Off-topic: 2011 ACC Coastal predictions

Clearly, tomorrow will feature Boston College’s ACC Atlantic. Today, however, features the other division, the ACC Coastal. This is a six-team division which has been completely dominated by Virginia Tech, who have won it four out of its six years of existence (and were ACC champions in the last year of the pre-division era in 2004). The ACC Coastal has seen turnover, scandal, and uncertainty, but at the top, will anything change?

NOTE: I am keeping with my pre-Miami scandal rankings.

6th place: Duke

The perils of being a football program at a big-time basketball school are evident in this program. Sure, they hired a capable coach several years ago in David Cutcliffe, and though his first season was at times mildly respectable, his second season was not. There aren’t a whole lot of gimmes on the Devils’ schedule, considering that they have to play teams including FSU, Virginia Tech and Miami along with our Eagles on the road. If there’s any saving grace at all, not that it matters much, but those Seminoles and Hokies games are at home.

Duke will probably lose at least one non-conference game as well, having to play a strong Stanford team with the possible 2012 #1 pick as their quarterback.

I’m thinking a minimum of six ACC losses and probably no more than four total wins. If the Hurricanes have a season more in line with their prior expectations, then this is definitely a last-place team. In fact, no matter how you slice it, this is a last-place team.