Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Yes, it's still too early and we can't tell anything yet, but guess what? That's the best part.
The one thing we learned from the first few games is this: Nobody should run away with the ACC title.
Clemson is clearly not invincible. Cullen Harper for ACC Player of the Year? What about Brandon Tate? Frank Beamer coach of the Year? What about David Cutcliffe? Win or lose tomorrow, Georgia Tech is only going to get better. North Carolina certainly did. And Florida State will have Preston Parker back for that Wake Forest game, a tricky test for the Demon Deacons. Nobody can count out Miami after its solid effort in defeat.
I've got three theories on why it's anybody's game this year:
1. Youth. Check this out:
- Georgia Tech is the youngest team in the ACC with 75 players that are either freshmen or sophomores.
- 22 true freshmen played in Florida State's season opener.
- 21 true freshmen played in Miami's season opener.
- Nine true freshmen have played for Virginia Tech.
- Virginia has had a dozen players make their first career starts in two games and has 72 freshmen and sophomores on its roster.
- UNC has the fewest scholarship seniors in the ACC with 11. Only four other teams in the country have fewer seniors than the Tar Heels (Alabama, Middle Tennessee, Central Michigan and Toledo).
- Boston College started the year with 30 new players who had never played a down with the Eagles before.
- Clemson has played eight true freshmen and 11 redshirt freshmen.
2. Coaching transitions. Tom O'Brien made a good point last week. He's only in his second season. So is Randy Shannon, Butch Davis, Jeff Jagodzinski, and even FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Paul Johnson coached his first ACC game last weekend. That's half the league in new systems and schemes. That's a factor.
3. Clemson is still Clemson. There is still time to rebound, and it's still a talented team capable of winning the ACC title, but that season opener will haunt them in every game that counts.
Is this a down year for the league? Yes, but that doesn't mean there will be bad football games as these guys fight it out this fall. It will be fun to watch the guys in the Coastal Division jockey for position all season, starting tomorrow.
Heather Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
