The most exciting event for football fans last week was the made-for-TV, three-hour long NFL schedule reveal that aired on ESPN last Thursday night. It’s safe to say many fans are desperate for games to come back.

College football is scheduled to return in less than four months, but it’s far from certain when teams will be cleared to return to even meet in person. With so many unknowns in the middle of a pandemic, COVID-19 could still postpone the season and alter how games are experienced by fans when it is safe to resume competition.

With enormous financial implications, all parties will be highly motivated to play football in some form or fashion. Whether that will be in early September, late fall or spring of 2021 is still to be determined.

It’s also unknown whether schedules will be completed as currently planned or will be played-out in some abbreviated fashion based on conference or region in order to reduce the risks of excessive travel once there is a green light.

Whatever ends up being the case, Las Vegas is prepared. In early April, Caesars Entertainment released its over/under win totals for the ACC football regular season. Not surprisingly, the Clemson Tigers are predicted to repeat as ACC champs.

Let’s take a look at the ACC Atlantic projected win totals and predict which teams will exceed or fall short of expectations from the spring.

Clemson

Projected wins: 11.5

Prediction: Over

Is there any reason to believe Clemson won’t run the table in the regular season, again? The Tigers return star junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the anticipated No. 1 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, in what will likely be his final season in college. Clemson fans also welcome back another familiar face in senior running back Travis Etienne, who decided to forgo the 2020 NFL Draft and return for his senior season of college after already breaking the school’s all-time rushing yards record.

The Tigers did lose a few pieces to the NFL Draft this offseason, including go-to wideout Tee Higgins, linebacker Isaiah Simmons and cornerback A.J. Terrell. However, Clemson welcomes in yet another elite group of newcomers with the No. 2 recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.

Wins: @ Georgia Tech, Louisville, Akron, Virginia, @ Boston College, @ Florida State, NC State, Syracuse, Citadel, @ Wake Forest, South Carolina

Losses: None

Toss-ups: @ Notre Dame

Florida State

Projected wins: 7.5

Prediction: Under

Wins: Samford, Wake Forest, Boston College, @ Syracuse

Losses: @Boise St, Clemson, Florida

Toss-ups: West Virginia (neutral site), @ NC State, @ Louisville, Pittsburgh, @ Miami

Louisville

Projected wins: 7.5

Prediction: Over

Louisville was the surprise team of the entire conference last season. According to the 2019 ACC preseason media poll, the Cardinals were picked to finish last place in the ACC Atlantic. Instead, Louisville finished 5-3 in conference play for an outright second place finish in the Atlantic behind Clemson.

Now second-year head coach Scott Satterfield looks to build off of an eight-win season in which the Cardinals won the Music City Bowl. Louisville returns quarterback Micale Cunningham, running back Javian Hawkins and receiver Tutu Atwell in what should be an even more explosive offense than last year.

Wins: NC State, Murray State, Western Kentucky, @ Syracuse, Wake Forest

Losses: @ Clemson, @ Notre Dame

Toss-ups: @ Boston College, Florida State, Virginia Tech, @ Virginia, Kentucky

Syracuse

Projected wins: 5.5

Prediction: Under

Wins: @ Rutgers, Colgate, @ Western Michigan, Liberty,

Losses: @ Clemson, @ Wake Forest, Florida State, @ Boston College

Toss-ups: Louisville, Georgia Tech, NC State, @ Pittsburgh

NC State

Projected wins: 4.5

Prediction: Over

Following two nine-win campaigns in 2017 and 2018, NC State took a step back last year when it missed a bowl for the first time since head coach Dave Doeren’s first year in Raleigh. After an injury-riddled 4-8 season in 2019, Doeren made several changes to the coaching staff during the offseason in hopes of returning to a bowl.

Enter new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck, defensive line coach Charley Wiles, safeties coach Joe Deforest, cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell and nickels coach Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay. The newly-appointed defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Tony Gibson, was also promoted from his role last year as a co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

As long as the new-look coaching staff is able to have enough time to install the new schemes leading up to the regular season, the Wolfpack has enough talent to finish with a winning record in a schedule stuffed with toss-up games. NC State is sure to be favored in three games and will be the clear underdog in two of the toughest road contests of the season. It will be how the Pack fares against the seven other evenly-matched opponents that will ultimately decide its fate.

The biggest question mark for the Wolfpack this year will be quarterback play. According to Doeren, the starting quarterback job was Devin Leary’s to lose before spring practice was canceled. As long as Leary takes another step forward in his second season on the field and the team isn’t plagued by injuries once again, look for NC State to return to a bowl in 2020.

Wins: @ Troy, Delaware, Liberty

Losses: @ Louisville, @ Clemson

Toss-ups: Mississippi State, Florida State, Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College, @ Syracuse, @ UNC

Boston College

Projected wins: 5

Prediction: Over

Wins: Syracuse, Ohio, @ Kansas, Holy Cross,

Losses: Clemson, @ Florida State

Toss-ups: Purdue, Louisville, @ Virginia Tech, @ NC State, UNC, @ Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Projected wins: 7

Prediction: Under

The departure of star dual-threat quarterback Jamie Newman, who transferred to Georgia this offseason, will be felt in Winston-Salem this year especially considering the challenging home schedule. Although 2018 starting quarterback Sam Hartman returns after taking a redshirt last season, it will be difficult to replace the 3,442 total yards Newman gained last year on the ground and through the air.

Entering his seventh season at Wake Forest, head coach Dave Clawson looks to keep a four-year bowl streak alive with a team missing much of its upperclassman talent from last year. With five toss-up games and the Deacs likely to be favored in three others, it’s very possible Clawson could extend his bowl streak to five. However, assuming a full regular season is played this fall, he’ll only need six wins to maintain the streak and, subsequently, keep Wake Forest fans happy.

Wins: Old Dominion, Villanova, Syracuse

Losses: Notre Dame, @ Florida State, @ Louisville, Clemson,

Toss-ups: App State, @ Duke, Miami, @ NC State, Boston College

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