It’s a season of many new things across college football with it being the first season with the new alignment across the different conferences. Like most, the ACC found three new teams joining them for the first time: SMU, California and Stanford.
Florida State will get set for the title defense while plenty of hungry teams look to dethrone the Seminoles. One of those teams, as well as being a contender for the title since the early 2010s, is Clemson. However, there are plenty of other teams able to shock the conference, like Louisville did a season ago with an ACC Championship appearance.
So, I did some hunting and found a fun predictor where you can pick the winner of every single ACC matchup. Through that, here is what I think goes down in the Atlantic Coastal Conference this season.
17. Stanford Cardinals
It will be a tough season for the Cardinal in its first ACC season following many defensive breakdowns throughout the 2023 season in the Pac-12. I see many growing pains with these three squads, especially with traveling from the west to east coasts, which are more difficult than you think. Elic Ayomanor is the name to watch on this squad, with the wideout being the name that helped Stanford mount its 29-point comeback against Colorado last season. That’s about it though. Think 2022 Boston College with Zay Flowers. I think that’s what will happen with this team.
16. Virginia Cavaliers
I haven’t seen enough through the portal to guarantee that the Cavaliers will have a better or worse season than that a season ago, but I think Tony Elliott’s squad will be towards the bottom of the conference again. A friendly schedule nevertheless, I do not see enough star power that other ACC squads provide, especially through the portal or as a freshman this season. I like the pickup for former Notre Dame receiver Chris Tyree, but there are tough home games and away games that I just can’t see them winning.
15. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
While having one of the more underrated coaches in the conference in my opinion (Dave Clausen), I just don’t believe, like Virginia, that the Demon Deacons have enough star power through the portal that will give them success next season. NC State, North Carolina and Miami away, Clemson at home and other highly competitive home games, the trust in 25-year-old transfer Hank Bachmeier is huge for Wake’s success. But, like some Demon Deacon seasons, they tend to overperform, and I would not be surprised if they upset a top team in this conference.
14. Pittsburgh Panthers
While returning many starters, the Panthers have many different games that are friendly to them throughout the season. Their only in-conference game where I can see an almost certain loss is to Clemson. Because of this friendly schedule, it is very tough to rank them based on the amount of toss-ups that they could have. I have more trust in Pitt’s defense than its offense, but it is a team that I need to see perform in Week 1 to determine its floor and ceiling better. It’s experience is optimistic though.
13. Duke Blue Devils
Duke had two of the biggest losses in the offseason with the departure of head coach Mike Elko to Texas A&M and quarterback Riley Leonard to Notre Dame. While Texas transfer Maalik Murphy is one of the more solid quarterbacks in this conference through his statistics, the Blue Devils just have a difficult schedule that they would need to upset many to find last season’s success. Home against North Carolina and Virginia Tech while facing Miami and Florida State on the road is not optimistic, but they return many of the offensive and defensive pieces that saw a great season last year.
12. California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears have too many good pieces to the team to have them in a lower spot. Running back Jayden Ott will certainly turn heads in his first season in the ACC. Their defense led the country in takeaways last season and have many potential games where I can see them going Cal’s way. While not having talent all across the board that many of these ACC teams do, I consider a bowl game in their first season in the conference a success, where I can see this team finishing around.
11. Boston College Eagles
Head coach Bill O’Brien is back as the leader of a collegiate squad with the Eagles, who finished the season with a bowl win over SMU. Much of the team returns, headlined by quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who was a great dual-threat signal caller who showed potential. Like Pitt, this is a very interesting team that I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish in the top half of the conference or dead last. While a controversial coach, I think O’Brien will help develop this offense better and finish in the middle of the pack.
10. Syracuse Orange
A lot is new with the Orange, including a new head coach in Fran Brown and Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord, who has lower expectations as a signal caller, which I believe is a great thing and he will have a great season. Their schedule is very friendly as well, especially down the stretch after their bye week, with home games against Miami and Virginia Tech being their only tough games, but the Carrier Dome is a tough place to play. I like this team’s odds of being in a bowl game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orange finish higher than this. I think a fun season is to come for Syracuse fans.
9. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets have one of the toughest schedules in the conference, which gives them their place this low. However, if any team could surprise the country and pull off upsets in this conference, it would be Georgia Tech. Head coach Brent Key enters his second season with quarterback Haynes King back as well. The offensive weapons are strong in Jamal Haynes, Eric Singleton and Chase Lane. While a game against Florida State Week 0 in Dublin could be worrisome to the expectations of a season, they finish out the season with home games against Miami, NC State and Georgia. This roster has bowl expectations, and I think that the team could shock many.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Unlike the Yellow Jackets, the Tar Heels get the edge at the No. 8 spot due to their lighter schedule. No Clemson, Virginia Tech or Miami in their season, which could see them having a lot of success. Despite losing star quarterback Drake Maye, running back Omarion Hampton is back and joining former Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson in the backfield. This team is not ACC championship-worthy, in my opinion, but they will make noise under head coach Mack Brown and have another solid season in Chapel Hill.
7. SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs will enter their first season in the ACC following an 11-3 season in the American Athletic Conference last year. A great defense with a solid quarterback in Peyton Stone, the only head-scratcher that comes along with this SMU team is its ability to play against Power 5 schools. While an 11-win season last year is impressive, all three of their losses were against the only Power 5 schools they played. Not to mention they lost to Boston College in their bowl game to round out the year. The roster has the talent to be a top team in this conference, but it is only if they can learn how to play against this conference, and they have the schedule to do so.
6. Louisville Cardinals
We are now in the part of the rankings where I can see these six teams make it to the championship, or even win it all. Louisville begins it with second-year head coach Jeff Brohm looking to make as big of a splash as he did in his first season. He did so in the transfer portal already, picking up Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough and Alabama wideout Ja’Corey Brooks, who I believe could be the best-underrated transfer in the conference. The Cardinals also picked up running back Donald Chaney from Miami. Brohm has a tough schedule, but if he could squeeze out an upset against Clemson or Miami, this team has an incredible chance of going back to the championship game.
5. NC State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack are rejuvenated with the pickup of Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall and Duke running back Jordan Waters. Under the control of head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack always seem to put up a consistent fight to play in the ACC Championship game. Could this be their year? A favorable schedule is persuading, with an away game to Clemson early on being one of their only games as an in-conference underdog. Ending the season with Georgia Tech and North Carolina could be nerve-racking. The most scary thing about this NC State team is that even without star linebacker Payton Wilson, this defense is a threat to any team in this conference. If anyone sneaks into that title game in Charlotte, it’s the Wolfpack.
4. Miami Hurricanes
Yes, the Hurricanes hit the jackpot in the offseason with the pickup of Washington State quarterback transfer Cameron Ward. They picked up running back Damien Martinez from Oregon State and wideout Samuel Brown from Houston. The defense is scary and has favorable matchups against the top teams (home against Florida State and Virginia Tech). The only thing in their way of winning it all is their head coach. Mario Cristobal is the only thing stopping this team from a CFP appearance, and I think his play-calling trips them up. I could see him getting simply outcoached to lose a game that the ‘Canes shouldn’t lose. I hope I’m wrong because this team is fun on paper, but the question is if history will repeat itself.
3. Florida State Seminoles.
While being the reigning ACC champions, head coach Mike Norvell has done a solid job through the transfer portal with pickups of Oregon State and former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, Alabama running back Roydell Williams, receiver Malik Benson. Most of their defense is back and their secondary is intact. The only thing slowing this team down, and preventing them from going back-to-back, is Uiagalelei’s consistency. If he is consistent, the Seminoles will make the College Football Playoff. However, in seasons with the Tigers and the Beavers, he has let the identity of a team loose before. Week 0 against Georgia Tech is a bigger test for them than people think, and the score will determine a lot about what this team can do throughout the season.
2. Virginia Tech Hokies
Here is my sleeper (or not-so-sleeper) pick of the year. Brent Key has done an incredible job of rebuilding Virginia Tech in his short tenure as head coach. They did not lose many players and have the best backfield in the country in Kyron Drones, Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas. The defense is stifling and impressive to watch. Two games stick out, away at Miami and home against Clemson. In one of the toughest places to play in the country and the lighter schedule that this team has, if there is any team that will shock viewers and analysts and sneak into this ACC championship game, like Louisville last season, it will be the Hokies. It will be fun to watch this team, who have gone all in to make a College Football Playoff push.
1. Clemson Tigers
Surprise, surprise. The Tigers make it to the top of the ACC once again with the pieces that they return. Running back Phil Mafah returns, the only loss to the receiving corps is Beaux Collins and their defense is younger and hungrier than ever before. Clemson will have its slip-ups, a tough Week 1 game against Georgia and away games against Florida State and Virginia Tech are not going to be easy. If anybody knows how to get to the ACC Championship out of this group of six teams, it is Dabo Swinney. The five-game win streak to finish out last season only brought momentum into this one. It will all rely on quarterback Cade Klubnik, who understands the step he needs to take, and from coaches across the staff, there is belief that he has done so. If this is true, he is the final piece for Clemson to get back to the ACC Championship or even the College Football Playoff.
