By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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With all seven teams still seemingly legitimate contenders to represent the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, the deciding factor in determining a champion very well could be quarterback play.

Through three weeks of regular season competition, little has been done to clarify the picture in the ACC Coastal Division. If anything, the picture has only become murkier with the surprising play of Virginia and Pittsburgh, and the disappointing early showing from Miami.

With all seven teams still seemingly legitimate contenders to represent the division in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, the deciding factor in determining a champion very well could be quarterback play.

If that is the case, perhaps it is logical to think that Duke and North Carolina are the slight early favorites to make it to Bank of America Stadium in early December.

Scouring over the divisional teams, there is overall dearth of proven quarterback commodities in the division. And while many of the teams have, up to this point, been able to overcome their quarterback deficiencies by excelling in other facets of the game, history indicates that below-average play under center will ultimately inhibit a team from reaching championship standing.

The one team that is difficult to read when looking at the divisional race through this lens is Georgia Tech, which obviously employs a non-traditional offense. Justin Thomas has done relatively well throwing the football and making sound decisions in the option game, but he has also produced a number of head-scratching moments. In particular, his inability to value the football in the first two games of the season caused tremendous concern for the coaching staff.

Virginia has likely been the biggest surprise of the Coastal Division in the first month of the season, but much of the Cavaliers early success can be attributed to exceptional defensive performances. Greyson Lambert and Matt Johns have actually split time under center, with neither player performing well enough to take firm grasp of the starting job. The two have combined to throw for five touchdowns and five interceptions through three games, but the fact that the Cavaliers do not have a solidified quarterback in whom they feel confident heading into the back half of September is obviously disconcerting.

Unlike Virginia, Pittsburgh does not have a quarterback competition brewing, as Chad Voytik is firmly entrenched in the starting role. To this point, however, Voytik still has yet to prove that he is capable of carrying the offensive load. In three games against less-than-stellar competition, Voytiks best performance was a mere 111 yard showing against Boston College. He has failed to top 100 yards in either of the other contests. It is unlikely that star running back James Conner will be able to keep up his high level of productivity every week during conference play, which means that Voytik will sooner or later be forced to attempt to win games with his arm.

Transfer Michael Brewer has undoubtedly helped the Virginia Tech offense become slightly more proficient this season, but there are still glaring weaknesses with him at the helms. Brewer has thrown multiple interceptions in each of the last two contests, and has five total picks on the season. His completion percentage is respectable, but he has shown a propensity to be a little too careless with the football. Given the fact that he is backed up by a strong defense, the fact that he is forcing so many passes into coverage is troubling, to say the least.

At Miami, true freshman Brad Kaaya looked better in his most recent outing, but his overall start to the season has been relatively unimpressive. Kaaya has completed 60 percent of his passing attempts through three games, but he is already responsible for five interceptions. He has the physical tools to eventually develop into a quality signal caller, but the fact of the matter is that it is really tough to succeed as a true freshman quarterback at the collegiate level. Even if he is able to make significant strides as the season progresses, it is still very likely that he will suffer from at least a couple of x9cfreshman gamesx9d.

Meanwhile, at Duke and North Carolina, quarterback play has been the last thing on the minds of the coaching staffs.

Blue Devils quarterback Anthony Boone is one of just two starting quarterbacks in the ACC, alongside Syracuses Terrel Hunt, to have not thrown an interception in 2014. In three contests, he has completed over 63 percent of his passing attempts and has totaled seven touchdowns through the air. His average of 231.7 passing yards per game is currently fourth-best in the conference.

Boone also has the luxury of being one of the few experienced starters in the ACC. In fact, Boone is an amazing 13-0 in his career as a starting quarterback in the regular season, giving Duke head coach David Cutcliffe extreme peace of mind on Saturday afternoons.

Just eight miles down the road, Marquise William certainly has not disappointed as the starter at North Carolina. After gaining significant experience due to an injury to Bryn Renner in 2013, Williams has taken firm control of Larry Fedoras patented up-tempo offense. In just two games this season, Williams has completed over 67 percent of his passing attempts for four touchdowns and two interceptions, displaying improved accuracy from a season ago.

Williams has also not been asked to fully display what is arguably his best attribute: his running ability. After leading the team in rushing last fall, Williams only has 18 rushing attempts to this point in the season, a number which will unquestionably increase rapidly as the competition increases.

Boone and Williams are certainly by no means finished products under center, but they appear to be the unquestioned best that the Coastal Division has to offer right now.

The battle for the divisional title will still likely come down to the very end of the season, but the Blue Devils and Tar Heels can at least feel good about the fact that they will get steady production out of the quarterback position.