The calendar now reads July and that means August is on its way. Of course most of you probably already have this date circled on your calendar but Thursday, August 28th is when College Football’s regular season kicks off in 2008 and that means it certainly is not too early to take a quick look at what we might expect from some of the teams around the country. We’ll continue what we started last week as we stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference and, this time, we take a look at the Coastal Division in this installment:

Coastal Division:

Duke – As you can tell by the placement of Duke, this listing is not in the order of expected finish rather this listing is alphabetical. However, we will say this, Duke could offer some value in spots this season. The Blue Devils are 0-24 in the ACC the last three years so they’re almost always a tough team to back but they are getting closer to being much more competitive in the conference. They have 17 returning starters this season and new head coach David Cutcliffe has a solid 44-29 record and did a good job at Mississippi . This team still has a ways to go but they could offer some unique wagering opportunities this season as this team is indeed better than they use to be.

Georgia Tech – New head coach Paul Johnson will likely end up doing a very solid job with the Yellow Jackets but it’s going to take time. Not only does he inherit a team that lost a ton of personnel from last season, he also will have a new defensive coordinator and this is certain to be a year of transition for the Yellow Jackets. Making matters worse for Georgia Tech is that their schedule is tough too since they have to face Clemson and Florida State from the Atlantic Division. There could be some value in fading the Yellow Jackets this season.

Miami – With head coach Randy Shannon in his second season in Miami , and considering the overall talent level of the Hurricanes, they certainly should have a much better season than last season’s ugly 5-7 mark. Their strength will again be their defense and once their quarterbacks get some experience, the offense has enough talent at the other skill positions to make some serious strides!

North Carolina – The Tar Heels have 18 starters back so don’t be fooled by the fact that they are just 5-11 in the ACC the last two seasons! North Carolina will be in its second season with coach Butch Davis at the helm and that means continued improvement. With so much experience returning, the Tar Heels are likely to surprise some teams in the ACC this season. Though their overall record was 4-8 last season they suffered six of those losses by a total of 24 points, or an average margin of just four points per loss! The Tar Heels are quite strong in the trenches and with both their OL and DL winning many of the “battles” the Tar Heels could win the “war” (game) more often than not this season.

Virginia – The Cavaliers had a very impressive season last year but they should come nowhere close to a repeat. For one thing, the Cavs had good fortune on their side last season as they won five games by two points or less. That is simply amazing! Additionally, Virginia is dealing with a lot of attrition here. They have only eleven starters back from last season’s team and they took major hits in the trenches as both their offensive line and defensive line are dealing with significant personnel losses. Additionally they have a big question mark at the quarterback position. Schedule wise their home slate includes a lot of tough match-ups and, as always, the road games are never a “sure thing” and so, as you can see, a major fall-off is likely in Charlottesville .

Virginia Tech – Like Virginia, the boys in Blacksburg have taken major hits in the personnel department. Unlike the Cavaliers, the Hokies have the depth and talent pools to take such hits in stride! In other words, Virginia Tech once again has a great shot at contending for the ACC title. As usual, they rate high marks in special teams and their coaching staff is one of the best in the country. In terms of specific personnel areas, their defense still looks strong while their offensive line ranks as one of the best in the conference. Of course their depth at the QB position is also a major plus and V-Tech will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC this season.

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