ACC Football: Top Five Questions Heading Into Week One

College football season swings into action in full force this weekend, with the ACC right at the heart of the action. With many exciting games across the conference littering the slate, what are some of the top questions heading into week one? Let’s dive in.
 

1) Just How Good Is Florida State Quarterback Deondre Francois?

This was likely a question that was slated to be answered sooner rather than later anyway, but upon news of Florida State senior quarterback Sean Maguire undergoing foot surgery in mid-August, redshirt freshman Deondre Francois was immediately slotted in as the team’s number one quarterback.

There is no questioning that Francois has talent. The former four-star recruit joined the Seminoles as part of the 2015 class and was one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the nation, as he was ranked as the third best prospect at his position, and the 42nd-ranked recruit overall according to ESPN. Since arriving in Tallahassee, he has done nothing but great things on the practice field for the Seminoles, leaving a favorable impression on head coach Jimbo Fisher.
 


 
We’ll get an early look at Deondre Francois this weekend as #4 Florida State caps off the exciting opening weekend of football action with their match-up against #4 Ole Miss on Monday night. While Ole Miss was certainly not the most imposing defense in the SEC a year ago, they still return plenty of talent on that side of the football to compete against what is expected to be a highly talented Florida State offense.

Junior running back Dalvin Cook will certainly receive a brunt of the work when the Seminoles are on offense in this game, as the Heisman contender will have an early opportunity to stake his claim as one of the nation’s best players. However, if the Rebels find a way to slow down the rushing attack of Florida State, look for Jimbo Fisher to open up the playbook for his redshirt freshman quarterback, who could have the early season test riding on his shoulders. Only time will tell if he’s got what it takes to not only be a good quarterback, but a great quarterback in the ACC.
 

2) Can North Carolina Stop Georgia Running Backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel?

After performing as one of the worst defenses in all of college football in 2014, the North Carolina Tar Heels were able to bounce back last season to go from putrid to mediocre. While statistically the ‘Heels undoubtedly improved overall in 2015, the unit still struggled against the run, where they surrendered 247.8 yards per game on the ground.

This, of course, is an aspect of the game that should give North Carolina fans pause, especially when trying to defend Georgia’s two-headed monster at running back that is Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last October, has officially been cleared to play. As for Sony Michel, he is questionable for the opener after undergoing offseason forearm surgery that came as a result of an ATV accident.
 


 

As such, the Tar Heels may only have to face one of the two outstanding Bulldogs running backs in the opener, and their ability to stop the run could go a long way in deciding the outcome of this exciting early season match-up.
 

3) Who Will Play Quarterback For Boston College?

Maybe the real question should be: “Does it matter?”

Look, Boston College is going to be bad on offense. Worse than they were a year ago, you ask? Probably not, but then again, how could it get much worse?

The Eagles attempted a revamp of their offense heading into this season, as head coach Steve Addazio performed what appeared to be a last ditch effort to save his coaching job. Former Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler was hired to the same position with the Eagles, bringing with him a spread offense system that should be a breath of fresh air to Boston College fans who have watched their team struggle with a run-heavy, zero-passing quarterback approach that has haunted them in recent seasons.

Speaking of quarterback, who is actually going to man the position when the Eagles take the field at 7:30 AM Eastern time on Saturday in Ireland against Georgia Tech? The race appears to be down to two, with sophomore Darius Wade and Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles still in the hunt. Wade played in portions of the first three games last season, throwing for 232 yards and two touchdowns, before breaking his ankle in the 14-0 loss to Florida State in September.

Meanwhile, Towles is attempting to prove that a change of scenery has improved his outlook at the position after struggling with turnovers last season with the Wildcats. Despite throwing for over 2,100 yards in 2015, Towles tossed only nine touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and any carryover in camp this fall with the turnovers is likely what has made this competition so close. Although Addazio refused to name a starter during the ACC Teleconference on Thursday, it is likely that Towles will be the first man up in the season opener on Saturday. However, only time will tell if he is a true full-time fix at quarterback, or if Darius Wade will have his say at the position before it is all said and done.
 
4) Is Georgia Tech Any Good?

ajc.com
ajc.com

It’s a simple question, but one that not many have been able to definitively predict.

There are a wide range of guesses out there for Georgia Tech’s final record this season, which I suppose can be expected out of a team that won 10 games in 2014 before regressing to a meager three wins in 2015. The Yellow Jackets were a popular pick to win the Coastal Division and return to the ACC Championship last season before turnovers, poor offensive line play, and a porous defense limped to a 1-7 finish in the conference.

With a proven quarterback in Justin Thomas under center, and an offseason emphasis on improving the offensive line play in order to power a strong option run, it is a fair expectation for Georgia Tech to return to form. While 10 wins may be a lofty expectation, a seven or eight-win season should be in the cards for the Yellow Jackets, who hope to avoid an early season stumble against an inferior opponent in Boston College.
 

5) Which ACC Heisman Trophy Candidate Will Get Off To A Better Start?
 

In my estimation, the ACC has two of the top five Heisman Trophy candidates in the country heading into the season.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and his 5,000+ all-purpose yards from last season have him firmly entrenched as a co-favorite with Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey heading into the new campaign, but Florida State running back Dalvin Cook should also have his say following a strong 2015 that saw him account for nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns at less than 100% with an injured hamstring.

For both players, the opening weekend will be an opportunity to perform at a Heisman level in front of two respective primetime audiences, as #1 Clemson faces Auburn on Saturday night, while #4 Florida State squares off on Monday night to round out the first weekend’s action against #11 Ole Miss.

So who will perform better?

For the record, I believe that both players will get off to a strong start.

Deshaun Watson faces an Auburn team that should improve from their last two disappointing seasons, and having the match-up on the road will not make the task any easier for Watson and Co. When push comes to shove though, does anyone actually have confidence that Auburn can score with Clemson? Auburn is entering the game with a mediocre pocket passer in Sean White at the controls of Gus Malzahn’s run-heavy spread option attack, which throughout the course of this game may be too much to overcome, especially if the tilt turns into a shootout. Because of this, I believe that Watson and the Tigers will be able to pull away late in a game that has the potential to trend towards a blowout in the second half.

Therefore, I firmly believe that the larger impact will be made by Dalvin Cook as Florida State goes up against a tougher opponent at a neutral site in Ole Miss. The Seminoles are entering the game with a freshman quarterback, and despite his immense level of talent, I would expect Jimbo Fisher’s play-calling to lean on Cook just as much, if not more, than it always has. Cook’s impact on the game down the stretch could be the difference between winning and losing a close match-up, and if the ‘Noles want to fulfill their National Title aspirations, they would benefit from a strong resume building win on opening weekend.
 
 

Thanks for reading everyone! Follow me on Twitter @MikeMcDanielACC and check out InsideTheACC on Facebook and on Twitter @InsideTheACC.

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