We’re going to take a look at which ACC teams are consistent, which ones are on the rise, and which ones are in panic mode.
Read our prior conference picks here: SEC, Big 12, and more to come.
Consistent
Clemson
Let’s be honest, Clemson is the only ACC team that has been consistent in the past decade. They have won seven out of the last eight ACC Championships and have two national championships in that timespan as well. Dabo Swinney has dominated the conference and has the talent to keep doing that. He seems to have changed the way he does things a little bit and I can see that being very beneficial to the Tiger program.
On the Rise
Florida State
The Seminoles used to be the cream of the crop in the ACC but fell off after Jimbo Fisher departed. From 2017 through 2021, Florida State never won more than seven games in a season. Last year, they went 10-3. They return star quarterback Jordan Travis and will look to improve on last season and possibly make a playoff run.
Duke
Duke was a surprise team last season and went 9-4. In the three seasons previous, they went a combined 10-25. In his first season in Durham, head coach Mike Elko took over for longtime coach David Cutcliffe and immediately turned the program around. I have faith that he will be able to carry that momentum into next season and beyond and make the Blue Devils a respectable program.
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In Panic Mode
Miami
Everyone asks when Texas will be back, but they really should be asking when The U will be back. Miami hasn’t had a ten-win season since 2017 and their last one before that was all the way back in 2003. One double-digit win season in twenty years, that’s not acceptable for a program that was the premier program in the sport during multiple different decades. Mario Cristobal has been recruiting, but we need to see it translate to the field, and soon.
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is in a similar position as Miami. After having eight double-digit win seasons in a row from 2004-2011, the Hokies have only had one since, and that was back in 2016. After going 6-7 in 2021, they fired head coach Justin Fuente. They hired Brent Pry and he went 3-8 in his first season. They seem to be moving in the wrong direction, but we will see if Brent Pry can turn things around in the next couple of seasons.
