ACC Preview 2005

Last year Virginia Tech made a stunning run to win the ACC championship. This year the ACC should have some more competition with the newcomers settling in and the prestigious schools getting back to their normal ways. The battle for the ACC should be really exciting this year and it looks like the teams are ready and raring to go.5) Boston College

QB Quentin Porter was redshirted last year and is ready to be starter again. This spring he has been solid and has shown his prominence over sophomore QB Matt Ryan. Porter is fundamentally sound and is ready for the start against BYU on September 3rd.

Last year, Boston College fans were disappointed that for the first time in 7 years they didn’t have a 1,000 yard rusher. They probably won’t have one this season but their rushing attack will still be strong. Callender and Whitworth will probably share the carries and be even better as sophomores.

Their defense also seems strong, returning 8 starters and all their linebackers. Brown and Henderson are established players and should help the Boston College defense in a big way.

Some of the problems that they have are at wide receiver. The most experienced receiver they have is Larry Lester who is one year removed from the secondary. Otherwise, they are pretty inexperienced. They have some problems in the secondary but will sort it out by seasons start. They have a pretty easy non-conference schedule and should have a good season.

4) North Carolina State

A bunch of you right now are thinking, “Are your crazy?” But I actually think that NC State will be much better than last year. Their fifth-year senior, Jay Davis, had a good spring and is ready for action. They lost their leading rusher McLendon but do have a few replacements. Bobby Washington was great during spring and should be a producer on the offensive side.

The great part of the pack this year is their defense. They have five returning players and a stacked line. Their D-line is full of beasts who recorded 12 sacks in the spring game. If their line can do this all season long, NC State will be a contender in the ACC.

One of their weak parts going into the 2005 season is their O-line. The fact that they gave up 12 sacks in one game is pretty scary. They have been plagued by injuries and hope to have it sorted out by seasons start. They also have to cut down on mental errors. Hopefully coach Amato will make that a priority. Lastly, their secondary lost all 4 starters so some of the younger guys are going to need to step up.

3) University of Miami

A big answer we got from the spring is that Kyle Wright will be the new QB for the Hurricanes. Wright was phenomenal in the spring game and should make Miami fans pretty happy this year. It was hard to get an idea of Miami’s offense because they have suffered a lot of injuries but Miami fans are hoping that WR Ryan Moore can live up to all the hype.

Another team with a strong defense in ACC is Miami. They have a whopping 10 returning players which will add experience. MLB Leon Williams seems to be ready to be leader of the defense this year and having a fully healed hand will let him play to his full potential too. A surprise though is that Hester is 2nd in the depth chart. He is incredibly talented but will obviously need to improve his football intelligence if he wants to get his spot back.

A few of the problems that Miami has have to do with both the offensive and defensive line. On the O-Line there is some confusion on who is playing what. There is some shifting of positions and the center is still up in the air. They also lost Eric Winston so someone will need to step up this season. Miami’s D-Line needs to put more pressure on the QB and get healthy. Otherwise, they should be good to go.

2) Virginia Tech

The defending ACC champs are going to make a run again this season with a possibly better than last year. The big news is that Marcus Vick has his legal troubles behind him and should be big for the Hokies this season. Marcus has a lot of his brother in him and should be a playmaker the Hokies have been looking for since Michael Vick left. The Virginia Tech also has 8 players on offense coming back which is a very solid number and will help Marcus Vick out.

Their defense should be pretty decent this season. They have an experienced sset of linebackers and have depth on the the defensive line. The secondary still poses some questions but should be sorted out by seasons beginning. One of Virginia Tech’s pleasant surprises was the accusation of a 270 pound punter that can squat 600. “I call it Big Foot!”

One of their problems has to do with depth of both lines. Hopefully Kory Robertson can fill the shoes of Jim Davis. Another problem is the FS spot. They had a bunch of people trying it back there but it is totally up for grabs at this point. I think the Hokies have a chance of making another run for the championship. It should be an exciting year for Virginia Tech fans especially with Marcus Vick.

1) Florida State

Yes, Florida State will get back to their prestigious state this season. Chris Rix has seemed to have held them back the past few years and now that he’s gone, the Seminoles will be able to get back to business. It looks like Wyatt Sexton will probably be getting his starting job back even with his “problems” earlier. The best part of their season would have to be the running back duo of Washington and Booker. Together, they could be the best there is and can lead the rushing attack this season. Even with a battered O-line they should put up really impressive numbers. The receivers for Florida State also are ready for the 2005 season. As far as I’m concerned, once the O-line gets healthy, the Florida State offense is set.

The offense aren’t the only ones ready to go. The defense looks great this year especially their D-line. They have really beaten on the players on the other side of the ball. They will also have a great pass rushing force led by Kamerion Wimbley. The Seminoles look to have the number 1 linebacking trio in the country with Sims, Nicholson, and Buster Davis.

One issue that is troubling the ‘Noles is the kicking issue. They have 2 sophomores, Gary Cismesia and Chase Goggans, who really haven’t kicked that well lately. Other than that and a few injuries they will be just fine this season.

Now that Coach Bowden is straying away from his beloved I-formation, the offense should be more productive. I think that this year Florida State will be a prominent force in not only the ACC but in NCAA.