By: Nate Murphy (@bigmurph23)
Non-Con, Non-Dom
To be fair, this statement applies across all four conferences in the CFSL. The ACC finished the non-conference slate at an even 9-9. Only one conference (Big 12) had a better mark with 10 wins, and one with a worse win total (SEC had 8). The Big 10 also finished at .500 at 9-9. With the way the league has been trending since the end of the steroid era, this really should not be surprising.
The Defending champs had a great nonconference run. The Hurricanes took their tough opening schedule and finished 3-0 with wins over USC, Alabama, and Texas A&M. Clemson has had a good run, building off of their end-of-season success in S22. The Tigers are in the middle of the conference at 2-1, the same record as UNC and Virginia Tech. On the back end of the conference, at 0-3 is Notre Dame and …
OH MY! And 3
In my best George Takei voice (for you young pups reading this who don’t know who that is…Google it) OH MYYY! Florida State is the other 0-3 team in the ACC. The Seminoles’ non-conference slate did not set up easily by any stretch of the imagination. LSU was kind of the question mark team on their schedule. How good would the Tigers be by week three?
We all knew Colorado, with All-World running back Taylor James, was going to be a tough ask in week one. And the Michigan Wolverines have always played Florida State extremely well since it became Ike vs Grin. This is an FSU team that is far better than the record states. So any ACC team, including VT, which hosts the ‘Noles in week four, overlooking them will be in for a rude awakening. Bold prediction here, Florida State will find a way to win three conference games at least. Watch out, ACC.
Turn ‘em Over
Turnovers are key to any team’s success. Look at the top teams here in the ACC: Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina. All teams are either 3-0 or 2-1 entering conference play. But it isn’t the win totals that are the only things they have in common. All four of those teams are in the top eight in the league in forcing turnovers. Miami, maybe not surprisingly, leads not just the ACC teams but the entire league in turnovers with 10. Virginia Tech ranks 6th with seven forced turnovers. North Carolina is right behind the Hokies with six turnovers, and Clemson rounds out the group at 8th with five forced turnovers.
As we get into conference play, can these teams continue to wreak havoc on the defensive end and continue to put their opponents in bad spots? If so, these four schools may be representing the ACC in the CFSL playoffs for S23.
ACC Results Week 3
Miami defeats USC 47-44
Clemson defeats Georgia 38-26
North Carolina defeats Oregon 41-9
Virginia Tech defeats Ohio State 56-48
Florida State loses to LSU 63-45
Notre Dame loses to Nebraska 35-28
ACC Week 4 Schedule
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Florida State at Virginia Tech (6:30 CST, Twitch)
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
North Carolina at Clemson (8:30 CS,T Twitch)
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Notre Dame at Miami (8:30 CST, YouTube)
Potential ACC Game of the Week
I am intrigued by FSU’s trip to Blacksburg to take on Va Tech. I boldly predicted Florida State to get three wins in their five conference games, and it could start on Tuesday night. But I think it is the Wednesday night matchup that should draw the ACC’s eyes. Clemson sprung the upset over the Tar Heels last season, so you know UNC is going to be ready for the Tigers this time around. But Clemson is 2-1 coming into this game, same as UNC. The difference is that the non-conference schedule was not as brutal for the Tigers.
So, how real is this team? I, for one, think they are as good as their record says. The duo of Merriweather and Hurd in the backfield is good enough to give any defense fits. That will help keep them in games long enough to find ways to win. The winner takes the first step towards one of the automatic bids, the loser will have to regroup quickly and be ready to go again next week. Because they never seem to get any easier week to week.
