Let's give our mid-season grades to the Coastal Teams.
North Carolina (6-1) – A
Say what you want about UNC. They are lucky, they have no defense, etc etc. The fact is they are 6-1 and nobody expected them to be at this point. Drake Maye has been outstanding at QB, and Josh Downs is the best WR in the conference. Last year they failed to meet expectations and this year they are exceeding them. Mack Brown has his Heels ranked and as the current Coastal favorite.
Duke (4-3) – B
Duke came into the season considered the worst or second worst team in the ACC. Mike Elko has made the Blue Devils competitive in a hurry. Reality has set in with 2 straight losses, but they are going to be a tough out all year.
Georgia Tech (3-3) – B-
The Jackets needed to be 3-3 at the season mid-point to have a realistic shot at a bowl despite a brutal schedule. They pulled it off after 2 straight wins over Pittsburgh and Duke under interim head coach Brent Key. The season was headed towards a disaster under Geoff Collins, but Key has worked wonders.
Pittsburgh (4-2) – C
Pittsburgh started the season out fine beating West Virginia and going to OT with Tennessee, but the upset loss to Georgia Tech threw the season up in the air. They didn’t look good against Virginia Tech either. This team simply hasn’t been as good as expected especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Virginia (2-4) – C-
You knew it would a difficult first season for head Tony Elliot. The Hoos had issues on defense coming into the season, and have a totally new offensive line. The concern is star QB Brennan Armstrong seems to have regressed. Even with low expectations coming into the season Virginia hasn’t done much to impress anyone.
Virginia Tech (2-5) – C-
Virginia Tech and Virginia are running neck and neck for the Coastal’s worst team. Justin Fuente left zero talent on the team so just remaining competitive is a challenge at this point. Brent Pry has a ton of work ahead of him. They barely get a passing grade.
Miami (3-3) – D
Miami has been one of the Coastal’s most disappointing teams. They started the season in the top 25, and took a stunning loss to Middle Tennessee State. They played poorly at Texas A&M, and lost another game at home against UNC. It’s been a rough start for new coach Mario Cristobol.
