ESPN ACC preseason power rankings: Can anyone catch Clemson?

CuseJacket

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GT comes in at #11
11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Last season: 5-6 (ACC: 4-4)

Georgia Tech is usually one of the more difficult teams to evaluate every single preseason. On paper, the Jackets should be better this year, with TaQuon Marshall and KirVonte Benson primed to have even bigger seasons, and a more experienced offensive line ready to lead the way. The defense should be better, too, with a change at coordinator and a front seven that is poised to be a strength. The schedule is difficult, and one reason why it's hard to project just how good this team can be in 2018.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24086662/acc-preseason-power-rankings
 

takethepoints

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I keep hearing we have a difficult schedule. It is true that we're playing more games away this year and that's bothersome. Oth, most of the ACC - including all our opponents - will be breaking in new QBs this year and we return the top two rushers in the conference. Further, our level of experience overall is just where you'd like it. The only fly in the ointment is experience with the new D, but I expect that to clear up pretty soon.

In short, while not as favorable as last year, I don't think our schedule is a killer. If, that is, everybody plays up to potential.
 

smathis30

Ramblin' Wreck
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Very strange to see BC predicted to be the 4th best team in the ACC. That is the minimum I expect from GT this year.

They finished stupid strong last year and although missing a big piece in Landry leaving, they still return a ton of people after their offense clicked after game 6. They had a top 20 D all year long and a bottom 40 o first 6 games and a top 40 O last 6 games. The potential has been seen and is there.
 

deeeznutz

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At this point i think it's Clemson and Miami then it's everyone else

I’m not that impressed by Miami. I thought we looked like the better team last year at their house, they seemed to get about every lucky break through all their wins, and now they’re replacing their star QB (bye Felicia!). If we’re relatively healthy in that game, we should win handily.
 

GTFLETCH

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Weren't the preseason polls in 2014 stating about the same thing about us and we went on and won the OB that year?? Would love to play in the OB this year that would mean CFP selection!!!
 

dressedcheeseside

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I’m not that impressed by Miami. I thought we looked like the better team last year at their house, they seemed to get about every lucky break through all their wins, and now they’re replacing their star QB (bye Felicia!). If we’re relatively healthy in that game, we should win handily.
They outgained by 200 yards last year and gave us 7 with that stupid onside kick.
 

wesgt123

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Everybody, including Clemson, is wary of Boston College late in the season. They just flat out stick it to people then.
Their troubles seem to be the reverse of Tech’s troubles. They have a hard nose D and little offense. Tech has (generally) good offense and no defense. If they can turn the corner they will be pretty good imo
 

deeeznutz

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They outgained by 200 yards last year and gave us 7 with that stupid onside kick.

They outgained us because our offense ground to a halt when KirVonte got hurt. Coach didn’t trust Jerry Howard in the monsoon and Quaide got us nothing. If we hadn’t been down to our 3rd/4th BB in a road game with a massive downpour, they very likely wouldn’t have stopped us (the early onside kick was a clue to how they felt...they thought they needed to steal a possession to have a chance. It really doesn’t matter to argue this as it’s the past, but I did not feel like the better team won that day. Be afraid of them all you want, just don’t expect me to feel the same way.
 
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They talk about the schedule, let's see.
USF lost their QB and running back and has never seen the GT option
Louisville lost their entire team
UNC is still a 4-8 team.
Miami was three plays away from being 7-5
UVA is a team without an offense
Va Tech has no returning starters on Defense and has a mediocre offense
Pitt has no offense
UGA lost 30 seniors and multiple Juniors off a team that is one season from being a 7 win team.

I like our chances this year.
 

iceeater1969

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I hope this guy is an idiot.
If we loose to folks on list that are above us and beat folks below us + loose to uga + beat the crummie teams we are 5-7! We loose to duke again. That is physically impossible, so this guy is an idiot. We cant be below 6 -6.
 

Deleted member 2897

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#11, LOL.

In Paul Johnson’s 11 years, we’ve finished below 0.500 in the ACC ONCE. So to me, we have about a 9% chance of finishing 11th. Where do these idiots come up with this crap? We had a double-digit lead on every single team last year except for Clemson and Georgia – two teams that went to the CFP. If we had simply beat Duke last year, we would’ve finished in fourth place in the ACC, during an arguably bad year for us. Georgia Tech is the most consistently overlooked, underrated, disrespected team in football.
 
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