The Miami Hurricanes have never won the ACC title. They’re picked as the league’s headliner in ’26

Mario Cristobal got Miami back inside the top 10 by Year 3 and within a victory of a national championship in his fourth. Yet the Hurricanes are still chasing a first Atlantic Coast Conference championship after more than two decades in the league.

His team is picked to accomplish that goal this year, which would put it right back in the mix for the College Football Playoff, too.

“We’ve had steady progress over the last four years,” Cristobal said. “It’s been due to the commitment and the level of just care of these players and their coaches.”

The seventh-ranked Hurricane s are the headliner, with Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah as the preseason player of the year and Miami claiming a third of the spots on the preseason all-conference team. That list includes Mark Fletcher Jr. (1,192 yards, 12 TDs) as last year’s top league rusher and versatile big-play receiving threat Malachi Toney.

Miami joined the league ahead of the 2004 season, but has reached the ACC championship game just once (2017).

No. 19 SMU is the top challenger, with the Mustangs launching a Heisman Trophy push for veteran starting quarterback Kevin Jennings — who led them to the ACC title game and a CFP bid in 2024. No. 24 Louisville is next up after adding Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz at QB to an offense featuring running back Isaac Brown, the ACC rookie of the year in 2024 who played nine games last year due to injury.

A move to a 9-game schedule is underway

The league is transitioning to a nine-game football schedule to align with fellow power conferences. But the odd number of teams means there will be variables, with 12 teams playing nine games and five — Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina — staying at eight.

This will be a bridge year toward having 16 of 17 teams regularly playing nine games by 2027. The schedule concludes with the ACC title game Dec. 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clemson and Florida State try to return to elite status

Clemson and Florida State have gone from ranking among the nation’s elite to also-ran status. It’s unclear whether either can change that trajectory.

Dabo Swinney’s Tigers won two national titles and eight ACC crowns between 2015-24, but slid to 7-6 last year for their worst record since 2010. Clemson was unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011.

“This year, ain’t none of y’all going to pick us,” Swinney told reporters in July.

Little has gone right for Mike Norvell’s Seminoles since being snubbed for the final four-team CFP as an unbeaten team after losing star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury. FSU has gone 7-18 since, including a league-worst 3-13 in the ACC.

Clemson is picked to finish fourth in the ACC, while FSU is picked 11th.

ACC finalists Duke and Virginia picked in league’s middle third

Duke beat Virginia in last year’s title game for its first outright ACC championship since 1962. Those finalists are picked in the ACC’s middle third.

Mensah’s transfer was the biggest hit for the Blue Devils, who also lost their top three receivers while having uncertainty as to who will fill leading defensive roles.

“I think people just went back to labeling us as the same old Duke just because of the people that walked out this door,” 1,100-yard rusher Nate Sheppard said. “But you have dudes walk out the door every year.”

The Cavaliers are coming off a breakthrough 11-win season under Tony Elliott after managing just 11 wins in his first three seasons combined.

The Cavs are picked to finish sixth, the Blue Devils 10th.

Virginia Tech, California and Stanford welcome new coaches

Virginia Tech’s hiring of James Franklin is the big coaching move, with the Hokies betting the former Penn State coach can jolt their marquee sport as part of a larger push to elevate athletics in Blacksburg.

Out West, Stanford and California have each turned to alumni.

The Cardinal has hired former quarterback Tavita Pritchard after he spent the past three years as a QB coach with the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The Golden Bears hired former defensive lineman Tosh Lupoi, who had spent the past four seasons as Oregon’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Notre Dame gets high-profile tests in its ACC scheduling deal

Notre Dame again has six games against ACC teams through its scheduling partnership with the league, with the football independent being a member of all other league sports. One stands out: a home game against Miami.

The Hurricanes visit Nov. 7 in a rematch of last year’s opener; Miami won that game to ultimately claim a CFP bid instead of Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish have home games against Stanford (Oct. 10), Boston College (Nov. 14) and SMU (Nov. 21). They visit UNC (Oct. 3) and Syracuse (Nov. 28).

Clemson and Georgia Tech make their 1st cross-country ACC trips

Clemson and Georgia Tech are making their first cross-country trips since the league expanded to add California, Stanford and SMU for a coast-to-coast footprint for the 2024 season. The Tigers are playing at California on Sept. 25 while the Yellow Jackets visit Stanford a day later.

Miami, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are the other teams to touch all four U.S. continental time zones for a league game this year.

Stanford hosts the Hurricanes (Sept. 4) and Wolfpack (Oct. 23), while Cal hosts the Hokies (Oct. 10), Demon Deacons (Oct. 17) and Panthers (Nov. 28).

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football