Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season. This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 20th annual college football preview guide which will contain 20 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record. These records include conference title games but exclude bowl games, which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog. The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility this season and the one marked in italics is my predicted conference champion.. Without further ado, here are my predictions for the ACC in 2026, which appears to be a one-bid league with a predictable champion this season. It is also extremely weird for some teams to be playing eight conference games this season (due to prior non-conference contractual obligations), while others will play nine.

1	Miami-FL (11-2, 8-1)- conference champion / CFP # 8 seed

Last Year’s Record: 13-3 (My 2025 prediction: 11-2)- nailed my prediction for the Canes last season

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Pittsburgh (October 24)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Clemson (October 3)

Bottom Line: Shockingly, the Hurricanes of Miami have still not won an ACC title since joining the league in 2004. It would be a major surprise if that drought didn’t end this season, but that is not to say Miami has a cakewalk to through their regular season schedule in 2026. The Canes have to travel to Clemson in league play and then go to South Bend as well, but even if they were to drop both of those contests, they would still be in prime position for a conference championship and a CFP bid. The main thing the Canes have to guard against in 2026 is one of their characteristic letdown losses, as this program has lost five games as a double-digit favorite over the past four seasons (2022- vs. Middle Tennessee, 2023- vs. Georgia Tech, 2024- at Syracuse, 2025- vs. Louisville and at SMU). If they show up to play football every single week, then I don’t see a way this immensely talented squad doesn’t make it to the playoff for the second consecutive season. However, if they throw in some of their usual clunkers, then things could get dicey for the U this season.

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2	NC State (11-2, 8-1)- conference runner-up

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2025 prediction: 8-4)- another ACC team that I absolutely nailed in my preseason prognostication last season

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Vanderbilt (September 19)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Virginia (August 29)

Bottom Line: It seems like every year is supposed to be “the year” for NC State but they always end up in the 7-9 win range. However, this season, I think the Wolfpack are in a great position for a breakthrough campaign, largely due to a schedule that features 12 very winnable football games. In fact, I am picking the Pack to lose their season opener against Virginia in a revenge spot for the Cavaliers and then win their next 11 games en route to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. Nevertheless, even at 11-1, I think the Pack will have to either beat Miami or play them really close in the conference title game to earn a playoff spot, given how weak their schedule is. Unfortunately, I don’t think the game will be close enough for them earn a CFP bid when all is said and done. Still, an 11-2 season with an ACC Championship berth would be a major breakthrough for Dave Doeren’s program, which is why they are my # 2 surprise team in the country this season.

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3	Louisville (8-4, 7-2)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2025 prediction: 8-4)- I absolutely nailed my preseason picks last year for my top 3 ACC teams in 2026.

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Pittsburgh (November 21)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Kentucky (November 28)

Bottom Line: People are expecting big things out of the Cards this year, and while Brohm is an incredible coach, especially on offense, there are some major question marks at quarterback this season in unproven transfer Lincoln Kineholz. I do think this football team will still be pretty good with a stacked running back room and plenty of defensive playmakers but concerns at QB and offensive line cause me to predict the Cards to have another good, but not great, season in 2026.

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4	Clemson (8-4, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2025 prediction: 12=1)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Miami-FL (October 3)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at California (September 25)- this is a classic cross-country trap game for the Tigers who host the Hurricanes the following week

Bottom Line: Yes, this great dynasty has taken a major step back over the past decade (thank God!), but Dabo has still assembled enough talent to compete for an ACC title once again. The biggest question mark is at quarterback with the unproven Christopher Vizzina taking over. However, if he ends up having a breakthrough season in his first year as starter in Death Valley and the inexperienced offensive line comes together quickly, the Tigers could challenge the Canes for the top honors in the ACC this season. The Tigers opener in “the other Death Valley” against the Bayou Bengals will tell us a lot about where this program is right now within the national landscape of college football

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5	Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-3)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2025 prediction: 5-7)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at SMU (November 7)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Pittsburgh (October 2)

Bottom Line: Many pundits are expecting new coach James Franklin to have an immediate impact in Blacksburg, and you can include me in that category as well. Franklin has basically assembled a “Penn State lite” squad in his first season at the helm by bringing in 12 players from his former school. The Hokies won’t be as good as Franklin’s best Nittany Lion teams, at least not initially, but there is still enough talent here for Virginia Tech to make some noise in the ACC title race.

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6	SMU (8-4, 6-3)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2025 prediction: 8-4)- another dead-on ACC prediction for me from 2025

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Virginia (October 17)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Virginia Tech (November 7)

Bottom Line: After making their surprise run to the ACC title game and College Football Playoff in 2024, this squad has gotten a lot of love the past two seasons by expert prognostications. And while Kevin Jennings is a great quarterback, I just don’t think from top to bottom that SMU is one of the top 2 or 3 best teams in this league. First of all, they lose a ton on defense from last year, especially up front, where they fielded a top 20 run defense last season. The Mustangs are also likely to experience some regression towards the mean in terms of turnover margin, as their +9 mark last season will be difficult to replicate. I don’t think you’ll see a major step back from the Mustangs in 2026, but I don’t believe they are the conference title contender they are being hyped up as either.

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7	California (6-6, 5-4)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2025 prediction: 2-10)- the Golden Bears greatly exceeded my preseason expectations for them last season

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Clemson (September 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at UNLV (October 3)

Bottom Line: The Golden Bears enter 2026 with a ton of momentum following return of star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (yes, that is quite a mouthful) who led this squad to upsets of Louisville and SMU to end the 2025 regular season. Tosh Lupoi also seems to be great hire for this program, as he should be able to recruit significantly better than Wilcox did in 9 years at Berkeley. Still, I don’t see this team taking a major step forward in 2026 due to inexperience on defense and at the receiver positions. Expect another 6-7 win season for the Golden Bears, which is exactly what we have grown accustomed to seeing from this program in the 2020s.

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8	Pittsburgh (7-5, 5-4)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2025 prediction: 9-3)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Virginia Tech (October 2)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. UCF (September 12)

Bottom Line: Pitt was my # 8 surprise team from last season, as I correctly called for them exceed expectations thanks to an experienced squad that featured 15 returning starters from 2024. This season, I think the Panthers will take a slight step back, as even though they have a talented returning quarterback in Mason Heintschel, they lose their top two tacklers and top two receivers from 2025, while also having one of the lowest ranked transfer portal classes in the league this offseason.

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9	Florida State (7-5, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (My 2025 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Clemson (October 31)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Boston College (November 7)- The Noles have struggled mightily with the Eagles in their past two meetings

Bottom Line: The Noles still seem to be feeling the effects of their unfathomable drop off from 13-1 in 2023 to 2-10 in 2024. FSU did take a slight step forward last year winning five games but Norvell’s crew still failed to make a bowl game. This year, Mike Norvell (pictured above) will be squarely on the hot seat as continued struggles will likely lead to a midseason firing in Tallahassee. And while I do think this squad will be better again in 2026, especially if new quarterback Ashton Daniels can develop into a better passer than he showed at Auburn and Stanford, I am not sure if my predicted seven win campaign will be good enough to keep Norvell around for an 8th season with this program.

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9	Georgia Tech (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2025 prediction: 8-4)- as you can see, the ACC was one of my strongest conferences last year for my preseason predictions!

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Defensive Backfield

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Louisville (November 7)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Stanford (September 26)

Bottom Line: The Yellow Jackets were destined to have a special season last year as three year starting quarterback Hayes King returned to lead this squad to the brink of the ACC Championship Game. However, Georgia Tech couldn’t quite get over the hump in 2025 and they most certainly will take a step back in 2026 with the loss of King and eight other offensive starters as well as both their offensive and defensive coordinators. Brent Key is too good of a coach to see this squad backslide too much, but a return to their usual 5-7 win mark seems about right.

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11	Virginia (7-5, 4-5)

Last Year’s Record: 11-3 (My 2025 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. NC State (August 29)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. North Carolina (November 21)- this matchup seems to always produce an upset

Bottom Line: Like Georgia Tech above, last season had the makings of a special year for the Hoos, as I correctly picked them to take advantage of an experienced roster and favorable schedule and contend for the ACC title and College Football Playoff berth in 2025. Unfortunately, the Cavs fell just short of those goals, and now they will inevitably take a step back in 2026 due to the loss of their starting quarterback, top three rushers, top four pass catchers, and top two tacklers.

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12	Wake Forest (6-6, 3-6)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2025 prediction: 4-8)- my Deacs were one of the great surprises of the 2025 college football season!

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Virginia (October 31)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at California (October 17)

Bottom Line: No team exceeded expectations more last season than my Demon Deacons who were predicted by me, and most everyone else to be one of the worst power conference teams in the country last season, and instead put together an incredible 9-4 campaign that was punctuated by a bowl win over an SEC squad. Wake seems to have nailed a third straight football hire in Jake Dickert (Jim Grobe and Dave Clawson previously had successful tenures in Winston-Salem), but this team will inevitably take at least a slight step back in 2026 due to a tougher schedule and the loss of their stellar quarterback/running back tandem in Robby Ashford and Demond Claiborne

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13	North Carolina (4-8, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2025 prediction: 9-3)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Virginia (November 21)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Syracuse (October 24)

Bottom Line: While Wake’s Jake Dickert could not have really had a better first year coaching in the ACC, Belichick’s first year at North Carolina could not have gotten much worse. The Heels were expected to to win 8-9 games last year thanks to a cushy schedule and a promising crop of transfers, and they instead faceplanted their way to a 4-8 season. This year’s Heels squad should be more talented than the last (and better coached with Bobby Petrino taking over as offensive coordinator), but the schedule is also tougher with games against Notre Dame, Pitt, and Miami being added to the schedule. Expect another sub .500 season for Belichick’s crew, in what may be his last season in Chapel Hill.

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13	Boston College (4-8, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 2-10 (My 2025 prediction: 2-10)- I successfully forecasted the Eagles downfall last season

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Florida State (November 7)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Cincinnati (September 5)

Bottom Line: Bill O’Brien’s tenure in Chestnut Hill got off to such a promising start with a road upset of 10th ranked Florida State that catapulted the Eagles to a seven win season in 2024. However, last year’s team was one of the worst in the league as they dropped ten straight games between mid-September and late November. This year, the roster is revamped and the talent has improved, but the end result may still not be very desirable thanks to a brutal schedule that features 11 games against Power conference teams including treacherous road trips to Dallas, South Bend, and Coral Gables to play a trio of potential CFP contenders in SMU, Notre Dame, and Mami.

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15	Duke (4-8, 2-7)

Last Year’s Record: 9-5 (My 2025 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Defensive Backfield

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Tulane (September 5)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. North Carolina (October 17)

Bottom Line: The Blue Devils have significantly exceeded my preseason expectations the past two seasons, as Manny Diaz has built on the positive momentum that current Texas A & M coach Mike Elko started in 2022. In fact, Duke football has now won at least eight games in each of the past four seasons, including last year’s Cinderella ACC championship campaign. As a result, I am fairly nervous about underestimating the Devils again in 2026 with this prediction, but the offseason departure of quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami is a massive one, as is the loss of their entire defensive line, which was the strength of last year’s defense. The Blue Devils are also certainly going to experience some regression towards the mean in teams of their turnover margin, which ranked 12th in the country last year, and their record in close games (3-0 last year in one score conference games). Expect a return to mediocrity, at least for this season, in Durham.

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16	Syracuse (3-9, 1-8)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2025 prediction: 5-7)- I correctly predicted the Orange’s backslide last season

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at North Carolina (October 24)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. California (September 12)

Bottom Line: It is hard to put too much criticism on the Orange in regards to last year’s 3-9 campaign, as the season-ending injury to quarterback Steve Angeli in their fourth game of the year, sent the entire season into a tailspin. Angeli is back this season, and assuming he stays healthy, Fran Brown’s offense should be much improved. However, there are major concerns on the other side of the ball, as Syracuse brings in a new defensive coordinator with new personnel and new schemes to try revive a defense that ranked 124th nationally last year. The Orange also face a tricky schedule in which almost all of the team’s most winnable games are on the road. Expect more struggles this year for the Cuse.

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16	Stanford (2-10, 1-8)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2025 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Georgia Tech (September 26)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Hawaii (August 29)

Bottom Line: New coach Tavita Pritchard will try to recreate the magic he previously produced for the Cardinal when he led this program to one of the biggest upsets in school history with their 2007 victory at Southern Cal as a 42.5 point underdog. Pritchard seems like a safe hire that is going to try to return the Cardinal to the hard-nosed, smashmouth style that they thrived with under former coaches Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw. This year however, there will be some major growing pains in Palo Alto, as this squad adjusts to a new coaching staff with new schemes while also have to face most all of the conference’s top teams (vs. Miami-FL, vs. NC State, at Louisville, vs. SMU, at Virginia Tech) as well as Notre Dame. Expect a long season, full of long flights and lousy results, for Stanford in 2026.

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