2014 ACC PREVIEW

By Mike Nowoswiat
August 2nd, 2014

                                                                     

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The ACC not only got a BCS bowl win last year, but they took home the National Championship over an SEC opponent.  Clemson beat Ohio State in one of the better bowl games we saw as Sammy Watkins single-handily showed Ohio State what the best WR in the country looks like.  And Florida State capped off an undefeated season after breezing through every game except for an early-season matchup against Boston College.  The Seminoles started off slow in the National Championship game, but ultimately the best defense in the country took control and allowed the Heisman-winner, Jameis Winston, to bring them back, ultimately winning on a last-second touchdown thrown to Kelvin Benjamin. 

Both victories were big for the ACC as we move out of the BCS era and into the College Football Playoff era.  While the ACC was not going to be left out as a 'power conference' its perception had been one of the worst power conferences.  While the SEC and PAC 12 certainly seem like the best conferences in 2014, the ACC finally has a perennial power in FSU.  The Seminoles are our preseason number one team and should be in nearly every preseason poll.  Strength at the top cannot be understated in its importance to league perception.

This year, the ACC welcomes a couple new head coaches as well as a new school.  Louisville enters the league in the Atlantic Division, replacing Maryland.  This move makes the league much more competitive especially in the very difficult Atlantic Division.  Louisville also welcomes a new coach, the infamous Bobby Petrino.  If he can avoid mistresses and motorcycles, this move should pay off big in the win column.  Petrino replaces another great coach in Charlie Strong who made the move to Austin, Texas this offseason.  And Dave Clawson is the other new coach in the league at Wake Forest.  He replaces the legendary Jim Grobe who couldn't seem to find the magic he did earlier in his career.  Clawson will have his work cut out for him this year, but he proved how good of a coach he was at Bowling Green.

It should be an exciting year in the ACC once again.  Florida State is the overwhelming favorite to win again, but teams will be fighting to knock them off the top.  The Atlantic Division certainly seems to be more cut-and-dry, but the Coastal Division should produce at least one team that competes with Clemson and Louisville for 2nd-place honors.  And if nothing else, the Coastal may be the most fun division to watch in all of football!
                                                                       CLICK THE DIVISION NAMES FOR FULL PREVIEW:

Atlantic Division

1. Florida State

2013 Record: 14-0
Defense Returning Starters: 6
Offense Returning Starters: 7
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher

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2. Clemson

2013 Record: 11-2
Defense Returning Starters: 7
Offense Returning Starters: 5
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney

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3. Louisville

2013 Record: 12-1
Defense Returning Starters: 4
Offense Returning Starters: 7
Head Coach: Bobby Petrino*

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4. Syracuse

2013 Record: 7-6
Defense Returning Starters: 7
Offense Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Scott Shafer

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5. North Carolina State

2013 Record: 3-9
Defense Returning Starters: 7
Offense Returning Starters: 7
Head Coach: Dave Doeren

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6. Boston College

2013 Record: 7-6
Defense Returning Starters: 6
Offense Returning Starters: 3
Head Coach: Steve Addazio

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7. Wake Forest

2013 Record: 4-8
Defense Returning Starters: 5
Offense Returning Starters: 5
Head Coach: Dave Clawson*

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Coastal Division

1. North Carolina

2013 Record: 7-6
Defense Returning Starters: 7
Offense Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Larry Fedora

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2. Miami

2013 Record: 9-4
Defense Returning Starters: 7
Offense Returning Starters: 7
Head Coach: Al Golden

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3. Virginia Tech

2013 Record: 8-5
Defense Returning Starters: 5
Offense Returning Starters: 9
Head Coach: Frank Beamer

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4. Georgia Tech

2013 Record: 7-6
Defense Returning Starters: 4
Offense Returning Starters: 6
Head Coach: Paul Johnson

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5. Duke

2013 Record: 10-4
Defense Returning Starters: 6
Offense Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: David Cutcliffe

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6. Pittsburgh

2013 Record: 7-6
Defense Returning Starters: 5
Offense Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Paul Chryst

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7. Virginia

2013 Record: 2-10
Defense Returning Starters: 9
Offense Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Mike London

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2014 PREVIEW
QUICK LINKS

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Conference Previews
ACC Preview
    Atlantic Division
    Coastal Division
Big Ten Preview
    East Division
    West Division
BIG 12 Preview
SEC Preview
    Eastern Division
    Western Division
PAC-12 Preview
    North Division
    South Division
Notre Dame/BYU
Armed Forces

(8/9) American Conf.
(8/9) Conference USA
(8/9) MAC
(8/9) Mountain West
(8/9) Sun Belt

Playoff Prediction
Top 25
New Bowl Games
CFB Playoff Explained
Goodbye, BCS
Conference Realignment

Heisman Contenders
Heisman Moments [Video]
Award Winner Predictions
Award History & Database
Deion Sanders Award

Best Non-Conf. Games
Thursday Night Schedule
Coaching Changes

2014 Hall of Fame Votes
Rivalry Trophy Database
Div. 1-AA (FCS) History


OFFSEASON FEATURES
Spring Game Attendance
Q&A's with SBNation:
    Maryland to BigTen
    Rutgers to BigTen

Throwback Thursday
    1990s Florida State
    3rd & 57
    Red River Roy ('01)
    Seneca Wallace ('02)
    One-Point Safety
    Dual-Sport Legends
    OhioSt-Mich ('73)
    Georgia Tech 222-0

Champions Gauntlet
    '13 FSU vs. '98 Tenn
    '13 FSU vs. '99 FSU
    '13 FSU vs. '00 OU
    '13 FSU vs. '02 OSU
    '13 FSU vs. '05 Texas
    '13 FSU vs. '08 UF
    '13 FSU vs. '11 Bama
    '13 FSU vs. '01 Miami