This season the ACC will feature a pair of national title contenders in Clemson and Florida State as well as two teams fully capable of reaching 10 wins in Louisville and North Carolina. The lower tier of the conference should also be improved after some key coaching changes.
Miami received a major upgrade when Mark Richt, a perennial 10-game winner while at Georgia, signed on to return to his alma mater. At Virginia, proven winner Bronco Mendenhall should also provide a big lift. In 11 seasons at BYU, Mendenhall won 99 games and claimed two conference championships.
Below are the win totals for every team in the ACC, courtesy of South Point, with analysis and predictions to follow.
|
Clemson |
10.5 |
Over -110 Under -110 |
|
Florida State |
9.5 |
Over +100 Under -120 |
|
Louisville |
9 |
Over +110 Under -130 |
|
North Carolina |
8.5 |
Over -125 Under +105 |
|
Pittsburgh |
7 |
Over +100 Under -120 |
|
Boston College |
6.5 |
Over -110 Under -110 |
|
Georgia Tech |
6.5 |
Over +100 Under -120 |
|
Miami (Fl.) |
6.5 |
Over -125 Under +105 |
|
Virginia Tech |
6.5 |
Over -130 Under +110 |
|
N.C. State |
6 |
Over -110 Under -110 |
|
Wake Forest |
5.5 |
Over +110 Under -130 |
|
Duke |
5.5 |
Over -110 Under -110 |
|
Virginia |
4.5 |
Over -130 Under -110 |
|
Syracuse |
4 |
Over -110 Under -110 |
Louisville Cardinals
Dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson was electric at times last season as a true freshman, including when running for 226 yards and a pair of scores in a win over Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. If he can improve his accuracy this season, look out. Jackson will have all his main pass-catchers back, and the offensive line is filled with quality veterans.
The Cardinals return eight starters from a defense that ranked 14th in rush defense (120.2 YPG) a season ago. There is a potential standout at all three levels of the unit. Edge rusher DeVonte' Fieds tallied 11 sacks last year, while LB Keith Kelsey posted 107 tackles and safety Josh Harvey-Clemons added 88 tackles with three interceptions.
The schedule also sets up favorably for Louisville. Nonconference foes include Charlotte, Syracuse and Marshall. The Cardinals also catch a break as they'll miss North Carolina this season. Hopes are high in Louisville. Look for the Cardinals to deliver.
The Pick: Over 9 (+110)
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels return seven starters both on offense and defense from a team that went 11-3 and claimed the ACC Coastal Division title. Among those returning to Chapel Hill are all-ACC running back Elijah Hood and a trio of receivers (Bug Howard, Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer) that rank among the best in the conference.
Defensively, the Tar Heels showed improvement last year under new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Chizik, who won a national title when head coach of Auburn, helped North Carolina improve to 56th nationally in yard per play (5.50) after ranking 117th (6.53) the previous year. The secondary should be stout for the Tar Heels, but they will need to replace their top two linebackers from last year.
As for the schedule, the biggest positive is North Carolina doesn't have to face Louisville. The nonconference slate includes Illinois, James Madison and The Citadel.
The Pick: Over 8.5 (-120)
Boston College Golden Eagles
Boston College was winless in ACC play (0-7) while having one of the nation's most anemic offenses (17.2 PPG, 120th in FBS) a season ago. How bad was it? The Golden Eagles were dead-last in passing among Power 5 conference schools. The Golden Eagles now have a new offensive coordinator in Scot Loeffler and a new QB in Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles. Both should be upgrades in their respective roles, but don't expect any miraculous turnaround for the B.C. offense. There's simply a lack of talent.
The defense was outstanding last season and does return eight starters from that unit. This should be enough to keep the Golden Eagles in most games, but getting to the seven wins necessary to cash the "over" seems highly unlikely.
The Pick: Under 6.5 (-110)
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