The ACC has been the center of attention in many ways in college football recently. The conference looks to be at risk of being the next power conference to collapse with pillars Florida State and Clemson potentially wanting out. Amidst all of the chaos and lawsuits, there’s still a football season to play. The ACC missed out on having a playoff team last season after undefeated Florida State was snubbed in favor of one-loss Alabama. This conference has been fairly top-heavy in recent years, and even its biggest programs have failed to produce consistent success. This season, however, the ACC boasts multiple teams expected to make a run at the playoffs. Will this be another year of disappointment on the east coast, or will these schools live up to the hype?
17. Stanford
In all honesty, I was surprised that Stanford was brought into the ACC over other former Pac 12 schools Oregon State and Washington State. Despite their history of dominance in the 2010’s, the Cardinal are coming off of three consecutive three win seasons. Stanford brought in a talented quarterback recruit Elijah Brown and worked to reconstruct what was a terrible defense in 2023. Head coach Troy Taylor hopes to turn things around, but expectations should be low for this season.
16. Wake Forest
Wake Forest finished last in the ACC in 2023 with only one conference win. Dave Clawson’s team struggled on both offense and defense. Over the offseason, Wake Forest brought in former Louisiana Tech quarterback Hank Bachmeier to lead an offense that scored just over 20 points per game last season. This is an experienced Demon Deacons roster, but experience in losing doesn’t always produce winning.
15. Pittsburgh
The Pitt Panthers finished last season 3-9, their worst record since Pat Narduzzi took over in 2015. To make matters worse, they lost some key starters from a defense that was a relative strength. Pitt hired Kade Bell as their new offensive coordinator after the Panthers posted the worst offense in the ACC in 2023. While I expect to see improvement on that side of the ball, Pitt is far from being a contender in this conference.
14. Virginia
Like the Panthers, Virginia finished 3-9 last season. However, four of those losses came by three points or less. The Cavaliers show signs for cautious optimism this year. They return 76% of their overall production last season, which ranks fifth in the country. If Virginia can turn some of those close losses into wins in 2024, I expect them to finish comfortably ahead of the bottom tier of the ACC.
13. Boston College
Bill O’Brien spent the last few seasons coaching under Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, some of the best coaches in football history. He’ll hope to bring a small piece of their greatness with him to Boston College as he takes over for NFL-bound Jeff Hafley. The Eagles finished 7-6 in 2023 and beat now-ACC opponent SMU in their bowl game. BC returns quarterback Thomas Castellanos to lead their offense. It’s a tough schedule for the Eagles, but they should have enough talent to be competitive again.
12. Duke
The Blue Devils were contending for an ACC championship last season before star quarterback Riley Leonard went down with an injury, derailing their season. This offseason, Leonard left for Notre Dame through the transfer portal and former head coach Mike Elko has departed for Texas A&M. Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy will hope to fill the hole Leonard left in this offense. New defensive-minded head coach Manny Diaz will hope to keep this program on track heading into 2024.
11. Syracuse
After finishing a 6-7 season with an embarrassing blowout loss to USF in their bowl game, the Syracuse Orange have the ninth best odds to win the ACC in 2024. The Orange hired former Georgia defensive assistant Fran Brown as their new head coach. Brown has already made a positive impact, bringing in former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord through the transfer portal. Additionally, this team brings back 74% of last season’s production, which ranks in the top 10 nationally. I expect Brown to be successful at Syracuse, but expectations may be a bit too high for this year.
10. North Carolina
During his time at UNC, Mack Brown’s teams have been consistently good but have struggled to make it over the hump and solidify themselves at the top of the ACC. Last season was no different, as the Tar Heels finished 8-5. After losing quarterback Drake Maye to the NFL, expectations are low for North Carolina heading into this year. They return only 37% of overall production, and didn’t do much to fix what was a mediocre defense in 2023.
9. SMU
I’m lower than most on the Mustangs this year, I’ll admit it. SMU looked impressive last season in the AAC, but the Power 4 is a different animal. Out of the four schools to upgrade to a power conference in 2023, none finished above .500. Sure SMU is more talented than those teams were, but it still takes time to get used to facing tougher opponents week in and week out. Returning quarterback Preston Stone will lead a talented group on offense, but I expect this to be an adjustment year for the Mustangs.
8. California
Yes, California is in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It’s ridiculous. I’m still getting over it. In 2023, the Golden Bears faded into the background of a competitive Pac 12 conference. They aren’t drawing much attention in the ACC either, though perhaps they should be. Running back Jaydn Ott is one of the best in the country. Cal returns 73% of their overall production from last season, and brought in the fourth ranked transfer class in the ACC to bolster a squad that is plenty good enough to compete in their debut season in the conference.
7. Georgia Tech
I’m a little more optimistic about the Yellow Jackets this season than most experts. To be clear, I don’t expect Georgia Tech to compete for a conference championship. However, I do think they can beat their projected win total of five games. Georgia Tech will be led by a talented backfield including quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes (I’m working on a Haynes-related nickname for the pair). They have a tough schedule this season, but if they can limit turnovers I expect the Yellow Jackets to finish above .500 for the second consecutive year.
6. Louisville
Last season, Louisville made a surprise run to the ACC championship game and finished the season 10-4. After bringing in an impressive transfer class for the second year in a row, Jeff Brohm’s squad is expected to compete for the top spot in the conference again. Transfer quarterback Tyler Shough is expected to improve an offensive unit that struggled in 2023. I expect the lack of consistency on this roster to cause the Cardinals to fail to live up to expectations this year.
5. Virginia Tech
Brent Pry’s tenure at Virginia Tech is trending in the right direction. After finishing 3-8 in 2022, the Hokies went 7-6 last year, earning their first bowl win since 2016. Going into this season, Virginia Tech returns all 11 starters on an offense that put up almost 30 points per game last season. Quarterback Kyron Drones is one of the more talented signal callers this school has had in recent memory. Hokie fans are optimistic, and with good reason.
4. Miami
The Miami Hurricanes have failed to live up to their high preseason expectations so far during Mario Cristobal’s time in charge. Well, expectations are high again. This team brought in the second ranked transfer class in the conference, and are projected to compete for their first ever ACC championship in 2024. However, with significant question marks in the defensive secondary, I’m worried Hurricane fans will be left disappointed once again.
3. NC State
Here’s my sleeper pick for the ACC title this season. The NC State Wolfpack went 9-4 in 2023 and finished the year ranked in the top 20 nationally. They are returning key starters from a defensive group that was among the best in the conference last season, allowing only 20 points and only 104 rushing yards per game. They brought in some talented transfers on offense, including quarterback Grayson McCall and tight end Justin Joly. Expect the Wolfpack to impress in 2024.
2. Clemson
Clemson finished at a disappointing 9-4 last season, including overtime losses to both Florida State and Miami. Returning quarterback Cade Klubnik hasn’t yet lived up to the hype he received as one of the top quarterbacks in his recruiting class, but I expect him to take a big step forward in 2024. Dabo Swinney has gone against the grain in recent years by refusing to utilize the transfer portal, and it seems the Tigers are in danger of getting left behind as a result.
1. Florida State
Florida State started last season 13-0, and likely would have made their way into the College Football Playoff were it not for an unfortunate injury to quarterback Jordan Travis late in the season. The Seminoles lost plenty of star players on both offense and defense, but filled the gaps well in the transfer portal. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is familiar with the ACC, and steps in to lead an offense that led the conference in scoring last season. FSU looks primed to repeat as conference champions this year.
“….but experience in losing doesn’t always produce winning.” great quote!!