Since 2009, Clemson and Florida State have owned the ACC’s Atlantic Division. The Tigers and Seminoles have won and represented the division in the conference championship game four times each during that span.

One of the two has also won every ACC Championship since 2011. Clemson has won three and so have the Seminoles. With that said, it would seem the ACC has been a cakewalk for the two national powers.

Well, that’s not exactly the case.

Though fourth-ranked Clemson can clinch its third straight Atlantic Division title with a win over Florida State on Saturday in Death Valley, getting to this point has not been an easy journey. The Tigers (8-1, 6-1 ACC) have already suffered one loss to an Atlantic Division foe (Syracuse) and their wins over Louisville, Boston College, Wake Forest and NC State were not exactly easy ones.

“Yeah, those other teams, they’re not getting that memo,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said during Wednesday’s ACC Coaches’ teleconference call with the media.

It’s even been tougher for the Seminoles this year. Being without starting quarterback Deondre Francois since the season opener, FSU (3-5, 3-4 ACC) is in the midst of its worse season since 1976 and a loss to the Tigers will assure just its second losing season in ACC play since joining the conference in 1992. That came in 2006 when they went 3-5 against ACC competition.

“Obviously Jimbo (Fisher), I mean, he’s as successful a coach and program as there is in college football,” Swinney said. “I know they haven’t had the year they wanted to have this year and sometimes you’ve got to look beyond just the scoreboard, but man, they’re Florida State, and he’s an unbelievable coach.”

This year, the Seminoles have already lost to Atlantic Division rivals NC State and Louisville at home and were blown out by Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Their two wins in the division came in a last-second victory at Wake Forest and a three-point win over Syracuse at home a week ago.

“This is a great conference, top to bottom, and I’ve said it many times, I’ve been kind of beating that drum for the past few years,” Swinney said. “All you’ve got to do is look at the — I don’t know, what do we have, we’re like 9-3 in bowl games last year, post-season success and the amount of teams that have been bowl eligible.

“This league is incredibly difficult. I mean, every single week, anybody can beat anybody. I mean, it’s not Clemson and Florida State … anybody in this division can beat you. I have such great respect for the job that (Steve) Addazio is doing at BC, such great respect for Dino (Babers) and what he’s done at Syracuse. I mean, Dave Doeren has built a great team and program at NC State. I mean, man, they’ve got – they’re a handful. Louisville … they’ve got the Heisman Trophy winner over there. They’re a nightmare to get ready for. Wake Forest and what Clawson has done, I mean, putting them back and making them bowl eligible. I mean, just the consistency that you’re seeing in this division is incredible.”

Outside of Clemson, the ACC already has four teams bowl eligible, including Virginia, who has really improved under head coach Bronco Mendenhall, now in his second year in Charlottesville, Va. Joining the Cavaliers and Tigers are Miami, Virginia Tech and NC State.

Boston College, Wake Forest and Louisville all need one win to become bowl eligible, while Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Duke and Pitt all need two wins in their final three games to become eligible. FSU needs to win three of its remaining four games to keep its 35-year streak of playing in a bowl game alive.

By the way, Miami is the ACC’s only undefeated team and ranked No. 7 in the College Football Playoff Committee’s rankings.

“I mean, this is a really, really difficult league and incredibly difficult division,” Swinney said. “But you know what? Isn’t that the way we want it? To me, that’s the way you want it.

“You know, for years everybody talked about how bad this league was and couldn’t win the postseason and couldn’t win out of conference. It’s not really a discussion anymore. Anybody that really understands and pays attention, this league is top-to-bottom incredibly strong, and if you don’t show up, I don’t care who you are, you’ve got a chance to get beat. Our guys understand that, and it’s just a bunch of good coaches. I’m proud of this league.”