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Change is certainly in the air for the ACC going into the 2023 campaign. Nothing has changed for the 14-team membership, but the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions have been removed. Now, the top two teams will end up playing for the ACC Championship. But that's not the only change that seems to have appeared for the conference. Clemson, who has dominated the ACC for years (7 conference championships over the last 8 years), has a new challenger approaching for the top spot...Florida State (10-3 last season).

It remains clear that the top talent in the conference will be with Clemson and Florida State, but the ACC has a solid second level with Miami, Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Wake Forest, and Pitt being all capable of being a dark horse for the conference championship game.

How does ATFS project the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2023 campaign? Jakub Dodson predicts and ranks all 14 teams in the ACC for this fall:

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### **Atlantic Coast Conference Football 2023 Predictions**
 
##### **1.) Florida State**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 5-3**

**2022 Overall Record: 10-3**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Can they finally return to glory?**

**Over the course of the last two years, the Seminoles have made tremendous progress as a program since the 2020 arrival of HC Mike Norvell. A dynamic offense led by QB Jordan Travis, RB Trey Benson, and weapons on the outside including WRs Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson look to finally get over the hump and challenge for the ACC title. There’s just one last major hurdle to get over…the team that has stood atop the ACC for the last eight years and that’s the Clemson Tigers (winners of the last 7 of 8 ACC championships).**

 
 
##### **2.) Clemson**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 8-0**

**2022 Overall Record: 11-3**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Is the offensive line ready to protect Sophomore QB Cade Klubnik?**

**For a team that has won 7 of the last 8 ACC championships (Pittsburgh won in 2021), Clemson is entering this season in uncharted waters. For the first time in 8 years, Clemson may not be the surefire preseason favorite, but, instead, that may go to the Florida State Seminoles. Does that mean the Tigers are going anywhere? Absolutely not. They have a stacked defense (once again) that should rank among the best in the NCAA this year, and an offense that is expected to improve under newly hired OC Garrett Riley. QB Cade Klubnik should fare better this year as he gets to first full year as a starter. But the biggest threat to the Tigers winning another ACC title is their offensive line who do return 4 of 5 starters this season, but have lost their captain in left tackle Jordan McFadden.** 

 
 
##### **3.) North Carolina**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 6-2**

**2022 Overall Record: 9-5**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Can they finish the season strong?**

**The Tar Heels started last season 9-1, but hit multiple speed bumps to close out their season by losing their last four games. With a tough non-conference schedule this year with home games against South Carolina, Appalachian State, and Minnesota, I don’t really see HC Mark Brown’s team suffering any lingering effects from last season's slide thanks to the return of QB Drake Maye and one of the deepest ACC backfields. Providing much needed protection to Maye is a must this year (40 sacks allowed last season), but with the transfers of Devontez Walker (Kent State) and Nate McCollum (Georgia Tech), that should help alleviate the loss of WR Josh Downs at WR. North Carolina’s defense allowed an ACC leading 30.8 points last season, but with 8 returning starters and a haul of transfers, DC Gene Chizik should be able to get some improvement from his group of kids.**

 
 
##### **4.) Miami**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 3-5**

**2022 Overall Record: 5-7**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Will the OC and QB be cohesive?**

**The Canes should improve compared to last season, there is no doubt about that, but how big of a jump in the win column will largely come down to how well new signal-caller Shannon Dawson and QB Tyler Van Dyke mesh. After an injury riddle year where he never really seemed comfortable under previous OC Josh Gattis’s offense, Van Dyke looks to reignite his stock and have another year like his breakout year in 2021. With the reinforcements arriving in the form of two five-star freshmen at offensive tackle, along with the Alabama transfer Javion Cohen, the o-line will be getting a much needed boost.** 

 
 
##### **5.) Duke**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 5-3**

**2022 Overall Record: 9-4**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Can they seize the opportunity?**

**With 17 starters returning from a very much improved Blue Devils team last season, the opportunity for a run at the ACC title has come knocking at Duke’s door. Their schedule, overall, is going to be extremely tough with a week 1 game against Clemson, a home game against Notre Dame, and away games against Florida State and North Carolina. So make no mistake, this Blue Devils team is going to be tested nearly every single week this season. But it’ll be up to returning QB Riley Leonard to lead the charge and direct an offense that ranked third in the ACC in yards per play (6.1), and left tackle Graham Barton (one of the nation’s top offensive linemen) to protect him. HC Mike Elko’s background on defense made an immediate difference last season with the points against per game stat going from 39.8 in 2021 to 22.1 in 2022.**

 
 
##### **6.) Pittsburgh**
 
**2022 Conference Record: 5-3**

**2022 Overall Record: 9-4**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Will the defense ever be the same?**

**With numerous departures from a defense that allowed just 22.4 points in ACC football, including DT Calijah Kancey and LB SirVocea Dennis, it seems that Pitt’s defense could be depleted. But not if DC Pat Narduzzi has anything to say about it. With his track record, once this new iteration of the defense gains experience and the standouts emerge, this unit will be stingy once again. On the offensive side, a bit of intrigue surrounds the return of QB Phil Jurkovec as he returns home after his two-year absence (was the QB for Boston College). The Panthers do return three starters for their O-line, but will have to replace RB Israel Abanikanda and their star WR Jared Wayne.** 
 
 
 
##### **7.) Louisville**


**2022 Conference Record: 4-4**

**2022 Overall Record: 8-5**

 
**Biggest Question:**  **Easy road ahead; will they take advantage?**

**With a very favorable schedule on the horizon for the Cardinals that features no Clemson, Florida State, or North Carolina, Louisville is poised to accelerate their program in the win column. Add on top of that the arrival of the former HC of the Purdue Boilermakers Jeff Brohm, Louisville should be put into the mix for dark horse contendership for the ACC Championship. Brohm has an ability to produce highly prolific offenses, which should transfer over to Louisville fairly easily with a couple of “speed bumps” that could come into play. First being some early transition with former Cal QB Jack Plummer coming in as a transfer as well as several reinforcements to boost the line and WR room.** 

 
##### **8.) NC State**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 4-4**

**2022 Overall Record: 8-5**

 
##### **9.) Wake Forest**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 3-5**

**2022 Overall Record: 8-5**

 
##### **10.) Syracuse**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 4-4**

**2022 Overall Record: 7-6**

 
##### **11.) Georgia Tech**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 4-4**

**2022 Overall Record: 5-7**

 
##### **12.) Virginia Tech**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 1-6**

**2022 Overall Record: 3-8**

 
##### **13.) Boston College**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 2-6**

**2022 Overall Record: 3-9**

 
##### **14.) Virginia**
 
 
**2022 Conference Record: 1-6**

**2022 Overall Record: 3-7**

***(article by Jakub Dodson of A Terrible Football Show)***

Is this Florida State's Year?

2023 Power Five Predictions: Can anyone compete w/ Georgia? | ATFS 72

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