It’s Week Zero of college football and the ACC lights the fuse on Saturday with Florida State and Georgia Tech going head to head in Dublin while SMU takes on Nevada. This weekend is the appetizer while the full-course tail-gaiting meal gets served in the annual ACC Labor Day weekend kickoff Thursday through Monday.
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Preseason rankings are a dangerous road to traverse as there are plenty of curves, potholes and barely any room to pull off without heading off a cliff. The Sports Illustrated Preseason Top 25 takes all of these pitfalls into consideration and lays out a pretty good argument but like any water cooler content it will depend on you, the fan to determine if it ‘holds water’.
College Football
SI Preseason Top 25 – ACC+1
Before we go any further let us explain the ‘ACC+1’ to our three new team fanbases. As Notre Dame plays (this year 5 games) ACC football as part of their agreement to participate in the conference for other sports we include the Irish in order to provide a clear picture of where all teams stand.
| #1 | OHIO STATE |
| #2 | GEORGIA |
| #3 | TEXAS |
| #4 | OREGON |
| #5 | ALABAMA |
| #6 | NOTRE DAME |
| #10 | FLORIDA STATE |
| #12 | CLEMSON |
| #22 | SMU |
| #23 | MIAMI |
Four full-time conference teams earn a spot as college football gets ready to explode onto fields across the country. Last year’s ACC Champion, Florida State has done some necessary re-loading but appears to be primed for another run at the title and to lock down a spot in the new 12 team playoff.
If the Noles look over their shoulder they’ll see Clemson who also has a full contingent of warriors ready to grab an ACC Championship and quell the whispers of doubters that have arisen over the past few years.
Noles/Tigers | Busting Loose In ’24
Newcomer SMU liked the feel of winning a conference title so much (AAC) from last year they’ve loaded up their pantry in anticipation of the slog toward Charlotte in December.
Miami is lurking and this may be the year that the conference ends up looking over their shoulders at Mario Cristobal and the Canes.
Get ready for college football 2024 as Week Zero debuts Saturday.
