The Irish will host the first college football game of the 2024 season, an ACC showdown between Georgia Tech and reigning conference champion Florida State, to be played in Dublin.
With UC, SMU and Stanford joining the league, 17 teams will compete for a spot in the ACC Championship on Dec. 7 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The Seminoles or Clemson have hoisted the trophy in 12 of the past 13 seasons, but can North Carolina State, Miami or Virginia Tech buck the trend this season?
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The official Preseason ACC Media Poll will be released after ACC kickoff, but here are my predictions for the conference standings.
ACC Preseason Predictions
Pre-season predicted league standings.
Clemson
The Tigers lost three of their four games by one possession last season to finish with a 9-4 record, ending a streak of 12 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins. Clemson will travel to Florida State (Oct. 5) with a top-notch defense and a much-improved offense.
Florida
After a perfect ACC record last season, head coach Mike Norvell had to replace 10 players in the NFL Draft. Former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was one of the talented players acquired through the transfer portal, and the Seminoles should post their third straight double-digit win tally.
North Carolina State University
With a manageable schedule and the addition of some quality players through the transfer portal, this could be a good year for the Wolfpack. Expectations are high out of Lowry, and if Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall can stay healthy, NC State could live up to those expectations.
Miami
The high-expectations Hurricanes made another offseason win with the addition of Washington State quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon State running back Damane Martinez. Will coach Mario Cristobal be able to pull off this talented roster, or will Miami continue to underwhelm despite a big preseason showing?
Virginia Tech
The Hokies will have a shot at being the league's dark horse by avoiding Florida State and hosting Clemson on Nov. 9. Head coach Brent Pry returns a ton of talented players on both offense and defense, including quarterback Kyron Draughns.
Louisville
The Cardinals won 10 games in coach Jeff Brohm's debut season and competed for the ACC title, and despite losing several key players, Louisville enters the season with one of the top transfer portal classes.
SMU
The Mustangs are the most promising of the newcomers, coming off a season in which they won the AAC championship under head coach Rhett Lashlee and quarterback Preston Stone. SMU is off to a tough start with a matchup against Florida State (Sept. 28) followed by a trip to Louisville (Oct. 5), but this team is loaded with talent on both the offensive and defensive ends.
North Carolina
Running back Omarion Hampton, one of the nation's best playmakers, should thrive in the post-Drake Maye era, and while there are questions at quarterback, the Tar Heels have a proven defensive coordinator and a relatively easy schedule.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Led by quarterback Haynes King, the Yellow Jackets' offense should be one of the best in the ACC, but Georgia Tech's defense still needs improvement and the schedule is tough, featuring 11 teams that played in bowl games last season.
Cal
Running back Jaden Ott has established himself as one of the leading rushers in the country, but the Bears will face three of their first four ACC games against Florida State (Sept. 21), Miami (Oct. 5) and North Carolina State (Oct. 19).
Syracuse
Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and head coach Fran Brown, a standout scout and assistant at Georgia, will try to get the Orange back on track, and tight end Oronji Gadsden II and running back LeQuinte Allen are some of the best players in the ACC.
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Western Carolina's Cade Bell will be tasked with rebuilding a struggling offense, but the Panthers lost seven of nine games by double digits last season.
Wake Forest
After several successful years, the Demon Deacons finished last in the ACC last season, but Wake returns double-digit starters and should be able to bounce back with a bowl appearance.
Duke
First-year coach Manny Diaz should have enough talent to get the Blue Devils defense back on track, but the offensive line will be one of the question marks for Duke, whose schedule includes a tough seven-game series against the league's top teams.
Boston College
Bill O'Brien has an impressive resume packed with college and NFL experience, so it will be interesting to see how he contributes to quarterback Tomas Castellanos' development this season. There are a lot of holes to fill on the defensive end.
Virginia
The Cavaliers will have their best roster ever under coach Tony Elliott, but it will be hard to see that improvement translating into wins given one of the toughest schedules in the country.
Stanford
Entering his second year under head coach Troy Taylor, Stanford is coming off a year in which it had one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country. After years of consistent success, Stanford is in rebuilding mode.
Staff writer Rod Baxley can be contacted atemail address Or contact @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
