acc atlantic division preview

Andy Loce

June 13, 2020

The ACC Atlantic division has been dominated by Clemson as of late, and it looks like that will be the case for the 2020 season.

While the Tigers return another talented roster, the other teams in the division will be racing to finish in the top half this fall.

Florida State, Louisville and Wake Forest have been overshadowed by Clemson in recent years, but they will look to overthrow the Tigers dynasty this season and reach the ACC Championship Game.

So, how will the ACC Atlantic play out in 2020? Here are my predictions for what’s to come this fall.

Clemson Tigers

Projected Record: 12-0 (8-0)

Clemson enters the 2020 season as heavy favorites to repeat as conference champions for the sixth season in a row.

This should not be a surprise as the Tigers returned to another College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Clemson’s receiving corps will miss some key figures in Tee Higgins, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and Justyn Ross. Coach Dabo Swinney announced on June 1 that Ross will miss the 2020 season due to surgery on his neck/spine.

On defense, linebacker Isaiah Simmons, drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, and cornerback A.J. Terrell, drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, have departed the Tigers after being selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

It’s not all bad news for the Tigers, however, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne are set to return in the fall, keeping together one of the best backfields in the country.

Clemson’s defensive line returns Tyler Davis, Justin Foster and Xavier Thomas. This young defensive front will look to improve their experience this season.

The big game for Clemson in the 2020 season will be a trip to South Bend on November 7 to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Both programs could very well be in great positions to be a part of the College Football Playoff, and this matchup between these two terrific programs could be the deciding factor in both team’s fates.

Louisville Cardinals

Projected Record: 9-3 (6-2)

The surprise team of the 2019 season in the ACC Atlantic was the Louisville Cardinals, improving their conference record from 0-8 to 5-3 in just one season.

In the second year of the Scott Satterfield era, their goal in 2020 should be focused on improving the defense.

In 2019, Louisville allowed 6.68 yards per play, which was the second worst in the ACC, and gave up 33.4 points per game, which was worst in the conference.

Fortunately, they return nine of their starting eleven from last year’s defense, including senior linebackers C.J. Avery and Dorian Etheridge, who combined for 163 tackles last fall.

The star talent for Louisville this season will be focused at the skill positions.

Quarterback Micale Cunningham, running back Javian Hawkins and wide receiver Tutu Atwell form one of the most explosive trios in the ACC. All three players are entering their junior season and were a large part of their turnaround from 2018 to 2019.

Cunningham led the way for Louisville with 2,065 passing yards and an impressive 22 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions. Hawkins was a force on the ground with 1,525 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. One of the up and coming receivers in the ACC, Atwell gathered 1,276 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019.

Louisville has a big hole to fill after the departure of offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, who was drafted by the New York Jets in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The big game for Louisville in the 2020 season will be a trip down to Clemson on September 12.

The two best teams in the ACC Atlantic will face off in an early conference matchup which will set the narrative for the rest of the season in the division.

Florida State Seminoles

Projected Record: 8-4 (5-3)

The Willie Taggart era is officially over for Florida State and they anticipate to return to the national spotlight in 2020.

This offseason, the Seminoles went out and hired head coach Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller to help resurrect a program that has fallen to the depths of the ACC Atlantic.

Entering the season, the quarterback situation is a large question for the Seminoles as James Blackman and Jordan Travis will battle it out for the starting job.

Blackman got the nod to start at quarterback last season while Travis took the role as his backup.

Blackman threw for 2,339 yards accompanied by 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions after dealing with an injury in 2018 that forced him to sit out the season. Travis made a few appearances for Florida State, recording three rushing touchdowns, but failing to record a single passing touchdown.

The rest of the offense will have to fill the void of running back Cam Akers, who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2020 NFL Draft. Fortunately for Florida State, they return the production of wide receiver Tamorrion Terry and offensive tackle Marvin Wilson.

Wilson will be the standout player on a poor offensive line while Terry will try to improve off his redshirt sophomore season where he recorded 1,188 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Adam Fuller will spend his first season with a very experienced Florida State defense, as ten starters return this season. Among those coming back are All-ACC talents in cornerback Asante Samuel, who led the ACC in pass breakups with 14, and safety Hamsah Nasirildeen, who totaled over 100 tackles last season.

The big game for Florida State in the 2020 season will be a trip to Boise State on September 19.

After Boise State’s comeback victory in Tallahassee last season, Florida State looks to split the series on the “Blue Turf” and log a superb non-conference road victory in the early weeks of the season.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Projected Record: 7-5 (5-3 ACC)

After starting the 2019 season with a 7-1 record, Wake Forest looked to be a serious threat to take down Clemson. However, that did not turn out to be the case as the Demon Deacons lost three of four down the stretch.

Despite the late collapse, Wake Forest is coming off one of their best seasons in recent years and will attempt to find similar success this season.

The quarterback situation is clear as Jamie Newman transferred to the University of Georgia during the offseason, making Sam Hartman the front-runner to start for the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest also lost wide receiver Kendall Hinton and linebacker Justin Strnad, who were both selected by the Denver Broncos in the NFL Draft.

The Demon Deacons will look to return to their third consecutive bowl game, and the return of wide receiver Sage Surratt and defensive end Carlos Basham will put them in a solid position.

Wake Forest will have to replace two of their top cornerbacks, but Trey Rucker and Ja’Sir Taylor will step into those roles with the experience they gathered as backups in 2019.

The big game for Wake Forest in the 2020 season will be a trip down to Florida State on October 17.

Both teams will be competing to stay amongst the top of the Atlantic, and this mid-season matchup will serve as a turning point in their season to decide if they are contenders or pretenders.

Syracuse Orange

Projected Record: 6-6 (3-5 ACC)

Last season did not go the way Syracuse expected.

Heading into 2019, Syracuse was projected to be the best-suited to compete with Clemson for the Atlantic crown. However, early season losses to Maryland and Clemson doomed their season.

The Orange wasted no time in addressing the needs on both sides of the ball with the hirings of offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and defensive coordinator Zach Arnett during the offseason.

Unlike most defenses in the Atlantic, 2020 will be a rebuilding season for Syracuse after losing six starters - defensive linemen Alton Robinson and Kendall Coleman, linebackers Andrew Armstrong and Lakiem Williams, and defensive backs Christopher Frederick and Evan Foster.

The offense will need to improve, and that starts with the offensive line, which gave up fifty sacks last season. The Orange will also need to replace wide receiver Trishton Jackson, who recorded over a thousand yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019.

On the bright side, quarterback Tommy DeVito will be the starter for his third consecutive season. Safety Andre Cisco also returns after landing on the All-ACC Second Team in his sophomore season.

The big game for Syracuse in 2020 will be a home matchup against N.C. State on November 14.

Both programs failed to reach a bowl game in 2019 and this could be a pivotal matchup in determining if either team will play football past November.

Boston College Eagles

Projected Record: 5-7 (3-5 ACC)

Boston College did just enough to get to a bowl game last season, but many questions surround the program as they enter 2020.

During the offseason, the Eagles hired Jeff Hafley, a former Ohio State assistant, to replace Steve Addazio as their new head coach.

Boston College will have to overcome the departure of running back A.J. Dillion, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Dillion rushed for over a thousand yards in each of his three seasons in Chestnut Hill.

Boston College’s running game still has hope next season as they return one of the most impressive offensive lines in the ACC. The projected starting five have all tallied ten or more starts in their collegiate career, including All-ACC Second Team recipients right tackle Ben Petrula and left guard Zion Johnson.

After allowing 32.2 points per game to their opponents in 2019, Hafley hopes that he will bring that same success to the Boston College defense.

Fortunately for the Eagles, they return six of their top nine tacklers from 2019. They will seek to increase their pressure on the quarterback after recording just 19 sacks last season, the second-worst in the ACC.

Max Richardson, who led Boston College with 108 tackles last season, returns for his senior season. Richardson led the Eagles in 14.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2019.

The big game for Boston College in 2020 will be a home matchup against Purdue on September 26.

This matchup is set right before a daunting stretch of Boston College’s season, and a win against a Power 5 opponent could help them through a difficult October schedule.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Projected Record: 4-8 (2-6 ACC)

The end of N.C. State’s 2019 season was anything but a fairytale, losing six straight and finishing last in the Atlantic at 1-7.

After their disappointing year, N.C. State hired offensive coordinator Tim Beck and defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to help spark some resurgence in Raleigh.

The quarterback battle will be fun to watch before the season gets underway with four names in the mix.

Devin Leary, Bailey Hockman, Ty Evans and Ben Finley are all in contention to win the starting job before September comes around. Leary was the starter for the 2019 season, but with a new staff for N.C. State, they might look to go in a different direction for 2020.

Heading into this season, N.C. State returns some key talent.

Running backs Zonovan Knight and Jordan Houston will be back after combining for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. Ricky Pearson Jr.’s name will be in the mix after missing a large portion of 2019 with an ankle injury.

On defense, linebackers Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore bring experience back to a young defense after combining for 122 tackles last season. Chris Ingram, Teshaun Smith and Taiyon Palmer all had their seasons cut short last year but are expected to be healthy for 2020.

The big game for N.C. State in 2020 is a home matchup against Mississippi State on September 12.

This matchup will be fun for the fans in Raleigh but will also provide an early, tough test against an SEC opponent. A win would provide more confidence between the players and the new staff, which could help the Wolfpack return to a bowl game in 2020.

Outlook

For the 2020 season, I see Clemson running through their schedule as they set their sights on the College Football Playoff once again.

The outlook for the rest of the division is foggy as no one else has pulled away from the pack. However, everyone will have their shot to challenge Clemson.

The battle between the second, third and fourth best team in the standings will be a fun one to watch as all programs seek to dethrone the Clemson Tigers as the best team in the ACC Atlantic.