Which ACC Football Teams Have the Toughest Schedules?
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Which ACC football teams go against the toughest 2023 schedules? There are different measures, when combined, help to figure that out.
Road games, rivalries, tough out of conference contests, and the bye week, those have traditionally been primary components for grading a college football program’s difficulty of schedule.
Here’s a look at seven ACC teams that generally finish at or near the top of the conference standings. Take a look for yourself, and then you decide which teams have it the toughest.
The list was composed in alphabetical order.
Clemson Tigers
Dabo Swinney and the Tigers get Florida State (Sep. 23) at home, plus it’s after a home slate against Florida Atlantic. The Tigers also host the Hurricanes (Oct. 21) after a bye, but then must also play at North Carolina State (Oct. 28) before hosting Notre Dame (Nov. 4) to play through a difficult three-game stretch. The season finishes with a home game against North Carolina (Nov. 18) and at rival South Carolina (Nov. 25).
Florida State Seminoles
The Noles open the season in Orlando against LSU (Sep. 3), and it’s a Sunday game. At Boston College (Sep. 16) prior to heading to Death Valley to face Clemson (Sep. 23) will be challenging in terms of travel alone. At Wake Forest (Oct. 28), at Pittsburgh (Nov. 4) and home to Miami (Nov. 11) will also be three interesting games. The Seminoles finish the 2023 schedule with North Alabama (Nov. 18) at home prior to heading to Gainesville, Fla. to face rival Florida (Nov. 25).
Louisville Cardinals
A tough five-game stretch highlights the schedule for the Cardinals. It begins with Indiana (Sep. 16) in Indianapolis, Boston College (Sep. 23), at North Carolina State (Sep. 29) on a Friday, Notre Dame (Oct. 7), and at Pittsburgh (Oct. 14). Then, there’s an advantage of playing Virginia (Nov. 9) on a Thursday prior to traveling to Miami (Nov. 18). The season finishes with rival Kentucky (Nov. 25).
Miami Hurricanes
The big out of conference game for Mario Cristobal and Miami comes with Texas A&M (Sep. 9) traveling to South Florida. The Hurricanes bye week (Sep. 30) comes early. They play three of arguably the four toughest conference games on the road – at North Carolina (Oct. 14), at FSU (Nov. 11), and at North Carolina State (Nov. 4). The home game against Clemson (Oct. 21) also comes after the road test against UNC. Miami does go against Louisville (Nov. 18) at home, albeit after traveling to Tallahassee.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The first game is played in Charlotte against South Carolina (Sep. 2), so the Tar Heels have a quality opponent to begin the season. Then, it’s Appalachian State (Sep. 9), Minnesota (Sep. 16), and at Pittsburgh (Sep. 30), prior to an early bye (Oct. 7). Hosting Miami (Oct. 14) and rival Duke (Nov. 11) will help UNC, but road games at Clemson (Nov. 18) and at rival North Carolina State (Nov. 25) make for a difficult ending to the season.
North Carolina State Wolfpack
A road contest at Connecticut (Sep. 2) takes place prior to hosting Notre Dame (Sep. 9). Louisville (Sep. 29) and at rival Duke (Oct. 14) are notable. The biggest news stems from NC ST getting Clemson (Oct. 28) at home after the Wolfpack’s bye week. Then, Miami (Nov. 4) comes to Raleigh the next Saturday. The season finalizes with rival North Carolina (Nov. 25) at home.
Pittsburgh Panthers
After hosting Wofford (Sep. 2), the next three contests will be key matchups. Cincinnati (Sep. 9) comes to Pittsburgh, then the “Backyard Brawl” with West Virginia (Sep 16) in Morgantown, W.V., and finally North Carolina (Sep. 23). After a bye (Oct. 7), Pittsburgh plays Louisville (Oct. 14). A trip to South Bend, Ind. to play Notre Dame (Oct. 28) takes place prior to hosting Florida State (Nov. 4).
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