When it comes to the format of the College Football Playoff, constant change is beginning to feel inevitable. However, for the 2025 season with a 12-team structure in place, the ACC has no guarantee of more than one team qualifying for the field.
Still, even in a down year for the league last season, both Clemson and SMU each snagged a spot in the field as Miami collapsed down the stretch. Now, in 2025, Clemson and Miami are the two favorites to win the conference, and SMU has Kevin Jennings back at quarterback for another run at the ACC title, but a few new contenders could emerge in CFP contention, including Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals.
Mario Cristobal’s team fell apart in the final week of the regular season, opening the door for Clemson to win the ACC, and then his quarterback went on to become the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Miami’s offense won’t be nearly as explosive with Georgia transfer Carson Beck replacing Ward, but Cristobal has smartly built through the offensive line and as long as that unit remains one of the best in the country, Beck should return to the 2023 form that had him entering last season as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
It’s unclear if Miami did enough in the transfer portal to build a CFP-caliber defense, but Cristobal invested resources in rebuilding his team’s secondary, and as long as that group is passable, Beck should have the Hurricanes contending for the ACC crown.
Despite quarterback turnover, Jeff Brohm has proven he’s capable of leading Louisville to the upper tier of the ACC. Now, he needs to break through. Miller Moss will be this year’s transfer solution at QB after he was benched by Lincoln Riley at USC and entered the portal. Though Moss left one of the best play-callers in the sport, Louisville fans should have confidence that Brohm can turn Moss into one of the better starters in the ACC. Especially with an improved offensive line compared to what he was playing behind in LA, and two elite running backs.
With Miami, Clemson, and SMU all on the schedule, this may not be the year that Brohm leads the Cardinals to the CFP, but he’ll have the Cardinals within striking distance.
Georgia Tech is certainly more of a dark-horse, but with a win over Miami and a loss in an eight-overtime thriller against Georgia, Brent Key flexed his muscle as a potential giant-killer lurking in Atlanta. Haynes King is back at quarterback, and with the good fortune of catching both Clemson and Georgia at home in 2025, the Yellow Jackets could shock the ACC with a 10-win season and a major upset to lift them into the ACC title game and the CFP.