The ACC enters the 2014 college football season with two teams in the top 25: the Florida State Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers. <\/p>\n
According to the first USA Today Coaches Poll, the Seminoles come in at No. 1 following their national championship run last year, while the Tigers land the No. 16 spot.<\/p>\n
At this point, it\u2019s safe to say that the conference title is Florida State\u2019s to lose, but Clemson and a couple others will fight all year long to strip that honor away from the defending BCS champions.<\/p>\n
The following is a look at which teams are the favorites to win the ACC entering the 2014 college football season.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Florida State Seminoles have one of the best rosters in the nation, if not the best, when it comes to both talent and depth. And in case you weren\u2019t aware, it all starts with Jameis Winston. At quarterback, Winston is coming off a championship season that also saw him bring home the Heisman Trophy.<\/p>\n
For obvious reasons, he\u2019s considered one of the favorites to do so again in 2014. On top of the roster, FSU has a friendly schedule that should help them in their goal of getting back to the championship game.<\/p>\n
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A season-opener against Oklahoma State will test them early, then Clemson two weeks later will do the same; however, aside from teams such as Louisville, Notre Dame, Miami and Florida, the competition is far from fierce. The question is: Will a lack of elite opponents adequately prepare them for a run in the College Football Playoffs?<\/p>\n
Clemson Betting Odds 10\/1<\/h3>\n
The Clemson Tigers have suffered some monumental losses this summer. For starters, quarterback Tajh Boyd. The man behind center threw for 3,851 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. To make matters worse, Sammy Watkins, his No. 1 receiving option, is also gone to the NFL.<\/p>\n
The good news is that despite these key losses, this is still a talented group on both offense and defense. In fact, the defensive line is one of the most elite groups you\u2019ll see anywhere in the country.<\/p>\n
The Tigers scored 40.2 points per contest last season, and while you can likely expect that number to drop a bit because of Boyd and Watkins\u2019 absence, defense shouldn\u2019t be a problem.<\/p>\n
The team only gave up 22.2 points per game in 2013, which was good enough for 24th in the nation.<\/p>\n
Louisville Betting Odds 10\/1<\/h3>\n
The Louisville Cardinals were one of the best teams in the Big East last season, but now they make their move to the ACC in an attempt to dethrone the defending champion Seminoles. At this point, projecting Louisville to finish third in the Atlantic Division is safe.
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\nIt\u2019ll be fighting with Clemson and North Carolina for that second spot most of the year, but a third-place finish would be fitting with Teddy Bridgewater having moved on and a new man behind center acclimating to the offense.<\/p>\nNorth Carolina Betting Odds 10\/1<\/h3>\n
Like Louisville, the North Carolina Tar Heels will be fighting for second place in the Coastal Division of the ACC Conference.<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be going up against Virginia Tech, which is projected to finish first, and Miami, projected to finish second. The problem is that this division won\u2019t be quite as competitive on a national scale, leaving title odds lower in spite of potentially greater odds to win the division.<\/p>\n
Look for North Carolina to fight against its divisional opponents all year, but a potential title game against Florida State, Clemson or even Louisville would have to be favored by the opponent.<\/p>\n
Here are the complete NCAA\u00a0Betting Odds to win the ACC:<\/h3>\n
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- Florida State\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a04\/11<\/li>\n
- Clemson \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010\/1<\/li>\n
- Louisville \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10\/1<\/li>\n
- North Carolina \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10\/1<\/li>\n
- Miami \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a012\/1<\/li>\n
- Virginia Tech \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a012\/1<\/li>\n
- Duke \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a020\/1<\/li>\n
- Georgia Tech \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a025\/1<\/li>\n
- Pittsburgh \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 40\/1<\/li>\n
- Syracuse\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a066\/1<\/li>\n
- Virginia \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 66\/1<\/li>\n
- NC State \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 100\/1<\/li>\n
- Boston College \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0200\/1<\/li>\n
- Wake Forest \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 200\/1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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