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2009 ACC College Football Preview
Odds - Predictions - Analysis
The ACC has been down in recent years. It's not that it's a "bad conference" though. There have been plenty of good teams in the ACC the last few years, just no great teams. For that matter, no top 10 teams. However, much like the Big East, the ACC had 9 of it's 12 teams finish with winning records a year ago. It's a conference where anything can happen from week to week. In recent years it's been Boston College and Virginia Tech battling for the crown but just about all of the teams in the ACC have made some noise. Wake Forest, Virginia and Florida State are always in the mix, and look out for North Carolina State this year. Heck, even Duke has been pulling some upsets and winning more games than every before.
Below we preview each of the ACC teams for the 2009 college football season and we also present the odds to win the ACC from several top rated sportsbooks. At the bottom of the page you'll find our summary with a prediction on who will win the ACC in 2009.
Virginia Tech Hokies - Odds to win ACC 2.5/1 - They finally got the job done in 2008 when they took the Orange Bowl from a very good Cincinnati Bearcats team with a final score of 20-7. Last season was riddled with offensive problems, but you can expect fewer worries this year. They will return 9 starters on offense, and Coach Frank Beamer has more playmakers this year than in any of his past 22. Tyrod Taylor is solid at QB, but he has to improve his accuracy. He is a threat to rush. RB Darren Evans racked up over 1,200 yards last year as a freshman and should be even stronger in 2009. Virginia Tech is renowned for its excellent secondary. Stephen Virgil will do great at CB after grabbing 6 INTs in 2008. If Tyrod Taylor can stay healthy this is easily the best team in the ACC. An opening game against Alabama will be tough, but if they come out on top they could find themselves as an early contender for the BCS Championship.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -
Odds to win ACC 7/1 -
After waltzing in to Georgia and taking a victory in the final game of the
regular season, the Yellowjackets were trounced by LSU in the Chick-fil-A
Bowl by a score of 3-38. Despite that the 2008 season was a success as
Georgia Tech finished the year 9-4. This year should be even better. The
offense finished 4th in the NCAA in rushing last year. They will have to air
it out this time around, and QB Josh Nesbitt looks capable of hitting target
WRs Tyler Melton and Demaryius Thomas. Although they will be passing more,
FB Jonathan Dwyer led the ACC in rushing last year and will get more than
his far share of carries in 2009. The defense is iffy. SS Morgan Burnett is
a potential All American, but the line will see 2 new DTs and a new DE.
Expectations are high for this team, and if the passing game comes together
they will not disappoint.
Florida State Seminoles -
Odds to win ACC
3/1 - Bobby Bowden’s bunch put together a 9-4 record and won the Champs
Sports Bowl over Wisconsin in powerful fashion in 2008. They will seek to
improve on that in 2009 and chase the BCS Bowl bid that comes with winning
the ACC championship. The offense will return 8 starters. The line is very
talented and will allow QB Christian Ponder to hit WR targets Bert Reed and
Richard Goodman. The receivers have had some integrity problems, so personal
responsibility will be highly important for them. The defense is suspect at
best and is led by CB Patrick Robinson. Freshman will have to come in and
compete for them to hold back opposing offensives. With early games against
BYU, and South Florida, we should know pretty early how good or bad the
Seminoles are. I expect them to regress.
North Carolina Tar Heels -
Odds to win ACC 6/1
- Butch Davis’s crew would’ve done much better last year had they not
dropped games to North Carolina State and Virginia. They finished 2008 with
a record of 8-5 and a 30-31 loss to West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care
Bowl. The offense returns 6 starters, including QB T.J Yates. The passer has
been plagued by injuries in the past and must stay healthy if the Tar Heels
wish to compete. Shaun Draughn will have the running duties. He racked up
828 yards and 3 TDs last year after playing Safety in his first season at
North Carolina. The defense brings back 9 starters. They are made up of
mostly veterans, and their backups are also experienced. The linebackers are
lightning quick, but the secondary might not be as good as last year. They
won’t play a tough game until week 4 at Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels are a
team to keep your eyes on.
Clemson Tigers - Odds to
win ACC 5/1 - This team is a classic example of one that beats the
opponents they are supposed to but cannot come through with a marquee win.
Clemson ended last year with a record of 7-6 and they lost to Nebraska in
the Gator Bowl. They will return 7 starters on offense, including the deadly
fast C.J. Spiller. The offensive line won’t be a weakness as it was in 2008.
Freshman QB Kyle Parker is very talented and could be a playmaker from the
start. The defense brings back 8 starters. DeAndre McDaniel is moving from
LB to SS, and new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has been giving him
rave reviews. This team has the skills to pay the bills, but they have
faltered in the past.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons -
Odds to win ACC
14/1 - The Demon Deacons ended 2008 on a solid note with a 29-19 victory
over Navy in the EagleBank Bowl. If they wish to continue that success, QB
Riley Skinner has to keep playing great football. He is the ACC’s all time
most accurate passer at 67.3%. The running game has to be more consistent
than last year. The offense will return 9 starters, but the defense is
bringing back just 4 members. NG Boo Robinson will anchor the line. Coach
Jim Grobe says this is the fastest defense he has seen in his 14 years at
Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are more than capable of winning 8 games and
making it to a Bowl game.
Miami Hurricanes -
Odds to win ACC 5/1 - The ‘Canes ended 2008 with a record of 7-6 and a
loss to California in the Emerald Bowl. Coach Randy Shannon will seek to get
the Hurricanes back in gear during his third year at the job. It won’t be an
easy task, as Miami will play four Top 25 teams to start the season. The
offense brings back 6 starters. Sophomore Jacoby Harris will take over the
QB duties and has a plethora of weapons. Graig Cooper will rack up plenty of
yardage running the ball. The defense is returning 6 players from last
season. The secondary has to do a better job of grabbing interceptions. They
had just 4 in 2008. The linebackers will strong. On the whole, Miami looks
good.
North Carolina State Wolf Pack -
Odds to win ACC
8/1 - Last year was forgettable for this team. They finished with a
record of 6-7 and lost to Rutgers in the Papajohns.com Bowl. The offense
returns 7 starters. ACC Rookie of the Year Russell Wilson will lead the team
at QB. He should do better this year as the defense is expected to improve
thus taking pressure off the youngster. The defense will be bringing back 7
members from last year’s team. Nate Irving is tough at LB. He had 81 tackles
last year and four interceptions. They will play Pittsburgh at home in week
4, and winning that game would be a great momentum builder. Look for them to
finish mid pack in the ACC.
Maryland Terrapins -
Odds to win ACC
20/1 - The Terps had an up and down year in 2008. Once they started to
build some steam, they would lose a game. They finished the season on a
positive note with a win in the Humanitarian Bowl over Nevada. Chris Tucker
returns at QB along with 5 other members of the offense. He should do better
this year as he becomes more accustomed to the west coast style offense. The
defense will be changing from a 3-4 style to the 4-3 alignment. The Maryland
Terrapins have a tough schedule and a lot of new faces on the roster. That
youth will come in handy down the road, but they will have a down year in
2009.
Boston College Golden Eagles -
Odds to win ACC
60/1 - Frank Spaziani’s team made it to the ACC Championship game last
year, but lost to Virginia Tech. They ended the year with a record of 9-5
and a loss in the Music City Bowl to Vanderbilt. This year figures to be a
huge step back. The will return 7 offensive starters. QB Dominique Davis is
inexperienced. TB Montel Harris will probably carry a large part of the
offensive load. The defense is improving in the secondary and will also
bring back 7 guys. However, the line will be weaker this year. Long story
short, Boston College peaked last year.
Virginia Cavaliers -
Odds to win ACC
25/1 - This team finished near the bottom of the ACC last year and will
improve slightly this time around. The offense will be directed by new
coordinator Gregg Brandon. He will be expected to keep other teams guessing
in his first year. The secondary looks strong. The defense line is also
solid with NT Nick Jenkins and DE Matt Conrath. Look for improvement if the
offense adapts to the spread offense. If they don’t we will likely see a
repeat of 2008.
Duke Blue Devils -
Odds to win ACC 60/1 - If only this was basketball; the Blue Devils
wrapped up 2008 with a dismal overall record of 4-8. The offense brings back
5 starters. Senior QB Thaddeus Lewis will run the show once again. On the
whole, the offense is inexperienced. The defense has the same problem. Coach
David Cutcliffe has them headed in the right direction, but they still have
a long way to go.
There's a big difference in picking a division winner as a publication like, say, Sports Illustrated may do, and picking a winner from a betting standpoint. We're a betting site. We're all about the odds, and finding wagers that may have value. From a betting perspective, there is zero value in betting on a favorite to win a division, before the season starts. You would be far better off picking your spots with that team during the season, than tying up your money now.
With that in mind, we can't help but take a shot with Boston College at 60/1 odds. That number is just ridiculous. Sure, BC has it's 3rd coach in 4 years, but heck, the team has a record of 30-11 over the past 3 years, the best in their division, and they return a good chunk of starters from a year ago, 7 on each side of the ball, from a team that went 9-4. Are they the clear cut choice to win the ACC? No. But at odds of 60/1 there is loads of value with the Eagles. So, we'll bite.
Check out all of our 2009 College Football Conference Previews!
SEC Conference Preview and Predictions
Big East Conference Preview and Predictions
PAC-10 Conference Preview and Predictions
Big 12 Conference Preview and Predictions
Big 10 Conference Preview and Predictions
MAC Conference Preview and Predictions
MWC Conference Preview and Predictions
Conference USA Preview and Predictions
Sun Belt Conference Preview and Predictions
WAC Conference Preview and Predictions
Independents - Notre Dame Army Navy