On ESPN’s College Football Live this week, ESPN college football analysts Desmond Howard and Greg McElroy weighed in on who they think will win the ACC this season.
Clemson (4-3, 3-2 ACC) saw its chances of winning a seventh straight Atlantic Division title take a big hit last Saturday with the 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh (6-1, 3-0), which is in clear control of the Coastal Division right now.
In the Atlantic, the Tigers, with two conference losses, are behind both Wake Forest (7-0, 4-0) and NC State (5-2, 2-1) in the standings.
Both Howard and McElroy are picking Pitt to win the ACC this season and put an end to the Tigers’ run of six consecutive conference titles.
Howard: “I’m a big fan right now of the Pitt Panthers. … They’re playing at a level that I think is sustainable. Sometimes you watch a team and you say OK, they’re playing above their head or they’re playing over their talent level. I think Pitt is at a consistent, constant level where they can maintain this style of play and get them through to the ACC Championship Game. So, I’ve got to go with the Pitt Panthers winning it all in the ACC.”
McElroy: “I’m going to take Pitt as well. I think Pitt just has the better quarterback at this point. Even though (Wake Forest QB Sam) Hartman has been excellent, I think (Pittsburgh QB Kenny) Pickett has the higher ceiling. And defensively, I just referenced that Wake, they have some vulnerabilities on defense. They’ve had a couple of very close calls this year, too, in which they won the game and they deserve credit for winning the game, but they looked very human in the process of winning those gams. So, I think Pitt’s been a little bit more control, and I think they’re a little bit more consistent on both sides of the football.”
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