It wasn’t that long ago that the Atlantic Coast Conference was winning national titles at as high a rate as any conference.Between 2013 and 2018, the ACC won three national championships (Florida State in 2013, Clemson in 2016 and 2018), more than any other conference over that span.In the six years since, the ACC has won zero national titles while the Big Ten, which had won just one title between 2003 and 2022, has surged past the ACC by winning each of the last two.However, the re-emergence of Clemson last season gives the conference its best shot in a number of years to snap that drought this fall. The Tigers’ No. 4 preseason ranking in the AP poll is the highest for an ACC team since 2022 Clemson was ranked fourth to begin the season.”We’ve been a target around here for a long time,’ Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said during his preseason press conference. “Whether they’re talking bad about you, good about you, it doesn’t matter. Expectations are always high here, always have been, and they’re all big…”As I always tell the guys, headlines this time of year, it’s all based on opinions and potential. The headlines that matter are the ones that are written on performance. Those are the ones that ultimately matter in the end.”The Tigers, who won their seventh ACC championship in the last nine years in 2024, were picked by media voters to win the ACC once again in 2025, receiving 167 of the 183 first-place votes.Here’s our projection for how the ACC standings will shake out this fall:Clemson (12-1 projected record)2024 record: 10-4Last conference title: 2024Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Aug. 30, vs. No. 9 LSUWhy they will win the ACC: Veteran quarterback Cade Klubnik (6,483 passing yards, 55 passing TDs over the last two seasons) is back and enters 2025 as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He’s flanked by a defensive line which has a strong case for being the best in the nation this season, returning Peter Woods and T.J. Parker while adding Purdue transfer Will Heldt.Miami (10-3 projected record)2024 record: 10-3Last conference title: 2003 (Big East Conference)Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Nov. 1, at No. 16 SMUWhy they will win the ACC: Georgia transfer QB Carson Beck has been getting rave reviews around the program since returning from offseason elbow surgery over the summer. He’ll be protected by what’s expected to be one of the best offensive lines in the country and surrounded by a roster assembled by head coach Mario Cristobal which has a case for being the most talented in the conference.Georgia Tech (10-2 projected record)2024 record: 7-6Last conference title: 2009Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Sept. 13, vs. No. 4 ClemsonWhy they will win the ACC: Brent Key has had quite a bit of success as head coach at his alma mater, quickly turning things around into back-to-back overachieving seasons to begin his tenure. QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes, who combined for over 1,500 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs in 2024, will anchor what should again be a high-powered offense.Louisville (10-2 projected record)2024 record: 9-4Last conference title: 2012 (BIg East Conference)Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Oct. 17, at No. 10 MiamiWhy they will win the ACC: Head coach Jeff Brohm has proven to be something of a QB whisperer, and he’s got another promising starter this season in USC transfer Miller Moss. Pair him with RB Isaac Brown (1,173 yards, 11 TDs as a freshman in 2024) and an experienced receiver room and the Cards should have another potent offense on their hands.SMU (9-3 projected record)2024 record: 11-3Last conference title: 2023 (American Conference)Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Nov. 4, at No. 4 ClemsonWhy they will win the ACC: Rhett Lashlee has made SMU a pinnacle of consistency early in his tenure, leading the Mustangs to consecutive 11-win seasons for the first time in program history in 2023-24 after they had just one 10-win season over the prior 37 seasons.Florida State (8-4 projected record)2024 record: 2-10Last conference title: 2023Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Aug. 30, vs. No. 8 AlabamaWhy they will win the ACC: It’s hard to see FSU jumping up from its 2024 disaster all the way to ACC champions this season. However, the combination of new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s track record with mobile QBs and FSU starter Tommy Castellanos’ remarkable athleticism could be the spark that was badly missing for the Seminoles last season..North Carolina (9-3 projected record)2024 record: 6-7Last conference title: 1980Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Oct. 4, vs. No. 4 ClemsonWhy they will win the ACC: While new UNC head coach Bill Belichick has never coached in college, he’s got a strong case for best NFL head coach of all time with six Super Bowl victories. Additionally, the Tar Heels have what appears to be an easier ACC slate, facing just one of the top seven teams in our projected ACC standings.Duke (6-6 projected record)2024 record: 9-4Last conference title: 1989Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Nov. 22, at North CarolinaWhy they will win the ACC: Manny Diaz did a great job in Year 1 carrying over the program momentum he inherited from former head coach Mike Elko. This offseason, he brought in Tulane QB transfer Darian Mensah (2,723 yards, 22 TD passes to six interceptions as a true freshman), who is being paid a reported $8 million over the next two seasons.Syracuse (6-6 projected record)2024 record: 10-3Last conference title: 2012 (Big East)Circle this game on the 2025 schedule: Nov. 22, at No. 6 Notre DameWhy they will win the ACC: The Orange made a remarkable Year 1 improvement under new head coach Fran Brown, improving by four wins for just the program’s third 10-win season this century. Brown, previously an assistant at Georgia, has been acquiring talent far above Syracuse’s normal level considering its geographical disadvantages.Virginia Tech (6-6 projected record)2024 record: 6-7Last conference title: 2010
ACC Primer: Can Miami — or Georgia Tech — catch Clemson?
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