Hurricanes, Hokies Among Top ACC Contenders In 2010-11

While Clemson rode the Buffalo Bills’ 2010 first round NFL betting draft pick CJ Spiller to the best record in the Atlantic division, it was three teams from the Coastal division that made the biggest splashes in the Atlantic Coast Conference a year ago. Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Miami, all from the Coastal division, finished one, two, three in the ACC, and it was the Yellow Jackets that finished off the Tigers in the ACC Championship game 39-34. Georgia Tech went on to be the lone representative of the ACC in the Bowl Championship Series, falling to Iowa in the Fedex Orange Bowl, pushing the conference’s record to 3-4 in bowl games. A great amount of change has swept through the ACC this past NCAA college football betting offseason, and according to most projections, that change will resonate in the standings.

The Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Tech Hokies are the sports betting favorites to represent the ACC in the BCS this year, after both took steps in that direction a year ago. For Virginia Tech, 13 starters return from last year’s roster, and after going 10-3 a year ago, the feeling in the Hokies’ camp is that a conference title is well within their grasp. A tough schedule and suspect defense may be tough for a potentially loaded backfield to overcome, and it appears as though quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s improvement may be the X-Factor in how far this team goes. For the Hurricanes both Jacory Harris and AJ Highsmith showed flashes of greatness a year ago, but Harris may be the better option given the offense they run. Miami went 5-1 at home a year ago, surprising many in the process, and as long as the improvement continues it will be the Hurricanes presenting the biggest challenge to the Hokies’ supremacy, making the Miami Dolphins not the only football betting team competing at the top level..

While the Hokies and Hurricanes battle to replace the Yellow Jackets in the Coastal division, there may not be that type of change in the Atlantic division where Clemson should be able to remain the best of a group of relatively mediocre teams. The Tigers lost their superstar Spiller but have a stable of young running backs that still rank among the best in the division. There have been rumblings about quarterback Kyle Parker considering a potential career in baseball instead of football, but as long as he is back under center Clemson should finish back on top. Boston College could push the Tigers as a wild card team in the Atlantic division given that 15 starters will be returning, and their schedule isn’t as strong as some of the other teams. As was the case when betting on sports prior to the 2009 season, don’t expect for more than the top four teams to be among those nationally ranked, as despite improvement throughout the bottom four, it will not be enough to make any major noise.