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The ACC has been dominated by the Clemson Tigers the past few seasons, but there are some solid contenders and at least one longshot that have their sights set on the top spot in the conference title for the 2018 football season.
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A new season of football in the ACC gets underway in less than two months in what has become a much stronger conference for the sport in recent years. Everyone knows that ACC is a true power conference for basketball, but programs such as Clemson, Miami, and Florida State have put the ACC back on the map for football as well.
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ACC Championship Top Favorite<br />
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With three-straight trips to the College Football Playoff and one successful run all the way to the national title in 2016, it is easy to see why Clemson has been opened as a -200 odds-on favorite to win the ACC in 2018. The Tigers actually have the second-best odds in the country to win this season’s CFP Championship at +600 behind Alabama as a +240 favorite.
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Clemson got a solid effort from Kelly Bryant at quarterback last season with 2,802 yards passing and 13 touchdown throws, and the bar has been set even higher heading into his senior year. The defense should once again be dominant, especially up front with a very talented defensive line. This unit was ranked second in the nation last season in points allowed (12.8).
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The Tigers will open play in the ACC on the road against Georgia Tech on Sept. 22, and they will face their first big test in late October with a road game against Florida State. Other than that, the path back to the conference title game in early December remains rather clear.
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ACC Championship Top Contender<br />
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The team with the best chance to end Clemson’s run would be Miami (FL) as a +500 second-favorite to win the ACC. The Hurricanes play out of the Coastal Division, so they would only have to face the Tigers head-to-head in the title game. They had their chance last season in the ACC Championship and came up well short in a lopsided 38-3 loss as heavy 12.5-point underdogs.
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One of the biggest reasons for optimism that Miami can close that gap is a defense that could actually be better than Clemson this season. The Hurricanes allowed an average of 19.9 PPG last season, and they will have some key pieces back in place with the return of linebacker Shaq Quarterman and safety Jaquan Johnson. The big question mark on offense is quarterback Malik Rosier's ability to elevate his game to help close that existing gap with the Tigers.
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Looking at Miami’s schedule, the first big bump in the road other than the SEC’s LSU Tigers right out of the gate could come in early October at home against Florida State. The Hurricanes also have back-to-back road games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in November.
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The futures odds to win the ACC for a few of the other top contenders start with Florida State at +900 followed by Virginia Tech and Louisville at +1600.
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ACC Championship Top Longshot<br />
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Taking a flyer on a longshot to win the ACC carries far more risk than reward, but there is some value in North Carolina State at +2000 after posting a 6-2 record in conference play last season. The Wolfpack gave Clemson a battle last season in a tight 38-31 loss at home as 10-point underdogs. They will face the Tigers on the road this season on Oct. 20.
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Every break in the book would have to fall its way, but if NC State can successfully fill the void left by Bradley Chubb on defense, while getting another strong performance from senior quarterback Ryan Finley it could, at the very least, make things interesting.
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