2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Projections

Atlantic

Louisville Cardinals 11-2 (8-1)

For the third straight year the Louisville Cardinals are playing in a different conference, but it looks like they are here to stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference; for now. The Cardinals will begin life in the ACC with a new head coach that is a very familiar face in Louisville. From 2003-2006, Bobby Petrino was the head football coach at Louisville which was highlighted by him leading the Cards to the 2007 Orange Bowl Championship. Petrino is known for his high scoring offenses and you can expect that to be the case again this season.

The Cards must replace quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but they have a sophomore quarterback by the name of Will Gardner who will be up for the challenge. Senior wide receiver DeVante Parker will be Gardner’s main target in the passing game and he will be in the mix to be a first-team All-ACC contributor. The Cardinals return four starters on the offensive line including three seniors in left tackle Jamon Brown and guards John Miller and Jake Smith.

Only four starters return on the defensive side of the football for Louisville which could be a little dicey at the start of the season.

It won’t take the the Cards that long to get indoctrinated in the ACC as their first game of the season will be against Miami. Louisville has a stretch in October where they’ll face Clemson and Florida State over a 19-day period which will determine their fate in their first season on Tobacco Road.

Florida State Seminoles 10-2 (6-2)

The Florida State Seminoles will begin this season as the defending national champions and thus they will have a huge bulls eye on them. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston enjoyed a stellar season in 2013 where he could absolutely no wrong. Last year as a redshirt freshman, Winston passed for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdown passes en route winning the Heisman Trophy to go along with Florida State’s national championship. Some off-the-field incidents in the off-season have overshadowed Winston’s on-field ability and he must clean up his act if the ‘Noles are going to be able to repeat as national champs. Wide receiver Rashad Greene was one of Winston’s main targets last season and you can expect more of the same this year as he is now a senior. Led by mammoth senior offensive tackle Cameron Erving, Florida State returns four starters on the offensive line. Erving is following in the footsteps of former Florida State offensive tackle Walter Jones who was the anchor on the Seminoles offensive line in the 1990’s before enjoying a Hall of Fame career in the National Football League with the Seattle Seahawks. Erving should hear his name very early at next year’s NFL Draft.

With seven starters returning on defense, the ‘Noles will look to once again put pressure on opposing offenses; especially junior defensive end Mario Edwards.

The ‘Noles begin the season at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on August 30 when they face Oklahoma State. But unlike last year, Florida State will be tested this year in ACC play with road games against Louisville and Miami.

Clemson Tigers 8-4 (6-2)

Although they were favored to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship last season and came up short, the Clemson Tigers still had a fantastic season that culminated in them winning the Orange Bowl for the first time since their national championship season in 1981. The Tigers are also coming off of three straight seasons of at least 10 wins for the first time since 1990. But it will be tough Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney reach that level in 2014.

In four years at Clemson, former quarterback Tajh Boyd kept the fans in Death Valley on the edge of their seats with his passing ability. Now senior quarterback Cole Stoudt will be running the show from Swinney at Clemson.

The Tigers return seven defensive starters; none more important than senior defensive end Vic Beasley who could be an All-American when the season ends.

The Tigers will have a tougher schedule this year. In two of Clemson’s first three games they will be on the road; first against Georgia and then against Florida State. And then of course the Tigers complete the regular season when they host in-state rival South Carolina. It will be tougher for Clemson to win 10 games this season, but they will still be a tough team in the ACC.

North Carolina State Wolfpack 6-6 (2-6)

The first year with Dave Doeren as the head football coach was a tough one for the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Pack went 3-9 and they were winless in conference play. But Doeren is hopeful that he can restore some order this season in Raleigh. The Wolfpack were ranked 71st in the nation in total offense last year and their offense must improve. The defense wasn’t that much better as they were 62nd in the nation.

The Wolfpack will still struggle in the ACC this season, but a weak non-conference schedule could help them become bowl eligible.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons 5-7 (2-6)

After five straight losing seasons Jim Grobe’s time as the head football coach at Wake Forest University came to an end. Now it is Dave Clawson’s job to pump some life into Demon Deacons football in Winston-Salem. Clawson will be building his team from scratch as Wake Forest had the 120th ranked offense in 2013.

Clawson’s young team will have to learn on the fly. The Demon Deacons have a pair of tough non-conference road games against Louisiana-Monroe and Utah State. Louisiana-Monroe was able to come into Winston-Salem last year and upend Wake Forest and they will look to knock them off again in 2014. The Demon Deacons will begin their conference schedule on the road against Louisville and Florida State which is not a good way to build confidence.

Boston College Eagles 4-8 (2-6)

The Boston College Eagles will begin this season looking to build off of their first bowl appearance since 2010. Boston College head football coach Steve Addazio must replace a plethora of talent that he lost in quarterback Chase Retting, running back Andre Williams, and wide receiver Alex Amidon.

It would not surprise me if the Eagles were to lose their season opener at Massachusetts and things could get ugly for Boston College on September 13 when they host the University of Southern California. Not to mention that BC has conference road games against Virginia Tech and Florida State. Luckily for football fans in Boston, the New England Patriots should be good this season.

Syracuse Orange 3-9 (1-7)

Scott Schafer surprised some people last year when he led the Syracuse Orange to a winning campaign in his first year as the head football coach. Now what will Schafer be able to pull out of his bag of tricks in his second year in Central New York?

The Orange were able to luck out last season as they missed the big boys of the ACC, but that will not be the case in 2014. In a span of 22 days, Syracuse will meet Louisville, Florida State, and Clemson which could put the Orange behind the 8-ball.

Coastal

Duke Blue Devils 11-2 (7-2)

The Duke Blue Devils who have been bottom feeders for so long are now favored to win the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Last year the Blue Devils finished the season with a record of 10-4 and in the process they finished in the top 25 of the Associated Press Poll for the first time since 1961. But what can Blue Devils head football coach David Cutcliffe and his crew do for an encore in 2014?

Duke senior quarterback Anthony Boone is looking to build off of his 2013 season where he missed three games, but he still managed to throw 13 touchdowns. But the man to watch on Duke’s offense in senior wide receiver Jamison Crowder. At 5’9″, 175 lbs., Crowder is a shifty burner that will give defensive backs in the ACC fits this fall.

The Blue Devils have a very easy  non-conference schedule. Duke will begin ACC play with road games against Miami and Georgia Tech, but they avoid meeting Louisville, Florida State, and Clemson which should help them get to the conference title game.

Virginia Tech Hokies 9-3 (6-2)

“Beamer Ball” is still en vogue in Blacksburg, Virginia for the Virginia Tech Hokies, but for the first time since 1992 they are coming off of consecutive years in which they finished the season unranked. For Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer his staple has been a strong running game, defense, and special teams which he hopes will once again be the case in 2014.

Look for Virginia Tech sophomore running back Trey Edmunds to emerge this season as the Hokies need put an emphasis on the running game that was 110th in the nation last year.

In back-to-back weeks, Virginia Tech will meet Ohio State and East Carolina in two tough non-conference games. In ACC play, the Hokies will avoid meeting Florida State, Louisville, and Clemson which will help them as they’ll be able to beat up on the also-rans.

Miami Hurricanes 7-5 (4-4)

Al Golden is entering his fourth season as the head football coach of the Miami Hurricanes and he is on the verge of returning them to a national power. The ‘Canes appear to have the NCAA’s sanctions behind them and they are ready to take the next step in the ACC. The Hurricanes 2014 season will come down to the health of junior running back Duke Johnson. Johnson was a Heisman Trophy candidate last year until a broken ankle ended his season after seven games.

The Hurricanes will face a tough road schedule as they are set to square of against Louisville, Nebraska, and Virginia, while they’ll host Florida State on November 15.

Pittsburgh Panthers 6-6 (3-5)

In their first year in the ACC, the Pittsburgh Panthers were able to navigate their way to a bowl appearance. But in 2014 the road should be a little bit tougher for Pitt.

The Panthers lost quarterback Tom Savage to the NFL which means that Pittsburgh head football coach Paul Chryst will rely on his running game with senior running back Isaac Bennett and sophomore tailback James Conner and they will be his two-headed monster this year in Western Pennsylvania. You can expect sophomore wide receiver Tyler Boyd to become a household name. After a stellar freshman campaign that saw Boyd haul in 85 receptions for 1,174 yards, he is well on his way to being Pitt’s best wide receiver since Larry Fitzgerald.

Pitt and Chryst will find a way to become bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

North Carolina Tar Heels 5-7 (2-6)

North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Larry Fedora is looking to take the next step in his third year in Chapel Hill, but it will be easier said than done being that he lost of ton of talent to the National Football League. Junior wide receiver Quinshad Davis has tremendous size and he’ll be tremendous possession receiver this year for the Tar Heels, but will he be enough to make Carolina bowl eligible?

The Tar Heels also have a very daunting schedule that includes home games against San Diego State and Virginia Tech along with road games at East Carolina, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Miami. It won’t be long before the basketballs will be rolled out on Tobacco Road.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 5-7 (2-6)

After winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 2009, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have not come close to repeating that accomplishment. But will things be different for the Jackets in 2014?

For Georgia Tech head football coach Paul Johnson he knows that his triple-option attack on offense will once again be one of the top rushing units in the nation. Last season the Yellow Jackets had the sixth best rushing attack in the nation and led by junior quarterback Vad Lee you can expect more of the same this season.

In four of their six losses last season the Tech defense surrendered at least 30 points which is something that must be tightened up this season.

Road games against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Georgia, and a home showdown against Clemson will be telling as far as the 2014 college football season will workout for the “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech”.

Virginia Cavaliers 3-9 (2-6)

Mike London is entering his fifth season as the head football coach of the Virginia Cavaliers and after two consecutive losing seasons, the hot seat is warming up in Charlottesville for him.

Junior quarterback David Watford must improve off of a season in which he threw 15 interceptions to just 8 touchdowns. Running back Kevin Parks is set to begin his senior campaign and it would not surprise me if were to get close to 300 carries this season.

Virginia’s schedule is not an easy one with non-conference games against UCLA and BYU. The Cavs will finish their regular season against Florida State, Miami, and Virginia Tech and the results of those games will determine London’s fate at Virginia.

ACC Championship Game: Bank of America Stadium-Charlotte, North Carolina-Louisville vs. Duke

ACC Champions-Louisville

Sources: Sports-reference.com, Cfbstats.com, Nationalchamps.net