Jonathan Lee    AccuScore Analyst
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There is simply no excuse for the Tigers this year especially given the current state of the ACC.  The aforementioned Seminoles are way down, and need to hope Jimbo Fisher can continue to make progress with the offense.  Miami still needs time to grow and mature under Randy Shannon and Virginia Tech has some serious questions to answer on both sides of the ball.  Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Boston College will all be going through some significant adjustment years.  The path is clear for Clemson to win the conference going away.  The coaches and players simply need to step up and take it.

Favorite:  Clemson
Cullen Harper is the conference’s best quarterback, and James Davis and C.J. Spiller are both terrific NFL prospects and will team up for yet another season.  Superstar freshman Da’Quan Bowers will likely slide right into the starting lineup at defensive end.  The talent is certainly here, but the intensity and focus needs to remain high throughout a full season.  Clemson has yet to reach a major bowl game or even win 10 games in nine seasons under Bowden.  The team’s last ACC championship was way back in 1991.  Both situations should be (and need to be) rectified in 2008.

Contenders:  Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
The Hokies are still the standard bearer in the Coastal Division, but that is more an indictment on every other team rather than a vote of confidence for them.  There are plenty of problems on both sides of the ball.  The defense must replace seven starters.  Quarterback is still unsettled between Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon.  The Hokies must also find some playmakers after losing all of their top receivers and kicking star back Branden Ore off the team.  Frank Beamer has proven he knows what he’s doing however, and that combined with a clear path in the division could be enough to get this team back to the ACC title game. 

Jim Grobe might be an unknown, but he is one of the best coaches in the nation continually winning with less at Wake Forest.  He brings back conference freshman of the year Josh Adams at running back, and a veteran signal caller in Riley Skinner.  The Demon Deacons are no fluke.  They have won 20 games over the past two seasons, and will continue to win as long as Grobe is the man at the controls.

Teams on the Rise:  North Carolina, Miami, Maryland
Butch Davis continues to upgrade the talent in Chapel Hill, and the schedule doesn’t include Clemson, Wake Forest, or Florida State.  This team could challenge the Hokies for the Coastal Division.  The ‘Canes have some superstar talent typical of their glory days, but it still very young and will need to show some more variety in schemes on both sides of the ball.  They are still at least a year away.  Five years ago, the Terps were the “it” team in conference.  Now they are a bit forgotten, but they could be a darkhorse this season if the quarterback situation gets settled.  Chris Turner, Jordan Steffy, and Josh Portis are battling it out to decide who will get to lead an offense that returns nine other starters including receiver Darius Heyward-Bey.

Bottom Feeders:   North Carolina State, Virginia, Duke
The Wolfpack has no clear answer at quarterback and must rebuild virtually the entire defense which was worst in the ACC against the run.  Just about everything went right for Virginia in 2007, but things have shifted completely the other way.  Stars Branden Albert and Chris Long are gone as are multiple starters who are academically ineligible including quarterback Jameel Sewell.  The Cavs will throw an inexperience group into the fire immediately as the schedule opens with a visit from powerhouse USC.  The Blue Devils now have a glimmer of hope with the hiring of head coach Dave Cutcliffe.  Still, Duke has won just two games over the past three seasons and has not won a conference game since 2004.

Analyst Power Ranking:
1. Clemson
2. Wake Forest
3. Virginia Tech
4. North Carolina
5. Maryland
6. Florida State
7. Miami
8. Georgia Tech
9. Boston College
10. Virginia
11. North Carolina State
12. Duke

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