ACC rankings – Syndication Server

ACC Preseason Rankings: CFN College Football Preview 2021

The College Football News 2021 ACC preseason rankings along with a quick take on every team.

The College Football News 2021 ACC preseason rankings along with a quick take on every team.

This is NOT a ranking of where the teams are going to finish. This is based on how good we think the ACC teams are going into the 2021 season.

2021 CFN ACC Preseason Rankings: Atlantic

1. Clemson Tigers

Quick Take: If your concern is the inexperience of QB DJ Uiagalelei and a rotation of top-shelf running back talent to overcome the loss of Travis Etienne, you’re going to be okay. The defense is going to be a killer to make up for any and all concerns on the other side.
Clemson Preview | Schedule

2. NC State Wolfpack

Quick Take: This should be among the ACC’s most interesting X factors. The defensive back seven is as strong as any outside of Clemson’s, but the lines on both sides have to terrific. If they are, this is a dangerous team that should do a whole lot of damage.
NC State Preview | Schedule

3. Boston College Eagles

Quick Take: The BC offense was transformed last season and now it should dominate – at least through the air. The ground game is iffy – to be kind – but QB Phil Jurkovec and WR Zay Flowers will put on a show.
BC Preview | Schedule

4. Louisville Cardinals

Quick Take: The defense has talent and experience to be a whole lot better, and Malik Cunningham should be a difference-making veteran quarterback. It’ll be a bounce-back year, but it’ll still be a grind with a tough slate.
Louisville Preview | Schedule

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5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Quick Take: You know exactly what you’re getting. The Demon Deacons will never be outcoached, the offense will be fast and fun, and every game will be a shootout. To sound cliché, it’s the type of team that can beat anyone on the right day, but without the high-end talent to take anyone lightly.
Wake Forest Preview | Schedule

6. Florida State Seminoles

Quick Take: Where are the guys? Where are all the superstar FSU NFL prospects? The linebacking corps will be terrific and the ground game should start to work like it’s supposed to under Mike Norvell, but the O is all about the pop and explosion – that might take a bit.
FSU Preview | Schedule

7. Syracuse Orange

Quick Take: It’s just this simple – can the Orange O line block anyone? It hasn’t been able to do that for a few years, but the skill parts are good enough to make some noise if they get a little time to work.
Syracuse Preview | Schedule

– 2021 ACC predictions for every team and game

NEXT: ACC Preseason Rankings: Coastal

Pages: 12

CFN 2021 ACC Football Rankings: Pre-Spring

The pre-spring version of the CFN 2021 rankings with a first look at all the ACC teams.

The pre-spring version of the CFN 2021 rankings with a first look at all the ACC teams.

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2021 ACC Rankings: Pre-Spring

ACC Atlantic Division

1. Clemson Tigers

Why To Be Happy: At the moment, the defense gets all 11 starters back after leading the ACC in total and scoring D. This was a young group up front, and now all the stars return. Linebackers James Skalski and Baylon Spector announced they’re returning for another year, corner Derion Kendrick is back, and on and on and on. Oh yeah … the offense did this last year without a few key receivers who’ll be back.

What To Work On: Turnovers were a bit of a problem – especially fumbling – and the running game wasn’t its normal killer self. Travis Etienne is done, but the veteran O line has to be better at pounding away.

Bottom Line: It’s Clemson. It lost a transcendent NFL QB prospect in Trevor Lawrence, the most productive ACC running back ever in Etienne, and it’s going to be even better.

2. NC State Wolfpack

Why To Be Happy: The defense loses the main man Asim McNeill from the middle of the line, but everyone else of note appears to be back. Throw in a few key transfers – especially at safety – and the Pack should be nasty on that side of the ball.

What To Work On: Most of the offensive skill parts are back – helped by the return of leading receiver Emeka Emezie – but the production has to come. The O was fine, but it wasn’t explosive enough and there were too many turnovers.

Bottom Line: NC State was great at beating the teams it was supposed to, and the experience will be there to repeat the decent level of success of 2020, but big-time playmakers have to emerge.

3. Boston College Eagles

Why To Be Happy: It was a strong first season under head coach Jeff Hafley, and he gets the pieces back for the offense to be even more dangerous. The backfield of QB Phil Jurkovec and RB David Bailey will be great if …

What To Work On: The running game has to start working again. It wasn’t a function of the offensive style, but with all five offensive linemen expected to return to pave the way for Bailey, there’s no excuse for being 118th in the nation in rushing again.

Bottom Line: Just about everyone returns on offense, and the defense that needs a little reworking needs to start getting behind the line more. The Eagles will be stronger.

4. Florida State Seminoles

Why To Be Happy: There needs to be a whole lot of work and a whole lot more production, but almost all of the entire starting offensive 11 from the end of last season is expected to be back. The defensive side loses several key parts, but instant help appears to be on the way from the transfer portal.

What To Work On: Yeah, the offense. The defensive side has to generate some semblance of a pass rush, but the O has to be more efficient throwing the ball and has to figure out how to move the chains.

Bottom Line: 2020 couldn’t have been any worse for head coach Mike Norvell and the national title-level program. There’s experience, there’s a reset mindset, and … there’s a lot of work to do.

5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Why To Be Happy: The offense should be even more explosive and more dangerous. The offensive line returns almost intact, the receiving corps is loaded, and Sam Hartman – bowl meltdown against Wisconsin aside – is a terrific triggerman to run it all. There’s more than enough talent back on D to be fine, but …

What To Work On: Losing star end Carlos Basham matters. The pass rush was a problem for the Demon Deacons with him, and now it’s going to take a whole lot of work to get even more out of the D that has to work to hold serve.

Bottom Line: It’ll be more of the same. Dangerous, fun, explosive offense that should be able to keep up with just about everyone, but questionable defense that should have enough issues to make every game a shootout.

6. Louisville Cardinals

Why To Be Happy: The offense is going to be interesting with Georgia Southern option wizard QB Shai Werts transferring in to add another option. Expect more consistency and production from a team that should be able to keep up with just about everyone.

What To Work On: The receiving corps loses Dez Fitzpatrick and Tutu Atwell to the next level, and the linebacking corps has to replace almost all the starting linebackers along with nose tackle Jared Goldwire.

Bottom Line: Coming off a 4-7 season, the Cardinals have to bounce back quickly despite a slew of key departures compared to the rest of the Atlantic Division. Improvement on the O line and limiting the turnovers are a must.

7. Syracuse Orange

Why To Be Happy: The Orange have almost everyone back on offense and on the defensive front seven, and the arrival of Garrett Shrader from Mississippi State should help the quarterback room. The experience is there on both sides of the ball, but …

What To Work On: The secondary loses its top playmakers, and losing receiver and return man Nykeim Johnson to Kent State hurts, and … offensive line, offensive line, offensive line. The Orange have GOT to figure out how to block after not doing enough of it over the last few years.

Bottom Line: We know it’s possible for Syracuse to win – we all saw it a few years ago – but after a lost year with horrible play on both lines, the program has to get the infrastructure right.

– 2021 Prespring ACC Coastal Rankings

2021 ACC Coastal Division Rankings: Pre-Spring

Pages: 12

Is Notre Dame the third best team in the ACC?

ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain ranked Notre Dame third in his conference power rankings. Find out why he’s off base.

This past weekend saw plenty of teams fall from the unbeaten ranks (Florida, Miami FL, and Tennessee) and others continuing their free fall (Texas and LSU). Inside the ACC obviously Clemson’s resounding win against Miami, FL was the headliner. North Carolina and Notre Dame give the conference 3 teams without a blemish.

With that in mind, former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain ranked the conference’s teams.

Here’s my week 6 #ACC Power Rankings after SEPARATION SATURDAY! What a weekend. A ton of movement here. How are you feeling about your team??? pic.twitter.com/ak31qt0mo2

— Eric Mac Lain (@EricMacLain) October 12, 2020

Mac Lain isn’t really high on the Irish, as his week five rankings had Brian Kelly’s squad as the 4th best. With the Hurricanes losing to the Tigers, the Irish had no where but to move up. Is Mac Lain right about where he places the Irish?

Yes, the win over Florida State this weekend wasn’t as pretty as we would have liked, but what did you really expect after such a long layoff? The Seminoles have great individual talent, but as a whole they’re a mess.

As for the Tar Heels, they beat a very good Virginia Tech squad, but had to hold them off late, winning 56-45. The Irish haven’t given up that many points this season so far, just 39 total points, good for the 8th best scoring defense in the nation. North Carolina, on the other hand has given up over 24 points a game, 24th nationally.

Offensively, the Irish have the advantage as well, averaging just over 40 points a game, while the Heels are at about 37 points a game. Again, advantage Irish. Kelly squad is one of the least penalized in the nation, just 10 so far which is good for 5th nationally. UNC has almost doubled that number, they have 29 penalties on the year. Want to dig a little deeper? The Irish have a +.33 turnover margin, North Carolina has -1.

Sure, North Carolina boasts a “sexier” offense but that doesn’t tell the whole story between the two teams. In my estimation, Mac Lain is off base with his assessment of the top teams in the league, after Clemson of course.

ACC Rankings: 2020 CFN Five Year College Football Program Analysis

In the 2020 CFN Five-Year College Football Program Analysis, where do all the ACC teams rank?

In the 2020 CFN Five-Year College Football Program Analysis, where do all the ACC teams rank?

It’s our annual look at where all the college football programs rank with a five-year snapshot looking at attendance, players drafted, APR, and wins, wins, wins.

How do all of the ACC college football programs stack up over the last five seasons?

Which college football programs are doing the best jobs overall, which once have all the advantages, and most of all, who’s winning?

How are the rankings determined? Click here for all of the category descriptions.

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Contact @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

14 Georgia Tech 50.63

2020 National Ranking: 82
2019 National Ranking: 47
2018 National Ranking: 44
2017 National Ranking: 39

13 Duke 52.72

2020 National Ranking: 77
2019 National Ranking: 67
2018 National Ranking: 63
2017 National Ranking: 58

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12 Syracuse 54.59

2020 National Ranking: 75
2019 National Ranking: 82
2018 National Ranking: 88
2017 National Ranking: 74

11 Virginia 55.83

2020 National Ranking: 71
2019 National Ranking: 85
2018 National Ranking: 94
2017 National Ranking: 96

10 Wake Forest 59.64

2020 National Ranking: 61
2019 National Ranking: 80
2018 National Ranking: 91
2017 National Ranking: 98

– 2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis: Rankings 1-130

9 Boston College 60.34

2020 National Ranking: 59
2019 National Ranking: 61
2018 National Ranking: 59
2017 National Ranking: 85

8 North Carolina 61.69

2020 National Ranking: 58
2019 National Ranking: 65
2018 National Ranking: 42
2017 National Ranking: 29

7 Louisville 67.60

2020 National Ranking: 50
2019 National Ranking: 40
2018 National Ranking: 24
2017 National Ranking: 20

6 Pitt 72.21

2020 National Ranking: 43
2019 National Ranking: 54
2018 National Ranking: 47
2017 National Ranking: 43

5 NC State 75.53

2020 National Ranking: 36
2019 National Ranking: 35
2018 National Ranking: 55
2017 National Ranking: 61

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4 Virginia Tech 77.81

2020 National Ranking: 34
2019 National Ranking: 32
2018 National Ranking: 25
2017 National Ranking: 31

3 Florida State 87.30

2020 National Ranking: 22
2019 National Ranking: 6
2018 National Ranking: 5
2017 National Ranking: 4

– 2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis: Rankings 1-130

2 Miami 95.63

2020 National Ranking: 19
2019 National Ranking: 19
2018 National Ranking: 17
2017 National Ranking: 28

1 Clemson 172.71

2020 National Ranking: 2
2019 National Ranking: 3
2018 National Ranking: 3
2017 National Ranking: 3

– CFN Program Analysis Ranking Categories

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ACC Preseason Rankings: CFN College Football Preview 2020

In what might be the craziest of college football seasons, how good are the teams? Here are the CFN ACC Preseason Rankings of every team.

In what might be the craziest of college football seasons, how good are all of the teams? Here are the CFN ACC Preseason Rankings of every team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

This is NOT a ranking of where the teams are going to end up. This is only based on how good we think the ACC teams are going into whatever the 2020 season is going to be.

CFN in 60: The CFN Preseason Rankings …
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– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

14. Boston College Eagles

Boston College CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … another terrific running game. AJ Dillon might be gone, but David Bailey is another big, pounding runner working behind a great line.

Be Concerned About … the defensive side could use some work up front and in the secondary. It’s not a bad situation, but the D isn’t going to be a rock early on. The Eagles finished dead last in the ACC and 122th in the nation against the pass.

The Season Will Be Successful If … new head coach Jeff Hafley can get the Eagles to a bowl game. It’ll be a fight to battle through the ACC slate, but BC is probably the best of the last-ranked teams among the Power Five conferences. It can get to a bowl.

13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … the lines that had a year to get the pieces in place. Georgia Tech needed to undergo a total overhaul on offense, but the D line needed help, too. They’ll be better.

Be Concerned About … a passing game that still needs work. The tweaking from the option attack under the old regime will still take a while to get going.

The Season Will Be Successful If … Geoff Collins can make the Yellow Jackets more competitive. There should be a nice turnaround, but the team got blown out seven times last season and lost to Citadel. Flirting with a. bowl game is a must.

12. Syracuse Orange

Syracuse CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a passing game that should be dangerous. As long as the offensive line can keep QB Tommy DeVito from getting beaten up, the Orange will have a potent attack.

Be Concerned About … that O line. That’s still going to be an issue, and the defensive front is still just okay. The secondary will clean up a lot of messes, but the run defense has to be stronger.

The Season Will Be Successful If … the Orange look and play more like the 2018 version that went 10-3. Dino Babers has to turn the program into a consistent threat, but getting to a bowl game would be a good rebound after a losing 2019.

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11. Duke Blue Devils

Duke CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a really, really good defense that gets a whole lot of key parts back including a sneaky-good pair of defensive ends in Chris Rumph and Victor Dimukeje. It’s Duke – the offense won’t be as bad as it was in the middle of last year.

Be Concerned About … the offense that was really that bad in the middle of last year. Passing efficiency and simply moving the chains were both major problems. Clemson QB transfer Chase Brice might be able to solve both issues.

The Season Will Be Successful If … the Blue Devils can start out fast like they did in 2019 and keep it going, at least offensively. Three bowl appearances in four years would show that last season was just a blip.

10. NC State Wolfpack

NC State CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a team that went through an ugly transition last year and should enjoy the payoff. There are still a slew of question marks on both sides of the ball, but the defensive front seven will be great and the kicking game should be among the nation’s best.

Be Concerned About … the passing game that was way too inefficient and an offense that stalled way too often. NC State should bounce back quickly after going 4-8, but now the Dave Doeren era has question marks.

The Season Will Be Successful If … NC State gets to the nine-win mark, or the equivalent of a normal season with that sort of success depending on what the schedule is. Doeren had two straight nine-win seasons before last year’s clunker.

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9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Wake Forest CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a passing game that should still be really effective and really fun. Sage Surratt would be among the nation’s better receivers, and QB San Hartman is in for a big year.

Be Concerned About … the running game should be just okay and the secondary will be suspect. The O will put points on the board, and the D might give them up just as quickly.

The Season Will Be Successful If … Wake Forest goes bowling for a fifth straight season. Dave Clawson has done one of the better jobs in college football considering what he has to work with.

8. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a team loaded with NFL talent on the defensive side of the ball. If new head coach Mike Norvell can do what he does offensively, the other side will take care of the rest.

Be Concerned About … an offensive line that hasn’t been there for years. The Noles haven’t been able to fix the front five, and that’s been the primary issue for the mediocre seasons. It should be better, but the star power is still missing.

The Season Will Be Successful If … FSU looks like it’s about to turn the corner back into superpower status. Norvell is inheriting a nice group to build around. There can’t be any stressing over getting bowl eligible.

7. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … the exciting offense that should be a weekly thrill ride. Scott Satterfield turned the program around in just one year, and now he’s has a loaded receiving corps for the good quarterback options to work with.

Be Concerned About … an offensive line that allowed the most tackles for loss in college football. The defensive side has to be better against the run after finishing second-to-last in the ACC.

The Season Will Be Successful If … the Cardinal offense firmly establishes itself as a thing the rest of the ACC has to freak out about on a regular basis. ing considered one of the league’s top five teams would be a great step forward.

6. Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia CFN 2020 Preview

Be Excited About … a rock-solid team under Bronco Mendenhall that might have lost QB Bryce Perkins, but doesn’t have any major weaknesses. There might not be a whole lot of flash, but the special teams, coaching, and defensive back seven are going to be outstanding.

Be Concerned About … Bryce Perkins. It’s not like the offense will fall off the map, but there wasn’t enough of a ground game and now the Cavaliers have to go on without its heart-and-soul quarterback.

The Season Will Be Successful If … Virginia goes into the regular season finale with a shot at the Coastal. This isn’t going to be the team that won the division and went to the ACC Championship and Orange Bowl, but it should be able to be a factor in the race.

NEXT: ACC Preseason Rankings Top Five

Pages: 12

No. 7 Duke vs. Notre Dame Betting Info: Blue Devils Double Digit Favorite

Notre Dame lost a heartbreaker last time out at Virginia but have covered the spread in their last six outings.

Notre Dame wraps up their three road games in seven days stretch Saturday afternoon as they’re in Durham, North Carolina to take on No. 7 Duke.

The Fighting Irish enter the contest clinging to NCAA Tournament hopes that are built heavily on schedule relief that comes after Saturday’s trip to Cameron Indoor Arena.

No. 7 Duke is listed as of Saturday morning as a 12.5 point favorite and the total sits at 151.5 – up slightly from Notre Dame’s latest outing at Virginia that saw 99 total points scored in 45 minutes.

If you’d like to bet Notre Dame on the money-line Saturday, a winning bet pays at +625.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USATODAY Sports Betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated February 15 at 9:10 a.m. ET

Notre Dame heads to Duke at 15-9 overall, 6-7 in ACC play which has them seventh in the conference. The Irish have also gone 3-5 in true road contests.

No. 7 Duke enters Saturday at 21-3 overall and 11-2 both in the ACC and at Cameron. The conference mark has them a half game behind No. 5 Louisville for the ACC lead.

Notre Dame lost a heartbreaker last time out at Virginia but have covered the spread in their last six outings.

Tip-off is set for 4 p.m ET at Duke today and can be seen on ESPN.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

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