We are closing in on the time of year where talking about college football actually means something.
The last few months have been filled with a bunch of speculation with very little merit. Sure, spring practices give us a quick glimpse into the upcoming season, but we all know there are a ton of moving parts that will inevitably change between now and the season opener in early September.
The top of the ACC feels fairly easy to predict. Florida State has all the pieces in place to make a serious run at the national title while Clemson should still be a true contender despite losing so many key pieces from last year's memorable squad.
Plenty of people are high on Miami, while I remain skeptical. Louisville should have a decent outing with Lamar Jackson returning under center and Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Pittsburgh have had their moments over the last few years.
There's a group of teams that have been mediocre in the ACC as of late, but this might be the season that shakes up a bit. Last week I wrote a piece about why everything is in place for Duke to make some noise in 2017-18, and ESPN ACC reporter David Hale believes N.C. State shouldn't be taken lightly, either.
"I just tend to value strength at the line of scrimmage, and N.C. State has that," Hale told HEROSports.com. "The Wolfpack also have a veteran QB, some unique offensive weapons and they played both Clemson and Florida State really close last year. That all looks like a recipe for a big 2017, though certainly that's setting a higher bar for Dave Doeren's crew than history warrants."
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Hale makes some outstanding points. Junior quarterback Ryan Finley had flashes of brilliance in 2016 while throwing for 3,050 yards and 18 touchdowns. Those unique weapons? The biggest is jack-of-all-trades tight end Jaylen Samuels who is poised for a monster campaign. The 5-foot-11 talent had 55 catches for 565 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago and his versatility creates matchup nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators.
As Hale mentioned almost right away, the Wolfpack's dominant defensive line will really be it's staple this season.
"They have four defensive linemen that will get their name called in the NFL draft," South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp said in a press conference highlighting the season opener between N.C. State and the Gamecocks. "It's as good as a front four that we will face this year."
From a coach who competes regularly in the SEC, that's a bold but accurate statement. This team will be anchored by its defensive line but has weapons elsewhere to make some noise.
Will Muschamp says he's already started planning for the opener vs NC State pic.twitter.com/R1dshWp33e
— Generic Writer Guy (@DavidHaleESPN) May 8, 2017
I've been wondering if the question marks around the rest of the league will create openings for teams, especially in the middle of the pack. Just examine the ACC landscape for a moment. Florida State could be really good and we expect Clemson to come out strong, but beyond those two, nothing is for certain.
Remember how Virginia Tech came out of seemingly nowhere last season to claim the Coastal in year one of the Justin Fuente era? That's the kind of sudden jump I could see from this Wolfpack team.
"I still think the power resides with FSU and Clemson," Hale said. "They're simply deeper and more talented than everyone else. But FSU has potential issues on the offensive line in a year in which they'll face a ton of great pass rushers, and Clemson's QB situation is in flux. The door is open — just not very wide."
