah at receiver who transferred to Old Dominion. Kumah finished second on the team in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. The good news is that the Hokies return Damon Hazelton, their top receiver from last season. Hazelton caught 51 passes for 802 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a second team all-ACC nod. Tre Turner finished third in receiving yards and will return as a starting receiver. Hezekiah Grimsley was a backup last season and will fill in at the spot left by Kumah. Grimsley should be known in Virginia Tech lore already after falling on a Steven Peoples fumble in the end zone to tie the game against Virginia, but will hope to add to that this season. Darryle Simmons and true freshman Jaden Payoute could also see time at receiver. Dalton Keene is back at tight end after starting last season. Keene had 341 receiving yards and was very adept at getting first downs. Keene should be a solid player on this offense. On the offensive line, Virginia Tech returns just two starters. Guards Kyle Chung and Braxton Pfaff are gone after being multi year starters as will tackle Yosuah Nijman. Tackle Christian Darisaw had a very good freshman season and is a breakout candidate this season. Guard Brock Hoffman was a two year starter at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Virginia Tech this spring to be close to his mother who is in poor health. His initial waiver for immediate eligibility was denied but he has appealed it. As of now, no word has been out on his eligibility.

Defense

On the defensive front, Virginia loses a second team all-ACC defensive tackle in Ricky Walker. Walker had a solid 49 tackles and led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss last season. In his spot will be junior college transfer DaShawn Crawford. Jaden Cunningham, a fellow junior college transfer, will also see time at the spot. Jarrod Hewitt returns as the starter at the other defensive tackle spot. At defensive end, the Hokies return both starters with the return of Emmanuel Belmar and TyJuan Garbutt. The two are both solid players up front. Houshun Gaines should see the field as well. Rayshard Ashby returns at middle linebacker after leading the team in tackles last season. Ashby had 105 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and a team leading six quarterback hurries last season. Dax Hollifield started at linebacker as a true freshman and really came into his own toward the end of the season. Dylan Rivers will play a key backup role as he has starting experience as well. The linebacking corps will be the strength of Virginia Tech’s defense. Khalil Ladler will start at the whip position that is essentially a linebacker/safety hybrid. Ladler finished third on the team in tackles last season while playing the same spot. Bryce Watts and Caleb Farley are back at cornerback after starting last season. Farley picked off two passes and added seven pass deflections in 2018. He should be the number one cornerback on the team this season. Junior college transfer Jeremy Webb and Jermaine Waller will likely see time as well. Reggie Floyd started at the rover spot last season and returns for 2019. Floyd was second on the team with 88 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2018. Divine Deablo will start at free safety. Brian Johnson is back at kicker after being the starter in 2018. Jordan Stout will be the kickoff specialist. Oscar Bradburn averaged 42.6 yards per punt last season and downed 23 inside the 20. He will be nice to have back.

Coaching Staff

Justin Fuente is back as head coach for his fourth season. While he should not be worried yet, Fuente’s seat might heat up a bit if the Hokies do not tangibly improve this season as they have been worse in each season he has been in Blacksburg. Fuente did quite well as head coach of Memphis, so it is definitely possible for him to steer things back in the right direction. Brad Cornelsen is in his fourth season as offensive coordinator and has worked with Fuente for the last seven seasons. Bud Foster is back for his 23rd season as defensive coordinator but announced this season would be his last. His patented lunch pail defense did not do as well last season but has a lot of opportunities for growth in 2019.

Final Prediction

2018 was a rough season for Virginia Tech. The team still made a bowl game, but had to scrape and claw their way into one. Their defense did the worst it has done in recent memory as it gave up 49 points or more three times. A Bud Foster coached defense at Virginia Tech had never given up that many points before this season. There are also some internal issues that are a bit concerning. Reports surfaced that players wanted the team to lose their last game so that the season could end. While many of those players are likely gone, that is never good news to hear. The Hokies also had 13 players leave the program via the transfer portal. Justin Fuente needs to establish control of the program this season before things could turn south. That being said, the Hokies return a lot of good players and have a road map to winning the division. They return a ton of defensive production and a lot of key players offensively. They need to find star power at the skill positions and make some strides defensively, but this team has potential. I expect the Hokies to shake back this season and go 8-4.

Here are my Final Standing Predictions:

Miami 10-2 Virginia Virginia Tech Pittsburgh 6-6 North Carolina 4-8 Duke 4-8 Georgia Tech 3-9

Notre Dame 10-2

To be notified when I post, follow my Instagram @impassionedsportsnerd. On my Instagram, I just released my top Heisman candidates and some other players to watch for. I also will start releasing my preseason top 25. Up next, I will preview the SEC West.

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