Analyzing the ACC After Week 0

With the Georgia Tech week 0 upset, the ACC is wide open. As I expected if you go back and look at my Florida State write-up in my preseason top 25, Florida State is not nearly as good as last year. Clemson will probably start the year 0-1 as they take on Georgia this week and Miami also has a tough SEC matchup in week one vs the Florida Gators. 

So what happens if all three of the favorites to win the conference lose their first games? The ACC will already be behind the curve in terms of having a non-conference champion make the playoff. This also opens up opportunities for teams like Georiga Tech and NC State who have solid rosters and easy schedules. If Miami can sneak out a win vs Florida, then they are looking like the real favorites as aside from a Florida State matchup on October 26th they have a favorable schedule as well. 

My first blog on this page was about how a dark horse team like Syracuse might sneak into the playoffs as well. Virginia Tech is another team that could be viewed as a dark horse champion. The whole conference is filled with solid teams, but don’t be surprised if the conference champion is someone who makes the playoffs at 10-3. This conference will probably be the most fun to monitor all season and I expect them all to kind of beat up on each other all season. 

If I had to pick a champion right now, I am sticking with my preseason prediction of the Miami Hurricanes. Who do you all think wins this conference?