2025 ACC Football Predictions

First up in our 2025 college football power conference predictions is the ACC! The ACC is coming off a year where they failed to get a team past the first round of the playoff – the only power conference to do so. But will they be able to change that this year, especially considering the top four conference champions will no longer be receiving auto-byes to the quarterfinals? It’s tough to predict in the preseason, but I believe there’s a team good enough to do so. Here’s team by team prediction for every program in the ACC.

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Boston College Eagles

Projected Record: 4-8 (2-6)

Ceiling/Floor: 5-7/2-10

Projected Wins: Fordham, Stanford, California, UConn

Projected Losses: Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Louisville, Notre Dame, SMU, Georgia Tech, Syracuse

Most Intriguing Game: at Michigan State (Week 2)

Boston College is coming off an impressive 7-6 season under head coach Bill O’Brien, but questions at quarterback, on the offensive line and about as brutal of a back-half of a schedule you can get in the ACC has them finishing with four wins in my eyes. With an easier schedule, I believe they’d be on the bubble of bowl-eligibility, but I just don’t see it with their schedule.

California Golden Bears

Projected Record: 4-8 (2-6)

Ceiling/Floor: 7-5/3-9

Projected Wins: Texas Southern, San Diego State, North Carolina, Virginia

Projected Losses: Oregon State, Minnesota, Boston College, Duke, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Stanford, SMU

Most Intriguing Game: at Boston College (Week 5)

California is another team coming off a solid year in 2024 that I have dipping in ‘25, but this time it’s mainly because of the team itself. Losing star QB Fernando Mendoza and other key players to the transfer portal in the offseason, along with having to replace booth coordinators, does not set up well for the Bears in 2025.

Clemson Tigers

Projected Record: 11-1 (7-1)

Ceiling/Floor: 12-0/9-3

Projected Wins: LSU, Troy, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina, Boston College, SMU, Duke, Florida State, Furman, South Carolina

Projected Losses: Louisville

Most Intriguing Game: LSU (Week 1)

Clemson has all the pieces needed to make a run at the national title this year, and I have them at No. 2 in my preseason top 25. The Tigers are coming off an ACC title and playoff appearance in 2024, and return almost all of its production from last year, including one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Cade Klubnik. Despite its two tough non-conference games against SEC opponents and ACC championship rematch with SMU, I’m projecting Clemson’s one loss to be at a good Louisville team in week 12 who picked off the Tigers in Death Valley last season.

Duke Blue Devils

Projected Record: 8-4 (5-3)

Ceiling/Floor: 9-3/6-6

Projected Wins: Elon, Tulane, NC State, California, Georgia Tech, UConn, Virginia, Wake Forest

Projected Losses: Illinois, Syracuse, Clemson, North Carolina

Most Intriguing Game: Illinois (Week 2)

Duke came out of nowhere in 2024 and had an excellent campaign, finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record in Manny Diaz’s first season as head coach, before getting throttled by Ole Miss in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl that kind of sent a bitter taste into everyone’s mouth heading into the offseason. The Blue Devils lost a good quarterback in Maalik Murphy to the transfer portal, but might’ve added an even better one in Tulane transfer Darian Mensah. Duke should be solid again on both sides of the ball, and they’ll have a big test to see what they’re made of when a great Illinois team comes to town week two.

Florida State Seminoles

Projected Record: 7-5 (5-3)

Ceiling/Floor: 10-2/5-7

Projected Wins: East Texas A&M, Kent State, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech

Projected Losses: Alabama, Miami, Clemson, NC State, Florida

Most Intriguing Game: Miami (Week 6)

The swing that we saw Florida State make from 2023 to 2024 might be one unlike we’ve ever seen in college football. After going 13-1 and maybe getting snubbed from the 2023 four-team playoff, the Seminoles followed it up in 2024 with a disaster of a season that resulted in a 2-10 record. But that’s the game you play when you build your team in the transfer portal as head coach Mike Norvell does. I honestly have no idea what to expect when it comes to this year’s Florida State team. They’ve once again added a bunch of talent in the transfer portal, but will we see it come together like the 2023 season or fall apart like last year? I’m not sure which direction to lean, so I’m splitting the middle with my prediction by having them go 7-5.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Projected Record: 9-3 (6-2)

Ceiling/Floor: 11-1/7-5

Projected Wins: Colorado, Gardner-Webb, Temple, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, NC State, Boston College, Pittsburgh

Projected Losses: Clemson, Duke, Georgia

Most Intriguing Game: Georgia (Week 14)

I’m higher on Georgia Tech than most this year, projecting them at 9-3 and leaning more towards 10-2 than 8-4 given its schedule. The Yellow Jackets have risen to be a solid program again after handing the keys to head coach Brent Key in 2023 (pun intended). And with a solid group of returners, including quarterback Haynes King, Georgia Tech is poised to have a big 2025 campaign and possibly contend for an ACC title. The questions in Atlanta come on the defensive end, where they’ll have a new coordinator and only four returning starters from a year ago.

Louisville Cardinals

Projected Record: 8-4 (4-4)

Ceiling/Floor: 9-3/7-5

Projected Wins: Eastern Kentucky, James Madison, Bowling Green, Virginia, Boston College, California, Clemson, Kentucky

Projected Losses: Pittsburgh, Miami, Virginia Tech, SMU

Most Intriguing Game: at Miami (Week 8)

Louisville, like Boston College, may be a case where they’re better than their record says because of scheduling. It closes the season by facing Clemson, SMU and rival Kentucky in back-to-back-to-back weeks; and also has to take road trips to Pittsburgh, Miami and Virginia Tech throughout the year. I have Louisville in my preseason top 25, but I’m not sure they finish there in December due to its tough road. Though head coach Jeff Brohm has proven since taking over two years ago that he can defy expectations, and USC transfer quarterback Miller Moss has worlds of potential if he can unlock it.

Miami Hurricanes

Projected Record: 9-3 (6-2)

Ceiling/Floor: 11-1/6-6

Projected Wins: Notre Dame, Bethune-Cookman, South Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Stanford, Syracuse, NC State, Pittsburgh

Projected Losses: Florida, SMU, Virginia Tech

Most Intriguing Game: Notre Dame (Week 1)

Miami is coming off its best season to this point under head coach Mario Cristobal, but defensive struggles all season long and losses in three of its final four games still has fans questioning if the Hurricanes can take that next step. Even with the addition of Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck, it’s going to be hard to replace the talent, production and explosive playmaking of first overall draft pick Cam Ward in 2025. But the expectation is that the defense takes a step forward from giving up an abysmal 31 points per game last season, with new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from Minnesota. Unlike last season, we’ll be able to see this Miami team get tested early as they host Notre Dame in week one.

NC State Wolfpack

Projected Record: 7-5 (4-4)

Ceiling/Floor: 8-4/5-7

Projected Wins: East Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Campbell, Florida State, North Carolina

Projected Losses: Duke, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Miami

Most Intriguing Game: North Carolina (Week 14)

NC State is coming off a disappointing 2024 season where they finished just 6-7 after being ranked in the preseason AP top 25. But having starting quarterback Grayson McCall go down for the season with injury didn’t help that, and that gave likely starting quarterback this fall, CJ Bailey, a chance to gain experience entering 2025. The Wolfpack have a very manageable ACC schedule, avoiding SMU, Clemson and Louisville while getting Georgia Tech at home. I believe it will end up being a typical solid NC State season under head coach Dave Doeren.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Projected Record: 7-5 (3-5)

Ceiling/Floor: 9-3/5-7

Projected Wins: TCU, Charlotte, Richmond, UCF, Virginia, Stanford, Duke

Projected Losses: Clemson, Syracuse, California, Wake Forest, NC State

Most Intriguing Game: TCU (Week 1)

North Carolina will be one of the most interesting teams to watch in 2025. Bill Belichik is taking over the reins in Chapel Hill, and it will be fascinating to see how the NFL legend does at a college program. The Tar Heels added a bunch of transfers, as do most teams under a first-year head coach these days, so there are a lot of unknowns within the program entering the season. We’ll quickly get to see what this team is made of though, as they welcome a solid TCU team to Chapel Hill in week one in what should be a ruckus environment on the night of Labor Day.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Projected Record: 6-6 (4-4)

Ceiling/Floor: 8-4/4-8

Projected Wins: Duquesne, Central Michigan, Louisville, Boston College, NC State, Stanford

Projected Losses: West Virginia, Florida State, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Miami

Most Intriguing Game: Louisville (Week 5)

After starting 7-0 in 2024, Pittsburgh ended the season with six straight losses and finished a disappointing 7-6. But getting plagued with injuries, including to quarterback Eli Holstein, didn’t help matters; and the Panthers return a decent amount of production in 2025, including Holstein, so there will be similar expectations in terms of a win total heading into this season.

SMU Mustangs

Projected Record: 10-2 (7-1)

Ceiling/Floor: 11-1/7-5

Projected Wins: East Texas A&M, Baylor, Missouri State, Syracuse, Stanford, Wake Forest, Miami, Boston College, Louisville, California

Projected Losses: TCU, Clemson

Most Intriguing Game: Miami (Week 10)

SMU is coming off an ACC regular-season title and playoff appearance in its first year in a power conference, and they’re returning some key pieces, including quarterback Kevin Jennings, to try and make another run at a conference championship. But the Mustang’s strength of schedule will be more difficult than a year ago, drawing both Clemson and Miami in conference and playing in-state foes Baylor and TCU out of conference. In my opinion, the week 10 matchup with Miami will determine who goes to the ACC championship.

Stanford Cardinal

Projected Record: 3-9 (1-7)

Ceiling/Floor: 5-7/2-10

Projected Wins: Hawaii, San Jose State, California

Projected Losses: BYU, Boston College, Virginia, SMU, Florida State, Miami, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Notre Dame

Most Intriguing Game: at Virginia (Week 4)

This will likely be another rebuilding year for Stanford after letting go of Troy Taylor in the spring. Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich will be the interim head coach for 2025 while the program looks for a permanent replacement. With the turning of leadership, uncertain future and loss of a lot of pieces from last year’s team, there aren’t a lot of knowns or expectations for the Cardinal heading into the season.

Syracuse Orange

Projected Record: 6-6 (4-4)

Ceiling/Floor: 7-5/3-9

Projected Wins: UConn, Colgate, Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Boston College

Projected Losses: Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami, Notre Dame

Most Intriguing Game: North Carolina (Week 10)

Fran Brown more than exceeded expectations in year one at the helm for Syracuse. With the Orange winning 10 games, combined with Brown’s fun personality off the field, Brown cemented his status as the Syracuse coach for years to come. But he’ll have his work cut out for him again this year. With trips to all three of Clemson, SMU and Miami waiting in the wings, along with losing quarterback Kyle McCord to the NFL and numerous other starters across the board, it might be a win just to get back to bowl-eligibility in 2025.

Virginia Cavaliers

Projected Record: 6-6 (3-5)

Ceiling/Floor: 8-4/4-8

Projected Wins: Coastal Carolina, William & Mary, Stanford, Washington State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech

Projected Losses: NC State, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, California, Duke

Most Intriguing Game: Stanford (Week 4)

Virginia took a small step in the right direction in head coach Tony Elliott’s third year a year ago, going 5-7 compared to 3-9 each of the previous two years. But can Elliott and the Cavaliers continue to build from that in 2025? The schedule may be the easiest in the conference, as they don’t play any of my projected top four teams in league play. Adding North Texas transfer quarterback Chandler Morris should be an upgrade from 2024, and they added some solid pieces around him to help. I think the Cavaliers could be better than last year and could finish as well as 8-4 if they can win some close games, but I have them at 6-6 with a lot of unpredictable games on their schedule.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Projected Record: 7-5 (4-4)

Ceiling/Floor: 8-4/5-7

Projected Wins: Vanderbilt, Old Dominion, Wofford, Wake Forest, California, Louisville, Miami

Projected Losses: South Carolina, NC State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia

Most Intriguing Game: at Florida State (Week 12)

After a disappointing 2024 season, Virginia Tech is looking to live up to the high expectations that were set for them – a year after they were set. The Hokies went a measly 7-6 after being hyped up as an ACC title contender by most people last offseason. But the injury bug and an upset loss to Vanderbilt to kick-off the season last fall didn’t help matters. Kyron Drones is back at quarterback, but he’ll be surrounded by a lot of uncertainties, including a new offensive coordinator in Phillip Montgomery. Nonetheless, I think Virginia Tech has a solid season under Brent Pry, upsetting Miami, and navigating a relatively easy schedule to a 7-5 record in 2025.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Projected Record: 4-8 (1-7)

Ceiling/Floor: 6-6/3-9

Projected Wins: Kennesaw State, Western Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware

Projected Losses: NC State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, SMU, Florida State, Virginia, Duke

Most Intriguing Game: Georgia Tech (Week 5)

Wake Forest will likely be looking for steady improvement over anything under first year head coach Jake Dickert. Dickert did a great job in 2024 with Washington State, and I believe he has long-term potential at Wake Forest, but don’t expect much success in 2025. The Demon Deacons should be able to handle their first two games, which could build some momentum, but I don’t see them doing much in ACC play, only beating North Carolina towards the end of the season where they may have an established identity at that point.

Full Standings Projection

Clemson 12-1 (7-1)

SMU 10-3 (7-1)

Miami 9-3 (6-2)

Georgia Tech 9-3 (6-2)

Duke 8-4 (5-3)

Florida State 7-5 (5-3)

NC State 8-4 (5-3)

Louisville 8-4 (4-4)

Virginia Tech 7-5 (4-4)

Syracuse 6-6 (4-4)

Pittsburgh 6-6 (4-4)

North Carolina 7-5 (3-5)

Virginia 6-6 (3-5)

Boston College 4-8 (2-6)

California 4-8 (2-6)

Wake Forest 4-8 (1-7)

Stanford 3-9 (1-7)

ACC Championship: Clemson over SMU

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