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Changing of the Guard?? Don't Count On It |
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Written by Shamus Williams
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Wednesday, 06 December 2006 |
Wake Forest won the ACC Championship this
year. No, not the basketball team, the football team. Yes,
it was a weird year indeed in the ACC, but I’m not going as far as
saying there is going to be a complete changing of the guard in the
conference. There is still three elite national powerhouses in
the conference, and they are same three that they were a few years
ago.
Virginia Tech is clearly the best team in the
conference. They are one of only two teams to win ten games the
past three years (Southern California being the other) and have
established themselves as a factor to win the conference every year,
and will compete for a national championship every few
years.
The other two, Miami and Florida State, both
had down years, but they will get back to their winning ways soon
enough. Miami has enough talent to win more than six games and
they probably will next year. Quarterback play is what eventually
doomed Larry Coker and cost him his job. Rest assured that if
Miami had won the conference title and was preparing to play in the
Orange Bowl, Coker would have his job, even with all of the off-field
problems. Miami’s next coach needs to make a decision regarding
the QB position and if they go back to Kyle Wright, they must make sure
he plays well. Miami had one of the best defenses, but just could
not muster enough points to win football games.
Florida State’s problem was on the offensive side of the
ball as well. Offensive coordinator, Jeff Bowden, has already
resigned, so the Seminoles’ offense will improve next year. Drew
Weatherford has not improved in his time at Florida State, and that has
to be the first thing changed in the offense. The new coordinator
must improve the great players after they come to Florida State.
They are still recruiting great players, but the problem is that these
players are not improving upon arrival to Florida State.
Bobby Bowden doesn’t need to go, but he better find a way to get his
new offensive coordinator to improve his players. If that
happens, then the Seminoles will once again be a force to be reckoned
with.
So, yes, it was a weird year in the ACC,
but don’t expect that to happen for too long. Next year, the ACC
may be even worse than it was this year, but it will get back to the
top. Miami and Florida State will need at least a year to get
their problems sorted out. Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Wake
Forest, and Boston College all lose tons of talent from both sides of
the ball. North Carolina, NC State, Duke, and Virginia all still
have a long way to go. The only thing that is certain is to
expect another ten-win season from Virginia Tech. The Hokies have
16 starters returning, but return all of their key players. Once
again, their season will depend on the QB play, and if they get
improved play at that position, then watch out college football.
Virginia Tech is a top-10 team next year. They will run away with
the conference title, and if they can find a way to win in Death Valley
against LSU early in the season, then the Hokies may be making their
second trip to the BCS Championship game come January.
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Virginia Tech 