It is no surprise Clemson is favored to win the Atlantic Coast Conference again. The Tigers do return the best roster in the league.
However, I am little surprised to see the Tigers favored by such a large margin. I figured Miami might garner a few more votes, as well as SMU and Louisville.
In case you missed it, the Tigers were the overwhelming choice on Wednesday to win the ACC for the 2025 football season, as picked by the media who cover the league. It marks the 16th time since the media poll began in 1976 that Clemson was picked to win the conference.
The Tigers’ 16 preseason selections to win the ACC rank second to Florida State’s 19. In the 181 ballots that were cast last week at the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C., Clemson was the No. 1 choice in 167 of them.
Miami received seven first-place votes, followed by Florida State with four, while SMU and Georgia Tech each garnered two. Virginia Tech received one first-place vote. Clemson tallied 3,083 points, 404 more than second-place Miami.
The Tigers 3,083 points are the most in the history of the poll for one team.
Is Clemson really that much better than the rest of the field in the ACC?
I do not think so.
I think Clemson should be the favorite, but I also think the ACC is going to have a highly contested championship race this coming season. Miami, SMU, Georgia Tech and Louisville are more than capable of winning the league championship.
By the way, the Tigers play all of them with the exception of Miami. In other words, Clemson’s schedule is harder than one thinks.
And though I picked Clemson to win the league title, it is not going to be easy as some might think. This might be the best set of teams the ACC has had since the Tigers outlasted Florida State, Louisville and Virginia Tech on its way to the 2016 National Championship.
Clemson rallied to win two of those games, barely beat NC State at home and got tripped up by Pitt in Death Valley.
What’s my point?
Winning the ACC is not going to be as easy for Clemson as everyone thinks.
Carson Beck gives Miami’s offense the quarterback it needs to contend for a title. The Hurricanes also fixed their defense, especially on the backend with the addition of defensive back Zechariah Poyser from Jacksonville State.
The Mustangs also have an elite quarterback in Kevin Jennings, who led them to the College Football Playoff last year. The question for SMU is can it survive its schedule. Besides playing Clemson, they play Miami and Louisville, as well.
Georgia Tech also brings back a veteran quarterback in Haynes King. Each year, King has gotten better and there is no reason to think he won’t be this year. Clemson visits Georgia Tech on Sept. 13 in what will be a key game in deciding who plays for an ACC Championship.
Louisville has the most question marks, especially at quarterback. Can Miller Moss get them back to Charlotte? The Cardinals host the Tigers on Nov. 14 in a game that could decide who plays in the ACC title game.
In other words, don’t let the media poll fool you. Clemson will have a very difficult challenge in trying to repeat as ACC Champions.