Alabama's Keys to Game
Avoid turnovers in passing game!
Hit at least 2 big plays in the passing game!
Clemson's Keys to Game
Protect the quarterback!
Establish the physicality of Gallman!
Game Prediction
Clemson - National Champions
We could continue talk about the match up, like you have already heard over and over again from multiple sports sources. Instead lets focus on the keys for both teams to win this game. Alabama comes in fresh off the dismantling of Michigan State 38-0 and is 13-1 overall. Clemson cruised verse Oklahoma wining by 20 points without 2 starters on defense for most the game. Now undefeated Clemson comes in to the biggest test they will face all year. The ACC is 4-5 in Bowl games currently, and needs a Clemson win to go .500 in bowl games. The SEC is currently 8-2 in bowl games, and a win tonight by Alabama would improve the conference record already broken in this bowl season. Alabama's Keys to GameFeed Derick Henry the ball! Avoid turnovers in passing game! Hit at least 2 big plays in the passing game! Alabama needs to hit a couple big passes downfield to free up running lanes for Derrick Henry. The offensive line will be crucial for this success in the passing game as containing that Clemson defensive line will be crucial in allowing time to throw it downfield. The offense line must also open lanes for Derrick Henry to get his 30 to 40 carries that will wear down this physical defensive line. Clemson's Keys to GameMust complete a trick play or two! Protect the quarterback! Establish the physicality of Gallman! Clemson will need a trick play or 2 to keep Alabama's defense from pinning their eyes back and just rushing straight at Deshaun. Establishing the physical style of running with Gallman would be helped by trick plays, but ultimately will depend on the offensive line of Clemson protecting Deshaun Watson and opening running lanes. Clemson will also need to perform the simple things on the offensive line like getting off a good snap to the quarterback under extreme pressure. Game PredictionAlabama 27 - Clemson 28
Clemson - National Champions
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The ACC is currently 2-3 in bowl games with 2 games being played today, while we discuss the last 2 match ups for the bowls for the ACC. Both games include the elite of the ACC in 2013 National Champion Florida State and this years hopeful Champion the Clemson Tigers. Nothing would be bigger for the ACC to have another team win a National Title that is not Florida State. The ACC still can be excited with 2 teams in the New Year's Six Bowls. Houston vs Florida StateCHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL Houston comes in with 12 wins and 1 upset loss to Connecticut on the road. Houston already has a win verse the ACC in beating Louisville on the road, but this Florida State team will be a much different team for them to face. Florida State comes in with a 10-2 record on the season with wins the only losses coming to Clemson and upset minded Georgia Tech. Overall it was a good year for Florida State in what was a rebuilding year for them. Offensive Line vs Defensive Line Florida State Florida State's young offensive line has allowed only 23 sacks on the year which is above the NCAA average for this year, while Houston allowed 26 sacks on the season. Houston was able to sack the quarterback 33 times with Junior Linebacker Steven Taylor leading the way this year with 9 sacks. Florida State had 30 sacks on the year lead by DeMarcus Walker and his 10.5 sacks on the year. Houston's defensive line ranks 12th in the country against the rush by allowing just 116 yards rushing a game. Florida State averages 181 rushing yards a game which is just above the NCAA rushing average. Houston is ranked 13th in rushing getting 239.54 yards a game going against a Florida State defensive line giving up 141 yards a game on the ground. Dalvin Cook and Florida State's speed on the defensive line give them the advantage in this match up. Offensive Passing vs Secondary Florida State Houston averages 40.6 points a game and gives up 20.5 points a game, while Florida State gives up 15.8 points a game and scores 32.3 points a game. Houston passes for 247 yards a game going against a Florida State team giving up 186 yards per game passing which has them in the top 20 in the country. Florida State averages 244 yards a game passing, while Houston has allowed 265 yards a game passing which is near the bottom in the country. Turnovers could end up being the key to this match up as Houston will need turnovers to keep it close. Florida State is tied for second in the country having only turned the ball over 10 times. Houston has 30 takeaways on the year which is 7th best in the country. Florida State junior quarterback Sean Maguire has played well in his starts and will need to continue to protect the football verse this Houston team. Florida State has the advantage going against one of the worse defenses in the country against the pass. Score Prediction Houston 17 - Florida State 38 Were other teams tend to get upset in bowl match ups like this one, Florida State excels in bowl games against non-power 5 conference teams. Florida State hasn't lost to a non-power 5 conference team in a bowl game since 1966. Florida State will wear down Houston and pull away in the second half. Clemson vs OklahomaCAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL - CFP SEMIFINAL Oklahoma comes in with a 11-1 record and Champions of the Big 12. Clemson comes in undefeated at 13-0 after winning the ACC with a perfect season. This could be one of the highest scoring games of the year as both teams are loaded on offense and can put up points in a hurry. Offensive Line vs Defensive Line Clemson Clemson has allowed only 14 sacks on the year going against an Oklahoma defensive line that has racked up 37 sacks on the year. Oklahoma is lead by senior Eric Striker with 7.5 sacks. Clemson as sacked the quarterback 38 times this year, and will be facing an offensive line that has allowed 36 sacks on the year. Clemson defensive lineman junior Shaq Lawson leads the team in 9.5 sacks. Clemson allows just 129 yards rushing a game and are facing an offense in Oklahoma that rushes for 235 yards a game. Oklahoma allows 149 yards rushing a game going against a Clemson offense rushing for 222 yards a game. Both teams will want to play physical up front and the teams that wins the battle in the trenches wins the game. I like Clemson with the edge from the now completely healthy defensive line. Offensive Passing vs Secondary Clemson Oklahoma scores 45.8 points a game and Clemson scores 38.5 points a game. Both teams only give up 20 points a game, but verse these offenses those numbers will be tested. Oklahoma averages 307 yards passing a game going against a Clemson defense giving up 167 yards a game. Clemson passes for 288 yards a game going against an Oklahoma Defense giving up 205 yards a game passing. Turnovers will be key in this game and Clemson comes in turning it over 25 times on the year, compared to Oklahoma's 16 turnovers this year. Clemson has 23 takeaways and Oklahoma has 26 takeaways on the year. Both teams will need to protect the football, but Clemson can't afford to share the ball with the other team and expect to win this game. Clemson will also be without star Freshman wide receiver Deon Cain, who was second on the team in receiving yards and a true deep threat. Clemson does have depth at wide receiver, but Artavis Scott might get more attention now from the defense as the biggest deep threat Clemson has left. I give Clemson the slight edge due to the strength of their secondary verse Oklahoma's passing attack. Score Prediction Oklahoma 30 - Clemson 35 Both offenses will score quick early and then the defenses will settle down. In the second half watch for the offenses to start lighting it up again, however the Clemson pass rush gets the pressure needed late in the game to pull away. This game will be a classic playoff game that will make you want to remember when and where you saw it. We will do a special preview of the National Championship game as well.
So far the ACC is 2-2 in bowl games and should improve to 3-2 as North Carolina is currently playing a Baylor team missing star players at almost every position on offense. This start to ACC bowl season was highlighted by Frank Beamer going out with a bowl win in his final season at Virginia Tech, and Duke pulling out a thrilling high scoring affair with Indiana. Miami came up short as self imposed penalties created too many opportunities for Washington State and Pittsburgh rallied a little to late to try and stop an impressive Navy team that has gotten the only win for the AAC so far in bowl games. Halfway thru the ACC bowl season the ACC needs a strong finish by the 4 remaining teams. North Carolina State vs Mississippi StateBELK BOWL North Carolina State comes in with a 7-5 record after a year filled with great anticipation for Wolfpack fans. After losing the top 2 running backs on the team this year, the NC State offense struggled to find it's own identity. They need a balanced rushing attack to open up more passing plays downfield for Brissett. Mississippi State's defense will not make things any easier for NC State. Mississippi State comes in with an 8-4 record and Dak Prescott being the leader with his strong arm and good decision making. Offensive Line vs Defensive Line North Carolina State Both offensive lines are near the bottom in the country at protecting the quarterback as NC State allowed 34 sacks on the year and Mississippi State allowed 31 sacks on the year. NC State's defensive line had 31 sacks on the year putting them near the top in sacks in the country. They are lead by senior Mike Rose and his 10.5 sacks on the season, Mississippi State has been around the college football average in sacks with 25 on the year. Mississippi State's defensive line has suffered this year without Preston Smith. They will need someone on the defensive line to get after Brissett and limit his opportunities to make plays down the field. NC State's defensive line has held opponents to 144 yards rushing a game, while Mississippi State has allowed 171.67 yards rushing a game. NC State's defensive Line gives them the edge in this match-up. Offensive passing vs Secondary Mississippi State NC State and Mississippi State both average about 33 points a game on offense. Mississippi State lead by Dak Prescott is ranked in the top 20 in passing yards a game averaging 311 yards a game. Mississippi State will be tested as the NC State defense is ranked in the top 20 in passing yards allowed a game only giving up 188.5 yards a game. In contrast Mississippi State's defense allows 216.8 passing yards a game going up against a NC State passing offense getting 210.5 yards a game. Quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett o NC State and Dak Presott of Mississippi State both have taken care of the football really well this year. So the defenses will need to try new looks to confuse the quarterbacks and create turnovers. Mississippi State has 11 interceptions and NC State had 12 interceptions, so both teams will need pressure on the quarterback to create turnovers. Mississippi State has the advantage slightly with Dak. Score Prediction Mississippi State 30 - North Carolina State 24 NC State and Mississippi State give up about 23 points a game on defense. This will be a low scoring defensive battle early with Mississippi State pulling away late in the game. Texas A&M vs LouisvilleFRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL Texas A&M comes in with a 8-4 record and lots of questions on the future of the quarterback position at A&M. Louisville comes in with a 7-5 record and 5-1 in the last 6 games played. Cardinals are still adjusting to ACC play in a rebuilding year that could be capped off with a bowl win over SEC opponent Texas A&M. This game will feature a lot of exciting young players on both sides of the ball for both teams. Offensive Line vs Defensive Line Texas A&M Louisville is tired with Florida for 2nd most sacks allowed at 43. Louisville will need to give the quarterback more time to look downfield to win this game. Texas A&M is at the bottom of the country as well allowing 32 sacks on the year. Louisville and Texas A&M's defensive lines are tied at 25th in the country with 33 sacks. Both of these defensive lines should be more than excited to go against the offensive lines. Louisville is lead by a pair of Linebackers in sacks, while Louisville will have to find a way to block Myles Garrett who leads Texas A&M with 11.5 sacks on the year. Louisville only allows 119 yards rushing a game going against an offensive line at Texas A&M rushing for 172 yards a game. Texas A&M has allowed 206 rushing yards a game which is near the bottom in the country, while Louisville has been average in rushing this year at 160 yards a game. Texas A&M has the slight edge in having Myles Garrett putting more pressure on Louisville's offensive line. Offensive passing vs Secondary Louisville Louisville and Texas A&M both score around 28 points a game. This is not the offensive production you expect from these teams. Texas A&M's stingy pass defense that has them ranked number 4 in the country verse the pass allowing 161 passing yards a game. Louisville comes in getting 247 passing yards a game which puts them 43rd among other teams. Texas A&M averages 251 yards a game passing going against a Louisville defense allowing 205 yards a game thru the air. Both teams have turned the ball over a lot with interceptions with Louisville throwing 15 picks and Texas A&M throwing 14 on the year. Louisville's defense did intercept the ball 16 times on the year, while Texas A&M had 11 interceptions. I give Louisville the edge with a secondary unit that will end drives with takeaways and Lamar Jackson who is one of the more exciting young players to watch in the country. Score Prediction Texas A&M 27 - Louisville 28 This will be a lower scoring game than some would think and the team that gets the most production out of the quarterback position wins the game. Louisville will win the game as they are playing great team football right now. Look for running back Brandon Radcliff of Louisville to have a big day as well.
Finally we get to the slate of games featuring our ACC teams. Every matchup from the first game to the last game scheduled has significance for a growing conference. This part of the preview will focus on the games played from the 26th to the 29th of December. The Teams below have been preparing for this last time to make a statement heading into another competitive season in the ACC next year in football. Miami vs Washington StateHyundai Sun Bowl Both teams come in with a record of 8-4 and lost only 3 games in conference play. For Miami this was another mediocre season for a team and fans that wants to compete for conference and National Titles every year. On the other end it was a great turn around for Washington State after being 3-9 in 2014. The biggest reason for this improvement was the defense improving from being one of the worst defenses in the conference to the top half in rushing and passing defense. This could be one of the highest scoring bowl games and a great way to kick of the ACC bowl schedule. Offensive Line vs Defensive line Miami Both teams are average statistically at getting after the quarterback. However the Offensive line of MIami is ranked in the top 20 with 15 sacks allowed while Washington State is ranked 114th with 38 sacks allowed. Both teams are ranked outside the top 100 in rushing defense giving up about 200 yards a game for both teams. This might not help either team much as Miami is ranked 117th in rushing offense and Washington State was the worst team in the country at 128th with only about 80 yards a game. The battle in the trenches will be crucial but I feel Miami has the slight edge. Offensive Weapons Washington State Washington State averaged 32.4 points a game to Miami's 28.9 points per game. Washington State was the number 1 passing offense in the country at 397 yards a game, while Miami was 27th in the country at 285.8 yards per game. Both teams can credit most of this success to the quarterbacks for each team. Washington State's Luke Falk has a 71% completion percentage and a touchdown to interception ratio of 4.5. Miami's Brad Kaaya has a 62% completion percentage and 3.75 touchdown to interception ratio. With both quarterbacks putting up impressive numbers over the season they will need great wide receiver play to continue that production. Miami wide receiver Stacy Coley has been a threat for teams all year, however Miami will need more consistent play from the wide receivers to win this game. Washington State has a pair of wide receivers out of California in junior Gabe Marks and senior Dom Williams that Miami will have to keep in check. Joseph Yearby could be the x-factor for Miami as he almost has the same amount of rushing yards as the Washington State team combined. If Miami can get Yearby going then they can keep their defense rested and off the field. The advantage here was very tough to call as Miami has an advantage in rushing and has played better defenses, while Washington State will be the best passing attack they have seen all year. Washington State wins this match up for now but not by much. Defensive Advantage Miami Washington State and Miami gave up 28.8 points a game on defense this year. Miami gives up 196 passing yards per game, while Washington State gives up 223 passing yards a game. Miami's defense had 15 interceptions on the year compared to 11 interceptions by the Washington State defense. Washington State does play in a conference with more teams ranked higher in passing yards than most of Miami's opponents. Watching both teams play i give the edge to Miami in being able to take the ball away from Washington State more by either fumbles or interceptions with an aggressive defense. Score Prediction Miami 42 - Washington State 38 Duke vs IndianaNew Era Pinstripe Bowl Duke finished the regular season at 7-5 and Indiana finished with a 6-6 record. Indiana after starting the season 4-0 and losing to Ohio State went 2-5 to finish the season. These teams seemed to be creeping into a bowl appearance but don't let the records or names fool you as this game is good even match up for the ACC vs Big 10. Offensive Line vs Defensive line Indiana Duke has allowed 16 sacks on the year, while Indiana has allowed only 13. Indiana has sacked the quarterback 29 times compared to Duke only getting 17 sacks a game. Duke gives up 143 rushing yards a game compared to Indiana's 181 yards a game. This battle in the trenches will be a tough pick but I give the advantage to Indiana with the ability to get up field and pressure the quarterback. Offensive Weapons Indiana Indiana averaged 36.2 points per game this year in comparison to Duke's 30.5 points per game. Both are in the top 40 in passing offense top 60 in rushing offense. Duke averages 178 yards a game on the ground, and Indiana averages 205 yards per game on the ground. Both teams have threats in the receiving game that have helped the quarterbacks have great seasons. Indiana sophomore wide receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. uses his 6'4" frame to make him a threat even in double coverage. Hopefully quarterback Nate Sudfeld of Inidiana doesn't force it to him in a situation like that as Indiana has other targets as well. Sudfeld threw only 5 interceptions on the year as he protects the ball well and has big physical wide receivers to make plays on the ball for him. Indiana running back Jordan Howard quietly had on of the best seasons in the Big ten finishing second to Ezekiel Elliott with 135 rushing yards per game. Duke will rely on quarterback Thomas Sirk to distribute the ball to wide receivers like senior Max McCaffrey and freshman T.J. Rahming. Rahming has been a huge lift for a wide receiving core that lost a lot of fire power from the year before. Duke will need more help in the rushing attack to win this game from senior Shaquille Powell as quarterback Thomas Sirk leads the team in rushing yards currently. I will have to give Indiana the nod again as they have been great on offense and a little more consistent than Duke. Defensive Advantage Duke Duke gives up 24.1 points a game, while Indiana gives up 37.1 points a game. Indiana gives up the most passing yards a game in the country at 326.3 yards a game. Duke currently is giving up 228.6 yards per game thru the air. Breon Borders of Duke leads the team with 3 interceptions, but Duke as a team only has 9 interceptions on the year. Indiana has 9 interceptions as a team as well with freshman defensive back Jonathan Crawford leading the team at 3. Defensive edge goes to Duke with the aggressive style of attack as long as they contain Cobbs Jr. Score Prediction Indiana 33 - Duke 30 Tulsa vs Virginia TechCamping World Independence Bowl Tulsa and Virginia Tech come into this bowl with a record of 6-6. For Virginia Tech this continues the nations second longest bowl appearance streak and will be Frank Beamer's last game as the head coach. expect an emotional game from the Virginia Tech players as they want to send their coach out with a win. Offensive Line vs Defensive line Tie Virginia Tech and Tulsa are near the bottom of the country in sacks allowed with Virginia Tech giving up 34 and Tulsa giving up 36. Both teams have 21 sacks on defensive side of the ball. This was a huge drop off for Virginia Tech in which the Defensive line was supposed to be deepest it has been in years. Virginia Tech gives up 180 rushing yards a game compared to Tulsa's 238.5 yards per game. Both teams had average rushing numbers. I say this is a tie for now and the team that can protect the quarterback will win the game. Offensive Weapons Tulsa Tulsa averages 35.9 points a game, while Virginia Tech scores 29 points a game. Quarterback Dane Evans of Tulsa is in the top 10 in the country in passing yards a game and has completed 63% of his passes on the year. Quarterback Michael Brewer is back at the helm for Virginia Tech after missing most of the season due to injury. Tulsa is ranked 11th in passing offense at 329.8 yards per game. Virginia Tech is ranked at 71 in passing yards a game with 216 passing yards a game. Tulsa wide receiver senior Keyarris Garrett has the ability to beat Virginia Tech vertically and beat the man coverage Virginia Tech likes to play. Virginia Tech's wide receiver Isiah Ford is a burner as well and will need his catches to keep Virginia Tech in the game with this high powered offense. Tulsa clearly has the edge here going into this game. Defensive Advantage Virginia Tech Tulsa gives up 38.6 points a game on, while Virginia Tech gives up just 24.2 points a game. Virginia Tech is 9th in the country giving up just 173.8 passing yards a game. Tulsa gives up 293 passing yards a game. Virginia Tech's defense lead by Bud Foster will continue to be aggressive but Tulsa has the wide receivers to test that aggressive nature. Tulsa will need takeaways to keep their offense in this game. Tulsa has only 9 interceptions on the year, but they have forced 13 fumbles. Virginia Tech has the edge on defense, but will need their offense to stay on the field to limit the possessions of this high powered Tulsa offense Score Predictions Tulsa 33 - Virginia Tech 36 (OT) Pittsburgh vs NavyMILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN Pittsburgh finished a strong season in the ACC and was 8-4 overall with 3 of the 4 losses coming to teams inside the top 20 of the college football poll. Narduzzi has made a quick impact on the Panthers and has fans excited about a bowl match up with a great Navy team. Navy finished the season 10-2 with key road victory over Memphis and 2 losses to Notre Dame and Houston. Offensive Line vs Defensive line Navy Pittsburgh has allowed 29 sacks on the year, and Navy has allowed 14 sacks on the year with only about 100 passing attempts on the year. Navy has sacked the quarterback 22 times while Pitt has 36 sacks as a team. Pitt has only allowed 126.08 yards per game on the ground which is 2oth in the country. Navy allows 138.42 rushing yards per game which is currently 32nd in the country. Navy is number 3 in the country averaging 319.17 yards a game on the ground. Pitt can counter that with an explosive young freshman running back Qadree Ollison behind a strong offensive line averaging 185.92 yards a game. I give the edge to Navy as their style of blocking can negate the aggressive nature of the Pittsburgh defensive line. Offensive Weapons Pittsburgh Navy is scores about 36 points a game, while Pitt is just above 28 points a game. Navy rarely throws the ball as they average 92.3 passing yards a game. Even with the option attack Navy's quarterback Keenan Reynolds is still the focal point of this offense as the teams leading rusher. He already owns the NCAA record for touchdowns and much like Justin Thomas who Pitt has already face is a very talented runner that makes great reads in the option. Pittsburgh is ranked towards the bottom of the country in passing yards a game at 195.1 a game. Pitt will need junior quarterback Nate Peterman to get the ball to the talented junior wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Boyd is one of the top wide receivers in the ACC this year and will need help from the explosive junior wide receiver Dontez Ford as well. Pitt is a very balanced offensive team that will rely on the Defense making plays for them. With that in mind I give the slight edge to Pitt on offense. Defensive Advantage Pittsburgh Navy's defense allows 21.3 points a game and Pitt allows just 24.6 points a game. This could be important as this game might come down to a field goal difference. Navy allows 229 passing yards a game. Pitt allows 218.2 yards passing a game, but with Navy being an option team they hope to be passing very little. Navy is second in the country in turnover margin at a positive 17, while Pitt is only at a positive 2. Turnovers will play a crucial part in the game so if Navy continues to create them they will win the defensive match-up. I consider this a tie as Pitt has a better overall defense, but Navy's opportunistic Defense can quickly change this game. Score Prediction Navy 24 - Pittsburgh 27 North Carolina vs BaylorRUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL North Carolina comes into this game with an 11-2 record and close loss in the ACC championship game to Playoff bound Clemson team. Baylor comes in with a 9-3 record after losing 3 out of the last 4 games of the year. Injuries had stacked up for Baylor at quarterback which lead to the issues of finishing the season strong, however beating North Carolina would be a huge bowl win for them. Offensive Line vs Defensive line North Carolina North Carolina and Baylor both protect the quarterback well as they are ranked in the top 15 in sacks allowed. Baylor has sacked the quarterback 28 times this year, while North Carolina has only sacked the quarterback 23 times. Baylor allows 156.33 yards per game on the ground. North Carolina allows 216.77 rushing yards per game. If this game is to be decided in the trenches it will be a tough one to call as both teams are inside the top 25 in rushing yards per game as well. The edge goes to North Carolina as running back Shock Linwood will be out for the game making things a little easier for that North Carolina front. Offensive Weapons North Carolina This could be a shootout as Baylor brings in the number 1 offense in points per game and North Carolina is ranked number 10 with 40.9 points per game. Baylor averages 304.4 passing yards per game, but in the last 2 loses they averaged less than 100 yards a game. Baylor needs wide receivers senior Jay Lee and sophomore KD Cannon to step up with Wide receiver Corey Coleman and quarterback Jarrett Stidham out of the game. North Carolina averaged 264 passing yards a game behind the arm of senior quarterback Marquise Williams. Marquise Williams has completed over 62 percent of his passes and has only threw 5 interceptions in the 11 games they won. North Carolina has a big and physical wide receiving core that can were down any secondary. North Carolina gets the edge easy due to all the offensive weapons Baylor will be missing. Defensive Advantage North Carolina North Carolina is giving up 22.6 points a game, while Baylor is giving up 27.5 points a game. Baylor is better on defense than some people give them credit for with an offense that often scores quick. North Carolina is giving up 194.5 passing yards a game behind a veteran secondary unit. Baylor allows 232.7 passing yards per game which is average in the NCAA. North Carolina has a plus 8 Turnover Margin, while Baylor has a -1 turnover margin. Baylor will need there defense to change this and win the turnover battle to stay in this game. North Carolina will win this battle as well with a strong secondary. Score Prediction
North Carolina 40 - Baylor 28 We will discuss the final standings for ACC football verse the computer formula created to predict the 2015 ACC season on this page. The ACC Championship game was one to remember with the gritty play of the North Carolina and the unbeatable resolve that Clemson has played with this year. Clemson's season has an eerie similarity to the 2013 Season for Florida State. Clemson fans and fans of the ACC can only hope for the same result at the end of the National Championship game. For this quick discussion though we will focus on the conference as a whole. Official 2015 ACC StandingsAtlantic Division Clemson Florida State Louisville North Carolina State Syracuse Wake Forest Boston College Coastal Division North Carolina Pittsburgh Miami Duke Virginia Tech Virginia Georgia Tech The Coastal was full of surprises with North Carolina and Pittsburgh at the top of the division. Pittsburgh could have the one of the top pair of running backs in the ACC next year and will return a lot of talent on Defense. Miami and Duke finished middle of the pack where most people expected them. Virginia Tech was picked as high to make a National Title run by some and as low as missing a bowl game by others. The Hokies fought hard thru another year full of key injuries to get Beamer to a bowl game in his final season. Virginia's record doomed them like most people thought it would. Georgia Tech was expected to be a little off with the loss of a lot of talent from the season before, however finishing dead last in the Coastal Division was more of a shock. Formula 2015 PredictionAtlantic Division Clemson Florida State Louisville North Carolina State Boston College Syracuse Wake Forest Coastal Division Virginia Tech North Carolina Miami Pittsburgh Georgia Tech Duke Virginia The Atlantic Division was pretty solid with little change. The Formula however couldn't predict the unpredictable Coastal Division. It did see Statistically a lot of talent in North Carolina being a team near the top. It predicted Georgia Tech to have a down season with a finish near the bottom half which wasn't far from the result. Overall it wasn't a bad prediction with injuries not being a factor in the formula. Might try a few alterations next year by adding more numbers to the formulas. Please follow us on FACEBOOK and Twitter. Also watch for our bowl Prediction Challenge coming soon.
The top half of the ACC predictions has some perfect picks and some misses. The success of the ACC this year is building excitement for a conference that is growing in competitive coaching and NFL talent. The ACC has a winning record over the last 2 seasons verse the SEC. The main reason for this has been the ACC dominating rivalry weekend over the last 2 years with a 7-1 record. The ACC needs Clemson to or North Carolina to not only make a playoff appearance but winning it all. This would give the ACC 2 National Titles in 3 years by 2 different teams. The ACC championship will feature 2 teams playing for a spot in the college football playoffs with the loser being left out. This match up will be discussed more as we lead up to the game. #7 North CarolinaPrediction 8-4 (4-4) 2015 Record 11-1 (8-0) North Carolina in our prediction was predicted to win as many as 10 to 11 games. This was depending on Gene Chizik getting a veteran Defensive group to buy in to his system. The defense may have finished in the bottom half of the conference in total yards again, however the improvement was there as UNC gave up around 100 yards less a game with him. They also only gave up 20.8 points a game this year on defense compared to 39 points a game last season. North Carolina fans have many reasons to be excited about this season and the future of the Tar Heels football team. Bug Howard was or player to watch for the Tar Heels due to his huge 6'5" body. He did have a great year along with fellow wide receivers that have similar size on his team. North Carolina creates match up problems for all their opponents with this size. Elijah Hood also had a great season finishing behind one of the best backs in the conference in Dalvin Cook. Win or Lose verse Clemson UNC has not disappointed fans and will continue to be a force in the ACC. #6 LouisvillePrediction 8-4 (5-3) 2015 Record 7-5 (5-3) Louisville finished 6th in the ACC exactly where we predicted them in the ACC. As mentioned in the preseason breakdown a young Louisville team would struggle in the first half of the season, but see a lot of improvement and finish the season strong. Louisville did that going 5-1 in the final half of the year. The Cards will be a dangerous team for whoever gets them in a bowl. The Defensive player to watch for Louisville was senior linebacker James Burgess, who had 92 tackles on the year. Burgess was the veteran leadership Louisville needed for a young and talented defensive squad. Under Bobby Petrino the offense so far has scored less points per game each year than before he came. If this trend continues Louisville might be reevaluating the head coach after year 3. With the talent returning in 2016 it should be no question on whether they can improve on the offensive issues of the first 2 seasons. . #5 North Carolina StatePrediction 9-3 (5-3) 2015 Record 7-5 (3-5) NC State finished 9th in the ACC this season with the same exact record for 2014 season. North Carolina State is making another bowl game this year off another soft out of conference schedule. In ACC play there was definite improvement for NC State's defense giving up about 50 less yards a game and about 3 points less a game. NC State also had the second best turnover margin in the ACC with a positive 10. Injuries had a role to play as the running back core was already hurt with the loss of Shadrach Thornton. Thornton was kicked of the team in September due to an off the field issues leading to his arrest. Our player to watch was Jacoby Brissett as he finished the regular season with almost a 5:1 touchdown to interception ratio. Jacoby was good quarterback for the Wolf Pack and will be tough for them to replace in 2016. NC state will make another Bowl Appearance this year in hopes to getting a win in building toward year 4 under coach Dave Doeren. #4 Georgia TechPrediction 8-4 (6-2) 2015 Record 3-9 (1-7) Georgia Tech finished 12th in the ACC and only won 1 out of the last 10 games they played. Georgia Tech's defense was statistically better this than last year, but it still didn't stop the 1-9 finished to the year. They were many teams favorite to win the Coastal division again this year behind offensive leader Justin Thomas. Justin Thomas struggled as he had half the rushing yards from the year before and more turnovers. The regular season finish of 3 wins makes it 4 out of the last 5 times Georgia Tech has played in an ACC title game they win 7 or less games the following season. The biggest reason for the lack of production was the inexperience for the offensive line. In this offense the blocking schemes are extremely important and one missed block for a negative play disrupts the play calling completely. Hence why they gave up more sacks this year as well since they found themselves behind the chains and in tough passing situations constantly. Georgia Tech will reload and will look to get back to a bowl game in 2016. #3 Florida StatePrediction 10-2 (7-1) 2015 Record 10-2 (6-2) Florida State finished in 3rd just like we predicted in the preseason with a 10-2 record. Florida State fans should be excited about Charles Kelly's defense in year 2. The defense gave up about 70 yards less a game and about 10 points less a game. The FSU defense was the only defense in the country to not allow an offense to score over 24 points all season long. The improvement is in a huge part to the great young talent they have on defense and the overall improvement of the defensive line. The player to watch for FSU was Jacques Patrick this year. His emergence as a solid physical runner gives FSU a lethal combo going into next as FSU has shown they want to have both in the backfield at the same time. This Dynamic Duo has seen much improvement on the offensive line as the season has went on. Sean Maguire played his way into the starting quarterback role this year and looks to be the front runner going into next season. Florida State will get a good bowl match-up but all eyes are on 2016 in Tallahassee as they might just be the team to beat in the ACC next season. #2 ClemsonPrediction 11-1 (7-1) 2015 Record 12-0 (8-0) Clemson has finished the season #1 in the ACC and in the playoff polls. No coach is more deserving of this success than Dabo Swinney. The passion he coaches with makes me want to take the field and play for him. He took a team that lost a lot of talent from a number 1 defense in the ACC a year ago, and made them on of the toughest groups in the ACC yet again. One of the reasons was our defensive player to watch in junior defensive back Jayron Kearse, who had a solid season for the tigers leading one of the toughest secondaries in the ACC. Kearse had an interception and 6 pass break-ups this year. Deshaun Watson which could be the newest recipient of the Heisman trophy had a stellar season. Deshaun Watson had the best quarterback rating in the ACC this season at 161.95. Clemson will have to pass one more test on the season in the ACC Championship game versus North Carolina. #1 Virginia TechPrediction 11-1 (8-0) 2015 Record 6-6 (4-4) Virginia Tech finished 8th in the ACC after another disappointing season with high expectations. Frank Beamer stepped down in the midst of the turmoil, but has paved the way over the years for Virginia Tech football to be competitive at a higher level. Virginia Tech wasted no time hiring Justin Fuente from Memphis as the new head coach. He has returned the favor by ensuring most of the defensive staff will return to Virginia Tech including defensive coordinator Bud Foster. I could sit here and justify my pick by using the excuses for why they went 6-6, like injuries. However I will not do that as I made a pick and stand by that pick, unfortunately it did't play out like I had hoped. This is for the best for the Hokies, Coach Beamer, and the ACC. The Hokies and the ACC need a competitive Virginia Tech team as it only strengthens a rising conference. The player we had to watch on Defense was Kendall Fuller, who unfortunately got hurt and missed most of the season. He is a talented shutdown corner and would be poised for a great senior year if he returns. The player to watch on offense was junior fullback Sam Rogers. He is one of the best fullback in the country as he can do it all by running, catching, or blocking. Virginia Tech struggled to find consistent quarterback play all year. Virginia Tech fans are excited with Fuente's offense being the change they desperately need. Summary Overall the predictions this year weren't bad as 2 were exact matches and 7 were off by only 1 game. Clemson versus North Carolina as the ACC championship was not what I predicted, however the formulas did have high ratings for UNC. Next we will review its picks for where teams finished and look at the actual ACC rankings again for the regular season. We learned that FSU in a rebuilding year is still just as dominant as any otther year. Clemsoning is no long a word that can carry wait over the Tigers. Virginia Tech continued to struggle and Georgia Tech dropped off the radar. Pitt under Narduzzi could be future Coastal Champions. For all of the the excitement so far, it will continue for the ACC as bowl season begins and a chance for another National Championship for the ACC.
Now the regular season is over and we can review where each team was predicted to finish in the ACC versus the actual finishing results. We will see the good, the bad, and the ugly from these picks. I feel on paper the predictions are strong and most teams fit comfortably in the mold we placed for them here. ACC as a hole shows improvement with currently 3 teams in the top 10 of the latest College Football Playoff Polls. Enough with this clamor as we need to move on to the numbers at hand and the teams they represent. Below I ranked in order of the teams predicted finishing place. Actual conference rankings are in the summaries and will be posted again after this weekend when comparing them to the formula's predictions. #14 SyracusePrediction 4-8 (1-7) 2015 record 4-8 (2-6) This was good enough to earn Syracuse an 11th placed finish in ACC play. Syracuse fired Scott Shafer this season and will spend the off season looking to fill the Head coaching job after a season plagued with injuries all year long at quarterback and other key positions. The team sent Shafer out with a win over Boston College to end the season. Our player to watch was Steve Ishmael who lead the team in receiving yards with 570 yards and receiving touchdowns with 7 total. Ismael did this with 4 different starters during the season at quarterback. The young Syracuse defense was lead by sophomore linebacker Zaire Franklin. Franklin had 81 tackles on the season and 11 tackles for a loss. This young Syracuse team gave Clemson and LSU some very tough games till late. This team returns a lot of talent this year if players don't leave early or transfer. With that in mind don't be surprised to see Syracuse getting to a bowl in 2016 with the right head coach. #13 Wake ForestPrediction 4-8 (1-7) 2015 Record 3-9 (1-7) Wake finished 13th in the ACC just like the prediction in the preseason. Wake fans need to be pateint as the ACC is improving as a conference and the signs of improvement were there for this young team. Coach Dave Clawson is excited about this young talent he has with several good reasons. One of those reasons being freshman quarterback Kendall Hinton who showed the ability to make plays on the ground and thru the air. He will give Wolford a challenge to the starting quarterback role at Wake. Our player to watch was tight end Cam Serigne, who had another solid season in his sophomore run. This season he received help from future star wide receiver for Wake freshman Cortez Lewis. Cortez tied Cam for the team lead in receiving touchdowns, and Cortez lead the team in receiving yards with 611 yards. Wake will be looking to make a bowl game in 2016 and could cause some upsets along the way. #12 VirginiaPrediction 3-9 (2-6) 2015 Record 4-8 (3-5) Virginia finished 10th in the ACC regular season standings. Virginia had the toughest schedule in the ACC and took it's toll on what was a good team. Virginia lost most of there games by 7 points or less including a thriller to Notre Dame. Virginia struggled looking for the replacement at running back for Parks all year. The answer might be getting clearer now as the season ends and both Junior running backs Taquan Mizzell and Albert Reid look poised to carry that load going forward. Matt Johns had a solid year, but needs to reduce the turnovers if he hopes to get his team more wins. The biggest change will be at head coach as Virginia and Mike London go there separate ways. London was 11-29 verse ACC opponents which means he lost almost a 3rd of the ACC games his team played. The player we had to watch from Virginia was Quinn Blanding, who finished the season with 115 tackles total and 68 of those were solo. He is a huge play maker at safety and teams better remember him as he returns in 2016. #11 Boston CollegePrediction 5-7 (2-6) 2015 Record 3-9 (0-8) Boston College finished Last in the ACC going 0-8 in conference play. This could land Steve Addazio on the Hot Seat watch for 2016. Under coach Addazio, Boston College was the top defense in the ACC and one of the best in the country, however the offense was the worst offense in the ACC and one of the lowest scoring in the country. Things are looking good as Sherman Alston who had a bad season for his talent level might be looking to transfer this off season. He was also our player to watch after a great freshman campaign. We will watch this closely as several other players have announced intentions to transfer. Just like in 2014 the lack of a vertical passing game has cost them several wins including a close upset of Notre Dame. #10 DukePrediction 6-6 (2-6) 2015 Record 7-5 (4-4) Duke finished at 7th in the ACC and will make another bowl appearance this year. Shaun Wilson was our player to Watch from Duke and he had an average year with Duke as the offense kept the streak alive with 4 straight seasons of 5000 yards of offense or more. Duke's offense ranked 3rd in the ACC in total yards and 5th in scoring offense at 30.5 points a game. In the preseason we talked about Duke needing to replace alot of pressure on the quarterback from the front 7. Duke had only 17 sacks on the season which put them just above Georgia Tech for dead last in the ACC. The lack of pressure put a lot of pressure on a veteran secondary for Duke. Duke will need to reload as the fight for the Coastal could be getting tougher with some surprise teams emerging. #9 MiamiPrediction 7-5 (3-5) 2015 Record 8-4 (5-3) Miami finished the season strong even after the beat down at home by Clemson that lead to Golden being fired. Miami went 4-1 after that game when this team very easily could have quit on this season under all the circumstances. The next coach coming in has to be happy with the talent left for him cause Miami is only a few pieces away from competing in the Coastal division. The best candidate I see for the job currently is Dan Mullen. The player to watch for Miami was quarterback Brad Kaaya who lead the ACC in Passing yards a game. He also had a touchdown to pick ratio just under 4 to 1. Behind his arm Miami will be a team to watch for in the Coastal next year. The Miami secondary did improve as the season went on, as they finished near the top of the conference in interceptions. Protecting the quarterback was another area we discussed and Miami improved on that this year as well. Miami allowed only 15 sacks on the season. Miami will be tough for whoever faces them in their bowl game. #8 PittsburghPrediction 7-5 (4-4) 2015 Record 8-4 (6-2) Pitt finished 4th in the ACC thanks to coach Narduzzi and that stingy defense he is building. Narduzzi helped Pitt stay competitive in the ACC Coastal division all season long. In the 4 losses Pitt had 3 of the 4 teams finished the regular season in the college football playoffs top 25 and 2 of the 4 are playing for a conference championship. Narduzzi has clearly changed the atmosphere already at Pittsburgh for football, with his players winning the ACC Offensive player of the year (Qadree Ollison), ACC Defensive Player of the year (Jordan Whitehead), and overall ACC player of the year (Jordan Whitehead). Our player to watch for Pittsburgh was James Conner one of the best running backs in the country who unfortunately suffered an injury that made him miss this season. However this gave rising star Qadree Ollison a chance to shine and he didn't disappoint the Pitt fans. Next year this running back tandem could be the best in the ACC behind FSU's Dalvin Cook and Jacques Patrick. Tyler Boyd didn't disappoint as he was once again one of the best wide receivers in the ACC. Pittsburgh was our dark horse in the ACC and they very easily could have been in Charlotte on Saturday. This should only excite not just the Pitt fans, but the fans of the ACC with all this young talent to watch.
Last week in the first prediction of what the committee might be looking for in it's top four we saw Florida, Clemson, Utah, and LSU. This week we will see how this list changed after a wild week 7 that left some teams on the wrong side of the playoff race. I rank these teams according to what i saw and learned from trying to match rankings with the committee last year using their same requirements. I adjusted it throughout the season as I learned how important SOS became in every discussion along with common opponents. I can't call this perfect by any means as we are trying to predict the opinion of a group of 13 committee members, however I hope you enjoy these rankings as we prepare for the real rankings in only a few weeks. #1 Utah The Pac 12 has a new front runner this year. No, it isn't Oregon, USC, or UCLA. It isn't Stanford and the emergence of their potent offense. The Utes are quickly becoming the team to beat in the Pac 12 and after another quality win over Arizona State they remain undefeated with the strongest strength of schedule out of any of the remaining unbeaten teams. Utah did suffer a major blow with the loss of Tight End Siale Fakailoatonga out for the remainder of the season. Travis Wilson bounced back from a sub par performance against a tough Califorina Defense to improve his season QBR back to 80 on the year. Running back Devontae Booker is still in the top 15 in rushing yards this season with another solid performance as well. Utah won't excite you with their style of play like the Ducks did last year, but they can hang with anyone in the country for 60 minutes. This makes them one of the more consistent teams in the Country. They have road games coming up against Southern California and Washington over the next couple weeks that will continue to test them. #2 LSU Coming off the huge win over Florida in Death Valley, LSU currently sits at second in the rankings as they have quickly closed the gap on Utah. The Florida Win improved the SOS only a little as other LSU opponents added more losses. LSU has a scrimmage with Western Kentucky before the big show down with Alabama in Tuscaloosa which will decide possibly the winner of the West in the SEC. LSU still has one of the best Running backs in the country in Leonard Fournette, who shined in the spotlight versus Florida. The LSU Defense will need to play better if they hope to beat Alabama, but the passing game against one of the best passing defenses in the SEC should fill LSU fans with even more excitement. #3 Clemson This week Clemson's SOS took a hit as they played the top rushing Defense in the country on Saturday in Boston College. However Boston's offense has them at 3-4 on the year after the loss. The game does keep them ahead of Florida State in the rankings. Clemson will need to be ready for 2 tough road games versus Miami and NC State before they play FSU for the Alantic division showdown again at home. Clemson's young defense is the key for them remaining undefeated thus far. The addition of a more solid rushing attack with Deshaun Watson at the helm, also makes them one of the more dangerous teams in this list. #4 Alabama Coming off another dominating performance over the Aggies, Alabama is back in the hunt for more than just an SEC title. Alabama's SOS is only comparable to #1 Utah so far this year. Tennessee will be the only bump in the road before the big showdown with LSU on the 7th of November. Alabama will need to see it's passing game improve as they LSU rush defense is very stout and will put the pressure on Alabama's passing game to win that match up. #5 TCU TCU continues to hang around the top 6 so far as they continue to impress with their high octane offense lead by quarterback Trevone Boykin. TCU started off slow again against Iowa State, but quickly TCU separated themselves with a couple of fast strikes. They have tough games against West Virginia and at undefeated Oklahoma State coming up. #6 Michigan State Michigan State jumps into the top 6 after a memorable win over Michigan in a game they never lead until the clock hit 0. Michigan gives Michigan state another quality win and helps to improve a SOS that was just in the 70's the week before. Michigan State shouldn't be tested again until they play Ohio State in a game with huge conference and playoff implications. #7-#25#7 Iowa #8 Florida #9 Ohio State #10 Florida State #11 Baylor #12 Oklahoma State #13 Notre Dame #14 Stanford #15 Oklahoma #16 Texas A&M #17 California #18 Memphis #19 Pittsburgh #20 Michigan #21 UCLA #22 Georgia #23 Toledo #24 BYU #25 Auburn As the weeks get closer to November each game grows more important for the teams in this ranking. Iowa is the surprise team in this poll so far and the question is, can they run the table and be this year's surprise playoff team? Will Memphis cruise to to a major bowl bid? These questions and much more will be answered as the race to the playoffs is past the halfway mark.
If you like the Page check us out on Twitter and Facebook for more sports highlights and news. Today we unveil the top 6 of our first prediction poll for the college football playoffs. This poll shouldn't shock you, but the SOS of the teams in this top 6 may, along with several statics and facts on these teams. In the brief breakdown of each team will be a summary of why they are currently there and key games to watch for each. #1 Clemson Clemson's young defense is playing great as they are in the top 30 in almost every defensive stat. Clemson's offense is also improving as Wayne Gallman is emerging as one of the best running backs in the ACC, and with a strong runner other than Deshaun Watson in the backfield it makes Clemson's passing attack more effective. Notre Dame at home was a huge win for Clemson as they held Fuller in check, which is one of the top receivers in the country to only 2 catches for 37 yards. Clemson looked very dominating in this game which makes them a top 4 team for sure currently with an SOS ranking of 16th in the country. Clemson's next big game is at home against Florida State which could decide the Atlantic champion in the ACC. #2 Utah Utah is currently looking like the team to beat in the Pac 12 with wins over Michigan, California, and Oregon. I could see the committee making them number one if they remain unbeaten as they have the best SOS ranking of 11th out of any of the remaining unbeaten teams. Travis Wilson before playing California did have the best QBR rating in the country. Utah is not a team that is overly impressive, but they played good defense and the offense holds the ball for an average of 34 minutes a game. That makes them 6th in the country in time of possession. Utah still has games against Arizona State, UCLA, and Washington where for the first time they may be the team to beat in the Pac 12. #3 Florida For those that are wondering, no this isn't a typo. Florida is playing like one of the best teams in the SEC. Fresh off the wins over 2 time defending SEC east champions Missoiuri and the dismantling of Ole Miss, Florida is the team to beat in the east with a very comfortable lead at 4-0. Florida has an SOS ranking of 21 and has one of the best scoring defenses in the country. The running game is starting to get help from the passing game with quarterback Will Grier. Grier has been on fire with 4 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions over the last 2 games. Florida will be tested with games remaining against LSU, Georgia, and Florida State. #4 LSU LSU may be lacking quality wins, but they do not however lack on talent. Leonard Fournette is looking like the front runner currently for the Heisman, however LSU's offensive line deserves some credit as well. The LSU offensive line maight be one of the best run blocking groups in the country as Fournette is rarely touched before the 5 yard mark on most plays. The defense is the only question mark on whether LSU can run the table and/or win the SEC title. LSU will have plenty of tests to come in playing Florida, Alabama, Ole MIss, and Texas A&M. #5 Texas A&M Texas A&M has quietly sneaked into this poll but for very good reasons. They have a solid SOS ranking that will only improve as they continue to get into the teeth of their schedule. They key to Texas A&M this season is the improved play on the defensive side of the ball as the offense continues to put up points in bunches. They started the season with a quality win over Arizona State to start the season. A&M will be tested going forward as their next game is against Alabama. Alabama crushed A&M last year and they already have a loss in 2015 making them as dangerous as a wounded animal that is cornered. This game could put Alabama in the top 4 again in the future or allow A&M to enter the top 4 in the playoff predictions for the first time. A&M still has to play Ole Miss and LSU as well to fight for a chance to win the west. #6 TCU The wins have not been pretty for the horned frogs, but they continue to remain unbeaten. TCU defense is not as strong this year, but the offense is still the 3rd highest scoring offense in college football. Currently TCU is lacking quality wins and they SOS ranking needed to jump into the top 4. TCU has plenty of chances to change that with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Baylor still left on the schedule. Don't forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter for more discussions. Last week I gave my early prediction for the playoffs. This week and ever week going forward I am going to rank each team according to the Committee's standards laid out last year. If the committee continues to emphasize Strength of Schedule so heavily this year several fan bases might be upset when the first poll comes out. Tonight I will release teams 7-25 in my prediction of the Committee's poll. Tomorrow we will discuss the top 6 and reasons the Committee would like each team if this week was week one of the committee poll. I enjoyed covering this last season for another sports page and was within 1 to 2 spots for about 80% of the teams or more. Predicting the poll is not easy as we are dealing with 13 people's individual views being combined to create one shared opinion. Looking thru the eyes of the Committee.#7 Alabama #8 Oklahoma State #9 Iowa #10 Michigan #11 Ohio State #12 Florida State #13 Michigan State #14 Baylor #15 Northwestern #16 Notre Dame #17 Stanford #18 UCLA #19 Oklahoma #20 California #21 Pittsburgh #22 Washington #23 Toledo #24 North Carolina #25 Ole MIss Watch out for the Big 10 as they are full of surprises. Ssome involving teams playing better than expected, while others are not playing up to the preseason hype. The ACC and Pac 12 both look Average so far but should be well represented. The SEC is still a mystery as currently the best looking team in the conference could be a surprise in most fans eyes.
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