Don't let outward appearances fool you; though quiet on the surface, the ACC could soon get involved in the ongoing conference shuffle as well. There have been some back-channel rumblings that suggest something big might be happening soon. In the ACC's case, that could mean one of their "big boys" (read Clemson and Florida State, and perhaps Miami) might wants to challenge the ACC's lock on member media rights that currently lasts well into the next decade. Out of a whirring rumor mill comes indicators that maybe even the Big Ten could be interested in stretching its boundaries into the South (and why not, as it has effectively stretched almost everywhere else in the country?). Though Maryland should serve as a cautionary tale for any ACC member daring to break the alliance before the next media deal is up, sources tell us that precedent might soon be challenged. Lawyers are on the alert; stay tuned for further developments.

Meanwhile, the ACC has gone the way of the the Big 12 and Pac-12 (9?) by discarding the division format and simply pitting the top two finishers in the league in the conference title game at Charlotte on December 2. This might come as bad news for entries in the old Coastal (non-Clemson) part of the loop which often got involved in wide-open races not too dissimilar from the American League East, in which every team seems to have a chance at winning. Heck, at one point, all seven entries had won the Coastal in a seven-season span -- even Pete Rozelle couldn't have dreamed up that sort of parity! Had this new format been in place during most recent years, it would have merely been a race for second place and to see who would be served to Dabo Swinney's Tigers in the title game. Remember, Coastal winners were also just 1-10 in the last 11 ACC title games and outscored by an average of 41-18, but we'll still miss the Coastal, where everyone seemed to have a chance.

Indeed, Clemson has effectively been without a serious challenger in the loop for most of the last decade, save a brief blip post-Trevor Lawrence in 2021 when Wake Forest would instead sneak in and claim the old Atlantic Division crown before Pat Narduzzi's Kenny Pickett-led Pitt would romp in the title game. In Death Valley, they believe order was restored last year when Dabo's bunch would again roll unbeaten through the loop and wallop North Carolina 39-10 in the title game. Though the re-emergence of Florida State, as signaled by the Noles' 10 wins a year ago, suggests the days of Clemson treating the rest of the loop like its own fiefdom might not be much longer.

Meanwhile, on the coaching front, things have been relatively quiet of late, too, with only one change this season as Jeff Brohm returns to alma mater Louisville after a stint at Purdue following Scott Satterfield's move to nearby Cincinnati. Georgia Tech's Brent Pry could effectively qualify as well, though he served an eight-game interim stint/audition on The Flats last fall before getting the job on a full-time basis.  As for the hot seat, while it can warm up at any time under almost anybody (save Dabo, we think) in the loop, it only seems to be turned up full blast at the moment beneath BC's Jeff Hafley, who has demonstrated little progress into his fourth season and is now running out of time to forge a breakthrough.

No matter, it is difficult to envision any entries other than Clemson or Florida State winning the league, as this rivalry is ready to pick up where it left off when Jimbo Fisher stopped having top-flight teams in Tallahassee, and before he high-tailed it to Texas A&M. The thought of the Noles and Tigers actually facing off twice in a season would have at one point caused sensory overload at both locales when that rivalry was competitive and raging. Here's hoping we get something resembling that in the near future before the ACC might begin to change its stripes again like so many loops have done.

2023 ACC title odds

Per Caesars Sportsbook

• Clemson +130
• Florida State +140
• Louisville +1200
• North Carolina +1200
• Miami +1600
• NC State +1800
• Pittsburgh +2000
• Duke +3000
• Wake Forest +5000
• Syracuse +8000
• Virginia Tech +8000
• Georgia Tech +10000
• Boston College +15000
• Virginia +15000 
  

Which ACC team is the best bet to win the conference? ... Join SportsLine right now to see ACC futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!