Atlantic Coast Conference Football
Betting - Coastal Division
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The Atlantic
Coast Conference was really not
a part of the national title picture last season,
but that might change this year. While teams
like Virginia Tech, Miami and Florida State were
down, solid programs like that are never down
for long, and in the particular case of those
two Florida schools, some spicing up in the coaching
staff may invigorate things. It wouldn't be shocking
if at least a couple of schools from this conference
wound up in the top ten by year's end. When doing
your college football betting you need to watch
these trends and college football betting odds
and lines to cash in.
There will understandably be a lot of emotion
surrounding the program at VIRGINIA TECH this
season, as the Hokies dedicate the season to
those students slain on campus earlier this year.
V-Tech will likely find out how good it is on
September 8, when it visits LSU. But they'll
have a shot; the team returns nine starters on
a defense that ranked first in the country in
points allowed last year. Virginia Tech finished
the regular season strong, allowing just 29 points
in its last six games, but Georgia tallied 31
against them in the bowl game.
Sean Glennon is obviously a key to V-Tech's
success. The returning starter at quarterback
was not consisten;, Glennon threw for 11 touchdowns,
but just as many interceptions. He will be protected
by an offensive line that brings experience to
the table. Special teams are always a staple
in Blacksburg, and this time it will be no different.
Early on, the hopes for an unbeaten season may
be dashed, but in a division of the ACC filled
with teams that are going through a bit of transition,
there shouldn't be a big problem in Virginia
Tech unseating defending champion Georgia Tech.
At GEORGIA TECH, the Yellow Jackets must deal
with the loss of Calvin Johnson, who was the
second pick in the NFL draft. James Johnson (38
catches) returns, but more importantly, Tashard
Choice (1473 yards, 12 TD's) is in the backfield.
Taylor Bennett will also have the QB position
all to himself, and he is a much better passer
than the departed Reggie Ball. Bennett hit on
60% of his attempts last season, compared to
44% for Ball.
After 13 years as an assistant, Randy Shannon
replaces Larry Coker as head coach at MIAMI,
which has to look at its win over Nevada in the
Humanitarian Bowl as a momentum-builder. Of course,
the Hurricanes were plagued by a weird season,
low lighted by the Pier Six brawl that took place
against cross town rival Florida International,
and can use an injection of life into the program.
Whether Shannon provides it or not is a question
that remains to be answered. QB Kyle Wright (61%,
8 D, 7 INT) comes back, but Miami coaches may
be making a mistake by creating a QB battle.
The defense is solid; only Louisville and Georgia
Tech scored more than 17 points against it, and
seven starters return. Javarris James (Edgerrin's
cousin) gained 802 yards last season, and needs
to step up some more to give the 'Canes a running
game.
VIRGINIA loses only one starter off its defense,
and 19 starters overall are back for the Cavaliers,
who gave up only 64 points over the last five
games of their bowl-less season, 33 of them to
Florida State. Virginia had made four straight
trips to the post-season prior to missing out
in 2006, but may be primed for a return to some
minor bowl this season, even though the leading
receiver, Kevin Ogletree, is out with an injury
to his ACL.
Butch Davis, the former Miami coach, has taken
over for the beleaguered John Bunting as head
man at NORTH CAROLINA, and proceeded to have
a very successful recruiting season. That will
not bear fruit right now, which might result
in a tough first year at the helm for Davis.
Offense was a big problem for this team, and
that was why it was uncompetitive for much of
the year. T.J. Yates will start the season at
quarterback, but heralded freshman Mike Paulus
might grab the job by mid-season. Seven starters
on both offense and defense must be replaced,
but one positive thing that should be said about
the Tar Heels is that they never folded up for
the lame duck coach coming down the stretch.
DUKE gets all eleven
offensive starters back. That's the good news.
The bad news is that this defense can't stop
anyone, and doesn't look like it will climb
much higher than the 114th spot in the nation's
defensive rankings they occupied last year.
QB Thaddeus Lewis can make plays, but he's
mistake-prone. One might expect some games
to go "over" for the Blue Devils
this year, at least until oddsmakers catch up
to it.
THE CHARLES JAY LINE
- Who will win the ACC Coastal Division?
- * Virginia Tech EV
- * Georgia Tech + 775
- * Miami +120
- * Virginia + 600
- * North Carolina + 400
- * Duke + 5000
Virginia Tech might not have things wrapped
up in the ACC Coastal, but you've got a sure
thing at BetUS.com Sportsbook - that you will
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With NCAA football just around the corner, the
BetUS sportsbook already has tons of college
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in the Future / props section!
(Charles Jay of TotalAction.com, a graduate
of the University of Miami who DOES know how
to behave himself, is a regular contributor to
the BetUS.com Locker Room)
Posted on 8/21/2007 8:06:51
PM
NCAA Football Betting - Hokies Head And Shoulders Above Rest
By Charles Jay
| 2007
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