Clemson QB Tajh Boyd accounted for four TDs in last year's ACC title game. (Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE)
It’s been awhile since the ACC made a big splash on the national scene.
Although Clemson appeared poised to do so a year ago after opening the regular season 8-0, the Tigers hit a rut down the stretch and stumbled to a 2-4 finish to end their season 10-4.
Virginia Tech reached its usual 10-win season like it does almost every year, but the Hokies never could solve a Clemson team that beat them once in the regular season (23-3) and again in the ACC Championship Game (38-10). At season’s end, VT, like Clemson (70-33 loss to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl), lost its bowl game (23-20 in OT to Michigan) to conclude the season on a sour note.
In 2012, optimism is high that Clemson, Virginia Tech and ACC favorite Florida State, who finished 9-4 in 2011, can get the conference back among the nation’s elite teams with good seasons. The three schools dominate Lindy’s preseason all-conference teams, and Lindy’s has a feeling that one or two ACC squads (see Lindy’s Top 25 rankings) can emerge with the likes of Alabama, LSU, USC and others as the country’s top teams.
Here’s a look at Lindy’s 2012 All-ACC teams.
OFFENSE – FIRST TEAM
| QB | Tajh Boyd | Jr. | Clemson |
| RB | Giovani Bernard | So. | North Carolina |
| RB | Andre Ellington | Sr. | Clemson |
| WR | Sammy Watkins | So. | Clemson |
| WR | DeAndre Hopkins | Jr. | Clemson |
| TE | Matt Furstenburg | Sr. | Maryland |
| C | Dalton Freeman | Sr. | Clemson |
| OL | Omoregie Uzzi | Sr. | Georgia Tech |
| OL | Jonathan Cooper | Sr. | North Carolina |
| OL | Oday Aboushi | Sr. | Virginia |
| OL | James Hurst | Jr. | North Carolina |
| AP | Michael Campanaro | Jr. | Wake Forest |
| K | Dustin Hopkins | Sr. | Florida State |
DEFENSE – FIRST TEAM
| DL | Brandon Jenkins | Sr. | Florida State |
| DL | James Gayle | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| DL | Joe Vellano | Sr. | Maryland |
| DL | Nikita Whitlock | Jr. | Wake Forest |
| LB | Steve Greer | Sr. | Virginia |
| LB | Kenny Tate | Sr. | Maryland |
| LB | Kevin Reddick | Sr. | North Carolina |
| DB | Merrill Noel | So. | Wake Forest |
| DB | David Amerson | Jr. | NC State |
| DB | Lamarcus Joyner | Jr. | Florida State |
| DB | Xavier Rhodes | Jr. | Florida State |
| P | Dalton Botts | Sr. | Miami |
OFFENSE – SECOND TEAM
| QB | Logan Thomas | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| RB | Perry Jones | Sr. | Virginia |
| RB | Montel Harris | Sr. | Boston College |
| WR | Conner Vernon | Sr. | Duke |
| WR | Erik Highsmith | Sr. | North Carolina |
| TE | Chris Pantale | Sr. | Boston College |
| C | Andrew Miller | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| OL | Zach Allen | Sr. | NC State |
| OL | Brandon Linder | Jr. | Miami |
| OL | R.J. Mattes | Sr. | NC State |
| OL | Morgan Moses | Jr. | Virginia |
| AP | T.J. Thorpe | So. | North Carolina |
| K | Casey Barth | Sr. | North Carolina |
DEFENSE – SECOND TEAM
| DL | J.R. Collins | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| DL | Bjoern Werner | Jr. | Florida State |
| DL | Everett Dawkins | Sr. | Florida State |
| DL | Derrick Hopkins | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| LB | Tariq Edwards | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| LB | Bruce Taylor | Sr. | Virginia Tech |
| LB | Kevin Pierre-Louis | Jr. | Boston College |
| DB | Kyle Fuller | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| DB | Rod Sweeting | Sr. | Georgia Tech |
| DB | Rashard Hall | Sr. | Clemson |
| DB | Earl Wolff | Sr. | NC State |
| P | Alex Wulfeck | Jr. | Wake Forest |
OFFENSE – THIRD TEAM
| QB | EJ Manuel | Sr. | Florida State |
| RB | David Sims | Jr. | Georgia Tech |
| RB | Devonta Freeman | So. | Florida State |
| WR | Rashad Greene | So. | Florida State |
| WR | Marcus Davis | Sr. | Virginia Tech |
| TE | Colter Phillips | Sr. | Virginia |
| C | Camden Wentz | Sr. | NC State |
| OL | Will Jackson | Jr. | Georgia Tech |
| OL | Laken Tomlinson | So. | Duke |
| OL | Emmett Cleary | Sr. | Boston College |
| OL | Perry Simmons | Jr. | Duke |
| AP | Orwin Smith | Sr. | Georgia Tech |
| K | Chandler Catanzaro | Jr. | Clemson |
DEFENSE – THIRD TEAM
| DL | Anthony Chickillo | So. | Miami |
| DL | Kareem Martin | Jr. | North Carolina |
| DL | Sylvester Williams | Sr. | North Carolina |
| DL | Kaleb Ramsey | Sr. | Boston College |
| LB | Christian Jones | Jr. | Florida State |
| LB | LaRoy Reynolds | Sr. | Virginia |
| LB | Jeremiah Attaochu | Jr. | Georgia Tech |
| DB | Antone Exum | Jr. | Virginia Tech |
| DB | Jemea Thomas | Jr. | Georgia Tech |
| DB | Jim Noel | Sr. | Boston College |
| DB | Isaiah Johnson | Jr. | Georgia Tech |
| P | Nick Ferrera | Sr. | Maryland |
