An ESPN staffer has made his prediction for the winner of the ACC’s Atlantic Division this season.
ESPN’s Jason Fitz said on the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain that he’s picking Clemson to win the Atlantic this season over NC State (9-3, 6-2 ACC in 2021), which finished second in the division last season behind Atlantic champion Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1) and ahead of the third-place Tigers (10-3, 6-2).
“I’m going Clemson,” Fitz said.
NC State beat Clemson, 27-21, in double-overtime in Raleigh on Sept. 25 last year, and the Wolfpack’s defense outperformed expectations in 2021 while finishing second in the ACC in scoring defense (19.7 points per game allowed) behind only the Tigers (14.8).
Because of how well the Wolfpack played on that side of the ball last year, Fitz believes the team’s defense will be overhyped heading into 2022, and he cited talent and coaching as two reasons why he’s favoring Clemson to win the Atlantic.
“Look, NC State’s defense last year was better than anybody expected, and when you’re better than anybody expected, you get extra benefit of the doubt going in the next year,” Fitz said. “That’s just the way we do it. So, I feel like the most overtalked about ACC unit going into this season is going to be the NC State defense because of what they did at times last year. Talent matters, right. There’s more talent and there’s more proof of concept in the greatness of the coaching at Clemson. I think we are overvaluing NC State last year and undervaluing Clemson because of last year, and that’s why it’s all been flipped.”
Not only is Fitz picking Clemson to win the Atlantic, but he believes the Tigers will beat Miami in the ACC Championship Game for their seventh conference title in eight years and go on to appear in the College Football Playoff again after seeing their streak of six straight CFP appearances come to an end last season.
“I think Clemson’s back in the College Football Playoff this year,” he said.
We asked @jasonfitz who he thought would win the #Atlantic… his answer was simple… #Clemson.
Check out the entire episode right here! 🐅 https://t.co/jWFPzyQmNn pic.twitter.com/vPXoWR4WBq
— Eric Mac Lain (@EricMacLain) June 17, 2022
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