2024 ACC CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

  2024 ACC  SEASON PREDICTIONS

      TEAM                           Conf       Overall                                

1.Miami                             7-1           11-1           

2.*SMU                               7-1           11-1

3.Florida St                     6-2             9-3

4.Virginia Tech              6-2            10-2

5.Clemson                       6-2              9-3

6.Louisville                     5-3             7-5

7.Pittsburgh                  5-3              8-4

8.California                   4-4              7-5

9.N Carolina                  4-4              7-5

10.N Carolina St          4-4              7-5

11.Georgia Tech          3-5              6-6

12.Syracuse                  3-5              7-5

13.Wake Forest           3-5              6-6

14.Virginia                     2-6              5-7

15.Boston Coll             1-7             4-8

16.Duke                           1-7             4-8

17.Stanford                   1-7             4-8

  *Denotes  Conference Championship winner.  

 CONFERENCE TEAM NOTES:

MIAMI:

There are two reasons I have them here, weak ass conference, weak ass schedule . But this is the best team they've had in quite a number of years, that said, they still have monstrous culture issues that will appear and keep them from a deep playoff run. Cam Ward should blow up now that people aside from me will see him play, RB Martinez is another guy few have seen, WR Restrepo will play on Sunday's  and the OL has several nice prospects.On defense they are solid at all positions but spectacular in few, DE Mesidor is very good,and MLB Mauigoa is yet another player few have seen, he really gets to the ball. I see them winning the regular season but losing to SMU in the Championship game.

SMU:

This will be the biggest surprise team in all of CFB this year. With some real talent and a schedule that is very FAVORABLE they should be in the ACC Championship game.The offense WILL score,they have 2 QB's who can lead them in Stone and Jennings, they will have RB by committee but they have three who can play' Knighton, Johnson and transfer Smith. TE Maryland is the most dangerous receiver, the OL is large and talented, As for the defensethey play great as a unit but with no real stars. How far this team goes will depend on the defense .

FLORIDA ST:

NO they did not belong in playoffs last year. This year reality will set in and they will drop back to the heard. QB Uiagalelei is and has been overrated his entire career. They should have a decent run game, and the OL is solid. They are not real explosive on the outside. The defense is led by DE/OLB Payton, he should be a Top 10 pick. The DL is their best unit. The rest of the defense is just decent, a couple very good players, CB Thomas, LB Lundy,  but it has holes.

VIRGINIA TECH:

This is a team on the rise, HC Pry will rapidly move up the ladder of coaches. The offense will be fun to watch, the rest of the country will learn QB Drones name, RB/KR Bhayshul will also break out, explosive players all over, WR's Felton and Lane will rise on draft boards as the season moves on. The defense , will be led by the secondary, CB's Strong and Delane will vie for all-conference as will DE Powell-Ryland and LB Lawson.

CLEMSON:

Debo has one more year to come into the new way of CFB, he better! His unexplainable behavior towards the transfer portal has to be maddening to Tiger fans as does the 3 or more losses each of the past 3 seasons. I'm not sold on QB Klubnik, RB Mafah is solid but depth is very green. WR's on roster stike little fear, the OL is strong led by OT's Miller and Leigh. The DL has under performed recently, LB Carter is the defense best player. CB Terrell has nice upside, SS Mickens is solid.

LOUISVILE:

They are about as good as they can get. 5 wins by a TD or less last year got them to 10 wins but I don't see that again. Transfer QB Shough must throw the ball to the right team, he has had problems with that,they lost close to 2000 yards of rushing, and 4 of their top 5 receivers. The OL could end up quite good with returners and transfers. The DL is a strength led by DE Gillotte and DT Griffith, losses in secondary will be tough, transfers will need to step in quickly.

PITTSBURGH;

Another program that can only get so good. QB Yarnell was an elite recruit, he has yet to show he deserved that rating, little size at RB  and speed is limited at WR, the OL led by LT Taylor is very large. The defense has been slipping back for several years, that will continue.No true NFL talent on this side of the ball, recruiting must improve.

CALIFORNIA:

Watching Jaylen Ott will be worth tuning into their games. Them in the ACC is a joke but here we are. Transfer QB Rogers should be an improvement and he could be very good, the starters at WR should all be transfers, the OL is average some weeks. The defense has fallen off the past few seasons, this season , more transfers, this side of the ball will have problems, no real stars.

N CAROLINA:

I love Mack, he's been great for CFB but it's time for him to move on. They are really going to start QB Johnson, this guy has never be very good but somehow coaches think he is. RB Hampton is the top NFL prospect in my rankings, the receiving corp is decent but no game breakers.The OL is also decent but no stars. Defense under mack has been poor, this year will be slightly better, DE Rucker, LB Echols, CB Allen will all be drafted next spring.

N CAROLINA ST:

Yet another team that will only be decent most years, with an occasional great year. Transfer QB McCall should produce just as he has the past 5 years, transfer will be counted on at RB and WR, multiple starters return on what should be a solid OL. Transfers factor in all over in the defense, the front 7 can be solid, depth is an issue.

GEORGIA TECH:

They will never be able to recruit enough talent to compete. QB King is up and down, he still will be, the running game lacks depth and the WR's lack size, the OL lacks both. The defense will be average like it has been recently, NT Biggers has NFL potential. Transfers will be all over.

SYRACUSE:

They have several players with NFL talent but never enough and depth is always a major issue. I was SUPER high on transfer QB MCCord last season but he showed serious issue with pressure and mostly with anticipation, ifNFL is in his future, I'm not sold that can happen.RB Allen and TE/WR Gadson can be All-Conference. The OL should be solid in the run game but pass protection could be an issue. Transfer DE Diggs, MLB wax, CB Chesnut all have NFL potential so the defense should be improved, still not elite.

WAKE FOREST:

They had a fair run and will again, but they can only be so good.  Former lofty recruit QB Bachmeier is on his 3rd team and in his 6th season of CFB, it's not happening for him. The OL needs to step it up, I'm not sure they can, the RB's are average at best, same a receiver, just no player that scares anybody. The defense has been a problem for years here, they can't recruit stud here, they will give up 30+ppg.

VIRGINIA;

Another school that just can not recruit with the big boys. They need a QB that strikes at least some fear in opponents, they actually have some talent at RB, Pace, at WR Fields, Tyree but the OL has issues with performance. The defense really struggled last season, 33.8ppg and that won't change, no stars, no players with All-Confernce ability.

BOSTON COLLEGE:

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting, they will never be able to compete.  HC O'Brien is an outstanding coach, if he wins 6 here he will have another job next year if he wants.QB Castellanos will be much improved with the new staff, his ceiling is intriguing . They will depend on transfers and weak carry overs at RB and WR, no game brakers at with spot. The  OL also will benefit greatly from this staff. The secndary leads the defense, that group is very good, LB Arnold is solid but the rest of the defense is below average.. 

DUKE:

Hope their fans enjoyed them being competitive the last couple years, it may be awhile. This team is tough to call, I don't understand the HC hire at all, Diaz showed me nothing at Miami, Then they got elite QB transfer Murphy to come here, WR Moore could make a NFL team,  but the OL lost more than it gained and will take a step back.The defense has been solid the past two seasons but losses there tell me it's back to normal, you know 30+ppg !

STANFORD:

Stanford in the ACC! WTF  are we letting happen, this is just awful! But again, here we are! The OL, once a strength here is young, undersized and lacks depth, this causes talented RB's to struggle, as well as a talented QB in Daniels.The defense ha s been trending down for 5 years, that will continue as recruiting or bringing in transfers here is difficult at best, DE/LB Baily has NFL ability