The college football season is only a couple of weeks away from Week Zero kickoff. Soon, the quest for the College Football Playoff will begin, as 12 teams look to return to the tournament. The Indiana Hoosiers will look to defend their national title.
The ACC has several teams capable of making a serious run at the College Football Playoff. Miami leads that conversation, but teams like Pitt and Louisville could also emerge as legitimate contenders. Florida State will also look to bounce back and return to the top of the conference after a disappointing back-to-back seasons.
The ACC will be one of the more intriguing conferences to watch during the 2026 season. While the SEC and Big Ten could dominate the playoff field, the ACC has enough contenders to challenge for multiple spots. Can Clemson reclaim the conference crown, or will Miami finally break through and establish itself as the ACC’s top team? Could SMU or Louisville surprise the conference and make a run at the College Football Playoff?
MORE: 2026 full SEC CFB conference predictions: Who will dethrone Georgia?
We went week by week and game by game through the ACC schedule and predicted the outcome of each matchup. Here are our final predictions for the 2026 ACC season:
2026 ACC CFB full standings predictions:
| Rank | Team | Conf. | Overall | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 9-0 | 11-1 | .917 |
| 2 | Louisville | 7-2 | 9-3 | .750 |
| 3 | SMU | 6-3 | 8-4 | .667 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 6-3 | 9-3 | .750 |
| 5 | NC State | 6-3 | 8-4 | .667 |
| 6 | Clemson | 5-3 | 7-5 | .583 |
| 7 | Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 6-6 | .500 |
| 8 | California | 5-4 | 8-4 | .667 |
| 9 | Duke | 5-4 | 6-6 | .500 |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | 4-5 | 7-5 | .583 |
| 11 | Florida State | 3-5 | 5-7 | .417 |
| 12 | Virginia | 3-6 | 5-7 | .417 |
| 13 | Wake Forest | 3-6 | 6-6 | .500 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 2-6 | 4-8 | .333 |
| 15 | Syracuse | 2-7 | 4-8 | .333 |
| 16 | Stanford | 2-7 | 4-8 | .333 |
| 17 | Boston College | 1-7 | 2-10 | .167 |
ACC Championship Game
In the ACC Championship Game… Miami defeats Louisville 30-14 to take their first ACC title that might be the last conference championship game weekend.
Will this be the last ACC conference championship as the CFP looks to expand again?
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