2011 NCAA Football Conference Previews- The ACC
While the 2011 NCAA college football season is still a couple of months away it is not too early to take a look at each of the major conferences to see which teams have the best chance to end up in this year’s BCS Championship Game. Today we take a look at all the teams in the ACC along with their current odds to win the conference as provided by SportsInteraction.com.
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ACC Atlantic Division
Boston College +2000
Boston College was 4-4 in the conference last season, but won its final five games to finish 7-5 overall. The Eagles qualified for a bowl game for the 12th straight season; losing to Nevada 20-13 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. The strength of this team is a defense that features Luke Kuechly, who led the nation in tackles last season. RB Montel Harris racked up 1,243 rushing yards in 2010 and will need another monster effort to keep BC competitive this year.
Clemson +1500
Injuries took their toll on Clemson last year as its 6-7 record was its first losing season in 10 years. The Tigers brought in Chad Morris as their new offensive coordinator to try and pump some life into a unit that was ranked 86th in the nation in scoring. Tajh Boyd will take over the starting duties at quarterback and RB Andre Ellington is back after rushing for 686 yards last year.
Florida State +150
Jimbo Fisher begins his second year at the helm with one of Florida State’s most talented teams in a number of years. The Seminoles return their entire defensive front and secondary from last season and will have QB E.J. Manuel as the full-time replacement for the departed Christian Ponder. Manuel is 4-2 as a starter and has proven to be a duel threat with both his arm and his legs.
Maryland +1200
Former Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall takes over for the departed Ralph Friedgen and will have his work cut out for him in trying to duplicate last year’s 9-4 record. Danny O’Brien will be the Terrapins starting QB this year. He threw for 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns in 10 games as a freshman last season. They will also have RB David Meggett, who ran for 756 yards on 126 carries in 2010.
North Carolina State +3000
This is another team that will hard-pressed to repeat its nine-win performance from a year ago. QB Russell Wilson has decided to forego his senior year in order to play professional baseball. He will be replaced by Mike Glennon, who threw a total of 13 passes last year. Fortunately, the majority of the offensive line remains intact and RB Dean Haynes will be there take some of the pressure off Glennon through the running game.
Wake Forest +10000
Wake Forest is coming off a dismal 2010 campaign that included just one conference win and an overall record of 3-9. The good news is the Demon Deacons return 58 players from last year’s roster, so they should be somewhat better on experience alone. QB Tanner Price should benefit from the nine games he started as a freshman as well as from an offensive line that is probably the deepest unit on the team.
ACC Coastal Division
Duke +15000
Duke only managed to win one conference game last season, but was much more competitive in the ACC than in past years. Sean Renfree is back behind center for the Blue Devils after a very productive 2010 season where he threw for over 3,100 yards on 464 attempts. He will also have his two favorite targets back in WR Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon, who combined for 133 receptions last year.
Georgia Tech +2500
Georgia Tech fell upon hard times in 2010 with an overall record of 6-7 and a conference record of 4-4. QB Josh Nesbitt is gone, but Tevin Washington will look to build on his four starts last season after Nesbitt broke his arm. Washington showed great mobility by rushing for an average of 105 yards over the four-game stretch. The Yellow Jackets will also need to find a replacement for RB Anthony Allen, who rushed for over 1,300 yards in 2010.
Miami +350
Miami will look to bounce back from a disappointing year in which it lost its final three games to finish 7-6 overall. The Hurricanes have brought in Al Golden as their new head coach, who will be tasked with finding replacements for their leading receiver, running back, and a good chunk of their defensive secondary. The starting quarterback job is still up for grabs between Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris, but neither was overly impressive in the team’s Spring workouts.
North Carolina +500
A mass exodus of talent from last year’s roster could point to a bit of rebuilding year for North Carolina on the offensive side of the ball. Bryn Renner will most likely take over for the departed T.J. Yates at quarterback and Hunter Furr should be the featured running back. Fortunately, the Tar Heels defense remains intact with 10 starters returning from last year’s unit.
Virginia +3000
Head Coach Mike London’s 4-8 record in his first year at the helm has to be considered a success given the depths that this program had sunk to prior to his arrival. The Cavaliers return 19 starters from last year’s team, but will still have to replace their quarterback as well as their leading running back and wide receiver. Look for London to turn the reins at QB over to Ross Metheny, who threw just 17 passes last season as a freshman.
Virginia Tech +250
A perennial power in the ACC, Virginia Tech should once again be right in the thick of things with 13 starters returning from last year’s team that went a perfect 8-0 in conference play and finished 11-3 on the year. QB Tyrod Taylor, who threw for 2743 yards and rushed for 659 more, is gone so sophomore Logan Thomas will have some large shoes to fill stepping into that role. The Hokies should be solid on defense with seven starters returning including All-American CB Jayron Hosley.
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