Over The Pylon

In an effort to address all the teams and conferences that make the fall so exciting, OTP’s All-Star Editorial staff is putting on their prognosticatin’ hats and taking a stab at each of the conferences and all of the teams in FBS. Alan and Edge are giving you the conference’s order of finish, the records, the superlatives for offense and defense, and the biggest surprise for each conference. At the conclusion of our series, we’ll have the Bowl Projections for all 34 Bowl Games.

OTP Conference Preview: The ACC

For the ACC, parity has been the term of recent memory. Year in and year out, teams will begin to distance themselves from the pack only to be pulled back down to Earth by a crushing defeat or a monumental upset. The ACC is loaded with talent and great coaching, and with the expansion of Big East teams Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, the ACC has moved to a divisional system.

This season, the Coastal shapes up to be the premier of the two, as Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina all have a chance at the BCS. The Atlantic will provide fans ridiculous closeness and parity to beat the band… great for the fans of the schools that do well and not so exciting for the teams that don’t.

Last 5 Conference Champions:
2008: Virginia Tech
2007: Virginia Tech
2006: Wake Forest
2005: Florida State
2004: Virginia Tech

Bowl Tie Ins:
The Atlantic Coast Conference has nine bowl tie-ins.
#1- Bowl Championship Series. The winner of the ACC Championship Game receives an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game, most always the FedEx Orange Bowl.
#2- The Chick-fil-A Bowl receives the second choice of ACC teams.
#3- The Gator Bowl receives the third choice of ACC teams.
#4- The Champs Sports Bowl receives the fourth choice of ACC teams.
#5-7- The Music City Bowl, Meineke Car Care Bowl, and Emerald Bowl reach mutual agreement on which teams each will take with the fifth, sixth, and seventh selections. If mutual agreement cannot be reached, they receive the selection preference in the order given. The loser of the ACC Championship game is guaranteed to fall no lower than the Music City Bowl.
#8- The EagleBank Bowl receives the eighth choice of ACC teams.
#9- The GMAC Bowl receives the ninth choice of ACC teams.

Alan’s ACC Predictions
Order of Finish:
Coastal:
Virginia Tech: 11-1 (8-0)
Georgia Tech: 10-2 (7-1)
North Carolina: 9-3 (5-3)
Miami: 7-5 (4-4)
Virginia: 3-9 (1-7)
Duke: 3-9 (0-8)

Atlantic:
Clemson: 8-4 (5-3)
Florida State: 7-5 (5-3)
Maryland: 7-5 (4-4)
Wake Forest: 8-4 (4-4)
Boston College: 6-6 (3-5)
NC State: 5-7 (2-6)

Championship Game: Virginia Tech defeats Clemson

League MVP: Jonathon Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Offensive MVP: Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech
Defensive MVP: Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech

Biggest Surprise This Season: North Carolina State drops their last three games and finishes 5-7, just one win short of Bowl Eligibility.

Edge’s ACC Predictions
Order of Finish:
Coastal:
Virginia Tech: 10-2 (8-0)
Georgia Tech: 7-5 (5-3)
Miami: 7-5 (4-4)
North Carolina: 5-7 (2-6)
Virginia: 4-8 (1-7)
Duke: 3-9 (0-8)

Atlantic:
Florida State: 10-2 (7-1)
Clemson: 8-4 (6-2)
North Carolina St: 7-5 (5-3)
Wake Forest: 7-5 (4-4)
Boston College: 7-5 (4-4)
Maryland: 5-7 (2-6)

Championship Game: Virginia Tech defeats Florida State

League MVP: Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
Offensive MVP: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson
Defensive MVP: Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech

Biggest Surprise This Season: Clemson shocks Florida State in Week 10.

Filed under: ACC, Preseason