2007 ACC Football Picks & Predictions
June 5, 2008
It is a wide open race for the ACC this season. Perennial contenders in Florida State and Miami have to step to the forefront one of these seasons, but we just don’t expect it to be in 2007. Virginia Tech will win this conference behind an improved offensive line. Branden Ore will have a huge season on the ground for the Hokies because of his fellas up front. QB Sean Glennon won’t make the same costly mistakes he made last year with another year of experience under his belt. Their steel curtain defense in the Coastal Divison, along with a friendly home slate of games will be worth a trip to Jacksonville in 2007.
Wake Forest are most experts’ pick to return to the top in the ACC’s Atlantic Divison, but just not ours. Boston College will be at the top of this division come season’s end behind quarterback Matt Ryan among 18 returning starters. Early momentum with an easy schedule will make BC this season’s Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons will come in a close second with 15 starters returning for the reigning ACC champions. Wake Forest football will have a target on their backs all season long and it will make each game that much harder to win.
Florida State will be much improved with a stout defense that can hold the fort down until the quarterbacks bring around the offense. Their new commitment to the run will help make the Seminoles a more consistent team in 2007. Clemson has the second best backfield in the nation, behind the Arkansas Razorbacks of course. The Davis-Spiller tailback tandem will be very difficult to shut down. They are breaking in a new quarterback, so teams will be bringing the heat to stop their running attack. The Tigers’ season will fall on the shoulders of how well this QB can perform in the passing game.
Georgia Tech football will be in the running just because of their stingy defense. But an untested QB in Taylor Bennett must try and be effective without Calvin Johnson at receiver. Tom O’Brien comes over from BC to give N.C. State new hope in their football program. O’Brien loses six defensive starters, plus their punter/kicker and it will prove to be problematic. But O’Brien’s ability to instill discipline will only help this squad. Maryland has a great offensive line, along with backs and wideouts that provide enough weaponry to be effective. Head coach Ralph Friedgen is still waiting for a QB to emerge though, and teams in this conference without a proven play caller have rarely fared well.
Virginia has dual-threat QB Jameel Sewell to try and bring some excitement to this boring, anti-productive offense. But Sewell has no proven wideouts and unproven backs for the Terrapins to get the most out of his athletic ability. Butch Davis has put new life into Tar Heel nation and he knows how to resurrect a sleeping giant. But no head coach can win with just 10 senior on their squad, especially when three of them are former walk-ons. Ted Roof welcomes back QB Thaodeus Lewis, along with his entire offense for the Duke Blue Devils. An active 20-game losing streak will make these players work even harder to get that long-awaited win. But one win for the Blue Devils might sadly be an accomplishment this season. It will be an exciting year to see which team is the surprise squad from the ACC in 2007.
