Ranking The ACC Atlantic Division Teams: Wake Forest

Can Cinderella do it again? Wake Forest won the Atlantic Division in 2006 and won the ACC championship against Georgia Tech in Jacksonville. The Deacons went 11-3 and lost in the Orange Bowl to Louisville. The excitement is so high that the school is undertaking a major renovation of the stadium. Not sure one year of success is enough to commit millions of dollars to the football program.

There is one sure thing this year. No one is going to take the Deacons for granted especially the Noles when they play Wake Forest at Wake on Oct. 11. After a 33-0 drubbing in Tallahassee, the Noles will surely be hoping to avenge a horrible loss.

The Deacons will return eight starters on offense and six on defense.The loss of linebacker Eric Berry to academic ineligibility was a blow to a defensive unit that already was trying to adjust to the departures of Jon Abbate, Josh Gattis, Pat Ghee and Riley Swanson. Seven defenders who had a combined 163 career starts are gone from the unit that surrendered only 15.4 points in ‘06. The offense, which averaged 21.6 points per game in ‘06, should be at least a touchdown better with the return of quarterback Riley Skinner, runner Micah Andrews and Kenny Moore back at wide receiver on a full-time basis.

The Deacons have Boston College at BC in their first game and Nebraska the following week. This should indicate how good a team they will be. So where will the Deacons end up in 2007?

Many analysts have them in the upper part of the Atlantic Division. I don't see it. I think they may be one hit wonders and Wake players are not used to being in the spotlight and having teams focusing on you.

FSU It's Time Ranking Prediction: Wake may prove me wrong but I am predicting that they finish at #5.