ACC Preview

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For 2003 All-ACC Fantasy Team:  GO

For more on these teams, see the 2002 Fantasy Info below.

2002 All-ACC Fantasy Team:  GO   |   ACC schedule in 2002: GO

Team Breakdowns:

Clemson | Duke | Florida State | Georgia Tech | Maryland

North Carolina | North Carolina St  | Virginia | Wake Forest

ACC in 2003

As with any good preseason report, we start off at the end.  The season's end, that is.  Our prediction for the standings come mid-December have Bobby and the 'Noles on top, followed closely by the other Bowden and Clemson.  The now-Jones-less Cavaliers and Lamont Jordan's Terps close out the year tied at three, with Tech and the boys from the state of NC right behind.  Wake falls a bit from last year's impressive run into the Bowls, and Duke will still be looking at next year for a bowl-eligible team.

One thing that marks this conference this season is Questions.  How much has Tech dropped, with the loss of all that talent?  How about Virginia, with that same question?  How good will Maryland be, now that some of their very good talent is likely to be great now?  How healed is UNC?  How consistent can NC State be this year?  How good is C. J. Leak?  And so on, and so on, ...

Unlike many college media, we aren't sold on the Cavaliers as a challenge to FSU and Clemson.  We know we may eat those words come the winter, but we still say, Prove it.  Virginia has decent talent, but until we see their response to losing Jones, we're going conservative and saying they'll finish third.  On the other hand, we're going the other way with Maryland, and forecasting a fantastic season for the Terps.  These words, too, we may very well eat.  Oh, well, such is the life of the prognosticator.

We don't see an entree of past comments being served up when it comes to the final few teams in our forecast.  As much as we'd like to see Wake Forest continue their ascent, we don't see enough talent there for them to get much higher.  Likewise, Duke seems stuck in that rut for a while longer.  UNC can explode if they have solved a few of their more pressing questions, but those are such strong conditionals that we had to go conservative with their rank.  NC State has talent, but their track record of late suggests that we're wiser to aim low for this underachieving bunch.  The Jackets are the big question mark this year; we went middle-of-the-road there, and slotted them in the center of the conference. 

Clemson Tigers

Finishing second isn't too bad.  Especially if it's to your father.

Another consolation to this is that we think Clemson and Tommy will be the team to hand FSU and Bobby one of those rare Seminoles' conference losses.  It won't be enough to get the Tigers atop the conference standings come the end of the year, because Virginia and Maryland and Georgia Tech will team up to hand them two losses between the three.  It'll be a great 9-2 year for Clemson.  They aren't there yet, able to challenge for the double-digit Wins and ACC dominance.

What they have going for them this season is the usual, Defense, and a surprisingly potent offense.  

The offense is led by last year's bench strength, QB Woody Dantzler, who came in for the injured Brandon Streeter last year and showed Clemson fans a bit of what to expect this year.  He was a surprisingly effective back up, who returns to lead an offense that loses almost no one aside from QB Streeter.   RB Zachery is back, and receiver Rod Gardner returns; with an added year of experience for both of these star players, the passing and running games should be as good as last season's.  With Dantzler in at QB you get a decent shot at equaling, or bettering, the overall offensive production of '99.  Since that '99 production was one of the best seasons in Clemson history, you have to expect that an improving defense is all that is needed to get Clemson over the hump and into contention in the ACC.

The Tigers defense should provide just that.  Half of the starting secondary was lost, but that's about all we can find to say critically about this unit.  They get All-American LB Keith Adams back (the ACC's Defensive player of the Year last season, earned largely on the merits of his title as most prolific tackler of Div IA).  Their LB corps is deep, and should provide plenty of help to an already decent DL.  The secondary will have plenty of time to develop, since opposing QBs shouldn't have much of a chance to throw deep or complicated routes.

To see what we said about Clemson in the spring, click here:  GO

Duke Blue Devils

Finishing last isn't so great.  But the guys over at Duke seem to be getting used to fighting to stay out of the proverbial cellar, don't they?  What price high academic requirements...

We love this team, and always pull for them to have a great year, like Stanford and Northwestern.  We have a soft spot for those college-first, athletics-second programs, we guess.  So we try to be optimistic about their prospects each summer.  It's sort of hard this year, though.  We can start by saying they return plenty of their offense, though that doesn't help all that much; QB Romine comes back but is recovering from surgery, RB Hill was transferred over to defense, and among those that were lost are the best two receivers the Blue Devils had.  So that unit is as big a question as it would be had there been 4 returning starters instead of 7.

Defensively there is a serious concern because they actually did lose all but 3 of their starters.  On the positive side they get their best player, LB Todd DeLamielleure back.  But is ends there for the front seven, as the whole DL has to be rebuilt.  The secondary will be all new and we'll have to withhold judgment until we see some game performances.  All in all, it'll be one of those years where October will be the best time to decide how good the team will be, since most of the team is a question mark right now.  So hold out for good news, Duke fans.

To see what we said about Duke in the spring, click here:  GO

Florida State Seminoles 

It's good to be the kings.  Even if your kingdom is one of the least powerful in the realm.  
One good thing about being the very best team in a less powerful conference is, you rarely find yourself short of talent.  And this season is no exception for the elder Bowden's boys. These guys are loaded, again.  

Yes, the offense has to find a replacement for Warrick and some of the other talent that left (mostly for pro pastures) including their entire receiving corps.  But they seem to be well on the way to doing this.  Plus, some of the talent they didn't lose looks to be coming back even better than ever.  They get most of the OL back, the starting point for any run at a quality season.  Then there's QB Chris Weinke.  The guy we thought for certain was going pro, but fooled us and probably everyone else, returns to lead the 'Noles one more time, and he looks to be in better form this spring than when we last saw him, winning that National Championship.  They also get RB Travis Minor back, and he looked sharp in April, as well.  Our pick to be ACC Newcomer of the Year is RB Nick Maddox, one of the most highly sought after recruits of last season.  He has size and speed, and with some reps he'll be able to hone his game skills.  The receiver problem seems all set, with JUCO transfer Javon Walker and youngster Anquan Boldin our picks to be the stars of that unit.

Defense is rarely a problem for FSU, and this year is no exception.  They're loaded.  The front seven will be just as formidable as last year, and their secondary looks like they return as much speed and game-breaking abilities as they demonstrated last year.  

Wait, there is something they haven't replaced; they have a huge hole at PK with the loss of Sebastian Janikowski to the NFL, and no apparent heir.  That is, of course, until freshman phenom Cimmorelli gets to campus this fall.

To see what we said about FSU in the spring, click here:  GO

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

From challenging for the top to being middle of the pack -- not such a good step for the Yellow Jackets.  But you really can't expect a whole lot more when you lose guys like QB Joe Hamilton and receiver Dez White.

Actually, the Jackets' losses on offense are almost as bad as they seem, but not quite.  Coaches are doing the next best thing to replacing these talents -- they're changing the offense totally to accommodate the talent they do return.  The formerly scramble-around-and-throw-deep offense of last season will become the run-it-down-their-throats offense of 2000.  There is a trio of talented backs behind whoever wins the QB position (still not settled yet).  FB Wilder is the force that will help the OL free up RBs Burns and Gregory, and we think they'll do just that.  This will give time for the QB situation to settle a bit, and WR Campbell to light up the scoreboard a few times.  They won't fall too much on offense at Tech.

Defensively they didn't lose many starters, returning 9.  When your unit did as poorly as that group did last season, though, you almost want to count that as a negative.  Fresh blood may be just what the doctor ordered.  But this unit has shown signs of developing, learning from last season's growing pains and looking to show that they are older and wiser now.  On the bright side, the offense will help them improve their stats, at least, with more ball control meaning less time on the field for the D.

We went conservative when predicting the season for Georgia Tech.  They won't beat FSU or Clemson, and probably will drop a game to either UVA or UM.  After that, we think they'll run the rest of the conference schedule, but dropping a game they should win isn't unlikely.  Thus the 4-4 conference prediction.  As for non-conference, we see a loss to the Hokies and Dawgs, and wins against UCF and Navy.

To see what we said about Tech in the spring, click here:  GO

Maryland Terrapins  

Tying for third isn't going to be the biggest news for the Terps this season, as RB Lamont Jordan will be in the news regularly as he races for the Heisman.  But all those wins they'll get on the way to tying for third will be a nice addition to the sportscast for Terps fans.

RB Jordan is definitely the main story this offseason for Maryland.  The rest of the offense is manned by guys who look to be ready to play with the best in the ACC, at least when it comes to spring practices. How their performances will translate to the field during the regular season is a big question facing Maryland.  The QB position is more settled, but still isn't solid in terms of having a proven player ready to lead the team. Terps basketballer Calvin McCall looks to be the man, with returning Latrez Harrison the best backup.  The OL returns more than half of their starters, and should be a strength for this team.  Receivers are reportedly in good shape, but no one name sticks out as a potential star.  When opponents stack the box to stop the run, someone has to get open to make the defense pay, and cause them to play the pass more often.  After some early game experiences one or two of the ends will likely step up, and that may be what makes or breaks the season for run-happy Maryland.  

On their defensive side, Maryland has the potential to field one of the conference's best units.  That is if their returning talent can gel with the incoming replacements, and that front seven can click early.  The secondary will be a strength, and it seems to all rest on whether or not the line and LBs can put together an effective pass rush and stop up the middle against the run.

Perhaps the best news from UM is the return of solid kicker Brian Kopka.  His leg should turn plenty of decent offensive drives into points, even if the offense can't punch it into the end zone. 

To see what we said about Maryland in the spring, click here:  GO

North Carolina Tar Heels   

We have the Heels in at sixth place, with a huge asterisk.  If everyone comes back relatively healed, and performs at least close to their potential this season, UNC will get 5 or 6 wins in conference and be right up there in the running.  If too many things go wrong, though, as has happened so regularly of late, they'll get 5 or 6 losses and be fighting to stay out of last.

The biggest question mark they have is their talented QB Ron Curry.  Then there's, Who will block for him and the RBs?  The OL needs to be completely rebuilt, thanks to graduation.  Next, Who will run the ball?  There were signs this spring that a RB may emerge, but we kept that as a need area when deciding where to project this team.  Perhaps the best question on offense is, What type of offense will this be?  A new Off. Coord. comes in to run the show -- cross-state rival O'Cain from the Wolfpack now leads these troops.  What he'll bring to the Heels offense is a question, though his talent for coming up with wrinkles is not.

The defense is going to be the strength of this team.  They get one of the best LBs in the conference, Brandon Spoon, back from injury.  He is joined by 9 other returning starters, and this unit has no excuses for not elevating their play and becoming one of the best defensive units in the ACC this season.  If things go as expected, with a slow start and the specter of injury hovering overhead keeping everyone on the edge of their seats, the defense will have to play over their heads to spark the fire needed to ignite this team  It's going to be one of those years when every play will have the coaches holding their breath and hoping Curry gets up ready to go again.

To see what we said about UNC in the spring, click here:  GO

NC State Wolfpack  

Who can figure these guys out?  They beat up on a great team, then lose to a much weaker opponent.  Challenge the conference's best teams, get upset by weaker ones.  There are enough questions here to go safe and put the 'Pack in at seventh.  Like their cross-state conference mates, though, it has a huge asterisk next to it.  We wouldn't be surprised if we ended up being way off in our projection here.

First among the questions, aside from what effect a new coaching staff will have, is How well can they replace their losses?  New coach gets to start off with a new QB and new OL (only one starter returning), not exactly what he would have hoped for.  He does get a returning talent at RB in Robinson, and likewise with WR Robinson.  This will help.  The question is, how much.

Defense will be counted on to hold this team in games all year, since they won't blow anyone out.  They looked good this srping, but there are still some questions at both the secondary and DL.  Some help came over from Northwestern, in likely starter Drew Wimsatt.  The LB unit could be strong enough to compensate for weaknesses at both of these areas, though.  If these areas are solid, the 'D' will be in good shape.

To see what we said about the Wolfpack in the spring, click here:  GO

Virginia Cavaliers  

Third place isn't too bad, especially when it's the year after your best player in ages -- RB Thomas Jones -- has left and is starring in the NFL on Sundays.

The Cavaliers will have a decent offense this season, despite the loss of Jones.  QB Dan Ellis returns, and should be even better.  (Not handing off to Jones every team the team was in scoring position will help those stats improve.)  The receivers look solid, if not flashy.  Troubled RB Antoine Womack gives it another go this year after taking a season off, but wasn't active enough this spring for us to get a real evaluation of his impact on the team.  Coach Welsh was pleased enough to list him at starter, so we'll take his word on that one.  The OL looks to be in good shape, as well, a critical piece to the team's success this year.

Defensively the team is in rebuilding mode.  The DL is pretty much all new, and the secondary needs to develop as a unit before we can give them a passing grade.  LB is the strength, and with enough success filling the gaps and putting pressure on opposing QBs, they should buy the rest of the squad enough time to develop.  

Too many questions on this year's Cavaliers team to be able to say all that much about them at this point -- except to review all the questions.  They look decent on both ends of the ball, and have enough returning talent to repeat the success of last year, IF they can get consistent play out of the RB spot -- whoever it is that steps forward from that group.

To see what we said about Virginia in the spring, click here:  GO

Wake Forest Demon Deacons  

What a great year '99 was for these guys.  Bowl bound and everything.  Unfortunately, there aren't enough guys left on the team who started in those games to count on them to repeat the success they enjoyed.  A total of 5 returning starters, or less than a quarter of that team.  Ouch. 

We have enough faith in the talents of QB C. J. Leak to say Wake has the potential for a winning season, but not enough to bet they'll get it.  They return less, and are overall less talented than most in the conference, but with an upside as great as NC State or UNC; when you combine these two, you get them slotted in at 8th.   

Aside from Leak, we don't know what else to say in the positive about the offense.  The OL is shot, the RB position is up in the air, the receivers are gone for the most part.  Welcome, C. J.  If the summer goes spectacularly well, and replacements are found for some or all of these posts, well then it could be less than awful inaugural year for the QB phenom who valiantly chose Wake over numerous other offers.

Defensively, there isn't much difference.  While the offense has its QB as a shining spot on an otherwise depleted unit, the 'D' has the secondary.  And not much else.  Someone needs to be found that can play DL at this level, and LB could use some Hollywood walk-ons as well.  If these miracles don't happen, someone on the team at present needs to make that quantum jump to star status to give these guys something to build on.  At this point, no sign of it, so we're plugging the Deacons in at the bottom, with the Dukies.

To see what we said about Wake in the spring, click here:  GO