Breaking down '09 ACC football schedule

The ACC is expected to announce the 2009 football schedule on Tuesday. We don't know the order of the games but we do know the conference opponents and sites.

Given 10 of the ACC's 12 teams finished 4-4 or 5-3, there's not a ton of separation in the conference so the schedule can make the difference between winning the division and last place.

In general, it will be good to avoid Florida State or Virginia Tech in 2009 and it's a bonus to play Duke (anywhere) and Virginia (at home).

With those parameters in mind:

Good breaks:

Wake Forest: No Virginia Tech and FSU comes to the Dash. The Deacs also get a road game with Duke.

UVa: The Hoos avoid FSU and get Virginia Tech at home. They also have a home date with Duke and no Wake Forest.

FSU: Does not play Virginia Tech and it can't play itself. The downside is no Duke or Virginia.

Va. Tech: The Hokies avoid FSU, Wake Forest and Clemson and go to Duke, which is basically another home game.

Clemson: FSU at home and no VT but no Duke, either.

Bad breaks

BC: Triple-whammy with both FSU and VT on the schedule and no Duke.
The Eagles also have to go to Virginia.

N.C. State and Miami: Road games at FSU and VT but the Pack and Canes do get Duke at home.

The schedule breakdown:

Atlantic Division

Boston College
Home: Wake, N.C. State, FSU, UNC
Away: Maryland, Clemson, UVa, Va. Tech
Avoid: Duke, Miami, Ga. Tech

Clemson
Home: Wake, FSU, BC, UVa
Away: Maryland, N.C. State, Ga. Tech, Miami
Avoid: Va. Tech, Duke, UNC

Florida State
Home: Maryland, NC. State, Ga. Tech, Miami
Away: Clemson, Wake, BC, UNC
Avoid: Duke, UVa, Va. Tech

Maryland
Home: Clemson, BC, UVa, Va. Tech
Away: Wake, N.C. State, FSU, Duke
Avoid: UNC, Miami, Ga. Tech

N.C. State
Home: Maryland, Clemson, Duke, UNC
Away: Wake, FSU, BC, Va. Tech
Avoid: Miami, Ga. Tech, UVa

Wake Forest
Home: Maryland, N.C. State, FSU, Miami
Away: Clemson, BC, Ga. Tech, Duke
Avoid: Va. Tech, UVa, UNC

Coastal Division

Duke
Home: Maryland, Wake, Ga. Tech, Va. Tech
Away: N.C. State, UVa, UNC, Miami
Avoid: Clemson, BC, FSU

Georgia Tech
Home: Clemson, Wake, UNC, Va. Tech
Away: FSU, UVa, Duke, Miami
Avoid: N.C. State, BC, Maryland

Miami
Home: Clemson, UVa, Ga. Tech, Duke
Away: Wake, FSU, UNC, Va. Tech
Avoid: N.C. State, Maryland, BC

UNC
Home: FSU, UVa, Duke, Miami
Away: N.C. State, BC, Ga. Tech, Va. Tech
Avoid: Clemson, Maryland, Wake

Virginia
Home: BC, Ga. Tech, Duke, Va. Tech
Away: Maryland, Clemson, UNC, Miami
Avoid: N.C. State, Wake, FSU

Virginia Tech
Home: N.C. State, BC, UNC, Miami
Away: Maryland, UVa, Ga. Tech, Duke
Avoid: Clemson, FSU, Wake

- J.P. Giglio