In the late 1970s and ’80s, Clemson ruled the land in the Atlantic Coast Conference in football, winning seven conference titles from 1978-’91. From 1992-2005, Florida State won 12 ACC Championships, including nine straight at one point.

From 2007-’10, Virginia Tech won three championships in four years, and since then the Tigers (two) and ‘Noles (three) have split the last five.

As history has shown, for the most part, the ACC has always been a one-horse league with the exception of the last five years in which Clemson and Florida State have ruled the roost together. Since 2012, the Tigers are 28-1 against everyone in the conference not named FSU, while the Seminoles are 29-2 against the rest of the ACC.

But could the ACC be more than a two-team race in the future? Could it be this year? ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinks so.

Herbstreit, like a lot of the national media, believes Louisville could be the sleeper team in the conference and could push the ‘Noles and the Tigers for the Atlantic Division title in 2016. Clemson (No. 2) and Florida State (No. 4) debuted in the top five in the Associated Press’ Preseason Top 25 Poll earlier this week, while Louisville came in ranked No. 19.

“They are the sleeper team in the ACC with all the talk about Florida State and Clemson,” Herbstreit said. “There are a lot of people talking about Florida State and Clemson both getting into the playoff, and I think this year the ACC is as deep as I can remember it.”

North Carolina, who went 11-3 last year, is ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll.

“While everybody wants to talk about Florida State and Clemson, there is Louisville, who is obviously going to be competitive, Miami, North Carolina, and I think Pitt could be better. Virginia Tech has a new coach and a new offense. It’s going to be an interesting run this year,” Herbstreit said.

But it is the Cardinals who Herbstreit believes will give Clemson and FSU a run for their money. Louisville will host the Seminoles on Sept. 17 at Papa John’s Stadium, and then two weeks later (Oct.1) visit Death Valley for a tussle with the Tigers.

“We know about (quarterback) Lamar Jackson. They have almost all of their skill coming back. I expect (wide receiver) James Quick to have a big year this year. I really think they get Florida State at an interesting time,” Herbstreit said. “I was at the game two years ago when they played on a Thursday night and they had Florida State on the ropes and it looked like they might win that game.

“Papa John’s Stadium was alive and it looked like this might be their moment and they just could not hold on. I get a feeling it is going to be another game like that, and we will see this time if Bobby Petrino can find a way. Then a couple of weeks later they are on the road at Death Valley in Clemson. They are going to know really where they stand within the first five weeks of the season and whether they know if they have what it takes to be competitive enough to be that surprise team and push Florida State or Clemson down.”

Even if the Cardinals lose both, Herbstreit sees just one other pit fall on the Cardinals’ schedule, at No. 15 Houston on Nov. 17.

“I think worst case scenario, I just can’t imagine this team not getting to ten wins this year,” he said. “I think they are going to have a great year and I think it is going to come down to how they play against Florida State and how they do on the road against Clemson.”

—Photo Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports