5. Miami Hurricanes
Be Excited About … new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and Houston transfer QB D’Eriq King. All of a sudden, the Miami offense should go from nothing to amazing, to go along with a defense that’s going to be fantastic at getting into the backfield.
Be Concerned About … the offense that has a long way to go. It was second-to-last in the nation in third down conversions and had no running game whatsoever.
The Season Will Be Successful If … Miami wins the Coastal. King should make a night-and-day difference for the offense, and the defense is going to be ACC-championship good.
4. Pitt Panthers
Be Excited About … an oh-dear-heavens pass rush that led the nation in sacks and is almost unfairly deep coming into the season. There are at least three future All-ACC performers on the line, and the safeties are special, too.
Be Concerned About … the ground game. It carried Pitt to the ACC title game two years ago, and it went bye-bye last season averaging just 119 yards per game. The O line is okay, but nothing great.
The Season Will Be Successful If … Pitt plays for the ACC Championship for the second time in three years. The defense is going to be too devastating to not be thinking a shot at the whole conference ball of wax is possible.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina CFN 2020 Preview
Be Excited About … the passing game, and more of the passing game. Sam Howell is one of the brightest young quarterbacking stars in the nation, and he’s got a phenomenal receiving corps to work with.
Be Concerned About … the offensive line that almost got Howell killed has to be a whole lot better, and the team as a whole has to be a lot more consistent. As bright as things seem, it still took two wins in the final two games just to get bowl eligible.
The Season Will Be Successful If … the Tar Heels play for the ACC Championship. It might be a year too early – more like two – with the phenomenal recruiting class coming in for 2021, but Mack Brown has the pieces to take the Coastal.
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2. Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech CFN 2020 Preview
Be Excited About … a whale of a defense that might not be quite as flashy as what Pitt and Miami are putting out there, and it’s not going to have the talent of Clemson’s, but it has the experience and talent to be a big deal. QB Hendon Hooker is going to be a blast.
Be Concerned About … giving the ball away. The defense will be great, Hooker and the offense should be even better, and the talent is there to win the Coastal. Now the Hokies have to not be the third-worst team in America in fumbles. They turned the ball over 23 times in total.
The Season Will Be Successful If … there isn’t just a trip to the ACC Championship, but there’s a big push to actually win it. Just about everyone else from the Coastal would be happy just to be there, but there’s enough in the bag to not be a speed bump for the …
1. Clemson Tigers
Be Excited About … an NFL backfield starting with a franchise quarterback who should be a Cincinnati Bengal right now. Of course Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne will get the spotlight, but go ahead and start hinting that the defensive front might has the upside to be as strong as the epic front four of two years ago.
Be Concerned About … at Notre Dame on November 7th. The Irish are going to be good enough this year to pull that off, leaving no margin for error for the Tigers against an improved ACC. To nitpick, the special teams are okay, but they might not be special.
The Season Will Be Successful If … Clemson wins a third national title in four years. Think of it this way. It took a team that finished with the greatest season in the 150-year history of college football to keep the Tigers from taking down a second straight CFP national title. It’s not fair to ask any program to set the bar at national-championship-or-failure, but … win the national championship.
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