ACC Predictions

Atlantic

1. Florida State Seminoles, 10-2 (7-1)

Armed with a bunch of young talent and an favorable schedule the Seminoles have a great chance to make it back to a BCS Bowl for the first time since 2005. Athletic QB EJ Manuel takes over at quarterback. Manuel played well in relief of 1st round pick Christian Ponder when he was missed games last year. On defense Brandon Jenkins is a very dynamic pass rusher who will contend for defensive player of the year honors.

2. Clemson Tigers, 7-5 (5-3)

Clemson is one of those teams that is always a constant underachiever. Despite having a talented roster they are always coming up short. This year shouldn't be too different as they have to replace both Jarvis Jenkins and DaQuan Bowers. However on offense the Tigers have to replace veteran starter Kyle Parker (who left to play baseball for the Rockies) with sophomore Tajh Boyd. Boyd is very talented, but also very raw. He has some talent around him, but if he struggles to take control the offense could be in for a long season.

3. Maryland Terrapins, 7-5 (5-3)

A lot of people where thinking Mike Leach might end up in College Park as the replacement from Ralph Friedgen, but instead they got Randy Edsall from UConn which ended up being a very good choice too. Edsall turned UConn into a Big East Champion which is a very hard job to do. Edsall is a very good coach who is good at finding diamonds in the rough and developing them. If he can keep the talent from the Washington DC area he could very good things at Maryland. As for this year he'll be aided by talented QB Danny O'Brien who is one of the top QBs in the conference and safety turned linebacker Kenny Tate.

4. Boston College Eagles, 6-6 (4-4)

This is not a bad Boston College team, but their schedule is brutal. They got the short end of the stick and have both VaTech and Miami on the road. However BC does have one of the best defenses in the ACC which will give them a shot in every game. Montrell Harris is a top flight running back, but uncertainty at QB will be their downfall.

5. North Carolina State Wolfpack, 6-6 (4-4)

NC State enjoyed 9-4 season last year and were poised to improve on it with returning QB Russell Sheppard coming back for his senior season. However HC Tom O'Brien decided he was finally done with Sheppard going back and forth between baseball and the football team. O'Brien basically kicked Sheppard off the team in favor of Mike Glennon who he has compared to Matt Ryan. O'Brien better be right, because if Glennon stinks up the joint and Sheppard leads Wisconsin to the Big 10 title. There are going to be some unhappy people in Raleigh.

6. Wake Forrest Demon Deacons, 3-9 (1-7)

In 2006 Wake Forrest shocked many by winning the ACC Title and playing in a BCS Bowl game but ever since that game their have slowly been going down hill. It looked like Wake was going to be a yearly player in the ACC, but as the years pass its more like those years were just a flash in the pan. This year shouldn't be too different. They do return 17 starters, but they got a tough ACC schedule which won't help out.

Coastal
1. Virginia Tech Hokies, 10-2 (6-2)
Under Frank Beamer the Hokies have been a mainstay a top the ACC. This year should be no different. Logan Thomas and David Wilson will be the leaders of the offense and help replace the production of Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams. But we all know that the Hokies are lead by their defense and special teams. Bud Foster has another solid defense that should allow Virginia Tech to take home another Coastal Division Title.

2. Miami Hurricanes, 9-3 (5-3)

With the recent news that Hurricane players accepted illegal gifts and services that could affect some players eligibility. But its too early to speculate on who if anybody would have to sit out games, so this projection is assuming nobody will be suspended. New HC Al Golden was very successful turning Temple from a laughing stock into a consistent bowl team. The Canes are not the team that they use to be in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's but the talent level is better than previous years. The QB spot is up for grabs. Jacory Harris was once a Heisman candidate, so if he can regain his old form they could challenge Virginia Tech for the division title. But that may be easier said than done. Look for the Canes to be a better team, but they are still a couple of years away from making an impact.

3. North Carolina Tar heels, 8-4 (5-3)

The amount of talent that has come out of this Tar Heel program has been amazing. But its more amazing is the general lack of success in terms of wins and losses. Sure they've made it to bowl games but they haven't made it to a single ACC Championship Game. This year should be very interesting. The Tar Heels have to replace a lot of talent that went to the NFL and have to deal without having Butch Davis who was fired right before fall camp. However they still have a ton of talent on defense and are lead by DEs Quinton Coples and Donte Paige-Moss. If they can get some production out of QB Bryn Renner they could end up having a good season, otherwise it could be a long season in Chapel Hill.

4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 6-6 (4-4)

After winning the ACC in 2009 they fell off and finished last year under .500, including a very bad loss to Kansas. Don't look for a big improvement this year. GT has to replace three year starter at QB in Josh Nesbitt and RB Anthony Allen. However another year under Paul Johnson's triple option could soften the losses.

5. Virginia Cavaliers, 6-6 (2-6)

Virginia is one of those schools that always seems to produce a 1st round pick every year, but never seems to put it all together. But 3rd year HC Mike London has the Cavaliers on the upswing. They return 18 starters from last years team and had a very good recruiting class coming in. Look for Virginia to make a run at being bowl eligible for the first time in a couple of years.

6. Duke Blue Devils, 3-9 (0-8)

David Cutcliff is a very talented coach, but Duke is just such a hard place to win at. He has improved the roster, but it is still going to be a rough season in Durham. Sean Renfree is a very talented QB, but a lack of talent around him will really show. At best they might win a game or two in the conference, but don't count on it.

Offensive Player of the Year: EJ Manuel QB Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Quinton Coples DE North Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Mike Bellamy RB Clemson
Coach of the Year: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

All ACC Team
QB: EJ Manuel, Florida State
RB: Montrel Harris, Boston College
RB: David Wilson, Virginia Tech
WR: Dwight Jones, North Carolina
WR: Jarrett Boykin, Virginia Tech
TE: Dwayne Allen, Clemson
T: Andrew Datko, Florida State
G: Brandon Washington, Miami
C: Dalton Freeman, Clemson
G: Joe Looney, Wake Forrest
T: Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech

DE: Brandon Jenkins, Florida State
DT: Marcus Forston, Miami
DT: Brandon Thompson, Clemson
DE: Quinton Coples, North Carolina
LB: Zach Brown, North Carolina
LB: Luke Keachly, Boston College
LB: Kenny Tate, Maryland
CB: Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
S: Ray Ray Armstrong, Miami
S: Rashard Hall, Clemson
CB: Chase Minnifield, Virginia

K: Dustin Hopkins, Florida State
P: Ryan Quigley, Boston College
KR/PR: Tony Logan, Maryland