While the Clemson Tigers are obviously the program to beat in the CCA, the five-time protective champions face a harder path to the 2020 convention title.
First, of course, there’s the unknown in the coronavirus pandemic. Will the season start? What about the delays? Will the season end?
These are all questions. And, most likely, the answers can prevent CCA from completing its 2020 campaign.
If you play ACC football, B/R will cover it. We break down the most productive teams, the biggest names, the most productive stories (well, hello, Notre Dame) and the key data you know about the convention and its future 2020 season.
Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback, Clemson
As the season approaches, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report considers Lawrence as the prospect eligible for the 2021 draft. This reputation is completely deserved. Lawrence has 6,945 yards and 66 touchdowns for 12 interceptions in two seasons at Clemson. Last season, it also emerged as a cellular hazard with 563 yards and nine floor-scoring scores.
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Etienne caught the eye when he returned for his senior season. In 2018 and 2019, he eclipsed 1,600 yards on the ground. Like Lawrence, Etienne added some other details to his game last season. The sprinter hit 37 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns.
Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame
Since joining the team in early 2018, Book has guided the Irish to a 19-3 record. He had 3,034 yards and 34 touchdowns last season, throwing six interceptions. And with 1,032 yards per land, Book is also a risk to take.
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Howell, the CCA’s offensive rookie of the year in 2019, has helped UNC move from late thinking to a competitive team. Although the Tar Heels finished 7-6, they never lost by more than seven points. It is a massive upgrade in two consecutive seasons of nine lost games. Howell had 3,641 yards and a Football Bowl department record for freshmen with 38 pass scores while pitching only seven interceptions.
Welcome, Notre Dame
When Big Ten and Pac-12 eliminated the games from the convention, Notre Dame lost clashes with Wisconsin, USC and Stanford. Soon after, the Irish came to the CCA for help.
Notre Dame, who is already a member of the league in other sports, has won an exclusive invitation to play ACC football in 2020. This is not a major replacement, as the Irish play against a handful of ACC groups each season. But for the first time in the show’s history, Notre Dame is a member of a football conference.
The Irish are expected to open their Duke season on September 12.
Players deactivating, the virus
Miami defensive finisher Gregory Rousseau, Pitt’s defensive take on Jaylen Twyman and Corner Corner Caleb Farley won all the first-team All-ACC honors last season. Clemson’s defensive finisher, Xavier Thomas, won the third team’s recognition.
However, they will be on the track by 2020.
Rousseau, Twyman and Farley retired, and Thomas is healthy enough to play after testing positive for COVID-19. Add to North Carolina security D.J. Ford is taking flight and the CCA will lose at least a handful of major defenders.
New championship format
Instead of facing the Atlantic and Coastal Division Champions for the championship, the ACC was in their championship format in 2020.
This season, the two groups with the highest winning percentage are expected to face Charlotte. The game is tentatively scheduled for December 12 or 19, and Notre Dame, despite its year of association, will be eligible to appear.
Clemson
You’re in shock. I have people.
A winner of five consecutive ACC titles, Clemson also has five consecutive trips to the school football playoffs. The offensive returns two of the country’s players, Lawrence and Etienne. Even after wasting many key players on defense, the unit has demonstrated its ability to recharge constantly.
In the last four games of the regular season, Dabo Swinney’s team will go to Notre Dame, Florida and Virginia Tech. If there’s a stretch that can vacation the Tigers, and we’re not waiting for it, it’s probably this one. If not, expect Clemson to play for the ACC crown in Charlotte.
our lady
Since a disastrous 4-8 crusade in 2016, Notre Dame has responded with three consecutive seasons of 10 wins. During this period, the Irish have a 14-2 record against the ACC competition. The losses came here in Miami in 2017 and in the 2018 MFF opposite Clemson.
That’s a pretty encouraging trend, isn’t it?
Notre Dame has to upgrade a handful of key players on both sides of the ball, but Book is behind what deserves to be a formidable offensive line. And if Clemson or Miami doesn’t have the most productive defense of the conference, it’ll probably belong to the South Bend unit.
Louisville Cardinals
Although the defense has had lousy performances in 2019, Scott Satterfield’s first season was a success. The Cardinals went from 2-10 to 8-5, solved the quarterback’s stage with Micale Cunningham and brought an electrical receiver to Tutu Atwell. Although he’s probably a third-tier competitor, Louisville deserves a mention.
Miami Hurricanes
Surprise surprise. This is Miami. Despite the program’s recent habit of not meeting expectations, the skill is still there. If Quarterback Eriq King, a Houston move that has represented 50 touchdowns overall in 2018, and new coordinator Rhett Lashlee enter the field, the Canes will have a wonderful chance of winning in the ACC championship game.
North Carolina tar heels
In all likelihood, North Carolina will have one of the most productive crimes in the CCA. With Howell, the Tar Heels returned two 900-yard pitchers to Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, two 1,000-yard catchers to Dyami Brown and Dazzsome New and a 500-yard goal to Beau Corrales. If heels can reduce losses is a key issue, however, your scoring perspective is immense.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Bud Foster, a longtime defensive coordinator, left, but Virginia Tech returns 8 openers to the unit. And on the offensive, the Hokies to track down their quarterback. Hendon Hooker has totaled 1907 yards and 18 touchdowns in his last 8 games of 2019 and is the main explanation for why to be positive this fall.
September 26: Florida State in Miami
After breaking a seven-game losing streak against FSU, Miami has won three consecutive games in the rivalry. Since this festival marks the moment when the ACC game scheduled for any of the groups in 2020, the result can be noticed as the springboard to a successful season, or the first hint of a disappointing year.
October 10: Virginia Tech, North Carolina; Miami to Clemson
No team wins an appearance for a championship game in October, however, this specific Saturday has major implications for the ACC. Virginia Tech and UNC have a small margin of error as level contenders at the moment, so it’s imperative to win. And if Miami has already lost an ACC game, losing a moment would be crushing.
November 7: Clemson at Notre Dame
This showdown in the original 2020 calendar, and now it doesn’t matter anymore. Since Clemson and Notre Dame will be the highest-ranked groups in the ACC in pre-season surveys, it is logically inferred that this may be just a preview of the convention name game.
November 27: Notre Dame in North Carolina
Assumptions dominate Friday night’s clash at Chapel Hill. Could the Irish or tar Heels look for a place in the ACC championship game? Would a defeat through a team sure give Miami or Virginia Tech the chance to borrow a position in Charlotte? At worst, it will be a festival between two of the most productive field marshals in the CCA.
Mike Norvell, Florida
After taking Memphis to the name of the 2019 AAFC and posting a 38-16 record in 4 years, Mike Norvell traveled to Tallahassee.
His first off-season has already included a settled feud since then with star defender Marvin Wilson and accusations of concerns about player protection. It’s only fair that the show expects the questions in the room to solve the narrative around the team.
Norvell, known for his offensive sense, is tasked with reversing an offensive that ranked 61st nationally in yards consistent with the game, 73 on issues consistent with the game, and 126 in authorized catches.
Jeff Hafley, Boston College
Hafley spent a stint as defensive coordinator at Ohio State and turned that good fortune into a position at Boston College.
And the Eagles have room for improvement. Last year, they finished 6-7 with an average attack and a bad defense. Specifically, the defensive ranked 101st on issues allowed according to the game and 110 yards allowed consistently with the game.
It’s a one-year turnaround, but Hafley can make valuable progress by playing the season.
Howell and his surrounding position weapons create a compelling argument for North Carolina. However, we are in the consensus selection with Clemson.
However, this position will be won.
Main catcher Tee Higgins went to the NFL and Justyn Ross will miss the season due to spinal surgery. The body will depend on Amari Rodgers, Joseph Ngata, Frank Ladson Jr. and Cornell Powell, a talented but generally unproven group.
In addition, Tigers will need to upgrade 4 blockers on the front. Jackson Carman’s left shot is the only starting runner.
But it’s helping to have an All-American couple in the backfield. Lawrence is an exceptionally effective pin that has become a renowned runner last season. Etienne is one of the fastest and most dynamic players in the country. (His replacement, Lyn-J Dixon, scored 635 yards at 6.1 consistent with the race at the time of the year.)
As long as Lawrence is healthy, Clemson has the ultimate offensive at the conference.
Clemson is expected to upgrade 4 draft picks from the NFL, Xavier Thomas, Denzel Johnson and Chad Smith. It’s a simple task, but the Tigers have benefited greatly from the doubt.
Brent Venables has overseen 4 consecutive defenses in the five most sensible, and Clemson has qualified at less than 23 nationwide in allowed yards consistent with the game since 2012.
Besides, the Tigers have a lot of experience.
The defensive takeover of Tyler Davis and cornerer Derion Kfinishrick won all-ACC team honors by the time last year. Center supporter James Skalski had 90 takes, while goalkeeper Nolan Turner and supporter Baylon Spector each made at least 40 saves. Defensive final at the time of Justin Foster in the team with 11.5 takes to lose, and supporter Jake Venables recorded 8.0.
This doesn’t even come with K.J.’s 5-star talent. Henry, Andrew Booth, Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson. Henry and Booth are likely to make headlines in the defensive goal and in the corner, respectively, while the others are second-year players.
In short: Clemson is loaded.
1. Clemson 11-0 (10-0 ACC)
2. Notre Dame 9-2 (8-2)
T-3. North Carolina 8-3 (7-3)
T-3. Miami 8-3 (7-3)
T-3. Virginia Tech 8-3 (7-3)
T-6. Louisville 7-4 (6-4)
T-6. State of Florida 7-4 (6-4)
T-8. Virginia 5-6 (4-6)
T-8. Pitt 5-6 (4-6)
T-10. Wake Forest 4-7 (3-7)
T-10. Duke 4-7 (3-7)
T-10. Syracuse 4-7 (3-7)
T-10. State of North Carolina 4-7 (3-7)
T-14. Boston College 3-8 (2-8)
T-14. Georgia Tech 2-9 (2-8)
No wonder here, as Clemson has the coach, the attack and the defense.
The most appealing question, in fact, is whether Notre Dame can go into history its one-year tenure in the CCA. Fighting Irish are expected to receive the state of Florida, Louisville and Clemson, travel to North Carolina and miss Miami and Virginia Tech. Actually, it’s a pretty manageable slate.
But if the Irish don’t show up in Charlotte, again, it works under the assumption that the season goes so far, it would be because FSU, Louisville or UNC won the normal game of the season and finished at least 8-2 at the conference. Play.
The option is for Notre Dame to lose to a member of this trio and for Miami or Virginia Tech to claim a decisive advantage.
Clemson, however, will be the favorite in any match. High expectations are dangerous, however, the Tigers have met and consistently exceeded them during the latter part of the decade.
The 2020 crusade will be no different.