Clemson, FSU, Miami? USA TODAY Sports ranks best ACC football programs

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Clemson is still the best college football program in the ACC.

At least that's the belief of USA TODAY Sports entering the 2026 season, based on its annual ACC football program rankings. Clemson edged Florida State for the top spot with the Miami Hurricanes a close third.

Eddie Timanus of USA TODAY Sports said of Clemson's ranking:

"To paraphrase a mantra from another league, football just means more at Clemson among the ACC’s founders. The Tigers’ return to national prominence in the 2010s with two national titles under Dabo Swinney is just a small part of the program’s rich legacy that includes 24 conference titles and nearly 800 wins."

Timanus admits that it wasn't an easy call between the Tigers and Seminoles for No. 1.

"Any effort to rank programs will be somewhat arbitrary, depending upon which factors a particular pundit chooses to emphasize," he argues. "As such, this will almost certainly spark disagreement. But fans love debates almost as much as they like watching the games themselves."

Both Clemson and Florida State present good arguments, having combined for three national championships since 2013. FSU had previously become a juggernaut in the 90s, winning two titles under the legendary Bobby Bowden and contending for several more.

Clemson obviously became its own juggernaut in the 2010s after Dabo Swinney replaced Bowden's son Tommy as the Tigers' head coach in 2008.

Miami ruled college football in the 80s with a swagger that no program has been able to replicate since, but that was well before the Hurricanes joined the ACC in 2004.

Pre-ACC or not, Miami still has five national championships and seems poised to give the ACC its next title. The Canes were in the College Football Playoff national championship game a year ago and didn't exactly roll over against Indiana.

But Timanus is correct that football does mean more at Clemson. And if you want to take the "it just means more" mantra in a different direction, that might be what leads Clemson to the SEC one day whenever conference realignment eventually rears its head again.

Which are the best and worst college football programs in the ACC?

Here are the full 1-17 rankings from USA TODAY Sports.

  • 17. Duke Blue Devils
  • 16. California Golden Bears
  • 15. Virginia Cavaliers
  • 14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • 13. North Carolina Tar Heels
  • 12. Boston College Eagles
  • 11. NC State Wolfpack
  • 10. Stanford Cardinal
  • 9. Syracuse Orange
  • 8. SMU Mustangs
  • 7. Louisville Cardinals
  • 6. Virginia Tech
  • 5. Pitt Panthers
  • 4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
  • 3. Miami Hurricanes
  • 2. Florida State Seminoles
  • 1. Clemson Tigers

Clemson football schedule 2026

All start times Eastern.

  • Sept. 5: at LSU, 7:30 p.m., ABC
  • Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network
  • Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina, noon, ESPN
  • Sept. 25: at California, 10:30, ESPN
  • Oct. 3: vs. Miami, TBA
  • Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern, TBA
  • Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech, TBA
  • Oct. 31: at Florida State, TBA
  • Nov. 7: at Syracuse, TBA
  • Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech, TBA
  • Nov. 20: at Duke, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
  • Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina, TBA

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson, FSU, Miami? USA TODAY Sports ranks best ACC football programs

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