Miami's CFP success is good for the future of ACC Football
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In the everlasting debate for which college football conference reigns supreme, you’ll likely hear most people vote the SEC.
To some extent, that statement is true. Ohio State beat Notre Dame in the 2025 National Championship game, Michigan beat Washington in 2024, while the SEC had a 4-year run between Georgia, Alabama and LSU.
This year, the ACC is making a strong case for college football’s best conference. Just look at the Miami (FL)-Ole Miss game alone on Thursday night. You have a Hurricanes team, the last at-large in the College Football Playoff, that delivered an instant classic in their fourth-quarter comeback against Ole Mis.
If Miami wins the National Championship on January 19, it’ll cement the ACC’s claim for college football superiority – at least for one season.
The North Carolina Tar Heels struggled through Bill Belichick’s first year in Chapel Hill, suffering to a 4-8 finish with several lopsided defeats. UNC found a couple stars in Demon June and Jordan Shipp, but struggled to produce with a team that carried 70 new players.
The ACC, as a whole, experienced a major upswing from 2024-25. 11 of the conference’s 17 teams had winning records. Virginia shocked the country and Duke, which finished its regular season 7-5, won the ACC Championship against the aforementioned Cavaliers.
ACC teams played to a 9-4 record during Bowl Season, tied with the Big 10, for the top record amongst all conferences. Thanks to Miami’s current run, the ACC remains a perfect 3-0 in CFP action.
Conference bowl records thru Fiesta Bowl
ACC 9-4
Big Ten 9-4
CUSA 4-3
American 5-4
Big 12 4-4
MAC 2-3
Sun Belt 4-6
SEC 4-10*
Mountain West 2-5
CFP records
ACC 3-0
Big Ten 3-1
SEC 3-5*
American 0-1
Big 12 0-1
Sun Belt 0-1
*2 wins & losses in SEC vs. SEC games— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 9, 2026
ACC football still has a long way to go in reaching the SEC’s level of consistent production, but 2025 was a massive step in the right direction. If Miami can capture its sixth National Championship on MLK Day, ACC football will be the conference to beat in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Miami Hurricanes’ magical CFP run is major benefit for ACC football
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