Could it be the Tigers and the Heels? Preseason picks.

Thank goodness college football starts this week. I did enjoy a lot of the Olympics, but it seemed like the Games went on forever. Now it's time for football.

I expect the ACC will have, on the whole, another lackluster season. Maybe Clemson will have a chance to do something nationally, but I don't think anybody else will.

I will say that I have enjoyed expansion in football (not basketball, though). While expansion has made for more interesting ACC Saturdays regionally, though, it really hasn't quite worked out on the national stage the way the league "powers that be " thought it would.

I remember the euphoria back in 2003 about the powerhouse Miami football program being brought into the ACC. Well, the Hurricanes have been, at best, mediocre. And nothing was more telling than those aerial shots last season at the State-Miami game with about 30,000 people spread out in the 80,000-seat Orange Bowl. Does anybody down there care ?

Virginia Tech has of course added much. They've been the ACC's best since their inclusion, and Boston College has been solid – not great, but good. Actually better than anybody since they came into the league except Virginia Tech, which is why the league has so little respect around the country.

To be honest, though, it still bugs me that Boston College is in the ACC anyway. I know it's in the Boston television market blah, blah, blah. Big deal. The New England media is about as interested in Boston College as a meat-eater is in becoming a vegetarian. B.C. is way up there in the Northeast, and frankly it's hard for them to get much of a rivalry going with anybody. Just think how it would have been if Syracuse, an original choice, had come in instead of Virginia Tech. Ugh. I think Virginia Tech is a perfect fit

Anyway, each season I make my preseason ACC picks. Last year, I did pretty well. I had Boston College winning the Atlantic and Virginia Tech taking the Coastal, with Virginia Tech winning the title. That's exactly what happened. Of course Tech, in keeping up an ACC tradition, lost its BCS Bowl game, but what else is new?

Now here's the way the media picked the ACC standings back in July.

Atlantic Division Coastal Division

1. Clemson 1. Virginia Tech

2. Wake Forest 2. North Carolina

3. Florida State 3. Miami

4. Boston College 4. Georgia Tech

5. Maryland 5. Virginia

6. N.C. State 6. Duke

I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that the Atlantic Division is the stronger division. Every year, Clemson appears to be on the verge and – boom – something happens. They have good starts and bad finishes or bad starts and good finishes. They make foolish mistakes in big games. Lose games they should win. Win some they should lose. It's making those crazy Tiger fans even crazier. Even Tommy Bowden is surprised he's starting his 10th season in Tiger Town.

The Coastal could frankly be a mess, and that makes things fun. Virginia Tech lost a bundle from last year’s championship team. Nobody really jumps up at you there, so the door is wide open. Who will step through? I think a young Carolina team may.

So here I go with my preseason ACC picks for 2008.

Atlantic Division

1.Clemson

The Tigers have plenty of talent on the offensive side. They've got Cullen Harper, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, at quarterback and James Davis and C.J. Spiller in the backfield. Good receivers. A solid defense, but an offensive line with four new starters is very much key. And of course there's the Bowden factor. He's been good, but Clemson football fans want better than good. This could be the season. Saturday's Alabama game sets the table.

2.Wake Forest

Why not the Deacs? Once lowly Wake Forest has won 20 games the last two seasons and has 16 starters returning from last year. They have an experienced quarterback in Riley Skinner. Cary's Josh Adams (once a key element in the opening of our Football Friday show) is set for a big year at running back. Wake, though, lost a lot of offensive play-makers. Who will step up to take the place of a Kenny Moore or a Kevin Marion? Defensively Wake Forest does have people who can make plays, like defensive back Alphonso Smith and linebacker Aaron Curry. They are two of the best. Also Wake Forest gets Clemson and Boston College at home and plays at Florida State when the Noles will be missing a bunch of players who will still be suspended from that academic mess of last year.

3. Florida State

How the mighty have fallen. For the first time since FSU has been in the ACC, they are not picked to either win or play for the ACC championship. Even the famed "war chant" is striking fear in no one. Basically you just want to say, " Can you guys just shut up?" The Noles will be without at least seven starters and 10 key players for their first three games because of that cheating scandal. They should be able to slip by Western Carolina and Chattanooga, but Wake Forest may be another story. The Deacs have beaten the Noles in two straight games. There always seems to be talent at Florida State, but lately they are just slogging along, doing their undisciplined thing. Their demise has greatly damaged the ACC's national reputation. When they get everybody back, they have the chance to be good. By the way, is it just me or has Drew Weatherford been their quarterback for most of this decade? There's a problem right there. He needs to play better, but can he? The Noles need to back up their famous swagger. Haven't done that lately have they?

4. Boston College

They have the bulk of their receiving corps back, but no Matt Ryan to throw to them. In steps senior Chris Crane, who threw all of two passes last season. Coach Jeff Jagodzinzki says Crane is bigger, faster and stronger than Ryan. Must not have been as good, though, or he would have played more. He gets his chance B.C. has a solid offensive line to go with those good receivers, but needs to find running backs in a hurry. Seven starters back on defense helps. They'll be solid, but no trip to the ACC Championship game this season.

5.Maryland

The Terps had to fight through injuries last year, but managed to get to a bowl game. They got there with a stunning 37-0, season-ending win over N.C. State, which also had bowl hopes riding on that one. Maryland has veteran experience, including an abundance of quarterbacks. A solid offensive line returns, but they'll miss the backfield combo of Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore. Defensively there's a lot to replace from last year. The schedule is a bear and includes trips to Clemson, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Coach Ralph Friedgen had it going early in this decade. He has talent this season. If it jells, fifth may be too low for this team.

6.N.C. State

I really wanted to pick the Wolfpack higher, but couldn't find a way to do it. Russell Wilson will be their quarterback, with Daniel Evans backing him up. How good is Wilson? I don't know. You probably don't either. He's small but quick, with the ability to make plays – and man, does State need that. Tom O'Brien is known for developing offensive lines, but with only three starters returning from last year, the Pack may need Wilson creating on his own a whole lot. With Donald Bowens out for the season, the pool of people whom he's going to throw to has gotten shallower. Jamelle Eugene is a good back, but it's a shame that Toney Baker and Andre Brown, two of the most heralded high school backs in this state, have been held back by injuries throughout their careers. State gave up a lot of yards last season on defense. Never could stop the run, and only four starters return from that unit. O'Brien knows how to win football games, but it will take him time to win at State, just like it did at Boston College.

Coastal Division

1. North Carolina

This prediction is out there I know, but who knows what will happen in the Coastal Division? Of course, Carolina hasn't been really good since 1997. But nine offensive starters are back, and Carolina does have an experienced quarterback in T.J. Yates, although he is coming off shoulder surgery. He's supposed to be recovered. If he is, there are some big-time receivers to catch the ball. UNC couldn't run the ball at all most of last season until they turned wide receiver Greg Little into a running back and he was really good. Defensively, Carolina has eight starters returning, and that unit has the potential to be solid. Carolina also has Virginia Tech at home and doesn't play Clemson, Wake Forest or FSU. Am I sold on this pick? Heck, no! I do think UNC will be pretty good, but the division champ? Well, who in the Coastal Division knocks your socks off? If I fall off the limb I just went out on, it's just one more bruise to my aching body.

2.Virginia Tech

The Hokies are just about everybody's pick to win the Coastal. They have been the ACC's best team since joining the league, going 27-5. They may well make the league championship game simply because there's nobody else. But they lost much from last season, both offensively and defensively. They are stable at quarterback with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor, and there is good experience in the offensive line, but whom will they throw it to and who will run the ball? Nobody is proven. Defensively, some big-time players are gone. Coach Frank Beamer is the best, and Tech will get better as the season moves ahead. Their opener in Charlotte against ECU will be telling, as will the Sep. 20 game at Carolina. They will come to Chapel Hill with the attitude that "we're the champs until you prove different." At Tech, they say they don't rebuild, they just reload. This will be a year to see if that is indeed right.

3.Miami

Once the power on the national scene, the Hurricanes are now no more than a third-place pick in the Coastal Division. There's always talent around the Miami program, but they'll start a quarterback who's never taken a college snap. Couple that with an offensive line that returns just two starters, it doesn't read well on paper. The receivers have talent, but will they get the ball? Graig Cooper and Javarris James are good backs, but will the lack of a passing game have the defenses stacked against them? There is speed and talent on defense, and that will have to carry this team for a while. The ACC needs for Miami to get back to being Miami. It won't happen this season, but Coach Randy Shannon is recruiting well. This could be a start back up.

4. Virginia

One close win after another last season. It all evens out in the long run. Those close wins of 2007 could be reversed in 2008. There's also a new quarterback. Running backs led by Cederic Pearman and Mikell Simpson will be good, and the offensive line won't be bad. A whole lot is gone from the defense, including star Chris Long. Linebacker play will be solid. Last season, Virginia found ways to win and went 9-4. Give them credit for opening with Southern Cal. Takes some guts. But if the Trojans blow them out, who knows what Pandora's box that will open. Virginia is not devoid of talent. They could be better than you think.

5. Georgia Tech

New coach Paul Johnson knows how to win. Did it at Georgia Southern, and he did it at Navy. But there will be growing pains at Tech. It will take time for his players to master the triple option. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt is capable, but very young. The Jackets lost a lot on both sides of the ball, but Johnson will still have some better players than he had at Navy. Sometimes a new coach comes in and there's instant success. Other times, it's a building process. I think this season will be the latter at Tech. Johnson will win in the future. The future just won't be this year.

6. Duke

I ran into former Duke star Wes Chesson the other day. Wes has been the longtime color man on the Duke radio network. He is believing that for the first time in a while, he and longtime play-by-play man Bob Harris will have some positive things to talk about. It has been a while. Duke hasn't beaten an ACC team since 2004. Nineteen starters return from last year’s 1-11 team. It's a good nucleus, but the star is new head coach David Cutcliffe. The former head coach at Mississippi and the former offensive coordinator at Tennessee has been around winning football teams. He coached the Manning brothers. He came in and called his new team the softest, fattest team he'd ever been around. They've become leaner. We'll see about the meaner. Yes, there is a new attitude about football on the Methodist flats. Duke football has been a joke. Cutcliffe knows it’s his job to change that. The first three games are with James Madison, Northwestern and Navy. They're winnable. Then Virginia comes to Wade Stadium. Those first four games will determine how much better Duke is. Nineteen starters back is a lot. That should be good. The bad? Those players have been through a lot of losing. It's up to Cutcliffe to change the losing culture that has engulfed Duke football. He honestly believes that he will. I think Duke could actually finish out of the ACC basement, but when a team has lost like they have, new attitude or not, they have to prove it on the field.

So I've got Clemson to win the Atlantic and North Carolina (yikes!) to win the Coastal. I'll take Clemson to win its first ACC title since 1991.