ACC preview, predictions: Can Notre Dame realistically scenario Clemson?

5. Virginia Tech (+1600)

Is that this a show-it season of forms for Justin Fuente? Fuente enters his fifth season at VT and his final three teams haven’t matched the 10 wins his debut 2016 crew recorded. The 2018 season changed into the first with a shedding file for the Hokies since 1992, and 2019 obtained off to a terribly tough launch. Entering 2020, the Hokies return 17 starters and add a few worthy transfers. Despite the opt-out of CB Caleb Farley, 9 starters are support on defense, at the side of four of the five top tacklers. Hendon Hooker returns because the highest QB after he emerged because the crew’s starter midway by 2019 and helped flip the season round. He’ll play in the support of a brave line with two running support transfers, Khalil Herbert and Raheem Blackshear, eligible to play. 

6. Louisville (+4000)

Scott Satterfield inherited Bobby Petrino’s mess and by some means led Louisville to eight wins in 2019. The UL offense is stacked with younger abilities, highlighted by QB Micale Cunningham (2,065 passing yards, 482 speeding yards), RB Javian Hawkins (1,525 yards, 9 TDs) and immediate wideout Tutu Atwell (70 catches, 1,276 yards, 12 TDs). The line, even though, might per chance perhaps likely be in for some struggles with Mekhi Becton now in the NFL. The defense also has some query marks, but Satterfield has a song file of pattern that might per chance attach UL in the highest half of the ACC in 2020. 

7. Pittsburgh (+3500)

Pitt completed 8-5 in 2019 in spite of giving up extra choices per game (22.5) than it scored (21.2). That’s attributable to an offense that changed into shut out in a 28-0 November loss to Virginia Tech and to 6 of the Panthers’ eight wins coming by one rating. The defense will be without primary person DT Jalen Twyman after he opted out of the 2020 season in August. Twyman had 10.5 sacks in 2019. Whereas shedding Twyman is valuable, there’s gentle quite lots of stride-stir abilities returning on a defense that recorded 51 sacks final season. The offense, even though, will want some of its younger means gamers to emerge to attend senior QB Kenny Pickett. 

8. Florida Inform (+3000)

Right here is a crew with quite lots of particular person abilities, but the final three seasons were messy from the discontinue of the Jimbo Fisher period by Willie Taggart’s fast-lived tenure. Now it’s Mike Norvell’s flip to take over a program on the heels of two shedding seasons. He has lots to work with. The defense returns 10 starters, led by huge defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, and Asante Samuel Jr. and Hamsah Nasirildeen in the secondary. The offense, even though, will be Norvell’s scenario to revitalize. Norvell’s Memphis teams had been high-scoring devices. The Seminoles, even though, were inconsistent. The line has especially been an field at FSU, but Norvell has the advantage of inheriting experienced gamers admire QB James Blackman and WR Tamorrion Terry. 

9. Virginia (+5000)

Asking Brennan Armstrong to attain what Bryce Perkins did for Virginia, the 2019 ACC Coastal champion, is a tall attach a question to. Armstrong changed into named the crew’s starting QB a week previously and is now tasked with changing a guy who rushed for 769 yards, threw for over 3,500 yards and accounted for 33 TDs in 2019. He’ll want to attain it without Perkins’ top two receivers in 2019 too; both Hasise Dubois and Joe Reed are long past. Defensively, Virginia returns its top three tacklers. The defense wasn’t as correct in 2019 because it changed into in 2018, but in 2020 the Cavaliers might per chance perhaps possess one in every of the ACC’s top linebacker groups.

10. Wake Woodland (+6500)

Wake Woodland enters 2020 without its top two offensive gamers from 2019: QB Jamie Newman and WR Legend Surratt. Newman transferred to Georgia, but he — admire Surratt — ended up opting out of the season. Fortunately for Dave Clawson, he has Sam Hartman, who started in 2018 forward of Newman, support in the fold to take the reins at QB. Besides for Hartman there aren’t many confirmed alternatives, even though RB Kenneth Walker averaged virtually six yards per raise final year. On defense, there are eight starters returning, at the side of Carlos Basham. Basham, who had 11 sacks in 2019, is one in every of the suitable gamers in the country which that you just might per chance honest no longer possess heard of. 

11. NC Inform (+8000)

After five consecutive winning seasons below Dave Doeren, NC Inform endured a depressing 4-8 season in 2019 with appropriate a 1-7 price in ACC play. The Wolfpack had the conference’s worst offense, averaging appropriate 22.1 choices per game. Nearly that whole unit is support in 2020 with redshirt sophomore Devin Leary locked in because the starting quarterback. Leary’s increase — he carried out only 48.1 percent of his throws in 2019 — will be paramount since the facility narrate depth round him within reason sturdy. The offensive line can even want to toughen if the Wolfpack needs to possess a winning season. Defensively, the highest four tacklers from 2019 return with the linebackers having a be taught about admire the strongest neighborhood on that side of the ball. 

12. Boston College (+10000)

Boston College managed to construct it to a bowl game in spite of shedding its QB to a knee damage and having one in every of the worst defenses in the country. It changed into BC’s fourth straight bowl berth, but the dearth of an upward trajectory for this device ticket Steve Addazio his job. Now it’s prone Ohio Inform defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley leading BC. Hafley brought in Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec, a prone top 100 recruit, to handbook the Eagles on offense, and Jurkovec will receive to attain so in 2020 after receiving an instantaneous eligibility waiver from the NCAA. Jurkovec will no longer possess the security blanket of AJ Dillon (4,382 speeding yards in three years) lining up in the support of him, but David Bailey (857 yards in 2019) ought to accept the void successfully running in the support of one in every of the ACC’s higher offensive traces. Provided the defense takes some make of step forward, Boston College basically is a crew that is more healthy than most query. 

13. Duke (+10000)

Clemson transfer Trail Brice changed into named Duke’s starting quarterback by coach David Cutcliffe on Sunday. Brice left the Tigers at the discontinue of the 2019 season and is straight eligible at Duke after backing up Trevor Lawrence for two seasons. The offense, with Cutcliffe returning to play-calling responsibilities, returns RB Deon Jackson and its top two huge receivers, even though neither Jalon Calhoun or Noah Grey averaged over 10 yards a seize in 2019. The shortcoming of standout heart Jack Wohlabaugh thanks to a torn ACL hurts the offensive line. The defense brings support seven starters and ought to be sturdy in the secondary.

14. Syracuse (+10000)

Syracuse might per chance perhaps likely be at an inflection point as a program. The Orange went 4-8 in Dino Babers’ first two seasons as head coach forward of an out-of-left-self-discipline 10-accept effort in 2018. However the accurate vibes from 2018 did now not raise into 2019 because the Orange struggled to a disappointing 5-7 season. The place will Babers’ program stride from there? Syracuse’s excellent field final year changed into its offensive line. Some experienced gamers from that unit return, but possess they gotten higher? For QB Tommy DeVito to be successful, he’ll want some attend from that neighborhood. Andre Cisco, an all-ACC security, is support to handbook a defense that changed into one in every of the worst devices in the country in 2019. 

15. Georgia Tech (+50000)

Georgia Tech enters Year 2 in its transition out of a triple-likelihood offense below head coach Geoff Collins. Collins performed mostly underclassmen final year en path to a 3-9 file, and virtually all of his starters will be support. Whereas the crew’s quarterback and receiver eventualities are gentle in flux, some abilities has emerged at running support with junior Jordan Mason (899 yards in 2019) leading the technique. The Yellow Jackets will be higher in 2020, but the schedule makes wins arduous to search out. Whereas many of its ACC counterparts will face FCS teams, GT’s non-conference game is against UCF.