ACC Football: Odds for Each Team to Make 2015-16 College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff took the sports world by storm. While some fans argued that the playoff would be a bad idea, it took a grand total of one season for that argument to be proven incorrect.

The CFP ended up being one of the most-talked-about sporting events in recent history, and it did something else that was even better. It created major drama.

Not only did the Ohio State Buckeyes sneak into the fourth and final spot over the final week of the season, but they shocked the world by beating the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Buckeyes were big underdogs against the Crimson Tide, but they pulled off the stunner. Soon after that, they had completed the incredible run by knocking off the No. 2 Oregon Ducks in the championship game. Urban Meyer's best coaching job was complete.

What did we learn from the first CFP? Well, anyone who makes the "dance" has a chance to take the whole thing down. Turn your nose up at the team who's the fourth seed? Not ever again.

In 2014, the ACC was represented by the undefeated Florida State Seminoles, who ended up bowing out to that talented Oregon team in the semifinals. The question now becomes, will someone surpass the Seminoles as the favorites to make the College Football Playoff from the ACC during the 2015-16 season?

Check out the fictional odds for each ACC team to make it to the second running of the College Football Playoff.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: 350-1

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2014 record: 3-9 (1-7 in ACC play)

The man above is sophomore quarterback John Wolford, who took quite a beating in 2015. Wake Forest was tied for first in the entire nation in sacks allowed with 48 last season, an average of four per game. The worst part of all is that things are unlikely to improve much on the offensive line next season.

The Wake Forest offense was essentially awful last year, as it ranked second to last nationally in points per game with 14.8 and also second to last in rushing yards per game with 39.9. Less than 40 yards per game rushing? That's simply brutal.

The lone bright spot for Wake Forest was its defense, but it'll be losing stud cornerback Kevin Johnson to the NFL this season. The good news? It returns two linebackers in Brandon Chubb and Marquel Lee. Those two players combined for 210.0 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2014.

While the Demon Deacons will be a better team in 2015, I don't think their schedule allows them to win more than three or four games once again. After starting off with games against Elon, Syracuse, Army and Indiana, they get into a brutal ACC stretch and also play Notre Dame.

Wolford will look to build on the freshman connection that he had with tight end Cam Serigne and improve in his sophomore year. With that said, if the Demon Deacons are unable to run the ball next season, it's going to be a very long year in Winston-Salem.

The odds of 350-1 for the Demon Deacons may seem harsh, but the rebuilding process isn't finished, so don't expect too much from this team in 2015.

Syracuse Orange: 300-1

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2014 record: 3-9 (1-7)

Syracuse took a massive step in the wrong direction last season. After a 7-6 campaign in 2013 that featured a bowl victory over Minnesota, it managed only three wins in 2014. To make things worse, Syracuse suffered injuries pretty much across the board.

While one can blame its awful season on the injuries to a certain extent, it's tough to imagine it'll be much improved next season. Syracuse is losing two talented defensive players, including its leading tackler in linebacker Cameron Lynch and talented safety Durell Eskridge. Offensively, starting left tackle Sean Hickey and running back Prince-Tyson Gulley are both gone.

That's the bad news. As for the good news, the Orange get Terrel Hunt back under center. Hunt suffered a broken fibula, which led to him playing in only five games in 2014. While Hunt struggled to start the season, completing just 57.2 percent of his passes with one touchdown and four interceptions, he showed promise back in 2013.

The other portion of good news for Syracuse is that it'll get back both Ashton Broyld and Brisly Estime in 2015. The two talented wide receivers played only four games each due to injuries and both will be welcomed back with open arms.

Hunt, Broyld, Estime and sophomore wideout Steve Ishmael are going to need to find a way to produce offensively, as Syracuse managed only 17.1 points per game last season. While it was ranked No. 121 in the nation in points per game, its defense allowed 24.3 points per game, ranking No. 38.

With the defensive losses, offensive struggles and Syracuse's pretty tough schedule after its third game, it's tough to have much faith in 2015. The chances of Syracuse making the College Football Playoff next season? Slim to none.

Virginia Cavaliers: 225-1

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2014 record: 5-7 (3-5)

Head coach Mike London's seat is one of the hottest in the nation heading into the 2015 season. If Virginia can't make a bowl game, it's likely that he'll be out of a job. While the team did go from 3-10 in 2013 to 5-7 last year, the Cavaliers have had a winning season just once in the last five years.

The problem for Virginia hasn't been its defense, as it allowed 24.1 points per game, ranking No. 33 in the nation. The defense will likely carry the team in 2015, with potential All-Conference players such as safety Quin Blanding, defensive tackle David Dean and cornerback Maurice Canady leading the way.

While the Cavaliers will have plenty of defensive talent, they'll also look to replace quite a few players. This list includes defensive end Eli Harold, linebacker Max Valles, safety Anthony Harris and linebacker Henry Coley.

With the major changes on defense, and the recent offensive struggles, this makes Virginia one of the tougher teams in the conference to figure out.

Virginia's 3-5 ACC record was actually better than one would expect when you consider the fact that it averaged 20.9 points in ACC play and turned the ball over 24 times. Basically, the Cavaliers' offensive struggles were magnified in conference play.

When looking at the schedule for the Cavaliers in 2015, it might turn your stomach a bit. Aside from William & Mary and Syracuse at home, there's a good chance that Virginia will be an underdog in every other game. The odds of 225-1 seem long, but its schedule makes an argument that it could be even worse than that.

Considering taking Virginia to make the College Football Playoff? Probably not the best way to spend your money.

Boston College Eagles: 140-1

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2014 record: 7-6 (4-4)

Let's start by pointing out the obvious. It is truly too bad that college football fans won't get to see Tyler Murphy for one more season. The graduate transfer from Florida had an excellent 2014, throwing for 1,623 yards, rushing for 1,184 yards and scoring a combined 24 touchdowns.

With Murphy gone, the question becomes who will play quarterback for Boston College in 2015? The most likely option will be Darius Wade, a sophomore who is a similar style of quarterback to Murphy. The next question? How are the Eagles going to fare after having to replace their entire offensive line?

Basically, things aren't looking great for Boston College in 2015.

Not only will this team be replacing its quarterback and the entire offensive line, but it is losing its leading receiver in Josh Bordner (who had only 27 receptions last year). The Eagles badly need to find some help for the young and inexperienced quarterback, and sophomore running back Jon Hilliman is good, but he can't shoulder the entire load.

Hilliman was impressive as a freshman, rushing for 860 yards and 13 touchdowns, but head coach Steve Addazio will have his work cut out for him at almost every other offensive position.

While Addazio is an excellent coach, he has those major voids to fill, and his Eagles are going up against a tough Atlantic Division. Don't expect big things from the Eagles in 2015, and it's more likely that they take a step back next season.

Pittsburgh Panthers: 115-1

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

2014 record: 6-7 (4-4)

There's good news and bad news for the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2015. The good news is that the team is returning both James Conner and Tyler Boyd. The bad news? Having both All-ACC players last year resulted in the Panthers managing just a 6-7 record.

Now, it's not all bad for Pittsburgh heading into 2015. The team lost a total of five games by five points or less in 2014, so the upside is definitely there. On top of that, the Panthers hired a new offensive coordinator in Jim Chaney, who should do great things for Conner and Boyd, as well as the rest of the offense.

Pittsburgh loses stud tackle T.J. Clemmings, who's going to be tough to replace, but the Panthers are an intriguing team, especially in the Coastal Division. If Chaney can help quarterback Chad Voytik grow heading into his junior season, as well as find a receiver to pair up with Boyd, Pittsburgh may be on to something.

While Boyd hauled in 78 receptions for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns, the most productive receiving option aside from him was Manasseh Garner, who caught 17 passes for 201 yards and two scores. You can't expect an offense to excel when you have only one true threat at receiver for a quarterback.

The Panthers draw a tough final few games in 2015, which includes North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke, Louisville and Miami. The good news? Four of those five games are at home. To start off the year, they have five very winnable games against Youngstown State, Akron, Iowa, Virginia Tech and Virginia. Their success this year will all come down to how they start the year.

Pittsburgh's odds of 115-1 wouldn't be the worst option on the board to make the CFP, but they aren't even close to the favorite in the Coastal Division.

North Carolina Tar Heels: 75-1

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2014 record: 6-7 (4-4)

Things seemed to be going in the right direction after 2012, as the team went 8-4 in Larry Fedora's first season. From that point, the Tar Heels have gone backward in each of the past two seasons. The issue for Carolina in 2014 was pretty simple, as its defense couldn't stop anyone.

Not only did the Heels give up an average of 39 points per game, but at one point over a stretch of four games they gave up 50 or more points three times, including 70 points to ECU.

UNC will attempt to fix its defensive woes in 2015 with the hire of defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. The former Auburn coach will have his work cut out for him, but the unit can't get much worse.

As for the offense, this is where the 75-1 odds come from. Not only will quarterback Marquise Williams be back and in contention for All-ACC honors, but all five offensive line starters are returning. Tack on the fact that both junior wide receivers in Ryan Switzer and Mack Hollins will be back, and it's easy to see why UNC is an intriguing option in the Coastal.

The Tar Heels get a tough opener against South Carolina, a game that could springboard the start of a huge season. If they can beat the Gamecocks, it's likely that they'll head to Georgia Tech with a 4-0 record and looking at a potential season-defining matchup with the former Coastal Division champions.

North Carolina State Wolfpack: 70-1

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2014 record: 8-5 (3-5)

If you're a fan of the NC State Wolfpack, you witnessed one crazy 2014 season. The Wolfpack started out 4-0, and carried that record into a home game against the No. 1 team in the nation, the Florida State Seminoles. After being up 24-7 at the end of the first quarter, the Wolfpack couldn't hold on, and lost that potential season-defining game 56-41.

After the loss to FSU, the Wolfpack went on to lose three straight, before defeating Syracuse to get one game from bowl eligibility. They earned their sixth win against lowly Wake Forest, and then dominated their biggest rival in the North Carolina Tar Heels 35-7. To wrap it all up, they defeated a talented Central Florida team in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl to finish 2014 on a very high note.

Now, the Wolfpack head into 2015 with returning quarterback Jacoby Brissett, starting running back Shadrach Thornton and a very good head coach in Dave Doeren.

While NC State will be a fun team to watch in 2015, it finds itself with 70-1 odds, largely due to the fact that it plays in the Atlantic Division. Not only does it play in Tallahassee this year, but it has home games against the Clemson Tigers and Louisville Cardinals.

The Wolfpack will return some key pieces next season, but are also losing two talented receivers in Bo Hines and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to transfer. Expect the Wolfpack and Doeren to use the "next man up" mentality though, and their offense should put up plenty of points in 2015.

There's a strong argument to be made for NC State, but their defense allowed 31.3 points per game in ACC contests last season. If the defense can't improve, I see this team finishing with eight or nine wins again, and obviously falling short of any College Football Playoff pipe dreams.

Duke Blue Devils: 65-1

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2014 record: 9-4 (5-3)

Let's give it up for the Blue Devils and their recent success. Duke's 19 wins over the last two seasons is the best two-year stretch in team history. A good amount of the credit should go to head coach Dave Cutcliffe, who has been brilliant in building an ACC contender.

While Duke had an impressive run over the past few seasons, we may see them come back down to earth a bit in 2015.

The reason for the expected decline for the Blue Devils comes from the loss of quarterback Anthony Boone, receiver Jamison Crowder and talented offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson. While it'll be tough to replace their two offensive playmakers, there is some good news.

Cutcliffe will return both of his leading rushers in Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson, while also getting another running back in Jela Duncan back from suspension. We can expect the Blue Devils to run the ball quite a bit in 2015, but there's also plenty of intrigue building around what Thomas Sirk can do while quarterbacking this offense.

The Blue Devils benefit from playing in the hit-or-miss Coastal Division, and they also start off with three very winnable games against Tulane, NC Central and Northwestern. That's when the real fun begins, as they'll get the favorites to win the Coastal in Georgia Tech at home.

This team has a secondary that should be one of the best in the conference, which will help ease the pressure on the new offensive starters. Duke's not the favorite to win the Coastal, but it'll be a fun team to watch if Sirk can help ease the pressure on the run game.

How about 65-1 on the Blue Devils to make a showing in the College Football Playoff?

Virginia Tech Hokies: 45-1

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2014 record: 7-6 (3-5)

How about those Hokies getting a little bit of love to end up in the College Football Playoff? A large part of this has to do with their defense, without question. Virginia Tech will likely be one of the best defenses in the ACC once again, and in 2014 it allowed an average of 20.2 points per game, No. 14 in the nation.

Kendall Fuller is one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC, and it'll also return defensive ends Ken Ekanem and Dadi Nicolas, defensive tackle Corey Marshall and linebacker Deon Clarke. Let's also not forget that both defensive tackle Luther Maddy and cornerback Brandon Facyson will be back next season. Both suffered season-ending injuries early in 2014.

While the Virginia Tech offense doesn't have nearly as many weapons as the defense, two players specifically stand out heading into 2015. Sophomores Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges are going to look to improve on strong freshman seasons. Ford caught 56 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns, while Hodges caught 45 balls for 526 yards and seven touchdowns.

If Michael Brewer can play smart and cut back his 15 interceptions from 2014, he could be in for a big year with those two talented options in the receiving game.

Virginia Tech may not get much love, but let's not forget that this was the only team to beat Ohio State in 2014.

Louisville Cardinals: 38-1

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2014 record: 9-4 (5-3)

Louisville is a team who will leave you scratching your head. Take the following into account when you look at the Cardinals:

• DeVante Parker and Gerald Christian are both gone from the offensive side of the ball.
• Gerod Holliman, Lorenzo Mauldin and Charles Gaines are all gone from the defense.
• Three starters on the offensive line need to be replaced.
• Who starts at quarterback? Will Gardner, Reggie Bonnafon, Kyle Bolin or Penn State transfer Tyler Ferguson?

What an incredible headache this team is to figure out. From the looks of it, Louisville is going to be in for a bit of rebuilding. If that's the case, why are their odds 38-1 to make it to the College Football Playoff? To put it simply, Bobby Petrino.

You may not be a fan of Petrino, as many people aren't, but the man can coach a football team. He'll find playmakers wherever he has to. Remember the fact that the Cardinals played the first seven games of 2014 without Parker, and Petrino's squad kept their head above water.

The good news for the Cardinals is that while Michael Dyer didn't live up to the hype, they found a strong running back in rising junior Brandon Radcliff. Radcliff rushed for 737 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, but should be in for a larger workload in 2015.

We'll know exactly what to make of Louisville after its third game, as it opens up against the Auburn Tigers and then draws the Clemson Tigers in its third game. If the Cardinals can win both of those games, they're going to be a dangerous team.

That's a big if, though.

Miami Hurricanes: 30-1

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2014 record: 6-7 (3-5)

It's time for the fans of "The U" to stand up and vouch for these odds, because not many have a lot of faith in the team losing Duke Johnson, Ereck Flowers, Clive Walford and Phillip Dorsett. With that said, Miami could shock quite a few people in 2015.

Brad Kaaya proved that he can be a leader for the Hurricanes, while also showing what he can do at the collegiate level. The freshman threw for 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, and while he completed just 58.5 percent of his passes, that will improve in his second season.

The Hurricanes are losing more than 50 percent of their receptions with Johnson, Walford and Dorsett leaving, but talent is waiting in the wings. Stacy Coley is a name worth watching, for one. While he averaged just 8.0 yards per catch in 2014, he averaged 17.9 in 2013. If he can get the explosiveness back, he's going to be a dangerous target for Kaaya.

As for replacing Johnson, that'll be a brutal task, but not impossible. Enter Joe Yearby, the rising sophomore who rushed for 509 yards and a touchdown behind Johnson. Yearby is almost flying under the radar it seems, but he could be the most dangerous Hurricane in 2015.

If you think Miami doesn't benefit from playing in the Coastal Division when it comes to these odds, think again. With the woeful defense of North Carolina, a Duke team losing two of its offensive studs (for starters) and a Virginia Tech team struggling to find an offensive identity, Miami is intriguing, at the very least.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 22-1

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2014 record: 11-3 (6-2)

Welcome to the bandwagon for the Coastal Division favorites. If you believe the Yellow Jackets can repeat in 2015, then jump aboard.

If Georgia Tech wants to make it to the College Football Playoff, it'll have to earn it. After games against Alcorn State and Tulane to start the year, it'll be tested every week. It has a stretch starting with its third game that includes Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Pittsburgh and Florida State.

That's a bone-chilling run of games. Even with that tough schedule, it is still near the top in terms of favorites to make the CFP from the ACC. The reason? Because Georgia Tech can have success through that stretch, silence the doubters once again and be an incredible story to make the push to the playoffs.

One key reason why people believe in the Yellow Jackets is because of that man above, Justin Thomas. Thomas had a breakout sophomore campaign, and he'll look to build on it in his junior year. The talented leader of Georgia Tech's triple-option offense rushed for 1,086 yards, threw for 1,719 yards and scored 26 total touchdowns. Most impressive, though, may have been that he threw only six interceptions.

It's going to be an uphill climb for the Yellow Jackets to make the playoff, but their tough schedule would make a strong argument for them to be in if they were on the bubble.

Florida State Seminoles: 12-1

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2014 record: 13-1 (8-0)

It's going to be tough for Florida State fans to be looking up at someone in the Atlantic Division, but it's happening in 2015. Unfortunately, losing a Heisman Trophy quarterback in Jameis Winston, star wide receiver in Rashad Greene and 2014 John Mackey Award winner Nick O'Leary causes a bit of a fall-off.

It's not only about the players on the offensive side of the ball, as the Seminoles are losing quite a bit of defensive talent also. Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and cornerbacks P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby are all no longer with the Noles.

Now, for anyone who doesn't know Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles, you may question why FSU is second in odds to make the 2015-16 season's College Football Playoff. To put it simply, very few teams recruit like Florida State does. It may not be the favorites in the ACC to make the CFP this year, but I'm pretty confident it'll still have a strong season.

Fisher is one heck of a coach, and if anyone can get the most out of young talent, it's him. For all of the people who want to doubt Florida State, it's probably a bad idea. The Atlantic Division will still come down to Florida State and Clemson, but the matchup this year will be held in Death Valley, which absolutely benefits the Tigers.

One other thing that will hurt FSU in 2015 is their schedule. It didn't have the toughest schedule in 2014, but it went undefeated, so it was irrelevant. This year, it opens with Texas State and South Florida, while playing Chattanooga late in the season. That schedule may end up being a talking point once again.

Dalvin Cook is poised to be one of the best running backs in college football next season, and with an unknown future at quarterback, Florida State may rely on him quite a bit. Is it going to be Sean Maguire's show heading into 2015? Time will tell, but it's looking more and more like that will be the case.

Fear the spear, but let's fear one other team just a bit more this coming season.

Clemson Tigers: 8-1

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2014 record: 10-3 (6-2)

Say hello to the new favorites of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers are young, talented and well-coached, all of which adds up to one dangerous team. They're returning plenty of talent in 2015, but the headliners are quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receivers Artavis Scott and Mike Williams and running backs Wayne Gallman and Tyson Dye.

Now, before we start preparing for who the Tigers will be playing in the College Football Playoff, they do have some work to do defensively. Fortunately, Brent Venables is on the case. Venables is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, but the team is losing talent in 2015.

Defensive ends Vic Beasley and Corey Crawford, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, linebacker Stephone Anthony and cornerback Garry Peters are all long gone. The Tigers have quite a bit of young talent coming in though, as Dabo Swinney and his staff have done a great job recruiting.

I don't expect the defense to be the best in college football like they were in 2014, but they'll get the job done in impressive fashion once again.

One thing that is definitely worth noting about Clemson in 2015 is something similar to what FSU may run into, their schedule. It starts off with Wofford and Appalachian State, who are solid teams, but they aren't going to boost the strength of schedule. Clemson does draw Notre Dame this year and, as usual, it ends the season with its rivalry against South Carolina.

Its schedule is tougher than FSU's, but it's unlikely that it would be able to lose more than one game (at most) and still have a shot at the CFP.

There's a lot of excitement in Death Valley about the potential for the 2015 season. It's also safe to say that the nation is excited to see what Watson can do in his second year, as long as he can remain healthy.

The excitement, on both levels, is warranted.