ACC Preview: Can Cristobal Deliver, Is Dabo Ready to Evolve & Belichick’s Make-Or-Break Year

Summary of ACC Preview: Can Cristobal Deliver, Is Dabo Ready to Evolve & Belichick’s Make-Or-Break Year

by The Athletic

1h 10m•August 13, 2026
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Overview of ACC Preview: Can Cristobal Deliver, Is Dabo Ready to Evolve & Belichick’s Make-Or-Break Year

The Athletic’s The Audible continued its conference preview series with a wide-ranging look at the ACC. The conversation centered on whether Miami is truly the class of the league, whether Clemson can rebound under Dabo Swinney, and which other programs could realistically challenge for the ACC title. They also covered several hot-seat teams, new-coach situations, a few intriguing dark horses, and wrapped with a mailbag that dug into long-tenured coaches like Dave Doeren and a provocative Stanford hire question.

Big Picture Themes

  • Miami is viewed as the ACC’s clear top team, but not everyone is willing to blindly take the Hurricanes over the field.
  • The ACC appears top-heavy, with Miami, Clemson, Louisville, and SMU standing above the rest.
  • Schedule quirks matter more than usual this year because some ACC teams are still on eight conference games while others are on nine.
  • Several coaches are under pressure, including Mike Norvell, Bill O’Brien, and Bill Belichick at UNC.
  • There’s a real divide between “stability” and “breakthrough” in the league: teams like NC State and Pitt are steady, but often capped.

Team-by-Team Preview

Contenders

Miami

  • The panel largely sees Miami as the ACC favorite and the most likely playoff/title-game representative.
  • Key strengths:
    • Elite talent across the roster
    • Deep receiver group
    • Strong recruiting and development under Mario Cristobal
  • Key concerns:
    • Replacing major leadership pieces
    • O-line turnover
    • Secondary needs to improve if Miami wants to make a national-title run
  • Win total lean: Over 10.5, with some debate about whether the field is safer than backing Miami outright.

Clemson

  • Clemson is still treated as the main challenger, but there’s skepticism about whether Dabo Swinney’s program can return to elite form quickly.
  • Reasons for optimism:
    • Still one of the most talented rosters in the ACC
    • Strong enough to absorb a slow start
    • New/returning offensive staff with Chad Morris back
    • A possible quarterback change could spark a midseason surge
  • Reasons for concern:
    • Major roster turnover
    • Questions on the defensive line
    • A difficult schedule, including LSU, Cal, Miami, and South Carolina
  • Win total lean: Slight over 7.5, though the hosts were split.

Louisville

  • Louisville drew strong confidence as a high-floor, high-upside team.
  • Why they like the Cardinals:
    • Jeff Brohm’s offense is trusted
    • The portal quarterback addition fits the scheme
    • Isaac Brown and the backfield talent could make the offense explosive
  • Win total lean: Over 7.5, with some feeling they could be a double-digit-win team.

SMU

  • SMU was treated as a legitimate top-tier ACC program despite still carrying some Group of Five perception.
  • What stands out:
    • Rhett Lashley has built a real winner
    • Kevin Jennings gives them high-end QB play
    • The roster has enough skill talent to stay in the mix
  • Concerns:
    • A tougher schedule than people may realize
    • Potentially tricky road trips
  • Win total lean: Slight over 8.5, though one host preferred the under due to schedule.

Comparing Miami vs. the Field

  • The hosts debated whether to take Miami or the entire ACC field.
  • One host chose the field because:
    • Miami has not yet won the league
    • There are multiple viable challengers
    • Injury/leadership uncertainty still exists
  • Another host still took Miami because the gap between Miami and the rest of the league feels significant.

Dark Horses

Virginia

  • Last year’s 11-win season earned respect, but the hosts expect regression.
  • Positives:
    • Experienced roster
    • Strong offensive line continuity
    • Good vibes and roster-building under Tony Elliott
  • Concerns:
    • Close-game luck is unlikely to repeat
    • A tougher schedule than last year
  • Win total lean: Mixed, with a slight edge to the over from some.

NC State

  • NC State is seen as a classic Dave Doeren team: steady, physical, and hard to blow out.
  • Positives:
    • Returning QB C.J. Bailey
    • Good athlete development
    • A favorable schedule
  • Concerns:
    • No clear breakout ceiling
    • Talent departures continue to be a problem
  • Win total lean: Slight over 7.5.

Virginia Tech

  • James Franklin’s arrival in Blacksburg was treated as a major offseason win for the Hokies.
  • Why they like it:
    • Franklin brings energy and structure
    • Strong returning production
    • Familiar Penn State connections on the roster
  • Concerns:
    • Difficult road schedule
    • Short-term expectations may be too high
  • Win total lean: Mixed, with some over and one under.

Cal

  • Cal generated a lot of optimism and “Calgorithm” buzz.
  • Strengths:
    • New coach Tosh Lupoi has a real defensive pedigree
    • JKS, the quarterback, is viewed as extremely talented
    • Offense could be fun and explosive
  • Concerns:
    • Long travel and cross-country road games
    • First-time head coach growing pains
  • Win total lean: Slight over 6.5, but not by much.

Stanford

  • Stanford was viewed as the least exciting of the new-coach situations.
  • Main takeaway:
    • The program’s success will depend more on modernizing the operation with Andrew Luck than on Tavita Pritchard’s play-calling
    • There’s not enough proven talent to expect much yet
  • Win total lean: Under 3.5, unanimously.

Hot Seat Coaches

Florida State

  • Mike Norvell was described as having one of the hottest seats in the country.
  • Main issues:
    • Portal additions weren’t enough
    • The roster still looks flawed
    • The schedule is brutal: Alabama, Florida, Miami, Clemson, SMU, Louisville, NC State, and Virginia all loom
  • Win total lean: Under 6.5.
  • The panel agreed that even a modest improvement might not be enough to save the job if the Seminoles don’t show major momentum.

Syracuse

  • Fran Brown’s second season is viewed as important, but not yet panic time.
  • Positives:
    • Good defensive pieces
    • Steve Angeli has some belief behind him
    • The first season wasn’t a fluke
  • Concerns:
    • Hard to identify six easy wins
    • Quarterback health and schedule uncertainty
  • Win total lean: Slight over 4.5.

Boston College

  • Bill O’Brien is not necessarily on a true hot seat, but the panel sees pressure to improve.
  • The group was skeptical that BC has enough roster quality to make a leap.
  • Win total lean: Under 3.5.

North Carolina

  • Bill Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill was treated as one of the most fascinating storylines in the conference.
  • Key points:
    • The offensive setup with Bobby Petrino and a young QB could be interesting
    • But the schedule is rough and the roster still looks thin
    • Steve Belichick’s absence on defense was noted as a concern
  • Win total lean: Under 4.5.

Wild Cards

Georgia Tech

  • Brent Key’s coaching was the biggest reason for optimism.
  • The roster is in flux after key offensive turnover, but Key’s program stability and toughness keep them relevant.
  • Win total lean: Slight under 6.5.

Duke

  • Duke’s outlook took a hit after losing key pieces in the portal, especially Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate.
  • Manny Diaz still has enough structure to keep them competitive.
  • Win total lean: Slight over 5.5.

Wake Forest

  • Jake Dickert’s first season was praised, and the panel expects a rebound from quarterback Gio Lopez.
  • Main concern: offensive line turnover.
  • Win total lean: Slight over 6.5.

Pitt

  • Pitt remains one of the most dependable “good but not elite” ACC teams.
  • The defense and Pat Narduzzi’s track record keep them afloat, and the schedule is manageable enough to help.
  • Win total lean: Slight over 7.5 overall, though one host took the under.

Mailbag Highlights

Dave Doeren’s long tenure at NC State

  • A listener asked why Doeren has lasted so long without a true breakthrough.
  • The panel’s answer:
    • NC State’s history suggests the school has often been satisfied with stability
    • Doeren has brought consistency and more bowl-level seasons than many predecessors
    • But he’s still below .500 in ACC play, which fuels the frustration
  • Bottom line: stability has value, but the ceiling remains the question.

Warm and cuddly head coaches

  • A lighthearted discussion followed about which coaches are actually “warm and cuddly.”
  • Names tossed out included:
    • Kalani Sitake as the easiest fit
    • Pete Lembo as another plausible answer
    • Mike Riley for grandfatherly vibes
  • The joke was that most football coaches are, by nature, not very cuddly.

Tavita Pritchard at Stanford

  • A listener asked if Pritchard could be the worst hire of the offseason.
  • The panel’s view:
    • It’s too early to label it that
    • Stanford’s bigger issue is not schematic creativity but program infrastructure
    • Andrew Luck and Pritchard need to modernize roster management, transfer strategy, and recruiting operations
  • The hire’s success will be judged more by the whole football operation than by offensive play-calling.

Final Takeaway

The ACC preview painted a conference with a clear top team in Miami, a few real challengers, and a long middle tier filled with uncertainty. Clemson, Louisville, and SMU are the most plausible threats, while Florida State and North Carolina stand out as high-stakes, high-pressure situations. The biggest theme across the episode: the ACC has plenty of intriguing teams, but not many truly trustworthy ones outside the top tier.