By Micheal Germanese
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “difficult” means something hard to do, make, or carry out. That definition doesn’t apply to these ACC teams’ schedules in 2025. While teams like Clemson, Miami and Syracuse face the reality of challenging ACC schedules to make the college football playoff, other programs face a much different reality: They have a much more forgiving schedule to get the CFP in 2025.
In 2024, the argument of deserving or best swirled around the committee’s final selections on who made the CFP. Indiana faced the brunt of that criticism after playing an easy schedule. For three ACC teams that same criticism will be directed their way if they find themselves in a playoff hunt come November.
In the new 12-team playoff format, teams now have the advantage of dropping a game or two and still making the playoffs. Three ACC teams will not have that same advantage because of the schedules they face.
Perfection was the old expectation under the BCS and four-team playoff model and that high bar is the reality for these ACC teams if their goal is to make the CFP in 2025.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Home Sept. 1 TCU
Away Sept. 6 Charlotte
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Home Sept. 13 Richmond
Away Sept. 20 UCF
Bye Sept. 27
Home Oct. 4 Clemson
Bye Oct. 11
Away Oct 17 California
Home Oct. 25 Virginia
Away Oct. 31 Syracuse
Home Nov. 8 Stanford
Away Nov.15 Wake Forest
Home Nov. 22 Duke
Away Nov. 29 NC State
North Carolina made headlines when they announced the hiring of Bill Belichick as their new head coach. Belichick brings eight Super Bowl wins – six as head coach – to Chapel Hill and will look to add a national championship to his long list of accomplishments. The good news is that the Tar Heels have one of the easiest schedules in the ACC in 2025. Belichick, in his short time, has put together the No. 18 ranked transfer portal class with the spring window still to come. The question is: Has he done enough to turn a 6-7, 3-5 team into a contender in Year 1?
https://twitter.com/GoHeels/status/1867006976921625049
The Tar Heels’ schedule will give Belichick time to get everyone moving in the same direction. North Carolina’s first four games are against non-conference opponents, with TCU being the toughest. The Horned Frogs finished sixth in the Big 12 a year ago with a record of 9-4, 6-3. UNC will also play UCF, who finished 14th in the Big 12 in Week 4. Charlotte and Richmond make up the rest of the non-conference schedule, giving UNC a chance to start the year 4-0.
North Carolina opens ACC play against Clemson on Oct. 4. The Tar Heels have a bye the week before that should make the game a little more competitive than many think. Clemson will be the toughest game UNC faces all season with SMU, Miami, Florida State and Louisville all missing in 2025. After Clemson, UNC will only play three teams with over/under win totals higher than six, according to FanDuel.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Home Aug. 29 Kennesaw State
Home Sep. 6 Western Carolina
Home Sep. 11 NC State
Bye Sep. 20
Home Sep. 27 Georgia Tech
Away Oct 4. Virginia Tech
Away Oct. 11 Oregon State
Bye Oct 18.
Home Oct. 25 SMU
Away Nov. 1 Florida State
Away Nov. 8 Virginia
Home Nov. 15 North Carolina
Home Nov. 22 Delaware
Away Nov. 29 Duke
Wake Forest, like North Carolina, has a new head coach taking over. Jake Dickert coached at Washington State in 2024 and led the Cougars to a 4-8 record. Like Belichick, Dickert got lucky with one of the easiest schedules inside the ACC. Wake Forest only leaving Winston-Salem two times before Nov. 1 will be a big help for the Deacons. Dickert brought in 23 new players from the portal to help remake the roster, but despite the high number the class only ranked No. 13 inside the ACC.
https://twitter.com/WakeFB/status/1869425944810926504
Wake Forest doesn’t play one non-conference P4 opponent. All four games are winnable for the Deacons and they will need to if they hope to improve on the 4-8 record from a year ago.
The Deacons’ worst stretch is a two-game set when they play SMU on Oct. 25 and Florida State on Nov. 1. The Seminoles finished last in the ACC a year ago, but won’t be that bad again if they figure out their quarterback position. SMU is the only ACC contender they face all year, with missing Clemson, Miami and Louisville on the schedule.
Virginia Cavaliers
Home Aug. 30 Coastal Carolina
Away Sep.6 NC State
Home Sep. 13 William & Mary Tribe
Home Sep. 20 Stanford
Home Sep. 26 Florida State
Away Oct. 4 Louisville
Bye Oct 11
Home Oct. 18 Washington State
Away Oct. 25 North Carolina
Away Nov.1 California
Home Nov. 8 Wake Forest
Away Nov. 15 Duke
Bye Nov. 22
Home Nov. 29 Virginia Tech
Tony Elliott is heading into Year 4 at Virginia, but has yet to have a winning season. 2025 could change that, thanks to one of the easiest schedules in 2025. Unlike the two teams above, however, the Cavaliers only play three non-conference games. Elliott, who is 11-23 at Virginia, will need to find wins in 2025 or he could find his seat hot by the time November rolls around.
Virginia not playing one P4 team in the non-conference part of the schedule should be a perfect time to find some wins. All three non-conference games come at home, with their hardest on paper being Washington State. Their other two come Week 1 against Coastal Carolina and Week 3 against William & Mary. In case you wondering, William & Mary is the second-oldest university in the country and is located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
https://twitter.com/PrestonWillett/status/1782865619039264935
In ACC play, Virginia’s most difficult stretch of games comes Sept. 26 when they play Florida State at home, then Oct. 4 at Louisville. Louisville has the third-best odds to win the ACC in 2025 at +600. Clemon +175, Miami +320 and SMU +650 make up the top four and all three are missing from the Cavalier’s schedule in 2025.
Virginia only leaves Charlottesville five times in 2025 and only play back-to-back road games when they face North Carolina on Oct. 25 and Cal on Nov. 1. Even with the fairly easy schedule, Vegas has the Cavaliers win total set a 5.5 games.
