Will this be the year? Will the 2011 season mark the time when the ACC finally rises up and becomes one of college football’s true power conferences?

The ACC has been down in the pecking order as of late, floating somewhere above the Big East but below conferences like the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten.

Will that all change in 2011? Well, If you’re a firm believer in teams like Florida State and even dark horses like North Carolina, then there’s definitely hope for optimism. But we have to see if the conference is ready to take that next step this season.

One thing we do know is that there’s plenty of interesting talent throughout the conference this year. So we might as well have a look at who the top players are, right?

Here are a few names that ACC fans should keep an eye on in 2011.

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