I don’t exactly know what it means that so many ACC teams will have so many players, thanks the NCAA’s free year of eligibility, but it should make for a better product.
Does that mean someone will finally catch Clemson?
I think the Tigers will slip up during the regular season and lose in Charlotte to the Coastal Division winner.
I have Mack Brown winning his first ACC title and UNC’s first since 1980. That’s going to require the full transformation of UNC to Brown’s high-flying Big 12 version of Texas.
He has the right quarterback in Sam Howell. He also has the right schedule.
Schedule, coaching, quarterback and offensive line are the biggest factors I consider in making my projections.
Some years I’m good, others like last year, let’s just say it was the opposite. But I’m taking a mulligan for the pandemic.
We will see how these picks turn out.
Some thoughts:
NC State
In Year 9, this is Dave Doeren’s deepest team. I don’t know if it will be his best just because I’m not sure they have players the caliber of Bradley Chubb, Garrett Bradbury and Nyheim Hines, who were featured on the 2017 team.
I would argue they have more good players with this season and a group that is certainly accustomed to playing together.
Last year in the pandemic, NC State caught a few breaks and made a few of their own to go 7-3 in ACC play. The Wolfpack didn’t face either Clemson or Notre Dame, the two College Football Playoff teams from the conference.
On paper, to anyone who doesn’t follow NC State, the schedule doesn’t look all that daunting. But the Week 2 trip to Mississippi State (4-7 last year) is huge, so are two trips to the state of Florida in the second half of the season and the usual trap road games in the Atlantic Division with Boston College and Wake Forest.
Only once during Doeren’s tenure has he beaten both the Eagles and Demon Deacons on the road in the same season (2015).
The possibility of 6-6 is in play but so is the elusive 10-win mark. I’m going to play it safe and split the difference at 8-4.
You can listen to more thoughts on the season in the second episode of the Pack Therapy episode.
UNC
There’s a lot of rightful concern about the talent drain at the skill positions. UNC doesn’t have a runner of the quality of Javonte Williams (22 touchdowns) or gamebreaker Michael Carter (1,245 rushing yards) but the offensive line returns in tact.
Surprisingly, Howell had only three games last season when he threw for more than 300 yards (and two of those were losses) because the running game was so good.
With the junior quarterback being pushed for the Heisman Trophy, I would expect Howell to break the 300-yard mark in 10 games this season. I think UNC will go full Big-12 mode with Howell and receiver Josh Downs putting up huge numbers.
The defense, where Brown has done his best recruiting, doesn’t have to be great it just has to be better. Given the schedule, the trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 30 is the only game where UNC won’t be favored, that’s not asking a lot.
The schedule is also favorable with six straight home games after the opening trip to Virginia Tech. The door is open for the Tar Heels, all they need to do is walk through.
I think the Heels will lose at Notre Dame (and at home to Miami) but finish the regular season at 10-2.
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September 02, 2021 at 10:20PM
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Giglio: How will the 2021 ACC season turn out? Here's my best guess - WRALSportsFan.com
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