The early buzz around the ACC is starting to build as we look ahead to 2026, and you can feel the anticipation in Tigertown.
BetMGM just dropped its latest regular-season win totals, and the oddsmakers are already picking favorites. Miami sits at the top with 10.5 wins after their run to the national title game, and SMU follows at 8.5. But as any Clemson fan knows, preseason numbers are just that—numbers. The real story is written on the field.
Clemson is right in the thick of a crowded pack at 7.5 wins, grouped with Louisville, Pitt, Virginia, and NC State. That number reflects the questions swirling after last year’s 7-6 campaign, which was just the second time under Dabo Swinney the Tigers finished that low. But if history tells us anything, it’s that you never count out Clemson when there’s something to prove.
“It’s slightly strange to see Clemson low on a list like this, but it’s not the same team it was in the late 2010s and early 2020s,” On3 said.
Looking further down the list, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Cal, and Florida State are all pegged at 6.5 wins. Duke and Wake Forest come in at 5.5, North Carolina and Syracuse at 4.5, and Boston College and Stanford round things out at 3.5. It’s a wide-open league outside of the top, and that means opportunity for a hungry Clemson squad.
These projections show an ACC loaded with parity behind Miami. The so-called experts might not have Clemson as the favorite, but make no mistake—the Tigers are right in the hunt. With a proud tradition and a chip on their shoulder, Clemson is never just playing for bowl eligibility. This team expects to contend for much more.
Clemson kicks off the season with a statement opportunity at LSU, then welcomes Miami to Death Valley later on. Those are the kinds of games that define a season—and if the Tigers take care of business, that 7.5-win projection will look laughable by November. Never count out the heart of a champion.
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