Atlantic Division

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

Current AP Ranking: Not ranked

2005 Record: 8-3 (5-3 ACC)

Key Losses: DE Mathias Kiwanuka, WR Will Blackmon

Players To Watch (’05 stats): QB Matt Ryan (1,514 yards, 8 TDs), RB L.V. Whitworth (807 yards, 5 TDs)

Outlook: Despite losing a bunch of starters to the NFL, including star pass-rusher Mathias Kiwanuka, the Eagles are talented enough to challenge Florida State for the ACC’s Atlantic Division crown.

The 1-2 running punch of L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender returns to pace the run-balanced offense. Coach Tom O’Brien has kept his teams consistently good over the past seven seasons, going 58-28 in that time.

To really compete for a spot in the conference title game, the Eagles will rely on junior QB Matt Ryan, who benefits from five starts and eight touchdown passes in 2005.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Current AP Ranking: No. 18

2005 Record: 8-4 (4-4 ACC)

Key losses: QB Charlie Whitehurst, CB Tye Hill

Players to Watch (’05 Stats): RB James Davis (879 yards, 9 TDs), DE Gaines Adams (9.5 sacks)

Outlook: The rest of the ACC will know quickly what kind of team the Clemson Tigers are this season. In weeks two and three, Clemson visits Boston College and Florida State. And although Memorial Stadium — known as Death Valley — is one of the toughest places to play in the conference, Tommy Bowden’s Tigers play three of their most difficult games on the road, including a late-October national-television game at Virginia Tech.

All-ACC first team receiver Chansi Stuckey is a legitimate return threat and the team’s most consistent pass-catcher. Last year against the Seminoles, Stuckey caught 11 passes for 156 yards in the Tigers’ upset win.

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

Current AP Ranking: No. 11

2005 Record: 8-5 (5-3 ACC)Key Losses: LB Ernie Sims, DE Kamerion Wimbley, DT Brodrick Bunkley, CB Antonio Cromartie

Players To Watch (’05 stats): QB Drew Weatherford (3,208 yards, 18 TDs), RB Lorenzo Booker (552 yards, 4 TDs), WR Greg Carr (30 recs, 618 yards, 9 TDs)

Outlook: Florida State’s winning speaks for itself. No matter how the ACC changes or how many players the Seminoles lose to graduation, they seem to rebound without blinking, capturing their 12th conference title in 14 years.

But it wasn’t the traditional dominance fans are used to witnessing in Tallahassee. Sophomore Drew Weatherford was inconsistent at times last season, throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns. But better questions for Bobby Bowden deal with trouble in the running game and rotten luck in the kicking game.

The Seminoles couldn’t churn out yards on the ground as they did in the past, finishing last in the ACC in rushing yards per game with 94. Similar to his predecessors, junior kicker Gary Cismesia missed a 38-yarder wide right, this time in overtime at the Orange Bowl. And opening with Miami on the schedule, there is an early reminder that field goals can be the difference for Florida State between being good and being great.

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 7-5 (3-5 ACC)

Key Losses: DE Mario Williams, DE Manny Lawson, DT John McCargo

Players to Watch: (’05 Stats): RB Andre Brown (667 yards, 6 TDs), QB Marcus Stone (1,015 yards, 8 TDs)

Outlook: Even though the Wolfpack and Terps earned the same conference record, N.C. State’s win in the last week of the season sent them to the Meineke Car Care Bowl and sent the Terps home. The Wolfpack threw 14 interceptions and lost 10 fumbles last season. Mistakes from turnovers to penalties offset a top-ten defense that produced three first round picks.

Replacing elite defensive ends Mario Williams (No. 1 pick) and Many Lawson (No. 22 pick) will be difficult as the two combined for 25 sacks last season. Overcoming those losses, Chuck Amato instituted a run-based offense last season, but the Wolfpack will need junior quarterback Marcus Stone to throw consistently to win games with a less dominant defense.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 4-7 (3-5 ACC)

Key Losses: RB Chris Barclay, QB Cory Randolph

Players to Watch (’05 stats): RB Micah Andrews (621 yards, 1 TD), LB Jon Abbate Jr. (77 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INTs) Josh Gattis (72 tackles, 5 INTs)

Outlook: The Demon Deacons feature 15 seniors on scholarship and a wealth of overall experience, but the strength of the ACC may keep them out of a bowl game yet again.

Benjamin Mauk, a competent quarterback who has shown flashes of brilliance, is entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback and is poised to display more talent if question marks at receiver are cleared up.

Chances are very few people outside of Wake Forest would have picked Chris Barclay as ACC Player of the Year last season, but the conference’s leading rusher racked up 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns on his way to that honor. With him gone, even-lesser-known back Micah Andrews takes over the job with impressive credentials that include 5.6 yards per carry last season.

Wake Forest hasn’t played in a bowl game since the Seattle Bowl in 2002, and Andrews will have to shoulder much of the load for the team to go bowling again.

Coastal Division

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 1-10 (0-8 ACC)

Key Losses: LB Brendan Dewan, WR Ben Patrick

Players to Watch (’05 stats): CB Jon Talley (54 tackles, 5 INTs), RB Justin Boyle (458 yards, 9 TDs), WR Eron Riley (247 yards, 2 TDs)

Outlook: When three wins has been the barrier for a program, there’s reason for Duke coach Ted Roof to be optimistic about his team’s chances for improvement.

After a 1-10 season that included eight losses to end the season, there’s also plenty of negativity in Durham as the Blue Devils compete in a very strong Coastal Division.

As if things weren’t bad enough for Duke, gone for the season is sophomore QB Zack Asack, who is sitting out for academic plagiarism. Sophomore athletic phenom Marcus Jones takes over for Asack and could be a silver lining for a team that has gone a combined 7-22 in the last three seasons.

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 7-5 (5-3 ACC)

Key Losses: RB PJ Daniels, LB Gerris Wilkinson

Players to Watch (’05 stats): WR Calvin Johnson (54 recs, 888 yards, 6 TDs), QB Reggie Ball (2,165 yards, 11 TDs)

Outlook: Even after nine straight bowl trips that date back to Ralph Friedgen’s time as offensive coordinator, Georgia Tech has been just above average during the last four seasons. Seven-win campaigns in each of Chan Gailey’s first four seasons have been nice, but the Yellow Jackets and their fans are hoping to take the next step to becoming a championship-caliber team.

Offensively, Georgia Tech has the weapons to do it. Senior Reggie Ball, the third-leading passer in school history, returns for his fourth year as starting quarterback and wide receiver Calvin Johnson was the media pre-season selection as ACC Player of the Year.

The tough part is a brutal schedule in and out of conference that includes home games against Notre Dame and Miami and road games at Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgia.

MIAMI HURRICANES

Current AP Ranking: No. 12

2005 Record: 9-3 (6-2 ACC)

Key Losses: KR Devin Harris, DT Orien Harris, OT Eric Winston, WR Sinorice Moss

Players To Watch (’05 stats): QB Kyle Wright (2,403 yards, 18 TDs), S Brandon Meriweather (88 tackles), TE Greg Olson (31 recs, 451 yards)

Outlook: Expectations are always high in Coral Gables as evidenced by talk that Hurricane coach Larry Coker is on the ‘hot seat’ after a 9-3 season.

While winning eight regular season games would mean joy on almost every ACC campus, the same reaction isn’t there in Miami. The Hurricanes’ schedule is packed with challenges at home, from the opener against rival Florida State to a mid-season match-up with 2005 Coastal Division champ Virginia Tech and the season finale against Boston College.

Quarterback Kyle Wright, who struggled with some consistency problems last season, should be able to exploit Miami’s easy non-conference schedule. Coker suspended wide receiver Ryan Moore, running back Tyrone Moss, linebacker James Bryant and wide receiver Rashaun Jones for the Florida State game and extended Moore’s suspension indefinitely.

Those moves could hamper a Miami team that still remembers its heartbreaking loss to Florida State to open last season.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 5-6 (4-4 ACC)

Key Losses: QB Matt Baker, LB Tommy Richardson, DE Tommy Davis

Players To Watch (’05 Stats): TB Ronnie McGill (530 yards, 5 TDs), SS Trimaine Goddard (53 tackles, 3 INTs)

Outlook: John Bunting’s tenure in Chapel Hill hasn’t been stellar so far, as the Tar Heels have gone 16-24 with Bunting at the helm.

Last season, the Terps dealt North Carolina’s bowl chances a major blow after the Tar Heels overcame what some believe was the most difficult schedule in the country. Several defensive starters return to a group that allowed almost 350 yards per game, and the defense is expected to show some improvement given the tests it faced last season.

Running backs Ronnie McGill and Barrington Edwards will have to improve on their seven combined rushing touchdowns if the Tar Heels hope to garner a bowl bid.

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

Current AP Ranking: Not Ranked

2005 Record: 7-5 (3-5 ACC)

Key Losses: RB Wali Lundy, QB Marques Hagans

Players To Watch (’05 Stats): WR Deyon Williams (767 yards, 7 TDs), CB Marcus Hamilton (63 tackles, 6 INTs)

Outlook: Almost the exact opposite of Clemson, the Cavaliers’ ACC position may not be determined until November as they face Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech in their final three games. With a non-conference schedule that could easily translate into four early wins, Virginia will probably have to make the most of its October homestand against the Terps, Tar Heels and Wolfpack before murderer’s row begins.

Wali Lundy’s departure doesn’t hurt Al Groh’s team as much as Marques Hagans’, as senior Michael Johnson steps into Lundy’s spot. Groh’s Cavaliers have tallied winning seasons each of the last four years, and winning early will be crucial to doing that again.

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

Current AP Ranking: No. 17

2005 Record: 11-2 (7-1 ACC)

Key Losses: CB Jimmy Williams, QB Marcus Vick

Players to Watch (’05 Stats): LB Vince Hall (112 tackles, 3 sacks) RB Branden Ore (647 yards, 6 TDs)

Outlook: Even after the dismissal of Marcus Vick, the Hokies are again one of the ACC’s elite teams because of an overpowering defense. Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall make Virginia Tech’s linebacking corps, which is regarded as tops in the conference, and even the loss of cornerback Jimmy Williams shouldn’t ring too loudly in Blacksburg, as 6-foot-4 safety Aaron Rouse is a tackling machine in the secondary.

Frank Beamer’s team gets the break of not playing Florida State, but Miami remains the hurdle for the Hokies to repeat as Coastal Division champs.