The @AllSportsDACC Team and Guest Blogger Picks for #ACC Team Records, Division, Title, and Award Winners

Good evening.  College football’s big opening Saturday is almost here.  It is GAME WEEK.  Here are the @AllSportsDACC team’s (including @HokieSmash_ASD, @TalkinACCSports, @JamesIV1978, and @T0mahawkCh0p) ACC predictions for team by team records, awards, division winners, and the ACC title winner.  Also joining us our guest pickers, including:

• Ethan Moore – than Moore of Louisville Sports Live is here.  You can follow Ethan on Twitter at @_EthanMoore and Louisville Sports Live at @LvilleSprtsLive (and on the Internet at http://louisvillesportslive.net/).  Ethan and and his colleague, Nick Burch (you can follow Nick on Twitter at @_NickBurch) have a radio show dedicated to UofL sports on 93.9 FM the Ville (their twitter account is @939TheVille, which is powered by ESPN) every Wednesday night at 6:00 PM EST.
• Dan Caro from Reston, VA – and the owner of TreadmillHorse.com, a Virginia Tech blog that focuses on Hokies football and men’s basketball.  You can follow Dan on Twitter at @Treadmillhorse.
• Emily used to write about sports at various blogs around the internet, but primarily is found in 140 characters or less @sportsbroad on Twitter.

Have fun reading our picks!!!!  Welcome back, college football – we have missed you!!!

ACC Coastal Division Record Predictions

ACC Atlantic Division Record Predictions:

ACC Division Winners, Players of the Year, Coach of the Year, and ACC Title Winner

Open Microphone (talk anything you want about ACC football here):

Matthew:   I’m probably going to regret picking Miami to win the ACC Coastal Division as they’ve never done it before (but quite frankly, 2017 seems to be the year that a lot of stuff has happened that we didn’t think would happen) – and I think that Mark Richt is providing a level of stability that the Hurricanes have not had in awhile (Hurricanes have earned the right to be the favorite).  I’m on record here for picking Florida State to win the ACC and the national title.  I also think that NC State will win one of the games vs. Louisville, Clemson, or Florida State.  The strength of the ACC is clearly is on the Atlantic side of the conference now – but you are going to see a time when Virginia Tech and Miami – year in and year out – are putting their teams in the top four of the Conference which is going to help the ACC stay in contention for the NCAA football playoff every year.  The coaching in the ACC is at an all time high.  

Jeff:  This is a prove it year for the ACC. It’s one thing to get to the top of the mountain as the ACC did last year becoming 2016’s best football conference – it’s another to stay there. I’m really curious how the ACC will perform in their big OOC matchups. If FSU loses Alabama, Clemson loses to Auburn, Tennessee beats Georgia Tech, West Virginia defeats Virginia Tech among others in those first 2 weeks, the ACC will spend the rest of the year trying to make up the ground. They don’t have to win every non-conference game but they don’t need a Big 10 like bowl performance.

James:  I love where the ACC is coming into this season. They have been able to reverse the perception around the country that they are just a basketball conference. However, I do think the ACC won’t have the same success that they had last year. Clemson won the national championship and the rest of the league were very successful in the bowl season. This year, I can see a scenario where the ACC is left out of the Playoffs. The league just lost so much talent and there are a lot of young teams out there. I have Clemson going 11-1 and losing to Miami in the ACC Championship game. I think this is a one year scenario though, I just believe that with all the turnover in QB’s from last year there will be a natural drop off

Edward:  The ACC is on a hot streak: Clemson coming off a National Championship season, and runner-up the year before. Louisville featured a transcendent QB in Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. Florida State emerged as victors in the Orange bowl versus playoff-contender Michigan, and had won both the National Championship in 2013 as well as the Heisman. It is a conference that has been defined by defense, and emerged as a font of offensive prowess in recent seasons. 2017 appears to be no different than the past few seasons. I truly believe the Noles can emerge once again as Playoff contenders, and have them locked-in as my pick to win the ACC (I made a bold prediction that Miami would upset them in the ACC Championship game, however that was prior to the QB announcement. I have since regretted making that statement). Miami, I believe, will emerge as a Conference contender under Mark Richt this season. I believe Louisville can have a magical season with Lamar at helm. Likewise to NC State, whom I have as a defensive juggernaut in the Atlantic. Virginia Tech shares stark parallels to Florida State, and I note as such with the record I’ve projected for them (losing a heartbreaker in Miami).

My surprise prediction: the Clemson fall-off. I have nothing against the Tigers. In fact, I respect them in a manner I hold for few programs outside my alma mater. However, I don’t believe they have the guns to out-play FSU in Death Valley. I believe Louisville will get their revenge at home against Clemson. I predict NC State will emerge as division contenders with a statement win over Clemson in a de-facto revenge game. And I believe the Hokies of Virginia Tech will be ready for the Tigers come kick-off in Blacksburg. Coupled with a fresh face at QB and missing key offensive weapons, Clemson is in for a surprise, despite their stellar recruiting in recent seasons. This isn’t their year, as I fully expect a rebuild. There is no shame in that, Tigers fans.

Ethan:  There’s no doubt the ACC wasn’t the best conference last year. This season shapes up to be another great year for the league. Week 1 will go a long way to see if the conference will be the top dog again.

Dan: The ACC is still very strong at the top. Clemson, Florida State and Louisville are teams with national aspirations. Then you have a nice group of second tier teams that hope to get into that conversation too. Either way, it’s a deep league that should be one of the top three conferences in the nation this year. And they’ll definitely get a team in the College Football Playoff.

The Atlantic division will once again be a war. In most other divisions in college football, Louisville would be the favorite. In the Atlantic division, they will likely finish third. That’s a tough division. This division will come down to the Clemson-Florida State game once again. Clemson has the tough task of having to replace key pieces on both sides of the ball. Florida State has the more experienced roster but getting a win in Death Valley will be tough.

The Coastal division will once again be the “Wheel of Destiny”. In my mind, there are four teams that could win the division. Miami is the favorite. Solid roster, good coaching and a favorable schedule. Virginia Tech has to replace a lot of pieces on offense but don’t count out their coaching staff. Justin Fuente and Bud Foster are a tough out for any team. Pitt and Georgia Tech could be sneaky good and surprise some teams. This is a year that sets up well for the ‘Canes and they get their first Coastal division title.

Emily: I’ve got Miami at 10-2, but we could just as easily see actual Coastal Chaos for the first time with a bunch of teams at 8-4. I’m not 100% sold on my Clemson pick, but it’s hard to pick against Dabo and his contagious optimism. Anything can happen in college football week to week, so it looks to be a fun year watching what breaks in each team’s favor.

Bonus Pick – Who wins the FCS National Title?

Matthew:  North Dakota State University (NDSU).  Six championships in seven years.  NDSU would have won their 6th in a row had Nick DeLuca, a Butkus Watch List Candidate, not been injured.  Nick DeLuca will be playing in the NFL.

Jeff:  North Dakota State? When in doubt, trust the dynasty.

James:  James Madison over Sam Houston St. I would love to pick Youngstown St but I don’t have the guts to….

Edward:  Richmond! Why? Because spiders. Why does it always have to be spiders! Seriously, I don’t know much about FCS playoff contenders, but know that Richmond is usually in the conversation year-in and year-out. Besides: NDSU is the Alabama of the FCS, there’s no way I can back them knowing my Noles face Bama in a week’s time! Underdog contenders are the way to game, so Richmond, have at it!

Ethan:  North Dakota State. They’re a juggernaut.

Dan: Going to go with Virginia pride and pick JMU. They had an impressive run in the playoffs and knocked off five-time consecutive national champs, NDSU. JMU is building a nice FCS dynasty and will go back-to-back. The only question is why are they still an FCS team? Former Virginia FCS’ers Old Dominion and Liberty have made the jump to FBS. When is it JMU’s turn?

Emily: I can’t in good conscience pick the Bison to win anything, so I’m going Youngstown State because penguins.

And thank you for reading our picks for the year!!!!

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