College football has arrived. Starting this evening, ACC football begins with three games on the schedule to kick off the weekend. The conference enters the opening weekend with 4 teams ranked in the AP Top 25, including 2 in the Top 5. Once again, the ACC has a great chance to put a team into the College Football Playoff, which would make it a perfect 3-for-3 in doing so. Fans throughout the ACC have many reasons to be excited for this season, and those reasons cover a wide range of topics. So with the games beginning during this Labor Day weekend for all 14 ACC teams, let’s look at the Top 14 things to watch for this season in the ACC.
The Storylines
14.) Which ACC team is most likely to break through and make it back to a bowl game after an extended absence? Wake Forest will be the team to fit this description. After two 3-9 seasons for Head Coach Dave Clawson, the Deacs have the schedule to make their bowl game dreams come true. They have to win the games they’re supposed to win, like the opener on Thursday night against Tulane, and a home game against Syracuse. There’s a strong chance it will come down to the last game at home against Boston College, where both teams could be fighting for a bowl berth in that season finale.
13.) Who will be this year’s Georgia Tech? Last season, coming off the heels of their Orange Bowl victory over an SEC opponent, the ACC media selected Georgia Tech to be the favorites to repeat and win the Coastal Division. Instead, they lost their last four games in a row, and limped home with a 3-9 record. So, who will be the team to have that type of letdown this season? Duke finished last season 8-4 with a bowl victory over Indiana. However, they lost 4 out of their last 5 ACC games down the stretch. Now, just in the last week, came the news that their projected starting quarterback, Thomas Sirk, is out for the season. Duke’s road schedule is brutal and may be the reason the shine around the program is tarnished this season by missing out on a bowl game.
12.) The quarterback position will be interesting to watch around the ACC. Some teams like Wake Forest, NC State, and Boston College haven’t decided on a starter yet. Florida State, Duke, Virginia Tech and Virginia will have new signal callers taking their first snaps this week. Then you have teams with quarterbacks who enter the season with high expectations and even have sights on being in New York when the Heisman Trophy winner is announced. Those teams would be Clemson, North Carolina, Miami and Louisville. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, according to Nick Saban, is the best player in the country. Miami’s Brad Kaaya, UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson will be signal callers that should make a huge impact on this ACC season. Speaking of Jackson, there is a bit of buzz around Louisville that he has improved as a passer, which should pay immediate dividends this season with his already elite running ability.
11.) As much as the ACC is fighting to raise its profile and national reputation, it will still be in danger of losing some out-of-conference games it shouldn’t. Prime suspects here would be NC State’s road game at East Carolina, Pittsburgh against Penn State and Wake Forest at Indiana.
10.) If ACC teams like the ones mentioned above win the games they should and live up to their preseason expectations, then the ACC should be looking at the rankings at the end of the season and see 5 teams in the Top 25. Let’s go with Clemson, FSU, UNC, Louisville, and Pittsburgh or Miami.
9.) One thing that will be hard to get used to this season is looking at the Coastal Division and not having discussions about Beamer Ball. With the retirement of Coach Beamer a new era begins, not just at Virginia Tech, but in the ACC. Watching a new coach run the Hokies out of the tunnel will be strange this season.
8.) Speaking of a new coach, the ACC welcomes 4 new coaches into the league this season. Those new coaches are Dino Babers at Syracuse, Mark Richt at Miami, Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia, and Justin Fuente will be the man running the Hokies out of the tunnel in Blacksburg. Babers and Mendenhall will have some time to rebuild, but expect the focus on Richt and Fuente to be a little more intense immediately for two programs eager to get back to their standard of winning.
7.) NCAA records could fall this year on the legs of two special teams’ wizards in the ACC. UNC’s Ryan Switzer is one punt return touchdown away from tying the NCAA record. Not to be outdone, Duke’s Devon Edwards is one kickoff return touchdown away from tying the NCAA record. When these teams are on TV, do not leave the room during kick returns. You may miss something BIG.
6.) There are many ACC games to circle on the calendar this season. UNC at Miami. FSU at Louisville. Pittsburgh at UNC. Louisville at Clemson. Virginia Tech at UNC. Miami at NC State. All good viewing options with division titles at stake. But the game of the year is down in Tallahassee when the Clemson Tigers visit the Florida State Seminoles. Most likely this game will decide the Atlantic Division and position the winner to be in the College Football Playoff. In a tight game with talent all over the field on both sides of the ball, Clemson’s advantage at quarterback will be the deciding factor in a big Tigers win.
5.) SEC vs ACC. If you want respect, you have to take it on the field, not through press conferences. The ACC has made gains in recent years with success in head-to-head matchups against the SEC. It will have that chance again this season beginning with this opening weekend. UNC vs Georgia, Clemson at Auburn and Florida State vs Ole Miss are opportunities for the ACC to make a statement. A sweep of those 3 games would be a HUGE way to start the season.
4.) The ACC’s running backs will be the most underrated position group in the nation. Everybody knows FSU’s Dalvin Cook is the real deal and an early Heisman Trophy candidate. But he’s not the only star in this group. UNC’s Elijah Hood and Clemson’s Wayne Gallman will be right on Cook’s heels for the ACC rushing title, as both of them have NFL futures ahead. The under-the-radar guy people need to watch for is NC State’s Matt Dayes. A dynamic playmaker who was on pace for a big year last season before going down for an injury cannot be overlooked by Wolfpack opponents. In all, there are 8 backs returning who ran for over 1,000yds last season. One of those guys was Pittsburgh freshman Qadree Ollison, who had a remarkable breakout rookie season. Speaking of the Panthers, don’t forget that the league’s best back from 2014 returns. That would be James Conner. More on him in a bit.
3.) An ACC player will win the Heisman Trophy this season. Clemson’s Dashaun Watson came close last season to leading his Tigers to a National Championship. Nick Saban said he’s the best player in the country. If he stays healthy he should have the Tigers right in the middle of the National Title discussion. As a result, he will be sitting in New York City and hear his name called to join that exclusive fraternity of football legends.
2.) Speaking of the National Championship, could the ACC get two teams into the playoff? It would be hard to do that, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. FSU and Clemson begin the season both ranked in the Top 5. If one of these teams goes undefeated, they’re in the playoff. If the loser of their matchup in Tallahassee ends up with only 1 loss, they could also end up in the playoff, depending on how the other conferences beat each other up. Two ACC teams in the playoff would be a HUGE step forward in gaining that national respect as a conference.
1.) There are so many stories to watch in the ACC this season. However, the one that tops them all is the return of James Conner. Pittsburgh’s powerful running back returns to the field this season after taking last year off to battle cancer. You read that correctly. This young man is returning to the field after beating cancer! And it’s not a token return either. Head Coach Pat Narduzzi said Conner is cleared to go full speed with full contact and he expects James Conner to do James Conner things this season for the Panthers. Conner was the best back in the ACC in 2014 and entered the 2015 season as a Heisman candidate. All eyes will be and should be on Conner as he returns to game action against Villanova this Saturday and next week in the big matchup against Penn State. Don’t see how anybody wouldn’t be a fan of this guy.
So there you have it. Your storylines to watch for this season in the ACC. Check back with InsideTheACC.com during the season to see how these storylines play out.
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