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As the 2025 college football season kicks off, uncertainty still clouds the ACC\u2019s long-term stability among the ever-changing landscape of conference realignment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet for now, the attention will turn to the product on the field. As the ACC starts with three teams ranked in the top 25, lower-tier programs are facing some growing pains, multiple veteran coaches\u2019 seats are getting hotter, we have a few potential CFP crashers, and one legitimate national title contender.<\/p>\n To hear more of my thoughts throughout the season, be sure to also check out \u201cTWSN Tailgate\u201d on YouTube; every Thursday at 6:00 PM ET starting on August 21, 2025.<\/p>\n More NCAA Football Content From TWSN:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Finding The Top 10 College Football Programs Of All Time<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The 5 True College Football Playoff National Championship \u2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 2025 Is The Last Of Mike Norvell In Tallahassee\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n ACC Preseason Power Rankings & Tiers<\/strong><\/p>\n From coast to coast, literally now, here are how the teams in the ACC rank out against each other.<\/p>\n Rebuilding<\/strong> Widely considered the worst team in the ACC \u2014 and possibly the worst in all of the Power Four \u2014 the Stanford Cardinal comes in at #17 in these ACC Power Rankings.<\/p>\n Uncertainty clouds the top of the program, as former head coach Troy Taylor was fired in March, and GM Andrew Luck brought in his former NFL head coach Frank Reich as interim head coach.<\/p>\n Reich and the Cardinal will kick off their season with a Week 0 game<\/a> in Hawaii (Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 PM ET on CBS\/Paramount+).<\/p>\n #16 Wake Forest Demon Deacons<\/strong><\/p>\n Former Washington State head coach (2022\u20132024, 20-17 record with 1 bowl appearance) Jake Dickert takes over a Wake Forest program that went 4-8 over the last two seasons and won only 3 ACC games during that span.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be interesting to follow how Coach Dickert adjusts and builds his program in Winston-Salem, as this will be his first time coaching in the Southeast.<\/p>\n Also, watch the run game: Senior RB Demond Claiborne, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2024, is looking to make noise for the Demon Deacons.<\/p>\n Wake opens the season hosting the Kennesaw State Owls (Friday, Aug. 29, 7:00 PM ET on ACCN).<\/p>\n Head Coach Hot Seat\u00a0<\/strong> If Cal\u2019s offense hadn\u2019t been gutted by the transfer portal, they\u2019d likely rank higher. But after losing their entire running back room, three of their top four receivers, and starting QB Fernando Mendoza (now at Indiana)<\/a>, the 2025 outlook looks bleak.<\/p>\n One situation to monitor: how junior transfer QB Devin Brown (from \u201cTHE\u201d Ohio State) performs with highly recruited true freshman \u201ctransfer\u201d Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (ranked 67th nationally and 7th QB overall by 247Sports Composite) waiting behind him.<\/p>\n #14 Virginia Cavaliers<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s rare to see a head coach get a fourth year after three straight losing seasons, but that\u2019s the case with Tony Elliott. UVA has gone 11-23 under Elliott since he replaced Bronco Mendenhall in 2022.<\/p>\n The offense will be led by transfer QB Chandler Morris (2020: Oklahoma, 2021\u20132023: TCU, 2024: UNT), protected by an experienced O-line featuring four grad transfers and one redshirt senior.<\/p>\n UVA opens against Coastal Carolina, Saturday, Aug. 30, 6:00 PM ET on ACCN.<\/p>\n #13 Florida State Seminoles<\/strong><\/p>\n FSU is coming off its worst season in over 50 years, and to say Mike Norvell\u2019s seat is hot would be an understatement.<\/p>\n Only one player returns from one of the worst offenses in program history \u2014 TE Landen Thomas. Eight of the eleven expected offensive starters are incoming transfers, including all three WRs and senior QB Thomas \u201cTommy\u201d Castellanos. Five players return on defense, but the starting linebackers will all be new.<\/p>\n The Seminoles have received some votes in both the preseason Coaches Poll<\/a> and AP Top 25<\/a>.<\/p>\n They will have every opportunity to jump into the top 25 with a week one win, as they\u2019ll host #8 Alabama (Saturday, Aug. 30, 3:30 PM ET on ABC\/ESPN+).<\/p>\n #12 NC State Wolfpack<\/strong><\/p>\n Dave Doeren enters his 13th season with the Wolfpack, now joined by two new coordinators: Kurt Roper and D.J. Eliot.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the most underrated QBs in the country,\u201d according to PFF, CJ Bailey returns after stepping in during what was expected to be a redshirt year. He\u2019ll be joined by last season\u2019s leading rusher, Hollywood Smothers (on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List), plus three of his top four receiving weapons.<\/p>\n NC State has a home-friendly schedule to start, not leaving the state of North Carolina until October 11 (at Notre Dame).<\/p>\n The Wolfpack opens vs. East Carolina (Thursday, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM ET on ACCN) looking for revenge for last season\u2019s bowl loss to ECU.<\/p>\n Bowl Game Hopefuls<\/strong> Hired late in the offseason (Feb. 9, 2024), this feels like Bill O\u2019Brien\u2019s first true season back in college football.<\/p>\n Expect Boston College to be run-heavy with RBs Alex Broome (Jr.) and Jordan McDonald (Sr.) both named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. Don\u2019t sleep on TE Jeremiah Franklin (Sr.), who\u2019s been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List.<\/p>\n BC opens against Fordham (Saturday, Aug. 30, 2:00 PM ET on ACCNX\/ESPN+).<\/p>\n #10 Syracuse Orange<\/strong><\/p>\n The Orange shocked many last year by winning 10 games in Fran Brown\u2019s first season as head coach. However, the 2025 outlook isn\u2019t as promising, which is why they\u2019re middle-of-the-pack in the ACC.<\/p>\n QB Kyle McCord and his 42.6 passes per game in 2024 are gone, and taking over is either Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli or LSU transfer Rickie Collins. It\u2019ll be interesting to see if they lean more on the run \u2014 with their RB duo of Will Nixon (Sr.) and Yasin Willis (So.) who both earned Doak Walker Award preseason hype.<\/p>\n The good news for Cuse fans: if the offense struggles early with the QB change, they have Ray Guy Award watch list punter Jack Stonehouse with a fantastic ability to flip field position.<\/p>\n Syracuse opens the year receiving 16 points in the Coaches Poll and will play in Atlanta vs. Tennessee (Saturday, Aug. 30, 12:00 PM ET on ABC\/ESPN+), in one of the two Aflac Kickoff Games.<\/p>\n Conference Title Crashers<\/strong> It\u2019s Bill Belichick<\/a> in college football \u2014 and the offseason rumors swirling around UNC have been wild. Add in the fact that no team in the ACC hit the portal harder (41 transfers), and this Tar Heel team becomes must-watch TV.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll have the entire stage in Week 1 <\/a>when they host TCU (Monday, Sep. 1, 8:00 PM ET on ESPN).<\/p>\n #8 Virginia Tech Hokies<\/strong><\/p>\n College football is better when Lane Stadium is a feared place to play<\/a>. Sadly, after another disappointing 7-6 season, we get further and further from those days. Virginia Tech hasn\u2019t played in the ACC Championship Game since 2016 and hasn\u2019t won an ACC title since 2010.<\/p>\n The duo of QB Kyron Drones and RB Terion Stewart (both on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list) hope to change that \u2014 but their schedule won\u2019t make it easy.<\/p>\n Virginia Tech opens against Shane Beamer and South Carolina in Atlanta on Sunday, August 31 (3:00 PM ET on ESPN) in the second of the Aflac Kickoff Games.<\/p>\n #7 Duke Blue Devils\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Could Duke shock the world and be this year\u2019s Indiana \u2014 building off a 9-4 2024 season to make the ACC Championship Game?<\/p>\n They\u2019ll only face two teams ranked above them currently: Georgia Tech (Oct. 18) and Clemson (Nov. 1), and they get to host GT. Two names to watch are QB Darian Mensah (transfer from Tulane) and CB Chandler Rivers.<\/p>\n Duke\u2019s currently not ranked but has received votes in both preseason polls.<\/p>\n Their season kicks off Thursday, August 28, versus Elon at Wallace Wade Stadium (7:30 PM ET on ACCNX\/ESPN+).<\/p>\n CFP Sleepers<\/strong> This is where the \u201ctrue\u201d ACC Championship Game contender tier begins.<\/p>\n After a 7-0 start and reaching as high as No. 18 in the AP Poll, Pitt lost their next five games. 14 players from that team return (2nd most in the conference behind only Clemson). That includes sophomore QB Eli Holstein and Sporting News Preseason All-American First Team members Kyle Louis (LB) and Desmond Reid (All-Purpose).<\/p>\n Pitt has only received votes in the AP Top 25, and will host in-city rival Duquesne in Week 1 (Saturday, August 30, 12:00 PM ET on ACCN).<\/p>\n #5 SMU Mustangs<\/strong><\/p>\n Year 1 of SMU in the ACC couldn\u2019t have gone much better as they went 11-1 and won the ACC \u201cregular season championship\u201d with an 8-0 record. They did, however, lose the ACC Championship Game 34-31 to Clemson and were then blown out by Penn State 38-10 in the CFP First Round.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for SMU, a program that tends to need to \u201crebuild\u201d rather than reload, only 8 players return (6 on offense, 2 on defense) from last season, and a major reason why they come in at #5 in the power rankings.<\/p>\n That being said, the Mustangs fanbase is hoping the culture built by head coach Rhett Lashlee \u2014 and the strong play last season from QB Kevin Jennings (on the Davey O\u2019Brien Award Watch List) \u2014 can carry over for another successful season.<\/p>\n SMU will open the season as #16 in both polls and play host to East Texas A&M in Week 1 (Saturday, August 30, 9:00 PM ET on ACCN).<\/p>\n #4 Miami Hurricanes\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In most power rankings, \u201cThe U\u201d <\/a>is higher (ACC Media Poll has them #2, and ESPN\u2019s FPI has them #1). In both college football rankings, they come in at #10 but we have to see it first.<\/p>\n The inconsistent play of QB Carson Beck<\/a> (RS SR\/TR) hindered UGA last year, and despite countless NFL-level talents<\/a> plus a highly ranked 247Sports transfer portal haul (3rd), I believe Miami continues to struggle.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll have a chance to silence the critics and move up the power rankings immediately if they can defeat Notre Dame at home in Week 1 (Sunday, Aug. 31, 7:30 PM ET on ABC\/ESPN+).<\/p>\n #3 Louisville Cardinals\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve talked about culture being built at SMU \u2014 and I\u2019m buying what Louisville is building too. Since taking over his alma mater in 2023, Jeff Brohm has gone 19-8 and 12-4 in ACC play.<\/p>\n The Cards will be starting the year unranked in both polls but are receiving votes (90 points- AP Top 25 and 126 points \u2013 Coaches Poll). They\u2019ll have every opportunity however to prove their worth as they face Miami (Fri, Oct. 17), host Clemson (Fri, Nov. 14), and travel to SMU (Nov. 22).<\/p>\n Louisville opens the season against EKU on Saturday, August 30, at 3:00 PM ET on ACCN.<\/p>\n\n
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\n#17 Stanford Cardinal<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n#15 California Golden Bears\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n#11 Boston College Eagles\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n#9 North Carolina Tar Heels<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n#6 Pittsburgh Panthers<\/strong><\/p>\n