You read that headline right, and unfortunately I can't take credit for coming up with this fantastic hypothetical situation.
How many beers would it take for you to predict Duke wins the Coastal?
— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) June 22, 2017
My guy David Hale — who covers the ACC for ESPN — tweeted out a few interesting scenarios involving ACC football on Wednesday and this one particularly caught my eye.
I'll start by saying we of course don't condone getting wasted here at HERO Sports, shoot, I don't even drink alcohol (yeah, yeah, call me lame or whatever).
I still think Hale raises an interesting debate, and by the look of his poll results so far, there are very few folks who believe Duke football stands a chance.
Of the 653 votes tallied, 53 percent say it will take 21 beers or more to predict Duke as the ACC Coastal Division champs.
That's a lot of beers.
In contrast, 25 percent believe it would take 11-20 adult beverages, 15 percent think the number falls between 6-10 and just 7 percent are confident in the Blue Devils — and would need only the slight buzz of 1-5 beers to make the bold prediction.
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It's interesting how most of the college football world views Duke heading into the 2017 season. I recently wrote why David Cutcliffe's group might be the biggest sleeper in the ACC this season, and still believe that to be true.
Do I think Duke will skate through the Coastal and advance to the ACC title game? No, but the Blue Devils have pieces in place to make things interesting. There's no way I would have said that ahead of the last few seasons in Durham.
As I touched on in my previous piece, there are a few factors in play. The biggest is the Duke offense — led by Daniel Jones — the sophomore QB who threw for 2,836 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2016 after unexpectedly getting thrown into the fire as a true freshman.
With nearly a full year (and now an offseason as the starter) under his belt, Jones has a chance to be one of the top passers in the conference and he's complemented by some decent weapons like veteran RB Shaun Wilson and a young receiving corps with a ton of upside.
Add that to a defense led by a veteran-laced secondary that's fast and athletic, and you are looking at a team that could catch folks off guard.
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The other major factor in play has a lot less to do with Duke and a lot more to do with the ACC Coastal landscape as a whole. Virginia Tech — the unexpected victors from a season ago — enter the new campaign with way more question marks than answers. The Hokies' lost their QB, top two wide receivers and several key pieces from Bud Foster's trademark defense.
North Carolina finished the year 8-5 with Mitch Trubisky, the top QB taken in the NFL Draft. The Tar Heels are betting the house on LSU-transfer Brandon Harris, but his struggles as a passer were well-documented during his time in Baton Rouge.
Then of course there is Miami, clearly the best team on paper in the Coastal. Expectations are massive and the Hurricanes will be defined by their stifling defense, but there are still plenty of unknowns on offense, particularly at QB without Brad Kaaya.
Pittsburgh? Georgia Tech? Virginia? It's hard for me to see either of those teams making a significant dent in the Coastal Division.
So how many beers would it take to predict Duke claiming the crown? That's up to you, but as a non-drinker with a clear mind, I'm confident in saying the Blue Devils at least stand a chance.
