ACC Football: Preview and Predictions for 2024 Season
After the inglorious snub of Florida State last season, the ACC enters the 2024 campaign with confidence that it will be represented in the expanded College Football Playoff.
But which program will it be?
Clemson and Florida State open the year as front-runners, while Miami and North Carolina State also landed AP Top 25 rankings in the preseason poll. Louisville, Virginia Tech and SMU commanded some votes, too. In short: It should be a solid season for the ACC.
As a product of realignment, Pac-12 castoffs Cal and Stanford are joining SMU as debutants in the 17-team league. Cross-country travel is now a reality for several teams on the, you know, Atlantic Coast.
This preview, like our Big Ten forecast, includes top players, big storylines, key games and other topics to know.
Best Players
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Florida State landed Oregon State departure DJ Uiagalelei—who previously started at Clemson—and Miami added Cam Ward from Washington State. Cade Klubnik didn't perform at a star level for Clemson last season, but that trifecta figures to have a big impact on the ACC race. SMU's Preston Stone is a very productive QB, as well.
North Carolina's Omarion Hampton is a high-end running back, along with Cal's Jadyn Ott and Miami's Damien Martinez.
NC State enjoyed a breakout freshman season from wide receiver Kevin Concepcion, while Miami returns 1,000-yard wideout Xavier Restrepo. Stanford brings a high-upside target in Elic Ayomanor.
Florida State's Patrick Payton, Louisville's Ashton Gillette and Miami's Reuben Bain Jr. are well-respected edge-rushers nationally. North Carolina's Kaimon Rucker deserves a mention here, and Clemson has a couple of rising stars in defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.
Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter and Virginia Tech cornerback Dorian Strong are two of several more excellent defenders in the ACC.
Top Storylines
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The Atlantic Pacific Coast Conference
During a three-week stretch, Stanford is set to play conference games in New York, South Carolina and California. Typical stuff, really. The duration of a flight won't determine results, but travel and fatigue are undeniable factors in performance. Instead of a long plane ride staying within Boston College to Miami, ACC teams will be adding SMU, Cal or Stanford to the docket for the first time in 2024.
Clemson or FSU Again?
Clemson has dominated the conference lately, winning seven ACC championships in the last 10 years. Florida State, which had been the league power before Clemson's rise put together an unbeaten regular season and earned an ACC title in 2023. That duo opens the campaign as co-favorites, even as Clemson is aiming to rebound from a disappointing year. Since the ACC abandoned divisions last year, it could be a Clemson vs. FSU clash for the crown.
Believe in Anyone Else?
Louisville made a surprise ascent in 2023, finishing as the ACC runner-up following a 10-win regular season. Might we see a similar rise from North Carolina State or Virginia Tech this year? Is this finally the time Miami escapes some close games to legitimately contend for an ACC title? Clemson and FSU look solid, but they're not lightyears ahead of the rest.
Top Challengers
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Tier 1: Clemson and Florida State
As mentioned in the previous section, these two programs have reigned over the ACC most recently. Pitt won a title in 2021, but every conference championship otherwise since 2011 has belonged to Clemson or FSU. Entering the season, they are the behemoths.
Tier 2: Miami and Friends
Miami has earned very little benefit of the doubt. Nevertheless, it's a tradition to look at the 'Canes because of a talented roster. Miami is the ACC's highest-ranked team after Clemson and FSU, so national expectations are again moderately high. If you expand the AP Top 25 to the "others receiving votes" category, though, all of NC State (24th), Louisville (26th), Virginia Tech (27th) and SMU (29th) are within shouting distance of the Hurricanes (19th).
Tier 3: The "Surprise!" Section
Hey, didn't expect Louisville last season. It can happen! We're basically looking at Georgia Tech, North Carolina or Syracuse for a comparable kind of ascent in 2024.
Coaches on the Hot Seat
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There are no scalding seats around the ACC, but a few coaches are certainly under some pressure in 2024.
Justin Wilcox is likely in the most uncomfortable spot, beginning his eighth year at Cal with a 36-43 record. The program ended a three-season bowl drought in 2023 but still finished 6-7. Missing the postseason may be very problematic for his job security.
Another long-tenured coach, Pat Narduzzi is entering a full decade at Pitt. The optimism that followed 2021's championship surge and 2022's nine-win record have diminished after a frustrating 3-9 season, though.
Tony Elliott inherited a semi-build at Virginia in 2022, but a couple of three-win seasons and 6-16 overall record is an issue.
The wild card is Miami's Mario Cristobal. His ability to recruit and land top transfers is highly impressive, but those off-field victories don't matter as much if Miami can't parlay that talent into on-field wins.
Best Games
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Nonconference Games
Aug. 31: Clemson vs. Georgia (in Atlanta); Miami at Florida
Sep. 7: NC State vs. Tennessee (in Charlotte)
Sep. 14: Memphis at Florida State
Nov. 9: Florida State at Notre Dame
Pretty good combination on Week 1, no? Georgia is the preseason No. 1, so we'll learn plenty about Clemson right away. Miami must be better in 2024 to protect Cristobal's job anyway, and a victory over Florida wouldn't hurt the pitch on the recruiting trail, either.
Top Conference Matchups
Sep. 21: NC State at Clemson
Oct. 5: Clemson at Florida State
Oct. 26: Florida State at Miami
Nov. 9: Clemson at Virginia Tech
Lots of Clemson here, but Florida State doesn't play NC State or Virginia Tech—and they don't play each other. In particular, those October showdowns loom as the ACC's top games.
Best of the Rest
Sep. 27 and 28: Virginia Tech at Miami; Florida State at SMU
Oct. 19: Miami at Louisville
Nov. 2: Louisville at Clemson
Nov. 30: NC State at North Carolina
Hoping for a twist in the standings? The last week of September brings a great opportunity for both Virginia Tech and SMU to shake up the race. Louisville presumably would need to beat Miami or Clemson—maybe both—to make another appearance in the ACC title game.
Best Offense
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The Pick: Miami Hurricanes
Not exactly the most comfortable decision in the world, my friends. Miami has repeatedly fallen well short of preseason hopes lately.
But this time it's different!
The challenge will be minimizing Cam Ward's inconsistency. His brightest moments at Washington State were spectacular, but he'd be liable to turn around with a nightmare in the next week.
However, the supporting cast is really good. Martinez is an explosive back, and Mark Fletcher Jr. showed terrific potential as a freshman. Restrepo and Jacolby George each surpassed 800 yards last season, as did transfer receiver Sam Brown with Houston.
Up front, the 'Canes return three starters with an experienced center in Indiana transfer Zach Carpenter. Samson Okunlola, a 5-star prospect in the 2023 cycle, is vying for time, too.
It's a risky pick, but Miami is built to score a lot of points.
Best Defense
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The Pick: Clemson Tigers
Florida State should be firmly in this discussion, and don't overlook Louisville or Virginia Tech. The latter two return a strong majority of their production from quality units in 2023.
Clemson, nevertheless, had a top-10 defense last season and used a handful of freshmen in key roles. That sophomore group is loaded—especially with Peter Woods and T.J. Parker on the line—and should help the Tigers withstand some notable losses in the front seven.
Barrett Carter was a second-team All-ACC linebacker in 2023, and safety Khalil Barnes missed third-team honors by a literal point in voting.
Retooling the secondary is key; Clemson must replace corners Nate Wiggins and Sheridan Jones, as well as safety Andrew Mukuba.
Given that Clemson has routinely had a top-five secondary in the ACC, though, expectations should be high again.
Projected Order of Finish
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1. Clemson
2. Florida State
3. North Carolina State
4. Miami
5. Virginia Tech
6. SMU
7. Louisville
8. North Carolina
9. Georgia Tech
10. Cal
11. Syracuse
12. Duke
13. Pitt
14. Wake Forest
15. Stanford
16. Boston College
17. Virginia
Projected Title Game: Clemson vs. FSU
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Clemson held a seven-game winning streak in the series, but Florida State snapped its skid in 2023.
And there may be two matchups in 2024.
The one contest we know: Clemson heads to Tallahassee for a clash in October. The winner of that meeting will likely claim the title of "ACC favorite" as the second half of the season approaches.
The second would arrive with an ACC title and trip to the College Football Playoff at stake.
Miami is talented. North Carolina State has a favorable schedule, and Virginia Tech's slate is similar. If either one upsets Clemson and Miami wins at home against FSU, throw this prediction directly into the technological trash. That would be a chaos-causing combo.
Entering the 2024 season, however, Clemson and FSU stand out as the class of the ACC.
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