2016 ACC preview: Can Florida State, Clemson both make the playoff?

Florida State and Clemson look like the class of the ACC entering 2016, but this league has more to it than a dominant pair in one division.

Few will dispute that Florida State and Clemson are the frontrunners in the ACC this season. Yet while it would be surprising if any other squad from the conference reached the College Football Playoff, a few should challenge the Seminoles and Tigers along the way. Atlantic Division foe Louisville, led by one of the ACC’s top quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, will push Florida State when they meet at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in September, and the Coastal Division features several good, if not quite elite, outfits such as North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Miami. It’s difficult to project how things will shake out in this league, given the lack of clarity beyond the top two, but the combination of national title contenders at the top and a strong middle class should make for an exciting season.