Alright, 9-3 with the traditional **** loss or 2 but a ACCCG appearance?
This seems FAR more attainable.
I'm trying to be as level-headed as I can, but I don't see four losses on this schedule. Go ahead and put A&M and Clemson as losses, I have no problem with that. But I mean conference play other than Clemson...
Pitt is our biggest contender. I could definitely see us losing that game if the Clemson hangover is too much, and I expect that game to matter in terms of who wins the Coastal; but people are sleeping on the fact that we've beaten Pitt in four in a row, six of the past seven, and fourteen of the past sixteen. We own them. Are their trenches going to be good? Yeah, they will be. Trio of RBs? Yep, they'll be good and probably rush for over 1500 / 20 TDs. But...Kedon Slovis struggling in the Spring, so much so that backup Nick Patti is seriously pushing for the job? Bleh, sub-par QB play won't get it done @ Miami...Narduzzi is going to have more of a ground and pound approach this season and rely on his d-line to save their secondary's a$$.
UNC is 21-17 in Mack's three seasons. We have lost to some garbage UNC teams; and we get them in a perfect spot. At home, first conference game of Mario's tenure...while they're finishing up a three-game stretch that included Notre Dame and VT prior. That's tough for a young QB with a horrid o-line and a defense led by a washed Gene Chizik.
VT has way too much turnover to catch us slipping imo. Grant Wells has potential, but he is a turnover machine (16:13 TD/INT ratio in 2021). If it's the SCar transfer Brown, even better imo. Malachi will be a solid RB, and their o-line should be solid (but no depth)...but that defense needs to make some pretty deep strides.
UVA brings back their WR core and Armstrong, but has to replace their entire o-line; which just so happened to be one of the best in the nation in 2021.
GT and Duke are going to be a$$.
We're beating FSU by double digits.
I just don't see us losing more than one of these games to be honest, barring injury. I have us at 9-3 with losses to A&M, UVA, and Clemson. And the UVA one is more of a "catch us slipping prior to FSU, typical Miami/Mario loss to an inferior team".