The 2019-2020 College Football Season is almost upon us and this means that we must start to speculate what will happen. The ACC has been all over the place in terms of team standings. This is more so true for the Coastal Division, with a new champion being crowned each year for the past six seasons. Now we will nose dive into our predictions for this year.
ACC Atlantic
Clemson Tigers (12-0, 8-0)
Is this really a surprise at this point? The Clemson Tigers not only hold one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA, but also one of the best receiving core too. The Tigers should be able to handle their schedule, with their only tough stretch being a matchup with Texas A&M at home followed by a road game at Syracuse.
Syracuse Orange (10-2, 6-2)
The Orange look to maintain their spot in the ACC Atlantic after a rough offseason. However, with bringing new quarterback Tommy Devito, I think this Syracuse team is in prime position to win a lot. Also, their schedule isn’t too grueling, the only soft spot is a slate of Pittsburgh, at Florida State, and Boston College. This is where the Orange will make or break their season.
Boston College Eagles (7-5, 4-4)
In no way do I see the Boston College Eagles getting above seven wins this season. With their losses on defenses, and their season not being to friendly, this is a good year that they can pull out. The Eagles face a dangerous last six-game stretch that involves: vs NC State, at Clemson, at Syracuse, vs FSU, at Notre Dame, at Pitt. Should be an interesting half of the season for the team and fans alike.
Florida State Seminoles (7-5, 4-4)
It is never easy trying to win football games under a first year head coach, and with a new system at that. I will cut Willie Taggart some slack, but not a lot. This Florida State team has a lot of potential, especially with Cam Akers in their backfield to disrupt some defenses. Watch out for what the Seminoles can do in this upcoming season.
NC State Wolfpack (8-4, 4-4)
You may ask to yourself, “How does NC State go 8-4, but finish below both Boston College and Florida State?”. And my answer would be that NC State does not have a forgiving schedule. The Wolfpack must travel to Tallahassee to take on FSU, which is never a good thing for the Wolfpack. Also, they get a tough Syracuse team at home, before they travel to play Boston College (who will be coming off a bye week). This won’t be as much as a set-back team as many think it will be for NC State.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-6, 2-6)
Many hopes were looking up for Wake Forest after last years finish. However, the Demon Deacons have been put down, once again, because of a very challenging schedule during the October and November stretch. A piece of the Wake Forest schedule consists of: vs FSU, vs NC State, at Virginia Tech, at Clemson. It’s up to the team to decide whether they can make more out of their season come crunch time.
Louisville Cardinals (2-10, 0-8)
Ouch. Cardinal fans may just have a brace for another tough year for the program. I was thinking that a win range of three to four was likely, but the Louisville schedule just doesn’t allow it. Their is no real breaks within the schedule for this team to recover and catch their breath. Also, the underdevelopment of the team’s infrastructure won’t allow skill players to work their magic.
ACC Coastal
Miami Hurricanes (9-3, 6-2)
The Hurricanes are bringing in a load of talent and have a favorable schedule to open up the season. Although I do see minor hiccups throughout the season, I think this Miami team can cap off the Coastal. With the likes of Tate Martell and Trevon Hill joining off of transfer, look out for a very talented roster on both sides of the ball.
Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3, 6-2)
After a tough year last year because of injuries, transfers, and inexperience, I think the Hokies will bounce back. And for the most part, the Virginia Tech schedule is an easy one. The Hokies get an easy slate for out-of-conference with: ODU, Furman, Rhode Island, and Notre Dame. Also, the Hokies return most of their production on both sides of the ball, which will just mean more success for this team.
Virginia Cavaliers (8-4, 5-3)
Coming off as a strong team in the Coastal last season, I think Virginia improves again. Bronco Mendenhall and his staff have gotten this program back to where it needs to be. I am liking how this team will pan out, but there are points in their schedule where they should drop a game or more in a series. Look out for the Cavaliers to be on the Coastal radar again.
Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5, 5-3)
This Pittsburgh team is the one that won the Coastal last year with a powerful rush attack. However, this year, I think the Pittsburgh luck remains the same with Pat Narduzzi. This Pittsburgh team loses a lot of talent offensively, but also has to make sure it has a good amount of reserves. And with both UCF and Penn State games sitting in their out-of-conference, it isn’t looking too good.
North Carolina Tarheels (6-6, 3-5)
With Mack Brown at the helm of this team, fans are now saying that UNC is about to shoot up. Last year’s squad saw its spoils and its triumphs, even through a bad year. There is a lot of young talent that could sprout up fast within the next couple of years for this. Just a few unfavorable pockets of games will be the demise of the Tarheels this year.
Duke Blue Devils (3-9, 1-7)
The Blue Devil fans may not be too happy with me for this one. However, it is quite realistic and should be the case for this upcoming season. This team is also left without veteran quarterback, Daniel Jones, and have also lost most of their defensive production. This should be a rebuilding year for the Blue Devils and to just take experience away from their games.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-9, 0-8)
Geoff Collins is walking into an unfavorable situation. Georgia Tech has no control over the recruiting in their own state, they are constantly mediocre, and have no clear direction fro their program, which will weigh down on new head coach Collins. Also, most of the Yellow Jacket’s winnable games are on the road, which will be to no avail. This will be a season for a new identity and will be a stepping stone for the distant future.
Photo Credits: https://theathletic.com/657646/2018/11/16/virginia-tech-miami-supposed-to-decide-coastal-division-title/
