Forecasting the ACC – Game by Game Predictions
ACC play FINALLY opens up this weekend, so I thought I’d take a look at the league and try to figure out where I think everyone will finish. UNC’s obviously the most talented team in the league, and there’s a clear bottom-tier that may be the worst the ACC has ever seen. Duke belongs in the top-tier, but there are concerns. Teams like NC State, Virginia, and Florida State are battling it out to be named that “third best team”, but it’s way too simple and inaccurate to predict finishes based on gut feel. Every win has a loser, so the only real way to come to a prediction of how teams will finish is to go through game-by-game and predict the outcomes. Surpringly enough, my finished product brought some changes from my “eye test” rankings that began with UNC as the clear top team with Duke and Virginia behind them. In the end, I came up with the following standings, and I see the league getting four teams into the NCAA tournament: Duke, UNC, Florida State, and a battle between Virginia, NC State and Virginia Tech to put together the most impressive resume to join the Big Dance.
In the end, I have NC State beating Virginia in Atlanta to reach the semi-finals of the ACC tournament to solidify that final bid.
Projected Final Standings
1 – Duke (14-2)
2 – UNC (13-3)
3 – Florida State (12-4)
4 – Virginia (11-5)
5 – Virginia Tech (10-6): tie-breaker over NC State
6 – NC State (10-6)
7 – Maryland (7-9): tie-breaker over Miami
8 – Miami (7-9)
9 - Clemson (6-10)
10 – Wake Forest (3-13)
11 – Georgia Tech (2-14)
12 – Boston College (1-15)
Game-by-game results (including TV and start time)
| Saturday, January 7 | |
| Duke at Georgia Tech ESPNU Noon | Duke |
| Virginia Tech at Wake Forest ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Virginia Tech |
| Boston College at North Carolina ACCN ESPN3 2:30 | UNC |
| Florida State at Clemson ESPN2 ESPN3 4:00 | Florida State |
| Miami at Virginia ESPNU 6:00 | Virginia |
| Sunday, January 8 | |
| Maryland at NC State ESPNU 6:00 | NC State |
| Tuesday, January 10 | |
| Florida State at Virginia Tech ESPNU 7:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Miami at North Carolina ACCN ESPN3 9:00 | UNC |
| Wednesday, January 11 | |
| Wake Forest at Maryland RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Maryland |
| Georgia Tech at NC State RSN ESPN3 9:00 | NC State |
| Thursday, January 12 | |
| Clemson at Boston College ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Clemson |
| Virginia at Duke ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 9:00 | Duke |
| Saturday, January 14 | |
| North Carolina at Florida State ESPN ESPN3 2:00 | Florida State |
| Virginia Tech at Boston College RSN ESPN3 3:00 | Virginia Tech |
| NC State at Wake Forest ACCN ESPN3 1 or 4 | NC State |
| Sunday, January 15 | |
| Georgia Tech at Maryland ACCN ESPN3 1 or 4 | Maryland |
| Duke at Clemson ESPNU 6:00 | Duke |
| Tuesday, January 17 | |
| Maryland at Florida State ESPNU 9:00 | Florida State |
| Wednesday, January 18 | |
| Clemson at Miami RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Miami |
| Thursday, January 19 | |
| Wake Forest at Duke ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Duke |
| Virginia at Georgia Tech ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | Virginia |
| Boston College at NC State ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | NC State |
| North Carolina at Virginia Tech ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 9:00 | UNC |
| Saturday, January 21 | |
| Wake Forest at Boston College ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Wake Forest |
| Georgia Tech at Clemson ACCN ESPN3 2:30 | Clemson |
| Florida State at Duke ESPN ESPN3 4:00 | Duke |
| Sunday, January 22 | |
| NC State at Miami ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Miami |
| Virginia Tech at Virginia ESPNU 6:00 | Virginia |
| Tuesday, January 24 | |
| Miami at Georgia Tech ESPNU 9:00 | Miami |
| Wednesday, January 25 | |
| Florida State at Wake Forest RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Florida State |
| Duke at Maryland ESPN ESPN3 9:00 | Duke |
| Thursday, January 26 | |
| NC State at North Carolina ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | UNC |
| Boston College at Virginia ESPNU 9:00 | Virginia |
| Saturday, January 28 | |
| Wake Forest at Clemson ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Clemson |
| Virginia Tech at Maryland ACCN ESPN3 2:30 | Maryland |
| Virginia at NC State ESPN2 ESPN3 8:00 | Virginia |
| Sunday, January 29 | |
| Miami at Boston College ACCN ESPN3 1:00 | Miami |
| Georgia Tech at North Carolina ESPNU 6:00 | UNC |
| Tuesday, January 31 | |
| Clemson at Virginia ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Virginia |
| North Carolina at Wake Forest ESPNU 9:00 | UNC |
| Wednesday, February 1 | |
| Georgia Tech at Florida State RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Florida State |
| NC State at Boston College ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | NC State |
| Maryland at Miami ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | Maryland |
| Thursday, February 2 | |
| Duke at Virginia Tech ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Saturday, February 4 | |
| Virginia at Florida State ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | Florida State |
| Boston College at Georgia Tech ESPNU 1:00 | Georgia Tech |
| Wake Forest at NC State ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | NC State |
| North Carolina at Maryland ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 4:00 | UNC |
| Clemson at Virginia Tech RSN ESPN3 4:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Sunday, February 5 | |
| Miami at Duke ESPNU 3:00 | Duke |
| Tuesday, February 7 | |
| Maryland at Clemson ESPNU 7:00 | Clemson |
| Wednesday, February 8 | |
| Florida State at Boston College ESPN3 ESPN3 7:00 | Florida State |
| Wake Forest at Virginia RSN ESPN3 7:30 | Virginia |
| Duke at North Carolina ESPN/ACCN ESPN3 9:00 | UNC |
| Thursday, February 9 | |
| NC State at Georgia Tech ESPNU 7:00 | NC State |
| Virginia Tech at Miami ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 9:00 | Miami |
| Saturday, February 11 | |
| Miami at Florida State ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | Florida State |
| Virginia at North Carolina ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | UNC |
| Maryland at Duke ESPN ESPN3 4:00 | Duke |
| Clemson at Wake Forest RSN ESPN3 4:00 | Clemson |
| Sunday, February 12 | |
| Boston College at Virginia Tech ESPNU 6:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Tuesday, February 14 | |
| Virginia at Clemson ESPNU 7:00 | Virginia |
| Wednesday, February 15 | |
| North Carolina at Miami ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | UNC |
| Georgia Tech at Wake Forest RSN ESPN3 7:30 | Wake Forest |
| Thursday, February 16 | |
| Virginia Tech at Florida State ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Florida State |
| NC State at Duke ACCN split ESPN3 9:00 | Duke |
| Boston College at Maryland ACCN split ESPN3 9:00 | Maryland |
| Saturday, February 18 | |
| Wake Forest at Miami RSN 1:00 | Miami |
| Florida State at NC State ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | Florida State |
| Maryland at Virginia ACCN split ESPN3 1:00 | Virginia |
| Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech RSN ESPN3 3:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Clemson at North Carolina ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 4:00 | UNC |
| Sunday, February 19 | |
| Duke at Boston College ESPNU 6:00 | Duke |
| Tuesday, February 21 | |
| Clemson at Georgia Tech RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Clemson |
| Miami at Maryland ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | Maryland |
| North Carolina at NC State ACCN split ESPN3 8:00 | NC State |
| Virginia at Virginia Tech ESPNU 9:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Thursday, February 23 | |
| Duke at Florida State ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Duke |
| Saturday, February 25 | |
| Virginia Tech at Duke ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Duke |
| Boston College at Wake Forest RSN ESPN3 1:00 | Wake Forest |
| NC State at Clemson ACCN split ESPN3 2:30 | NC State |
| Maryland at Georgia Tech ACCN split ESPN3 2:30 | Maryland |
| North Carolina at Virginia ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 4:00 | UNC |
| Sunday, February 26 | |
| Florida State at Miami ESPNU 6:00 | Florida State |
| Tuesday, February 28 | |
| Duke at Wake Forest ESPNU 9:00 | Duke |
| Wednesday, February 29 | |
| Maryland at North Carolina ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | UNC |
| Georgia Tech at Boston College RSN ESPN3 7:00 | Boston College |
| Miami at NC State RSN ESPN3 9:00 | NC State |
| Thursday, March 1 | |
| Florida State at Virginia ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN3 7:00 | Virginia |
| Virginia Tech at Clemson ACCN ESPN3 9:00 | Virginia Tech |
| Saturday, March 3 | |
| Wake Forest at Georgia Tech ACCN ESPN3 Noon | Georgia Tech |
| Boston College at Miami ACCN ESPN3 2:30 | Miami |
| North Carolina at Duke ESPN ESPN3 7:00 | Duke |
| Sunday, March 4 | |
| Clemson at Florida State ESPN2 ESPN3 Noon | Florida State |
| Virginia at Maryland ACCN ESPN3 2:00 | Virginia |
| NC State at Virginia Tech ESPNU 6:00 | Virginia Tech |
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