College Football ACC Atlantic Division Preview
SteemSports Presenter: Scott Frank,@scottybuckets
We are 4 days away from the start of the college football season! We have been breaking down the major conferences and today we will dive into the ACC, home of the National Champion Clemson Tigers! Let's get it started with the Atlantic Division!
1. Florida State - The Seminoles top my list and have a chance at the National Championship this year. They suffered two devastating last second losses last year to North Carolina and Clemson or the history of 2016 would have looked a lot different. The return one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, Deondre Francois. He is dangerous with his arm and his feet. FSU has 15 returning starters back and have the best offensive, defensive and special teams units in the conference. They will be back in the conference championship game this year. The only question is, who will they play?
2. Louisville - Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy last year. He threw for 30 touchdowns and ran for 21 more. He is back at quarterback for one more season before taking the leap to the NFL. Head Coach Bobby Petrino will have the offense scoring early and often. They have 7 starters back on defense and that should be a much improved unit. The Cardinals should surpass last year's 9 game win total. They head to Tallahassee on October 21st that will decide the division winner.
3. Clemson - Head Coach Dabo Swinney is now a National Champion. But gone are current NFL players Desean Watson, Mike Williams and Wayne Gallman. The Tigers will take a step back this year. They do still have a fantastic defense and will be bowing, but most likely in December. They have a tough test at home vs Auburn on September 9th before visiting Louisville the next week. With only 4 returning starters on offense, it could be a slow start for Clemson.
4. NC State - Head Coach Dave Doren is on the hot seat this season and has high expectations for his 5th year as the Wolfpack Leader. They went 7-6 last season and have a ton of talent back. In Fact, they are the most experienced team in the ACC with 17 returning starters. Ryan Finley is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and will keep NC State competitive in every game. They have the potential to be the surprise team in the Atlantic Division this year. Their other strength is the defensive line. September 23rd at Florida State is their first big test of the year.
5. Boston College - Last year was a big success for the Eagles as they made their first bowl game in a while. They should be back in one this year too with one of the better defenses in the ACC. They have 15 returning starters and Head Coach Steve Addazio always gets the most out of his team's. They will be breaking in a new quarterback but has experience at all of the skill positions. Their first big test will be when they host Notre Dame on September 16th.
6. Wake Forest - The Demon Deacons won 7 games last year including a bowl win over the Temple Owls. And with 9 returning starters on offense, they are poised for another good season. But they have a brutal schedule and will be an underdog in all but 3 games. Getting back to a bowl is a lofty expectation and will take a lot of upsets to do so.
7. Syracuse - The Orange only won 4 games last year for first year Head Coach Dino Babers. They had some bad losses to end the season including giving up 76 points at Pittsburgh. On the bright side, they bring back most of their team. They have a shot at getting around the 6 win mark but a bowl game is doubtful. They are one year away from making much noise in the ACC.
Do you think Florida State has a shot at the National Championship? How will Clemson do with all that talent gone? Will Lamar Jackson win back to back Heismans? Tell me what you think. Thank you for following @steemsports and you can catch me @scottybuckets Cheers!
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Go Noles! Love the prediction. I think FSU has an outside shot at the championship but I think they need to beat Alabama in the opening week. They won't drop far if they lose, but I think it would be detrimental to the team and they would end up dropping another one or two games.
Can't wait for that game. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Nice..
Papuchis Keying on Four Defensive Stats
UNC ranked eighth in the ACC and 43rd nationally in scoring defense in 2016.
The Florida State Vs. Bama Game is going to be huge because who ever loses is going to have to be near perfect to make the Playoffs! Go Blue though!
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Such a tough division this year... defending national champs, returning Heisman winner plus the always-contending Seminoles, and that's before you even get to teams like NC State or BC which are capable of an upset any given Saturday. Move over SEC West, the ACC Atlantic is the toughest in the country this year!