By Jim Johnson
SouthernPigskin.com

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Here are my picks for the ACC and SEC sleepers of 2016.

Every college football season we are presented with a new set of pleasant surprises, breakout stars, redemption stories, and, of course, sleeper teams.

This season, the ACCs biggest sleeper was North Carolina. Behind a heroic campaign by senior quarterback Marquise Williams, and a lightyears improved defense under new coordinator, Gene Chizik, the Tar Heels and their top ten scoring offense won eleven games in a row, leading up to their shootout battle with Clemson in the conference championship.

In the SEC, it was Florida that came out of nowhere to take the East division crown. Prior to the season, with a new head coach, and an offensive line in shambles, most people figured the Gators were looking at about .500. However, whereas the x98Heels scored their way to surprise everyone with a conference title berth, the Gators defended their way to the same place.

Granted, neither team won their respective conferences, nor finished the year particularly strongly, but relative to the preseason expectations, Florida and North Carolina went well above and beyond.

So, even though the season just ended, here are my picks for the ACC and SEC sleepers of 2016:

Miami
Under the leadership of Mark Richt, dont be surprised if we begin to see the resurrection of x9cThe Ux9d. From jump street, Richt will have the second best quarterback in the conference at his disposal.
Kaayas top target Stacy Coley will also be returning. There are certainly some issues to shore up on the defensive side, but if nothing else, the secondary will be solid. More than anything, the Coastal division is just wide open. With the departure of Marquise Williams, Im not sure why anyone thinks North Carolina will match this seasons production, and beyond that I dont see any other Coastal team getting significantly, if even noticeably, better.

Ole Miss
Quarterback is the most important position on the football field, and since Dak Prescott will be gone in 2016, Chad Kelly should be the best in the SEC. Losing Treadwell hurts, no doubt, but Kelly ought to be able to overcome that hurdle if he puts in the work during the offseason. Frankly, I wouldve rather picked someone out of the East, but it seems like a two-horse race between Tennessee and Florida, neither of which would be sleepers. I dont think I have to point who the favorite will be in the West, but the Rebels have beaten them the past two years, why cant they make it three?