Football season is rapidly approaching, so here is a look at how the ACC teams stack up to start the year. Just like in the last few years there are two clear tiers: Clemson and Florida State, followed by everybody else.
1. Clemson
Replacing three former players — quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receiver Mike Williams and running back Wayne Gallman — won’t be easy for the defending national champions, but they’ve got plenty of options. Trips to Raleigh and Louisville are extremely losable games for the Tigers, and of course a date with the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 11 is the marquee game on their schedule.
2. Florida State
FSU is essentially 1B in this ranking. The ‘Noles are a trending pick to make the College Football Playoff, and it’s certainly possible, but their schedule might be the toughest in the country. While they do get NC State and Louisville at home, an opening-night matchup against Alabama and a trip to Death Valley to take on Clemson seem like a death sentence. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine FSU going 3-1 against that group.
3. Louisville
The Cardinals’ roster has holes, but they have Heisman-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson and he covers most of them. Last year, they fell off a cliff against lesser competition late in the season after rolling through the ACC. If anything happens to Jackson, whether it is complacency, injuries or lack of focus, this team could be needing wins in November to make a bowl. That said, they should and probably will win nine games.
4. Virginia Tech
Somebody has to win the far-weaker Coastal Division and the Hokies are the smart guess. Quarterback Jerod Evans and his top weapons are gone, but head coach Justin Fuente proved he could win games last year, leading the Hokies to a 10-4 record and an ACC Championship game appearance.
5. NC State
The Pack has the talent to win the majority of the 10 Power Five divisions this year, but the ACC Atlantic is not one of those. Plus, the schedule is a gauntlet including a finish that is what NC State nightmares are made of: at Boston College, at Wake Forest, and home versus North Carolina.
6. Pittsburgh
Head coach Pat Narduzzi is perhaps the most underrated coach in the ACC, but the Panthers lost running back James Conner and quarterback Nathan Peterman so they have a lot to replace on offense. The non-conference schedule is tough but every ACC game is winnable for the Panthers, and Pitt is a contender to win the ACC Coastal.
7. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets flew under the radar with nine wins last year, but they also won three games the year before, so who knows what to expect this year. Head coach Paul Johnson and his triple option offense will always cause issues for opposing defenses.
8. Miami
Eventually Miami has to win the Coastal Division. Head coach Mark Richt is a good coach and we’ll see if he can harness the talent that the Hurricanes attract in his second year, which hasn’t happened since they joined the ACC in 2004.
9. Wake Forest
Head coach Dave Clawson was faced with a pretty daunting task at Wake and has done an admirable job. Just how high he can take the Demon Deacons in the Atlantic Division is up for debate, but it’s a team that should qualify for a bowl and beat any team that isn’t ready or overlooks them.
10. North Carolina
Making a bowl would be a successful rebuilding season for the Tar Heels, who lost a lot on the offensive side of the ball after one of the better two-year runs in recent memory.
11. Syracuse
Head coach Dino Babers had his mettle tested last year when injuries obliterated his team. His offense has looked good in theory but he hasn’t had the players to really make it dangerous yet.
12. Duke
The Blue Devils managed to win four games after quarterback Thomas Sirk was ruled out for the year with injury. Sirk is gone so it’ll be interesting to see what quarterback aficionado David Cutcliffe has up his sleeve.
13. Boston College
The Eagles seem to make a bowl every year because the defense is never fun for opponents, but once again, the offense is the key to becoming bowl eligible for the Eagles.
14. Virginia
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall has a long rebuilding job ahead of him, but at least the Coastal Division is winnable for anyone. The Cavaliers are the only ACC team that probably doesn’t have at least the potential to make a bowl game.
Junior tight end fullback Jaylen Samuels breaks a tackle on the way to a 23-yard touchdown rush. After getting nearly no looks or touches against Boston College, Samuels' presence was felt with 29 yards on the ground and 31 through the air. The Wolfpack was unable to complete the fourth quarter ending in a 24-20 loss to Florida State on Nov. 5, 2016 in Carter-Finley Stadium.
