Roundtable: Predicting the ACC Order of Finish

The AllClemson staff figured we better get this in before everything potentially changes.

The ACC football season is in flux, and there will likely be major alterations made to the schedule in the coming days, but we were supposed to be covering ACC Kickoff this week and turning in ballots for the predicted order of finish into the ACC office, but the in-person version was canceled and the virtual media day was postponed.

So let's look at the conference as we know it with an 8-game conference schedule and what we think will happen (predicted records in parentheses):

Christopher Hall

Atlantic: Clemson (8-0), Lousiville (6-2), Florida State (5-3), Boston College (4-4), Wake Forest (3-5), N.C. State (2-6), Syracuse (2-6)

Coastal: North Carolina (6-2), Duke (5-3), Virginia Tech (5-3), Miami (5-3), Georgia Tech (4-4), Pittsburgh (3-5), Virginia (3-5).

Another easy run through the division for Clemson, although I expect once again at some point the Tigers will have to grind out a "too close for comfort" conference win. The Coastal will have another year of beating up each other with the Tar Heels doing just enough to secure a spot in the title game in Charlotte.

Jason Priester

Atlantic: Clemson (8-0), Louisville (6-2), Florida State (5-3), N.C. State (4-4), Wake Forest (4-4), Boston College (3-5), Syracuse (2-6)

Coastal: North Carolina (7-1), Virginia Tech (6-2), Pitt (5-3), Miami (5-3), Virginia(4-4), Duke (4-4), Georgia Tech (3-5)

Still with a sour taste left in their mouths from last season, Clemson blows through the Atlantic easily. Louisville will be much better but not nearly good enough to compete with Clemson. On the Coastal side is where we see the majority of improvement within the league. North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Pitt are all capable of winning that side, but the Tar Heels prove to be a little better than the rest.

Travis Boland

Atlantic: Clemson (8-0), Louisville (6-2), Florida State (5-3), Syracuse (4-4), Wake Forest (3-5), N.C. State (2-6), Boston College (0-8)

Coastal: Virginia Tech (8-0), Miami (7-1), North Carolina (6-2), Pitt (3-5), Duke (2-6), Georgia Tech (1-7), Virginia (1-7)

Clemson will have to break in some new guys on defense, but there's not another team in the ACC that can hang with the Tigers on the offensive side of the ball. I was tempted to have a three-way tie at the top of the Coastal Division between the Hokies, 'Canes and Heels, but I think Virginia Tech will be able to go to Chapel Hill and win and beat the Hurricanes at Lane Stadium.

Brad Senkiw

Atlantic: Clemson (8-0), Louisville (6-2), FSU (5-3), Wake (4-4), BC (3-5), N.C. State (3-5), Syracuse (2-6)

Coastal: UNC (7-1), Virginia Tech (5-3), Miami (5-3), Pitt (5-3), Virginia (3-5), Duke (2-6), Georgia Tech (1-7)

I think I have a pretty good feel for the order in the Coastal, but the Atlantic could fluctuate outside of Clemson finishing on top. For example, FSU could end up 6-2 or 3-5. Boston College could be the surprise team of the league if QB Phil Jurkovec gets his NCAA waiver. There is no constant in the Coastal except chaos, but it feels like this is the year it's easier to predict.