Clemson’s perch atop the ACC standings was taken away in 2021.
Will the Tigers return to form in 2022? Or will another contender like NC State, Pittsburgh or Miami emerge as the conference champion and push for a possible spot in the College Football Playoff?
Below, Yahoo Sports details the outlook for each team in the ACC entering the 2022 season before providing title picks for the Atlantic and Coastal divisions and the conference as a whole.
Oh and don’t forget, this is the final year that the ACC will have two divisions. And we could be in for two really fun races.
Other conference previews: Group of Five
(All odds via BetMGM)
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Clemson (-145 to win the ACC)
Getting to 10 wins is a great accomplishment for most programs, but for Clemson it was a disappointment. The Tigers struggled mightily on offense in 2021 but an excellent defense allowed them to stay in ACC title contention. In the end, Clemson’s six-year conference championship streak came to an end.
Entering 2022, some of the same questions remain for Dabo Swinney’s team, beginning with quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei was excellent in the two starts he made in 2020 but was one of the ACC’s worst starters in 2021. The inconsistent play at receiver and injuries at running back and on the offensive line didn’t help, but Uiagalelei needs to play much better or he risks getting benched in favor of Cade Klubnik, the next five-star QB in Clemson’s pipeline.
The running back room is solid, with Will Shipley leading the way, but offensive line and receiver are still concerns. Even with former defensive coordinator Brent Venables now at Oklahoma, this defense should again be one of the nation’s best. The line is especially nasty. If the offense improves, it’s hard to envision Clemson not climbing back to the top of the Atlantic Division and into playoff contention.
Miami (+600)
Miami went 15-8 over its last two seasons but fired Manny Diaz in order to bring in hometown hero Mario Cristobal from Oregon. Expectations are through the roof, but is Miami ready to take the next step?
Beyond Cristobal, the optimism begins with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke had an excellent redshirt freshman season and should be the beneficiary of a better rushing attack this year. Cristobal…