Top 5 ACC Teams

I spend the majority of my “off-season” reading about ACC football and know the changes for each team pretty well. I won’t call myself an expert but I do know quite a bit more about the ACC than I do about any other Conference. The ACC has a bad reputation for having poor quality teams, but as a constant watcher, it’s a little more complex as to the reason the numbers aren’t as mind boggling. I’ll briefly list a few of those reasons and then dive into my Top 5 ACC Teams.

First and foremost, the ACC is not a weak offensive conference but rather a strong defensive conference. Nearly every team prioritizes defense and even teams at the bottom of the pack have some great talent on the defensive side of the ball. Secondly, it’s a very balanced conference. No team really has a gunslinger at quarterback (with the exception of maybe Riley Skinner of Wake Forest) but does have quarterbacks capable of managing running and passing attacks pretty evenly. You won’t see the gaudy passing numbers that you see in the Big 12—partly because ACC teams can play better pass defense—but you will see fairly high completion rates and moderate numbers. Last but not least, there is a lot more parity in the conference than in the past. Teams like Duke and UNC have restored pride in their programs and borught in good talent with good coaches to be able to compete in the conference, and it’s working. That’s my two cents on the ACC and I think people will eventually start to realize that it is a well balanced conference.

Top 5 ACC Teams:

1. Virginia Tech: Granted I’m a little more biased towards this one than many people will be but it’s hard to deny a defense that retools every year under one of the best assistant coaches in college football. The offense was set to go until Darren Evans tore his ACL and was declared done for the season. But with the knowledge of the recruiting base and team that I have, I don’t see much of a drop off in the backfield. That’s hard to say considering how good of a runner Darren Evans was last year but Ryan Williams and David Wilson are both one of a kind…or I guess two of a kind…athletes. With a speedy quarterback and two incredibly fast running backs, running could be the name of the game in Blacksburg, but don’t overlook the young but experienced receiving corps. The conference is theirs to lose and I believe the team could be one of the best Blacksburg has seen since 1999. Alabama will be a true early test of skill but the next candidate could be the real bump in the road.
2. North Carolina: Wait…Is this football or basketball we’re talking about UNC winning in? Butch Davis has restored pride in the program (might not be all of his doing) but has coaching skill to keep the highly talented players working well for the team. The Tar Heels defense is the backbone of the team and is anchored by the much underrated Quan Sturdivant and the monstrous Marvin Austin. The offense is the only question mark in my mind because TJ Yates needs to stay healthy for the team to retain its potency. The receivers are a little bit untested (and not as talented) compared to Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate. The running game is solid behind that offense line, but it can’t carry the whole load.
3. Georgia Tech: We all know the Paul Johnsons run scheme is hard to stop but after a while, a good defense will adapt and make necessary adjustments to stop the attack. When that happens, there isn’t all that much that they have been able to do on the passing side. Sure, it sets up the play action well but Nesbitt doesn’t have all too many options to throw to. Jonathon Dwyer is a threat for a homerun every time he gets the ball, but I think he is more of a product of the system. The defense is good but can be porous at times and is a liability at times trying to cover the pass.
4. Florida State: Hard to believe that I would rank FSU as the fourth best team in the ACC given their past. Recently though, FSU has been a whirlwind of scandal, dismissals, and mediocre performance. Some suggest Bobby Bowden is to be blame but he is not the ultimate decision maker for each player. Putting the off the field issues aside, FSU actually returns a pretty solid team and could make the ACC Championship in the watered down division of the ACC. I think the rest of the teams in FSU’s division have too many question marks to really challenge FSU and their deep talent pool.
5. Clemson: I’m still having trouble buying into the Clemson hype. Yes, I know CJ Spiller is a Heisman hopeful but I still don’t buy into his hype either. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong but I do not see the gold shining out of his rear end like everyone else does. He’s exciting to watch but his numbers really aren’t all that spectacular. That being said, he’s really the only highlight in an offense that is flip-flopping on which QB to start, Willy Korn or Kyle Parker. The defense is luckily pretty solid to backup the hit or miss offense and has some great talent in D’Quan Bowers and the rest of the defensive line. If Dabo Swinney can get true control of this team, they could finally fill the expectations they have been given over the past few seasons.

Honorable mentions: University of Miami and Duke…yes, Duke.

More to come, I'll do the Top 5 of each conference