Early Predictions: Wake Forest

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are coming off another successful season. The Deacs have won 20 games in the past two years and have gone to two consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history. Oh, and in 2006 they won the ACC Championship for the first time since 1970. Its a pretty good time to be a Deac.

The Deacs have plenty of reasons to think that 2008 will be another good season. Riley Skinner has two years of starting experience under his belt. Josh Adams is clearly the number one running back after gaining nearly 1000 yards in his freshman campaign. The defense should be strong under the leadership of seniors Alphonso Smith, Aaron Curry, and Chip Vaughn. And most importantly, Jim Grobe is still the coach.

But Wake has plenty of questions too. Who is going to replace the production of Kenny Moore? Will the offensive line be good enough? If Matt Robinson can't stay healthy, who will step up at defensive end? How much will the loss of defensive coordinator Dean Hood affect the defense?

Keeping the questions and strengths in mind, here are five predictions:

1. Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass will combine to rush for 1700 yards. Adams is without a doubt the feature back, but Grobe has shown that he likes to platoon the running back position. Adams will get the majority of the yards, somewhere between 1000 and 1200. Pendergrass will average more yards per carry and will score 6 touchdowns.

2. The team will have a top 25 defense. The d-line may be a little questionable, but the linebackers and secondary will be lights out. The linebacking corps, lead by Curry and Stanley Arnoux will challenge Maryland for bragging rights as best in the ACC. And the secondary will be one of the best in the nation.

3. No single wide receiver will be able to match the production of Kenny Moore. But the receiving will be incredibly balanced. Chip Brinkman and Demir Boldin will be reliable possession receivers. Jordan Williams is a deep threat (he will be the next Jason Anderson). The biggest surprise to many people will be tight end Ben Wooster, who had a remarkable spring. Look for Boldin to lead the way with at least 40 receptions and Williams will have the most yards, at least 500.

4. The Deacs will play for the ACC Championship against Virginia Tech. That's all I will say, no predicted winner yet. But the Deacs will have at least 6 conference wins, and it is very possible that they will not lose a regular season conference game. Which means...

5. Wake Forest will, at some point in the season, be considered a legitimate contender for the National Championship. Yes, you heard me right. I actually can't believe I just wrote that, but its a possibility. I'm not crazy, bear with me. OK, at this point, the three toughest games on the schedule appear to be at FSU, home vs. Clemson, and at Miami. Everyone of those games is winnable (of course by the same token, the 9 games I haven't mentioned yet are by no means guarantees). All three of those games are in the first seven. So if the Deacs can win all three, a 7-0 start is very likely. That record, which would include a win over a probably top 10 Clemson team, should be enough to push the Deacs into the top ten, at least the top 15. And the Deacs only have one road game in the final five (at NC State). The State game is probably the toughest down the stretch, either that or the Virginia game. So as crazy as it may sound, 12-0 is a real possibility. Dare to dream Deacon fans.

OK, now that I got that last prediction out of my system, let's look at what I think will actually happen in 2008. The Deacs will win somewhere between 8 and 11 games. I think the Deacs will finish with a 10-2 record with losses to Florida State and Miami. The Deacs will win the Atlantic Division and play VT for the ACC title in Tampa.

Projected Award Winners:
Alphonso Smith- ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All ACC, First Team All American, Thorpe Award finalist
Aaron Curry- First Team All ACC, Third Team All American
Chip Vaughn- First Team All ACC
Riley Skinner- Second Team All ACC
Josh Adams- First Team All ACC
Sam Swank- First Team All ACC, First Team All American, Lou Groza Award Winner
Ben Wooster- Honorable Mention All ACC