Dan Mullen reveals ACC preseason projected order of finish

On3 imageby:Steve Samra09/01/22

SamraSource

Former Florida Gators coach and ESPN Studio Analyst Dan Mullen made his prediction on what he thinks the ACC standings will look like at the end of the season.

Mullen released his prediction via Twitter on Thursday, providing the fans of teams within the conference with plenty to gripe about.

Here’s Mullen’s predictions, with NC State and Miami capturing the crowns in the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, respectively.

Dan Mullen’s ACC Predictions Atlantic Division

  1. NC State Wolfpack
  2. Clemson Tigers
  3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  4. Florida State Seminoles
  5. Boston College Eagles
  6. Syracuse Orange
  7. Louisville Cardinals

Dan Mullen’s ACC Predictions Coastal Division

  1. Miami Hurricanes
  2. Pittsburgh Panthers
  3. North Carolina Tar Heels
  4. Virginia Cavaliers
  5. Virginia Tech Hokies
  6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
  7. Duke Blue Devils

As you can see, Mullen is a believer in both the Wolfpack and the Hurricanes, thinking the two fresh-faced squads will meet in the ACC Championship Game.

First, it seems as if Mullen isn’t on the Clemson revenge season hype-train. While he has the Tigers finishing second in their division, he believes they’ll barely miss out on getting to the title game. Additionally, the former Florida coach has no love for his former in-state rivals in Florida State, predicting the Seminoles will finish fourth in the Atlantic.

As for the Coastal, Mullen has Miami over Pittsburgh, who begins their season on Thursday against West Virginia. As for the remainder of the division, the former Florida coach isn’t expecting new coaches Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Mike Elko (Duke) to set the world on fire this season, slotting their programs in at fifth and seventh, respectively.

As Dan Mullen transitions from the field to the desk, it’ll be interesting to see if his predictions come true, or if the former Florida coach is completely off-base with his predictions.

More on Dan Mullen, Florida Gators

Dan Mullen’s ending at Florida was a tailspin

Moreover, Dan Mullen was let go by the Gators after Florida’s 2021 season plummeted following nearly knocking off Alabama in September. The Gators went 3-5 from there on.

An overtime loss to Missouri was one knock in a string of disappointments. The Gators 40-17 loss at South Carolina was arguably their worst but they also suffered disappointing losses to Kentucky and LSU last season

Following their embarrassment against South Carolina, Mullen fired defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and run-game coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy. The moves were expected following the season but Mullen fast-tracked his decision following that loss.

Florida then went on to struggle against FCS Samford. The Gators trailed 42-35 at halftime, scoring more points in one half than Alabama, Kentucky or Tennessee did in four quarters this year against Florida. The second half was a different story as the Gators came away with the 70-52 victory, but the damage was already done.

It was yet another low point for Mullen and Florida last season. In the locker room following the close win, the Gators raised some eyebrows with their celebration. Samford’s 52 points were the most an FCS team has ever scored against an SEC team. That was the final nail in the coffin for Mullen last season and that looks to be the case for the foreseeable future with his hiring at ESPN.