ACC
Champion: Florida StateOffensive player of the year: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Defensive player of the year: Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
Freshman of the year: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Impact transfer: Brennan Armstrong, QB, NC State
Comeback player of the year: Mike Hollins, RB, Virginia
Coach of the year: Mike Norvell, Florida State
Coach on the hot seat: Dino Babers, Syracuse
Coordinator who will be a head coach: Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator, Clemson
Nonconference game of the year: Florida State vs. LSU, Sept. 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Conference game of the year: Florida State at Clemson, Sept. 23
Predicted Finish: ACC
| OVERALL | CONF. | |
| Clemson | 11-1 | 8-0 |
| Florida State | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| North Carolina | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| Pittsburgh | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Louisville | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Miami | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| NC State | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| Wake Forest | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| Syracuse | 7-5 | 3-5 |
| Duke | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| Boston College | 5-7 | 2-6 |
| Virginia Tech | 5-7 | 2-6 |
| Georgia Tech | 4-8 | 2-6 |
| Virginia | 3-9 | 1-7 |
Clemson beats Florida State (but not twice): With quarterback Jordan Travis returning, along with another boatload of key transfers, Florida State believes it finally has enough firepower to topple Clemson. But the Seminoles have to play at Death Valley on Sept. 23. The Tigers should be better on offense with Riley calling plays and quarterback Cade Klubnik getting a full offseason of work in the offense. The Tigers are again going to be tough to block, especially if Woods is as good as advertised. Clemson will win the regular-season meeting, but Florida State will win the rematch -- and end an eight-game losing streak to the Tigers -- in the ACC championship game. The SEC still won't call with an invitation to join.
Maye wins the Heisman: In his first season as a starter, Maye threw for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, USC's Caleb Williams, and Maye were the only FBS quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards with at least 35 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions last season. Chip Lindsey takes over the offensive playcalling after coordinator Phil Longo left for Wisconsin. Maye's top receivers from last season, Josh Downs and Antoine Green, left for the NFL. Adding former Georgia Tech receiver Nate McCollum will help tremendously, and the Tar Heels are still hoping to get Kent State transfer Devontez Walker eligible. The Tar Heels have to do a better job protecting Maye after he was sacked 40 times last season.
Hollins has a 100-yard game: There won't be a better moment in the sport this season than when Virginia running back Mike Hollins runs for more than 100 yards and scores a couple of touchdowns against James Madison on Sept. 9. Hollins survived a shooting last November that killed teammates Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D'Sean Perry. Hollins was shot in the abdomen and was hospitalized for a week. Remarkably, he returned to practice in the spring. His comeback will be one of the most inspirational stories of the season.
