While the ACC Atlantic Division has two clear favorites and College Football Playoff contenders, the Coastal Division is wide open with several teams having a legitimate chance of winning the division. Sound familiar? The Coastal Division has had a different champion each of the last three years, and this year could be no different.
1. UNC-Chapel Hill
The Tar Heels are the defending champions and are once again loaded on offense. Redshirt junior Mitch Trubisky is taking over for graduated Marquise Williams at quarterback and he appears ready to take off. Trubisky is a better passer than Williams and is capable with his legs. He’ll have a terrific one-two punch in the backfield with junior Elijah Hood and senior T.J. Logan, and the wide receiver corps is loaded, led by senior playmaker Ryan Switzer. The question will be whether or not the Tar Heels can improve their weak run defense.
2. Pittsburgh
The Panthers had the feel-good story of the offseason with running back James Connor beating cancer and returning to the field. The Panthers hired former NC State offensive coordinator Matt Canada in the offseason and will rely on a deep backfield and talented offensive line to carry them this season. The defense is star-studded and should complement the ball-control offense well to give the Panthers a real shot at contending in the Coastal, making the Sept. 24 game at North Carolina a crucial tilt.
3. Miami (FL)
New head coach Mark Richt arrives from Georgia to much fanfare and expectations. Richt has one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country in junior Brad Kaaya, and the Hurricanes are deep at running back. The Hurricanes are talented but not deep at other positions. If the Canes can win some of the swing games in the Coastal, they could win 10 games and the division. If not, they could sink to a disappointing 6-6 season. Welcome to life in the Coastal.
4. Duke
The Blue Devils were dealt a crushing blow when quarterback Thomas Sirk was lost for a second consecutive season with a torn Achilles, and junior Patrick Boehme will again be the man for Duke. The offense is retooling at most positions and shouldn’t scare many teams. The defensive secondary is strong, but the Blue Devils struggled to get after the passer last season. The Blue Devils also have to travel to both Northwestern and Notre Dame in nonconference play, making 2016 even harder.
5. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are the most volatile team in all of the ACC. They went just 3-9 last season, yet upset Florida State at home. The offensive line is Georgia Tech’s biggest weakness could hold the team back. The defense is middling at best, but it will be good enough to keep the Yellow Jackets in games. Seven wins are achievable for Georgia Tech this season, but so is a repeat of last year’s debacle.
6. Virginia Tech
The Hokies endured an emotional final season for Frank Beamer last year and the Justin Fuente era has officially begun. Fuente won nine games last season, with Paxton Lynch quarterbacking the Memphis Tigers. After a warm-up game against Liberty, the schedule ramps up real quick as the Hokies take on Tennessee in the Battle at Bristol. The Hokies also draw Notre Dame on the road, as well as the always pesky East Carolina Pirates. Fuente will be running an up-tempo offense and relying on a JUCO transfer at quarterback. The Hokies defense should rebound from a tough season last year, but a tough schedule and uncertainty on offense should hold Virginia Tech back.
7. Virginia
The Cavaliers also welcome in a new coaching staff, but the football being played in Charlottesville won’t look very new. The Cavaliers always schedule ridiculously hard, and this season is no exception. The Cavaliers will travel to Oregon in Week 2 and get Louisville in their cross-over game. The quarterback play will be dreadful and the defense not much better, making 2016 another rebuilding year for Virginia.
