The ACC is used to having heavy favorites lead the conference on the national stage, and the preseason outlook points in that direction again in 2026.
Florida State famously went 70-2 in its first nine seasons as an ACC member, winning it all with Bobby Bowden in 1993 and 1999. Dabo Swinney’s dynasty era from 2015-20 included six straight conference titles, two national championships and two additional national runner-up finishes. Now, the ACC has a new school ready to take over the role of overwhelming favorite, even if it’s a program that has never done it before.
Miami has five national championships and zero ACC titles, and as a program, “The U” is now 3-1 in College Football Playoff games yet 0-1 in ACC Championship Games. When the school joined the ACC in 2004, it was just a couple of years removed from fielding one of the best teams in college football history. Yet as an ACC member, there has not yet been a point when the mystique of Miami football was on full display as a conference member — until now.
Mario Cristobal’s thunderous breakthrough season, punctuated by a run to the national championship game, certified the Hurricanes as one of the top 10 programs in college football.
They’ve been a contender in the national picture for two straight seasons, with 22 combined weeks ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll across 2024-25, and now sit as the unanimous pick from our CBS Sports experts to win the league in 2026.
That’s the narrow line that Miami navigates as it prepares for the year. Everyone is expecting Miami to handle its business as the most talented team with the most program momentum in the conference.
Yet the ACC has provided annual pitfalls for this proud national title-winning school, and the 2026 season does include its fair share of contenders, with teams like SMU, Louisville and Clemson all lurking in the top 30 of the CBS Sports 138 (though only the Tigers are guaranteed a shot at The U in the regular season).
Never before has Miami been thrust into the role of unquestioned favorite as we’ve seen with Florida State and Clemson. But when you’re talking about the kind of history that comes with winning a first-ever ACC title, Miami will welcome the signs that this year is going to end a little differently in the conference title race.
Here’s how our experts see the ACC shaking out in 2026.
Most overrated team
Clemson: If we consider the last three seasons — the ones with not only the transfer portal but also open NIL — to be the modern era of college football, then Clemson is a powerhouse of the past. There’s no denying the greatness accomplished by the Tigers under Dabo Swinney, but things have changed. In the “modern era,” Clemson is 26-14, including 15-9 in ACC play. It has lost its place among the elite. None of which is to say the Tigers can’t or won’t have a strong season (there’s plenty of wiggle room in the ACC after Miami), but an 8-4 mark is far more likely than the double-digit win seasons of yore. As is 7-5. — Tom Fornelli (Also John Talty)
Duke: The Blue Devils were dealt a difficult blow at the deadline of the transfer portal window, when Miami poached their starting quarterback. With no real way to replace him, Duke settled for San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, a productive senior who will be fine for Duke. The problem is that the Blue Devils only really found success last year because Mensah was spectacular. They’re going to have to play a completely different way in 2026 with a run-first offense led by all-ACC candidate Nate Sheppard. My biggest concern with Duke is a defense that ranked 122nd nationally last season in yards per play. The Blue Devils don’t spend big and couldn’t get expensive replacements. Manny Diaz will have to work some defensive magic for Duke to be a contender again this year. — Chris Hummer (Also Richard Johnson)
NC State: The Wolfpack’s schedule is the most favorable in the Power Four, with only one opponent — Louisville — ranked inside the AP Top 25. However, the Wolfpack lost several key starters to the portal and have historically underachieved under Dave Doeren when expectations are high. New starters along the offensive line give me pause, as does the challenge of replacing Hollywood Smothers‘ production. — Brad Crawford
Virginia: I’m not sold on the Cavs maintaining last year’s success. The offense is undergoing a restart after losing most of its production from last year, including quarterback Chandler Morris, two running backs and four of the top pass catchers. The quarterback spot is in good hands with Beau Pribula, but hitting the restart button is difficult in any power league. On defense, most of the two-deep in the trenches is gone from last year, too. The good news is the schedule is favorable, and we’ll find out quickly whether Virginia can remain near the top of the league with the opener against NC State in Week 0. — Brandon Marcello
Most underrated team
Cal: The program that Tosh Lupoi set up in Berkeley is not ready to be left behind. Efforts not only to retain key talent but also to supplement it through the transfer portal leave the Bears with a roster firmly capable of competing in the crowded middle of the ACC. Although I’m not ready to call the Bears a threat to Miami at the top, the continued development of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele could give Cal the best quarterback on the field in most of its games this season. If the portal additions hit, this is a team that could find itself contending for a top-five spot in the ACC at year’s end, and that’s not represented by its 12th-place pick at media days. — Chip Patterson (Also Talty, Johnson)
Pittsburgh: When trying to find an undervalued asset ahead of the season, I like to have at least one thing with that team I know I can count on happening each and every week. With Pitt and the combination of quarterback Mason Heintschel and OC Kade Bell, it’s clear that the Panthers are going to score a ton of points. Heintschel emerged as one of the sport’s elite quarterbacks in the second half of last season, and Pitt returns five starters around him, including four offensive linemen. Pat Narduzzi will always have an above-average defense, too — Pitt’s only ranked outside the top 35 once since 2020. The Panthers will have their say late in the year. They have a very reasonable schedule until their last five games, a stretch that includes matchups with Miami, Louisville and Georgia Tech. They’re a dark horse to reach the ACC title game. — Hummer
Virginia: Virginia benefited from its schedule last year and played in a lot of close games (three OT wins and an OT loss), but while it may not have been as good as we typically view teams that win 11 games, it was still a good team. One that’s being dismissed a bit too easily because of the logo on the helmet even though a good chunk of one of the better defenses in the ACC returns. The Panthers also bring in Beau Pribula at quarterback, who is just as capable of leading a rushing-heavy offense as Chandler Morris was. I’m not predicting another 11 wins, but I can see the Hoos sticking around the conference title race deep into November again. — Fornelli (Also Marcello)
Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech should hit the ground running under James Franklin, partly due to the schedule but primarily because there’s roster familiarity given the plethora of Penn State transfers. And with Brent Pry as DC, the Hokies will be reliable on that side of the football. — Crawford
Bold predictions
Tom Fornelli: Miami and SMU will be the only ACC teams to appear in the final CFP rankings of the season.
Chip Patterson: Seven different ACC teams are ranked during the year, but only Miami will make the CFP. The league is loaded with schools of top-35 quality, but could fail to produce a second top-10-caliber team. That will lead to many ACC teams entering the rankings in spots 15-25 and inevitably falling when another top-35-caliber team takes them out.
Brandon Marcello: The ACC pushes three teams into the CFP conversation. Louisville and SMU will be nearly even most of the season, fighting in the wake of Miami’s massive playoff wake. Head-to-head results will obviously matter, but the logjam created by the SEC’s ninth game in the schedule prompts conversations about whether the ACC deserves a third team in the CFP.
John Talty: The ACC gets one team (Miami) into the CFP, but the real action happens in the coaching carousel. The ACC has the most coaching vacancies among the Power Four, a mix of firings and retirements that will shape the league’s future.
Richard Johnson: The JKS show reigns supreme in Berkley. A quarterback with all the talent in the world makes Tosh Lupoi’s first year seriously special. Ian Strong is one of the more underheralded transfers in the entire portal cycle, and his connection with the lefty signal caller creates fireworks for the Golden Bears.
Brad Crawford: Two ACC teams will make the CFP this season, Miami and the winner of SMU-Louisville in early September. The Mustangs bring back Kevin Jennings under center, while the Cardinals spent more than most in the conference this portal season. Jeff Brohm is due for a major breakout after consecutive nine-win campaigns.
Chris Hummer: The ACC gets a pair of teams into the playoff, with SMU and Miami making the 12-team field. The Hurricanes are by far the most talented team in the league, but the Mustangs have all the pieces required to make a run. If SMU beats Florida State and Louisville early in the season — watch out.
ACC predicted order of finish
ACC champion
There’s a lot to love about this Miami program. The Hurricanes have by far the most expensive roster in the ACC, a very manageable schedule that shouldn’t include more than one regular-season loss and the best quarterback-receiver duo in the conference with Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney. Miami lost a lot from last year’s title game runner-up, especially along the offensive and defensive lines, but this team is still far too talented not to win the ACC this season. After just sneaking into the playoff field a year ago, this team should be playing for a first-round bye. — Talty (Also Patterson, Fornelli, Hummer, Johnson, Marcello, Hummer)
