The ACC had been a two-horse race between Clemson and Florida State for more than 10 years. But as the 2026 season approaches, half the competition seems to be in a freefall with no floor in sight.
The Florida State Seminoles, who finished a dismal 5-7 season, are in a crisis of identity and results. Clemson has maintained a sense of competitive relevance in spite of its own recent frustrations; FSU has cratered. However, the future for Mike Norvell’s program is getting bleaker and bleaker, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt said.
“Florida State was down bad last year, and there really isn’t any light at the end of that tunnel,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. "Once you miss in the portal route, now it’s like trying to get back on the merry-go-round once it’s going really fast. It’s tough to do."
The Seminoles’ reliance on the transfer portal, the very instrument that made their 13-0 streak last season run so smoothly, is now appearing to have been that which brought about such a collapse. Klatt says FSU’s failure to take advantage of recent transfers has rendered the roster empty.
The single most obvious question mark is at center. FSU is expected to rely on Ashton Daniels, a Stanford-to-Auburn odyssey who was a back-up for most of last season.
"Is that the answer you want? I don’t know,” Klatt added. “And then, late in the coaching carousel process, Gus Malzahn, their offensive coordinator, decides to retire. I like Mike Norvell... but that’s a tricky, tricky place to be.”
The numbers supporting Klatt’s pessimism are arresting. Seminoles, which have been 7-17 overall and 3-13 in ACC play since Jordan Travis was injured last season, fell behind in ACC play. Some have said their performance away from Doak Campbell Stadium is most damning: Florida State has lost nine straight road games.
As FSU lags, the gap at the conference’s summit is being filled by rising teams like Virginia Tech. Klatt said, as the Seminoles’ stock tanks, Brent Pry’s Hokies are riding high after the arrival of Penn State transfer quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.
The Seminoles’ downfall, for this season’s Clemson fans, is stunning, it is a massive power shift in the divisional balance of power. The Tigers have a run history of winning nine of the last ten games against FSU, and now they're just four wins away from evening the all-time series (currently 21-17 in favor of the 'Noles).
For the whole of the ACC Championship era, these two programs have secured the title in 14 of the last 15 seasons. But with FSU running now with 0-9 on the road over the past two seasons, the "Big Two" era of the ACC feels like a distant memory. And as Dabo Swinney is trying to overhaul his own program with a youth movement in 2026, he might find that his biggest traditional contender is not a hindrance but a cautionary tale of far-flung portal dependency.