A brand new era of ACC football begins this fall with the arrival of Cal, Stanford and SMU, but will the race for the conference deviate from the trail so often taken?
Either Florida State or Clemson have won 12 of the last 13 ACC championships, excluding Pittsburgh's surprising run in 2021.
The Seminoles and Tigers are once more clear favorites. But challengers are lurking.
Our predictions for the conference race:
1. State of Florida: The absolute class of the conference, unless there are dark clouds hanging over the playoff defeat, losing streaks dominate the season, the whole lot goes haywire and the Noles find yourself in the course of the pack relatively than at the highest.
2.Clemson: The Tigers have a lower ceiling than FSU but a better floor. They visit Tallahassee on October 5, so we'll know the leader two months before the sport is over.
3. Miami: A pivotal 12 months for coach Mario Cristobal, who posted a 6-10 conference record in two seasons at his alma mater. Will he get the most effective out of quarterback Cam Ward, the transfer from Washington State? Don't count on it.
4. SMU: We'd be barely surprised but not shocked – definitely not shocked – if the Mustangs won the conference of their rookie season. They're tough, well-coached and play without the burden of expectations.
5. Virginia Tech: The Hokies return 21 starters, including quarterback Kyron Drones, from a team that finished fourth last 12 months, and there's no reason they will't compete again.
6. NC State: Dave Doeren is one of the vital underrated coaches within the country. In fact, we could also be underestimating the Wolfpack here. They are 16-8 within the conference during the last three years.
7. Cal: While he doesn't get the identical attention, Jadyn Ott could be the best tailback within the ACC — higher than Miami's Damien Martinez and UNC's Omarion Hampton. If the Bears can pair Ott with a good passing game, a top-half finish — and a bowl berth — is entirely possible.
8.Louisville: The Hotline isn't as bullish on Louisville as other pundits, mostly because we way back developed a “believe it when we see it” attitude toward quarterback Tyler Shough. If he proves us mistaken this season, good for him.
9.North Carolina: Does coach Mack Brown, who’s over 70 years old, have yet one more run to go before him to win? No, he doesn't. The Tar Heels are nowhere near adequate on the lines of scrimmage.
10. Wake Forest: The ACC season is sure to supply a handful of positive surprises and just a few disappointments – all relative to expectations, after all. Don't bet on Dave Clawson and Co. delivering one in every of the previous in Winston-Salem.
11. Syracuse: The Orange have a brand new coach, Fran Brown, and a brand new quarterback, Kyle McCord, the previous Ohio State starter. But we expected more of the identical from a team that sometimes finishes under .500 in league play.
12.Georgia Tech: No one within the ACC has a tougher schedule than Georgia Tech, which opens against Florida State (at Ireland), closes against Georgia (at Athens), and plays Miami and Notre Dame. Good luck with .
13. Pittsburgh: The lines of scrimmage are solid – not in the highest tier of the ACC, but definitely not in the underside. In our opinion, the dearth of quality playmakers is the Panthers' most important problem.
14.Stanford: Second-year coach Troy Taylor will profit from the modest talent he has at his disposal, nevertheless it's difficult to get greater than 4 or five wins when you might have 4 cross-country trips in seven weeks in the course of the season.
15. Boston College: If the Eagles someway manage to make it to the bowl, Bill O'Brien can be named ACC Coach of the Year — they don't have enough talent on either side of practice to win six games. Maybe not enough for 4.
16. Duke: By the time the basketball season begins (November 4), the Blue Devils football program could have a 0-5 record in ACC play, with little likelihood of reversing that trend.
17. Virginia: With 17 teams and only eight conference games, the ACC race will inevitably be tied between three or 4 teams in the underside third of the standings. If the Cavs find yourself at the underside of the standings, they'll likely have company.
Originally published:
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