2021-2022 CFB ACC Coastal preview
The ACC Conference is split into two divisions consisting of seven teams: ACC Atlantic and ACC Coastal. The best record in each division meets in the ACC Championship for a chance at the College Football Playoffs if their national ranking is among the top four of all the conference champions.
The ACC Coastal division is the second-best in the conference. An ACC Coastal team hasn't won the ACC Championship in over a decade (Virginia Tech in 2010). Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are the only teams in the division to have made multiple appearances in the ACC Championship.
There hasn't been a consistent leader in the division, similar to how Clemson runs the ACC Atlantic. Eight different teams have won the ACC Coastal over the last eight seasons. All seven teams have made it to at least one ACC Championship game.
ACC Coastal Teams
Similar to ACC Atlantic, there are seven teams in this division
- Duke Blue Devils
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Miami Hurricanes
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Virginia Tech Hokies
In a year plagued by COVID-19, Notre Dame was enlisted into the ACC Conference and ended up winning the ACC Coastal. North Carolina, Miami and Pittsburgh are the early front-runners to win in 2021 and who has the edge is still up in the air. UNC, though, could hold the advantage with Heisman candidate QB Sam Howell.
Pittsburgh could play the role of the executioner, defeating either Miami or UNC and ruining their ACC Championship chances. Virginia will look to climb the rankings in the ACC Coastal division while Duke, VT and GT will likely find themselves at the bottom of the ladder.
Here is a preview of the ACC Coastal division and who could end up representing them in the ACC Championship, starting with the Duke Blue Devils.