by Rich Cirminiello

Updated: July 10, 2008, 1:12 PM EST 15 comments

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The return of head coach Jim Grobe, who once again turned away offers from higher profile programs, was all that was needed to feel good about the upcoming season.

Now Wake Forest hasn't just become a player in the ACC, but it has become the model for every small, strong academic private school trying to bust through in a big conference.

There's hope for you yet, Baylor.

Keep on trucking, Duke.

You'll get back there Stanford.

Yeah, Stanford got to a Rose Bowl within the last decade and Northwestern has had success here and there, but Wake Forest has found a way to get the job done without gimmicks and without any fluke factor involved. It's been simple: Run the ball, get great special teams, win the turnover battle and let the other team screw up. Grobe has it working.

To put this in perspective, the 20 wins over the last two years are as many as the program came up with from 2002 to 2005. It's not like things were ever awful under Grobe, but the team wasn't like this.

The coaching staff's knack for taking marginal high school linemen and molding them into consistent producers will be tested this fall as the Deacons lose four starters on the offensive line and two on defense. But true to the recent formula of success, there should be a steady running game, efficient passing from Riley Skinner and a vastly underrated and athletic defensive back seven.

With so many starters returning and a favorable schedule that has Clemson and Boston College visiting Groves Stadium, Wake Forest is thinking ACC championship for the second time in three years. And why not? The backfield returns intact and the defense should be just as opportunistic as last year, when it led the league with 35 takeaways.

As long as the Deacons can solidify the offensive line and find a pass rushing replacement for DE Jeremy Thompson, Grobe will again be on a bunch of ADs' short lists at the end of the regular season.

What to look for on offense: An even greater reliance on the running game. The development of young backs Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass, and the loss of WR Kenneth Moore should mean less balance from the offense than in the past. Wake will be content to pound away with its two gifted runners, occasionally look for the backs and tight ends on short routes and let the defense do the rest. Knowing they don't have the weapons to beat defenses downfield, the Deacons will be content to play to their strengths and limit mistakes.

What to look for on defense: Tons of speed from the back seven. Grobe has been fixated with speed during recent recruiting cycles, and it shows with this year's fleet-footed, ball-hawking defense. Wake is loaded at linebacker and the secondary with experience athletes who'll fly to the ball and take it back the other way whenever possible. Led by the dynamic duo of LB Aaron Curry and CB Alphonso Smith, the Deacon D had eight touchdowns, which was more than the wide receivers.

The team will be far better if ... the offensive line survives the loss of four key starters, including the headliner of the unit, C Steve Justice. If there's any chance of becoming more prolific than in recent seasons, the blockers, such as LT Joe Birdsong and new C Trey Bailey, need to create daylight for Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass and protect Skinner. With few gimmes on the first-half schedule, the front wall won't have much time to gel as a cohesive unit.

The Schedule: The Demon Deacons couldn't ask for much more than getting Clemson and Boston College at home and Duke from the Coastal Division. On paper, going on the road to play Florida State, Maryland, Miami and N.C. State might appear daunting, but Grobe's club should be able to pull out two of the four games. Playing three BCS teams in the non-conference slate, at Baylor, Ole Miss, Navy and Vanderbilt, still doesn't mean anything less than 4-0 will be expected. This might be a tough schedule, but it's manageable.

Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Josh Adams. One of the big developments from a year ago, Adams went from being buried on the depth chart to the offensive MVP as a rookie. A nice blend of speed and cutting ability in a 6-foot, 180-pound frame, he took over in October and went on to lead the team in rushing and finish second in receiving.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Aaron Curry. Based on numbers and the occasional YouTube clip, you probably already know Curry is one of the most explosive, complete linebackers in the country. What you don't know is that his football IQ is off the charts, a combination that puts him in a position to make a ton of game-changing plays and makes him an ideal coach on the field. NFL scouts love his demeanor and his game, already projecting him as a possible first-day selection.

Key player to a successful season: Junior C Trey Bailey. No, the first-time starter won't be expected to be Steve Justice, but he does have to be the glue of an offensive line undergoing a renovation. Under Grobe, Wake Forest has always had a solid line that frustrates opposing defenses and helps make the running game go. If that trend is going to continue, Bailey needs to be the quarterback of the unit, while quickly breaking ties with his inexperience.

The season will be a success if ... Wake Forest contends for another ACC title and plays in a third straight bowl game. There's enough veteran talent on both sides of the ball to win the league title, especially since the favorite, Clemson, must visit Winston-Salem. Even if it falls short, eight or nine wins would be another sturdy brick in the foundation for the future.

Offense

Although do-everything WR Kenny Moore will certainly be missed, the fate of the conservative Deacon offense rests squarely with an offensive line that's losing four starters, including All-ACC C Steve Justice and enormous G Chris DeGeare, who was declared academically ineligible for 2008. If Riley Skinner is going to have time to throw and RB Josh Adams is to build on last year's sparkling debut, the O will need a bunch of anonymous blockers to raise the level of their games. Relative unknowns Trey Bailey, Russell Nenon and Jeff Griffin will be under the microscope from the moment Wake Forest travels to Baylor for the opener.

Despite playing on a run-oriented offense, Riley Skinner has been able to manage and win games for the Demon Deacons. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)

Quarterbacks: If you're looking for Heisman contenders or future pros, this is not your group of quarterbacks. Riley Skinner is a lunchpail quarterback who's measured by the number of wins he produces rather than passing numbers and arm strength. He'll continue to manage more games than he dominates, while furthering his role as the leader of the offense. Skinner and Brett Hodges are both smart quarterbacks who rarely attempt to play beyond their physical abilities or force passes into traffic. Skinner, in particular, is deadly accurate and clutch late in tight games. Despite playing on a run-oriented offense, the quarterbacks threw 16 interceptions a year ago, which is way too high for a low-risk passing game.

Running Backs: Last year, Wake Forest discovered its tailback for the next few years. This spring, it found him a running mate. The combination of Josh Adams, the star, and Brandon Pendergrass, the No. 2 man, will be dynamite, especially with the return of Rich Belton and Mike Rinfrette to open holes. If Kevin Harris is healthy and ready to go, the Deacons will go three-deep with quality backs capable of moving the chains. Adams was in his element as a feature back and should be even more productive with a full season and another spring behind him. He's a complete player who should be the offensive focal point for the next three seasons.

Receivers: While the offense doesn't need a set of receivers with all-league potential, it'll certainly help Skinner's development if one or two evolve into reliable targets at some point this season. Chip Brinkman and Jordan Boldin, Anquan's brother, are serviceable, putting the onus on Jordan Williams to mature in a hurry. At least when Kenneth Moore was on campus, the offense had a proven game-breaker who defenses had to spy at all times. That's not the case any longer as none of this year's receivers are remotely dangerous or capable of exposing a secondary. However, there's good experience.

Offensive Line: The graduations of Steve Justice, Matthew Brim, Louis Frazier and the suspension of Chris DeGeare have left the line searching for answers. Yeah, there will be a transition period, but the sky isn't falling. This staff perennially does a bang-up job of getting linemen ready for action, and it's not as if the lineup is loaded with neophytes. Provided there's not too much reliance on the backups, the line will once again create running room for the backs, but it needs to improve in pass protection. Although it won't be easy replacing all-leaguer Justice at center, the coaching staff hopes the 6-foot-2, 289-pound junior Trey Bailey has a great future as an adequate fill-in.

Defense

Wake Forest has all four starters and a pair of All-ACC performers return to its defensive backfield, which includes senior ringleader Alphonso Smith, for 2008. (Marc Serota / Getty Images)

The Deacons lose just two starters from a feisty and underappreciated defense that allowed only 22 points a game and finished No. 4 nationally in takeaways. While Anthony Davis is a prime candidate to replace Jeremy Thompson at defensive end, the program caught a break when starter Matt Robinson was granted an additional year of eligibility. The back seven is as good as any in the ACC, with Aaron Curry bolstering the linebacker corps and CB Alphonso Smith leading the secondary. Smith is a microcosm of the Wake Forest D, an undersized and overactive defender that has a knack for getting his hands on the ball. An underrated Xs and Os guy, outgoing coordinator Dean Hood will be sorely missed.

Defensive Line: Priority No. 1 for assistant coach Keith Henry will be to find a replacement for last year's top pass rusher Jeremy Thompson. One candidate is 6-foot-2, 248-pound senior Matt Robinson, who has been awarded a sixth year of eligibility after overcoming three surgeries to play in 2007. Even if he can't recapture the form that led to 20.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in his first two seasons, his mere presence will be an inspiration for the rest of the unit. The line doesn't have a sure-thing at defensive end, that relentless rusher requiring extra attention and a second blocker. If the Deacons struggle getting after the passer, it'll force new coordinator Brad Lambert to get creative. The run defense should be excellent.

Linebackers: All three regulars and five players who started games a year ago are back, making linebacker one of the deepest spots on the roster. The leading man is heady senior Aaron Curry, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound monster from the strong side with an All-America ceiling. There's no understating the value of having three seniors in the starting lineup, especially when two of them are playmakers like Curry and Stanley Arnoux. The combination of three veteran starters, and up-and-comers like Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes, should make this a strength.

Secondary: All four starters and a pair of All-ACC performers return to a defensive backfield that's going to be a minefield to navigate. The ringleader is 5-foot-9, 191-pound senior Alphonso Smith, a feast-or-famine cornerback who'll get burned at times, but compensates with a slew of big plays. As good as Smith is, running mate Brandon Ghee isn't far behind. As talented and physically gifted as this group is, it gets burned too often taking too many chances and allowing too many big plays. Behind all the speed and flash, the Deacons yielded 20 TD passes and 231 yards a game a year ago.

Special Teams: The special teams discussion essentially begins and ends with senior Sam Swank, the punter and one of the nation's elite placekickers. A starter since his freshman season, he's a dead-on kicker who can also connect from long range with accuracy. The nation's active leader in field goals, he's 60-of-76 for his career, including 9-of-12 from beyond 50 yards. With Swank on the roster, Wake is automatically above solid on special teams. To ascend to well above average, however, the unit needs to do a better job covering kicks and find adequate replacements for Kenneth Moore and Kevin Marion in the return game.