Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

If there is one thing I will guarantee about the Coastal ... it is that GT won't be finishing last in it. A close second is that Virginia won't be finishing first.

(06-06-2019 10:22 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If there is one thing I will guarantee about the Coastal ... it is that GT won't be finishing last in it. A close second is that Virginia won't be finishing first.

I tend to agree with GT not finishing last. The 2015 season (1-7) is an anomaly. How much so? It is the only season since 1994 (read: 25 years!) that GT has had a sub-.500 ACC record, might as well finish last.

I recall when Paul Johnson took over I read similar gloom and doom about GT heading into the 2008 season. You know, typical stuff about not having the personnel to run his system and all. Now, it is just the reverse scenario. I'm not going out on a limb and claiming GT is a favorite to contend for the Coastal, but I'm with you they will be better than what is being forecast.

As for UVA, we should know a lot about them in their first 3 ACC games. They open at Pitt, then 2 weeks later they host FSU and then in Week 6 they travel to Miami for a Friday night nationally televised game. If they are 2-1 in that stretch, then they will contend for the Coastal. Then again, it is conceivable they are 0-3 when flying home from South Florida too.

They host Duke next and then face 3 straight teams with new head coaches - at UofL, at UNC, and host GT. This is all before they host a team they haven't beaten in so long I've lost count.

(06-06-2019 10:22 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If there is one thing I will guarantee about the Coastal ... it is that GT won't be finishing last in it. A close second is that Virginia won't be finishing first.

UNC will get a chance to defend their 7th place Coastal division finish, IMO.

(06-06-2019 12:26 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I tend to agree with GT not finishing last. The 2015 season (1-7) is an anomaly. How much so? It is the only season since 1994 (read: 25 years!) that GT has had a sub-.500 ACC record, might as well finish last.

I recall when Paul Johnson took over I read similar gloom and doom about GT heading into the 2008 season. You know, typical stuff about not having the personnel to run his system and all. Now, it is just the reverse scenario. I'm not going out on a limb and claiming GT is a favorite to contend for the Coastal, but I'm with you they will be better than what is being forecast.

I think a really under appreciated aspect of the change will be player intensity. If your heart isn't in it ... it's hard to keep going when the tank is empty. I think there will be a tremendously higher want to this year.

(06-06-2019 01:21 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:22 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If there is one thing I will guarantee about the Coastal ... it is that GT won't be finishing last in it. A close second is that Virginia won't be finishing first.

UNC will get a chance to defend their 7th place Coastal division finish, IMO.

You think ole Mack is up to the task?

I think Mack will improve them. But it's hard to ignore the parallels between Mack and Bill Snyder.

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Clemson and the 12 err 13 Dwarfs

A whole bunch of parity. FSU, Miami and VTech used to be Top 10 teams. Throw in Louisville too as they had a nice run of excellence. Until at least 2 to 3 of those teams decide to elevate back the league will be looked down at. The Cuse possibly could be set to make a run of excellence to help but it has been a while since they have been on the national stage (like last century). A huge pivot year for the Orange coming 2019.

(06-06-2019 01:35 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  I think a really under appreciated aspect of the change will be player intensity. If your heart isn't in it ... it's hard to keep going when the tank is empty. I think there will be a tremendously higher want to this year.

That's a big part of what Louisville fans are banking on this year to hopefully be at least respectable as opposed to an embarrassment like last year. No one in the fan base expects big things in 2019 but we're hopeful the team won't be historically awful just based on players not having quit by week 3 like last year.

For the ACC to make strides in FB, across the board the teams need to get significantly better on defense. Less Clemson of course and it is in my mind why they are dominating the conference (and nation) of late. They are paying their DC big money and they are signing studs on that side of the ball, especially their D-Line.

I'd like to think last year was an outlier at Va Tech. Perhaps the worst Bud Foster defense I've seen. I know some of the (player) personnel reasons why that played out the way it did (injuries, departures, etc.). I think the Hokies will be back defensively, though it may take another couple of seasons to get back to where they were pre-Fuente.

GT has been terrible on defense throughout the Paul Johnson era. New head coach is defensive-minded. Will take some time, but could be better in Year 1 this fall. Then again, having a head coach whose historical past is on one side of the LOS doesn't guarantee it will translate. For example, George O'Leary was a defensive guy his entire career but his defenses sucked for the most part at GT and they outscored folks with Joe Hamilton and his crew. Chan Gailey was an offensive guy and his offenses sucked while his defenses under Jon Tenuta carried that program during Gailey's entire time there.

Look at Pitt for another example. Narducci comes in with defensive background. But, just my opinion, Pitt's defense has been mediocre under Narducci. They've, like GT, fallen into having to outscore opponents for any success.

UofL's defense was just terrible last year. It's going to likely take at least another couple of recruiting cycles to get significantly better on defense, though they may be better in '19 simply because they can't get much worse.

And, the beat goes on...if the ACC (that is, after Clemson) wants to improve the respect nationally like we see elsewhere, the collective defenses have to improve significantly. Just one idiot's opinion of course...

(06-07-2019 08:17 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Clemson and the 12 err 13 Dwarfs

A whole bunch of parity. FSU, Miami and VTech used to be Top 10 teams. Throw in Louisville too as they had a nice run of excellence. Until at least 2 to 3 of those teams decide to elevate back the league will be looked down at. The Cuse possibly could be set to make a run of excellence to help but it has been a while since they have been on the national stage (like last century). A huge pivot year for the Orange coming 2019.

As long as Syracuse pays Babers, Syracuse will keep finishing in top 25% of ACC. Please pay him. Don't let SEC grab Babers.

(06-06-2019 01:21 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:22 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If there is one thing I will guarantee about the Coastal ... it is that GT won't be finishing last in it. A close second is that Virginia won't be finishing first.

UNC will get a chance to defend their 7th place Coastal division finish, IMO.

UNC’s offense will be streamlined, flexible, and easy to learn. I don’t expect any growing pains on that side of the ball.

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Last year we also had only 5 teams with 8 or more wins and the year before that we had 6. So that starts to look like the norm. 2016 was much better, with 8 teams (and 3 more with 7 wins). Six of our 8 teams won 9 or more that year. But maybe that was an outlier.

By comparison, in that 2016 season the SEC had 1 at 10+, 2 at 9, 4 at 8 and 2 with 7 wins.

(06-07-2019 10:21 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Last year we also had only 5 teams with 8 or more wins and the year before that we had 6. So that starts to look like the norm. 2016 was much better, with 8 teams (and 3 more with 7 wins). Six of our 8 teams won 9 or more that year. But maybe that was an outlier.

By comparison, in that 2016 season the SEC had 1 at 10+, 2 at 9, 4 at 8 and 2 with 7 wins.

Keep in mind also though that 2 of those 5 teams last year with 8 or more wins were aided by a bowl victory (UVA & Duke). So, in fact, it was only 3 teams with 8 or more wins in the regular 12-game season. Since the Athlon's predicted records are for the 12-game season, must remove bowl wins/losses for apples-to-apples.

(06-07-2019 08:31 AM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 01:35 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  I think a really under appreciated aspect of the change will be player intensity. If your heart isn't in it ... it's hard to keep going when the tank is empty. I think there will be a tremendously higher want to this year.

That's a big part of what Louisville fans are banking on this year to hopefully be at least respectable as opposed to an embarrassment like last year. No one in the fan base expects big things in 2019 but we're hopeful the team won't be historically awful just based on players not having quit by week 3 like last year.

I think UL will be in the 4-6 win range. There are pieces bit I think how soon do the guys buy in? That will be a key question. Has Satterfield shed some attitude issues or wrong type player for the system yet? Usually the right call is to rip the band-aid off.

I expect UL will be back in the Top 25 in a couple years but once you fall you better get up quickly or you can be there (in the under .500% crowd) for awhile.

(06-07-2019 10:25 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 10:21 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Last year we also had only 5 teams with 8 or more wins and the year before that we had 6. So that starts to look like the norm. 2016 was much better, with 8 teams (and 3 more with 7 wins). Six of our 8 teams won 9 or more that year. But maybe that was an outlier.

By comparison, in that 2016 season the SEC had 1 at 10+, 2 at 9, 4 at 8 and 2 with 7 wins.

Keep in mind also though that 2 of those 5 teams last year with 8 or more wins were aided by a bowl victory (UVA & Duke). So, in fact, it was only 3 teams with 8 or more wins in the regular 12-game season. Since the Athlon's predicted records are for the 12-game season, must remove bowl wins/losses for apples-to-apples.

Good point. So the 2019 projections would be an improvement over last year. Interesting to note that in 2016, all 8 who finished with 8 or more wins had accomplished that during the regular season. While we were 8-3 in bowl games that year, all the losses were by teams that already had 8 or more wins (Louisville, Pitt and UNC) and 3 of the wins were by 6-6 teams (BC, Wake Forest and NC State).

If FSU could have just have one 2nd string lineman from each team in its division, FSU would have 10 or more wins.

(06-07-2019 09:00 AM)ArQ Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:17 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:06 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 10:16 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Link: https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...redictions

Those are some pretty sorry overall records. Only one 10 game winner in the conference. Only two 9 win and two 8 win teams in the conference, everyone else 7 wins or less.

Clemson and the 12 err 13 Dwarfs

A whole bunch of parity. FSU, Miami and VTech used to be Top 10 teams. Throw in Louisville too as they had a nice run of excellence. Until at least 2 to 3 of those teams decide to elevate back the league will be looked down at. The Cuse possibly could be set to make a run of excellence to help but it has been a while since they have been on the national stage (like last century). A huge pivot year for the Orange coming 2019.

As long as Syracuse pays Babers, Syracuse will keep finishing in top 25% of ACC. Please pay him. Don't let SEC grab Babers.

He signed an extension after last season. Our AD was a big Exec for ESPN who knows you have to pay your talent.

(06-07-2019 10:29 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-07-2019 08:31 AM)CollegeCard Wrote:  

(06-06-2019 01:35 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  I think a really under appreciated aspect of the change will be player intensity. If your heart isn't in it ... it's hard to keep going when the tank is empty. I think there will be a tremendously higher want to this year.

That's a big part of what Louisville fans are banking on this year to hopefully be at least respectable as opposed to an embarrassment like last year. No one in the fan base expects big things in 2019 but we're hopeful the team won't be historically awful just based on players not having quit by week 3 like last year.

I think UL will be in the 4-6 win range. There are pieces bit I think how soon do the guys buy in? That will be a key question. Has Satterfield shed some attitude issues or wrong type player for the system yet? Usually the right call is to rip the band-aid off.

I expect UL will be back in the Top 25 in a couple years but once you fall you better get up quickly or you can be there (in the under .500% crowd) for awhile.

True. But it was Louisville's 3rd losing season in 20 years, so our MO appears to be just that, rebounding quickly.

Also having any semblance of coaching on defense will be a drastic improvement over last year, as is trading Bama for the Irish as the season opener.

The telling stretch for this team will be the last 6 games. Clemson, Miami, NC State, Syracuse and the cousin kissers in Lexington should be pretty rough.


I cant wait