The AP college football preseason poll voters clearly think someone will come out big from the ACC’s Coastal Division.
The Coastal Division is loaded with four teams in the top 20: Virginia Tech (10), Miami (13), Georgia Tech (16) and North Carolina (18).
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The question is which team will reign supreme? When it comes to college football, the final variable that tends to enter the preseason equation is the schedule.
Based on the rankings, the voters apparently like the Hokies despite a pretty tough schedule. No. 3 Boise State leads off the slate, and the year ends with all five of their divisional games. By comparison, Georgia Tech and Miami have three in their final five games and North Carolina has two.
The only respite the Hokies will get in that brutal final stretch is the bye week that comes right before the nationally televised Thursday game against Georgia Tech, which begins three consecutive games against fellow preseason-ranked opponents.
Winning five consecutive division games is always a chore. The two games on the road are toughies — back-to-back weeks at Chapel Hill and Miami Gardens.
The Coastal Division definitely will be one to watch down the stretch. The Hokies’ year will come down to the final seven weeks of the season. Depending on how North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Miami do with their early division games, it may be the ultimate win or go home for Virginia Tech.
