Miami has the best odds to win its conference of any team in the country. Coming off a run to the national championship with a loaded roster, the Hurricanes deserve that distinction — even though they have still never won the ACC.
Strange things happen in college football all the time. Remember, Duke and Virginia played in the ACC title game a season ago while Miami and preseason favorite Clemson were idle. Even though we might think we have a good grasp on how the conference might shake out in the preseason, that's why they play the games. And the 2026 ACC schedule is full of intriguing matchups involving the Hurricanes, Tigers and other contenders like, Louisville and SMU.
The slate includes rivalries (Florida State-Miami) and rematches (Miami-Notre Dame). And while there are those games that have been circled on the calendar since the schedule dropped, part of the fun is projecting which under-the-radar matchups could overdeliver or have an outsized impact on the ACC and College Football Playoff races.
Athlon Sports picked the best matchup in the ACC for each week of the 2026 season.
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ACC Football: Predicting the Best Game for Every Week of the 2026 Season
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Week Zero: NC State vs. Virginia (Aug. 29)
Though this game is between two ACC teams, it's not going to count as a conference game. It was also originally supposed to take place in Brazil, but instead it will be played in Charlottesville. Anyway, about the actual football: CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack got the best of the Cavaliers at home in a shootout early on last season. After an ACC runner-up finish, does UVA coach Tony Elliott have this roster ready for an encore?
Other Key Games in Week 0
North Carolina vs. TCU (Dublin, Ireland)
Hawaii vs. Stanford
Week 1: SMU vs. Florida State (Sept. 7)
It seems like you can set your clock to a Labor Day weekend primetime game for the Seminoles. Sure enough, they're in the national spotlight again with a big game against the Mustangs. FSU coach Mike Norvell is sitting on one of the hottest seats in the country. If SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings runs rampant in the recently renovated Doak Campbell Stadium, this game could pave the way for a coaching change with a trip to Alabama looming.
- Related: SMU Wants Kevin Jennings to Win the Heisman Trophy. Here’s How It Could Happen.
Other Key Games in Week 1
Clemson vs. LSU
Louisville vs. Ole Miss (Nashville)
UCLA vs. Cal
Colorado vs. Georgia Tech
Week 2: California vs. Syracuse (Sept. 12)
Nothing says ACC football like the Golden Bears traveling more than 2,000 miles to take on the Orange. But this is the only all-ACC game of the weekend, and it could be a sneaky good quarterback matchup. Cal's Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele had the fourth-most passing yards in the conference as a true freshman. And Syracuse signal-caller Steve Angeli led the nation in passing yards before he tore his Achilles. Get ready for some fireworks.
Other Key Games in Week 2
Duke vs. Illinois
Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
Week 3: SMU vs. Louisville (Sept. 19)
This might be the most impactful regular-season game in the ACC this season. It feels like the Mustangs and Cardinals are the biggest threats to Miami after they both beat the Hurricanes last season. UM isn't on SMU or Louisville's schedule, so this contest could decide which team winds up facing the 'Canes in Charlotte. The Mustangs rolled a beat-up version of the Cardinals late last season, but Louisville is sure to put up a better fight at home.
Other Key Games in Week 3
Florida State vs. Alabama
Miami vs. Wake Forest
NC State vs. Vanderbilt
West Virginia vs. Virginia (Charlotte)
Virginia Tech vs. Maryland
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Week 4: Clemson vs. California (Sept. 25)
Once again, this isn't a classic ACC clash; these teams have only met once before. But it's an intriguing game for a number of reasons. This is the Tigers' first West Coast trip since the ACC expanded. (You can practically hear Dabo Swinney griping about the travel already.) And it's a Friday night in Berkeley the week before Clemson plays Miami. Perhaps this is a lookahead spot, but the Golden Bears demand respect. Just ask SMU, which missed out on a trip to the ACC championship after Keawe-Sagapolutele exploded for four touchdowns in the 2025 finale.
Other Key Games in Week 4
Wake Forest vs. Louisville
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College
Week 5: Miami vs. Clemson (Oct. 3)
Now about that Miami-Clemson game... The Tigers have slipped over the last few seasons while the Hurricanes have ascended. Miami just made a run to the national championship game, and coach Mario Cristobal's team looks to be in an even better spot with quarterback Darian Mensah. (Clemson fans will recall Mensah's heroics at Death Valley last season at Duke.) The 'Canes seem dead set on winning their first ACC championship. But in order to get there, they'll have to survive their toughest test in conference play.
- Related: Ranking the ACC’s College Football Coaches for 2026
Other Key Games in Week 5
Pittsburgh vs. Virginia Tech
Louisville vs. NC State
Virginia vs. Florida State
California vs. UNLV
Week 6: Florida State vs. Louisville (Oct. 9)
Who's ready for a rematch of the saddest ACC championship in recent memory? This game is wedged in the midst of a gauntlet for the Seminoles, who could be thinking about their next head coach or enjoying a resurgence by this point in the season. The Cardinals project to have taken a loss or two by now, and they likely can't afford another if they are to realize their ACC championship aspirations.
Other Key Games in Week 6
Duke vs. Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech vs. California
Wake Forest vs. NC State
Syracuse vs. Virginia
Week 7: Florida State vs. Miami (Oct. 17)
The tide of one of the ACC's greatest rivalries has shifted back in favor of the Hurricanes. But even considering how much the Seminoles struggled a season ago, they stayed within one score of Miami. Barring a massive leap from quarterback Ashton Daniels, FSU will be hard-pressed to repeat that performance at Hard Rock Stadium. The 'Noles have not won a game outside of Tallahassee since 2023.
Other Key Games in Week 7
Virginia vs. SMU
Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech
North Carolina vs. Duke
Wake Forest vs. California
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Week 8: Virginia Tech vs. Clemson (Oct. 24)
After Miami, SMU and Louisville, these are the two best teams in the conference. Swinney has not lost to the Hokies since he took over the Tigers almost two decades ago. But this is a different version of Virginia Tech. At least, new coach James Franklin hopes it is. This is the start of a pivotal stretch for the Hokies, who could be on the cusp of ACC championship contention if all goes according to plan in Year 1. Conversely, Clemson has its own designs to get back to Charlotte.
- Related: ACC Football 2026 All-Conference Team
Other Key Games in Week 8
Duke vs. Virginia
California vs. SMU
Pittsburgh vs. Miami
Week 9: Clemson vs. Florida State (Oct. 31)
There was a time when these teams combined to win 10 consecutive ACC championships. Those days might be through, but this rivalry still carries weight. The timing is notable given that the Seminoles have a bye week after their back-to-back road games at Louisville and Miami. Might FSU be led by interim head coach Tom Herman for this visit from the Tigers? Even given that possibility, this trip to Tallahassee is Clemson's toughest road game in ACC play.
Other Key Games in Week 9
Georgia Tech vs. Pittsburgh
Virginia vs. Wake Forest
SMU vs. Syracuse
Week 10: Miami vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 7)
"College GameDay" probably already has travel plans to get to South Bend the first Saturday of November. Game of the week might not do this one justice. After LSU-Ole Miss, this might be the most anticipated (and most spiteful) contest on the 2026 calendar. The bad blood in this rivalry goes back decades, and it added a new chapter last season when the Hurricanes beat out the Fighting Irish for the last CFP spot. These are two of the best rosters in the country, led by stellar quarterbacks in Mensah and CJ Carr. And who knows? Maybe we'll get a rematch between Miami and Notre Dame in the CFP.
- Related: Which Big 12, ACC Teams Can Actually Make the College Football Playoff?
Other Key Games in Week 10
Virginia Tech vs. SMU
Louisville vs. Georgia Tech
Clemson vs. Syracuse
Duke vs. NC State
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Week 11: Duke vs. Miami (Nov. 14)
It feels strange calling this a revenge game given the circumstances of how and when Mensah (and wide receiver Cooper Barkate) left the Blue Devils. If anything, Duke is the party in search of vengeance in this trip down to South Florida. The Blue Devils' roster is likely not in position to stay close to the Hurricanes. But it's worth remembering that Duke is the reigning ACC champion, something it might not be able to hold over Miami much longer.
Other Key Games in Week 11
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
Florida State vs. Pittsburgh
Wake Forest vs. SMU
California vs. Virginia
Week 12: SMU vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 21)
This game could have huge ramifications on the playoff picture. There's a world where the Mustangs are set to miss out on a spot in the ACC championship and need a marquee win to bolster their case to the committee. Conversely, the Fighting Irish learned last season that 10-2 might not be good enough for a spot in the CFP. Jennings and Carr will put on a great show of quarterbacking. And perhaps one of their performances could factor into the Heisman Trophy race.
- Related: ACC Bowl Projections for 2026
Other Key Games in Week 12
Virginia Tech vs. Miami
Pittsburgh vs. Louisville
NC State vs. Florida State
Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech
Week 13: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech (Nov. 28)
This is one of the only highly regarded ACC rivalry week games that are actually between two ACC teams. The Cavaliers picked up just their second win in the last 21 meetings last fall. And they haven't won two in a row in the series this century. The irony here is that Virginia will be led by quarterback Beau Pribula, who played for Hokies coach James Franklin at Penn State two years ago.
Other Key Games in Week 13
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia
South Carolina vs. Clemson
Louisville vs. Kentucky
Florida vs. Florida State
