Coastal questions

The coastal division in the ACC has more questions then answers surrounding the power teams like Miami and VA Tech. What no one will question will be the competitiveness of the division and the excitement of a race that might come down to the last weekend of the season.

For my taste the ACC as a whole is in a little bit of a rebuilding year. In the coastal division Miami faces coaching changes and a rebuilt offensive line. VA Tech is trying to find their QB and they still don’t know how healthy Brandon Ore will be. GA Tech has everything it needs to win the division but they have to depend on QB Reggie Ball. UNC has a senior team but no one wants to go out on a limb and pick them to do much. UVA has had to many police on campus and players suspended to make anyone to comfortable in Charlottesville, and then there’s Duke….

GA Tech Yellow Jackets

Predictions: Record 10-2 Conf: 7-1 Coastal Division Champs

That’s right, this is a man’s pick; none of this “they’re my dark horse” nonsense. I’m swinging for the fences. Chan Gaily will finally get over the hump and put together a season to remember for the GA Tech faithful. They have the talent to beat anyone in the nation and this year they won’t choke when playing the teams they should beat.

The team has an All-American receiver (Calvin Johnson), four returning starters on the offensive line, and to top it all a 40 year starting quarterback named Reggie Ball. It may only be four years but it sure seems like a lot more then that. Ball must step up and produce at a level he has not accomplished to this point. Another 48% completion rate won’t get it done. Why do I believe this is the year? This is Ball’s last season and I think he’ll actually use the nostalgia of the year and play freely within an offense that he knows as well as humanly possible.

Their front seven will be stout which will help protect a secondary that has lost four DB’s and also lost safety Joe Gaston to a season ending knee injury. They are also helped by the fact that other then Miami they will face teams in the ACC that are run heavy.

Key Game: @VA Tech 9/30

This game will be for the coastal division title. I know you thought it would be the Miami/VA Tech game but that would be to easy and absolutely no fun to predict. This is the game that will define the season for the Yellow Jackets and they will take risks, cause turnovers and score plenty of points.

VA Tech Hokies

Predictions: Record 10-2 Conf: 6-2 2nd in Conference

Defense will rule in Blacksburg on 06. The defense finished 2005 8th against the rush and 3rd against the pass and they might be better this season. They also have a patsy on the schedule near the end of the season when they play Kent State. For that reason alone, fate will interfere and cause them to lose games against GA Tech and someone else in the ACC.

The offense has five excellent receivers but who’s going to get them the ball? They need sophomore signal caller Sean Glennon to step up and take the job from Cory Holt and Ike Whitaker. However, the most important player on offense is RB Brandon Ore. If Tech is going to win this division Ore must stay healthy and be the 1200 yard rusher many believe he can be.

Key Game: Georgia Tech 9/30

If they can’t win this game the tilt against Miami will be meaning less in terms of the ACC title game. They won’t win and they may get knocked off by Clemson in a trap game before they play Miami. Then again they could go undefeated, but the football Gods won’t let them because they play Kent State at the end of the season…

Miami Hurricanes

Predictions: Record 9-3 Conf: 5-3 Third in the conference and not happy about it…

I can hear the Miami faithful screaming already. Spare me. This offensive line returns only one starter from a unit that was pitiful last season. Tyronne Moss is coming off an injury and the wide receivers were dreadful last season. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.

It’s hard to understand the logic that continually suggests that the loss of players is a great concern but the loss of coaches is hardly mentioned. The Miami coaching staff has six new coaches. While the decision to shake up the staff may have been a great idea it still takes time to build cohesion and it will have an impact on this year’s team.

The defense could be the best in the nation under 13 year coordinator Randy Shanon. They return a lot of talent. They are physical and fast. They will keep them in every game but will that be enough?

Key game: Florida State 9/3

Right out of the gate all the questions stated above will be answered. If the Hurricanes beat Florida State it surely will be because their offensive line played well and the offense was efficient. Another game to be careful of will be @ Louisville 9/16. Again, if the offensive line is suspect then the Cardinals, who have a Big East title in their sites, could be a nightmare for the Hurricanes.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Predictions: Record 7-5 Conf: 4-4 Bowl Bound and thrilled

Is head coach John Bunting on the hot seat? Yes, but it’s nothing a bowl game won’t cure. It may be now or never for the Heels. This is a senior heavy team with a strong front seven on defense and a running game that could prove to be special in Heel history. If Ronnie McGill can stay on the field and healthy he could be the first Tar Heel back to pass a thousand yards since Jon Linton in 1997.

Nebraska sophomore transfer Joe Dailey should get the starting nod but needs to improve on the 19 interceptions he threw in 04, his only year as a starter at Nebraska. They will win games with strong, aggressive defensive play, and by scoring more then the 19 points per game they scored in 05.

Their schedule is a killer. Unlike the VA Tech’s and Miami’s of the world this team limits the cupcakes to one. They play nine teams that were in bowl games in 05 and they play at Notre Dame, Clemson and Miami. They will be hunting an upset while their focus must be on games they are supposed to win.

Key Game: All Home Games

They play @ Clemson, Miami, and Notre Dame. Home games against Rutgers, Furman, South Florida, Wake Forrest, and NC State are games the Heels need to find a way to win to fulfill a bowl-bound prediction.

Virginia Cavaliers

Predictions: Record 6-6 Conf: 3-5 Waiting for next season

The Cav’s are in a rebuilding year. Gone are key cogs from an outstanding recruiting class a few years ago. They include athletic QB Marques Hagans, RB Wali Lundi, kicker Connor Hughes and defensive standouts like LB Kai Parham and Ahmad Brooks who was dismissed from the team. The middle of the defense is weak, and where run heavy teams may help Georgia Tech, they could exploit UVA.

It has been an unsettling off season for head coach Al Groh. He had to replace four coaches who left for other opportunities, and as was stated in conjunction with the Hurricanes, it’s not easy to simply change a coaching staff and not miss a step or two. There have also been academic concerns for some players and three others were arrested after an incident with a frat house.

It all adds up to change and change takes time to adjust to. The good news is UVA has another excellent recruiting class preparing to step forward and take the reins, it just won’t happen this season.

Key Game: @ Pittsburgh 9/2, @ Georgia Tech 9/21

If they come out of the gates hot, and survive these two games, this team could find themselves 6-0 heading into an all ACC finish beginning October 14 against Maryland and ending at VA Tech on November 25. Then again…not.

Duke Blue Devils

Predictions: Record 1-11 Conf: 0-8

I was prepared to write something very different regarding the upcoming season for Duke fans. I was prepared to defend an upset over Virginia and a record of 4-7, but alas, a foolish mistake by a young quarterback, Zach Asack, has sabotaged any chance for such a Cinderella story…hey, four wins would qualify as a Cinderella story for this team.

Their defense should be better, but the offensive line is replacing four starters, again, and the quarterback has never taken a snap in college. An added benefit to playing Duke football is that they play as tough a schedule as you will find in the nation and this year is no different. In addition to their work in the ACC the Blue Devils decided to add a trip to Alabama to their schedule to take on the Crimson Tide.

It seems fair to suggest that the VA Tech Hokies should exchange some of their cupcakes for the man size teams that Duke takes on.

Key Game: Any game they can win!

Duke plays Division I-AA Richmond week one. They better win or it could be goose eggs all around for Duke Football, but if you really want to be optimistic then you can keep a lookout for that upset special against UVA.

- Stephen Winslow