National outlet's ACC picks have Clemson in four-way tie for third

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel likes the impact Phil Mafah can have on a game, but he's not so sure the entire roster can pull off an ACC Championship Game bid.

by TigerNet Staff - Aug 14, 2024, 4:14 PM

The Athletic released its ACC predictions this week, which show just how jumbled the pack could be at the top of the conference this year ($).

Last season, Clemson football recovered from a 2-4 ACC start to even the record in the midst of a five-game winning streak to the close the year. Still, the Tigers finished tied for sixth in the first year of a division-less structure that pits the top two teams in the ACC Championship.

This season, The Athletic's college football editor-in-chief Stewart Mandel picks Florida State and Miami to go 7-1 in league play and make it to Charlotte for a Sunshine State rivalry rematch for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff (a likely automatic Top 4 seed from being a conference champ).

"The Noles aren’t lacking talent, especially on defense, but they’ll go only as far as DJ Uiagalelei can take them. His ceiling the past four years was not nearly that of Jordan Travis, but it would be one heck of a redemption story if the player Clemson benched in the 2022 ACC title game leads FSU to a win there this year," Mandel said of FSU, who he has going 10-2 in the regular season. "There’s no disputing just how many high-end portal players Cristobal has landed. Ex-Washington State quarterback Cam Ward is an instant upgrade, and Oregon State running back Damien Martinez is one of the nation’s most proven ball carriers. But it’s natural to remain skeptical of a program that’s 0-for-20 chasing ACC championships," Mandel added on a 9-3 predicted team.

Mandel pegs Clemson for falling short of a double-digit win season by the end of the regular season, going 9-3 overall and falling into a four-way ACC tie for third at 6-2 with Virginia Tech, NC State and Louisville.

"The Tigers to their credit rebounded from a brutal 4-4 start to last season to win their last five, with running back Phil Mafah breaking out as a home-run threat," said Mandel. "And the defense will be very good once again. But another year went by without Dabo Swinney plugging any holes on his roster. FSU and Miami sure did."

Mandel picked FSU to finish atop the ACC last year, but was off the mark on picking a Clemson ACC title game rematch. Some of his preseason concerns did bear out, however.

"The dream scenario for Dabo is that new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley restokes the magic, turns quarterback Cade Klubnik into a superstar and turns the Tigers back into national title contenders. They have the defense to do it, with tackle Tyler Davis and linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter. But there are still questions on the offensive line and at receiver," Mandel wrote last year.