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    ACC Strength of Schedule: Who Has the Hardest Schedule in 2024?

    The ACC welcomes Cal, Stanford, and SMU this season. How do they and the others rank in our first-ever ACC Strength of Schedule for the 2024 college football season?

    Kicking off with our national look, College Football Network is proud to introduce the first of it’s kind ACC Strength of Schedule metric for the 2024 college football season. Analyzing every facet of play, CFN’s Strength of Schedule takes a look at the difficulties — or relative ease — that will face each team across the country this coming season.

    2024 ACC Strength of Schedule

    Before we get to the rankings, we need to take a look at how we drummed up these metrics.

    From our cross-conference strength of schedule:

    CFN’s exclusive strength of schedule metric was crafted carefully using as many resources as possible ahead of the 2024 season. Using a bevy of metrics such as returning production, roster projections, coaching staff, incoming talent, home-field advantage, and other factors, the CFN SOS analyzes which teams have the most difficult and easiest schedules this season.

    CFN’s strength of schedule metric included each team’s transfer portal classes, valued quarterbacks returning to their school, and continuation among the coaching staffs into the ranking.

    These factors all awarded schedule difficulty more heavily based on merit and projection, as opposed to looking back at results from last season, though those results were factored in moderately. They’ve also been updated following all the reports from spring practice, final transfer portal class numbers, and the most up-to-date roster and depth chart files we have on hand.

    MORE: Strength of Schedule for All 134 Teams

    Here’s how the ACC teams stacked up ahead of the 2024 season:

    1) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

    Toughest Game: @ Georgia
    Easiest Game: vs. VMI
    S.O.S. Score: 19.67
    National Rank: 2rd

    MORE: Georgia Tech’s Full 2024 Schedule

    2) Florida State Seminoles

    Toughest Game: @ Notre Dame
    Easiest Game: vs. Charleston Southern
    S.O.S. Score: 17.98
    National Rank: 12th

    MORE: Florida State’s Full 2024 Schedule

    3) Stanford Cardinal

    Toughest Game: @ Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. Cal Poly
    S.O.S. Score: 16.85
    National Rank: 22nd

    MORE: Stanford’s Full 2024 Schedule

    4) Boston College Eagles

    Toughest Game: @ Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. Duquesne
    S.O.S. Score: 16.81
    National Rank: 23rd

    MORE: Boston College’s Full 2024 Schedule

    5) Clemson Tigers

    Toughest Game: @ Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. The Citadel
    S.O.S. Score: 16.50
    National Rank: 28th

    MORE: Clemson’s Full 2024 Schedule

    6) Virginia Cavaliers

    Toughest Game: @ Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. Richmond
    S.O.S. Score: 16.42
    National Rank: 30th

    MORE: Virginia’s Full 2024 Schedule

    7) Louisville Cardinals

    Toughest Game: @ Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. Austin Peay
    S.O.S. Score: 16.02
    National Rank: 31st

    MORE: Louisville’s Full 2024 Schedule

    8) Miami Hurricanes

    Toughest Game: vs. Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. Florida A&M
    S.O.S. Score: 15.58
    National Rank: T38th

    MORE: Miami’s Full 2024 Schedule

    9) Pittsburgh Panthers

    Toughest Game: vs. Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. Youngstown State
    S.O.S. Score: 15.31
    National Rank: 43rd

    MORE: Pittsburgh’s Full 2024 Schedule

    10) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

    Toughest Game: vs. Ole Miss
    Easiest Game: vs. North Carolina A&T
    S.O.S. Score: 14.92
    National Rank: 47th

    MORE: Wake Forest’s Full 2024 Schedule

    11) California Golden Bears

    Toughest Game: @ Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. UC Davis
    S.O.S. Score: 14.79
    National Rank: 49th

    MORE: Cal’s Full 2024 Schedule

    12) Duke Blue Devils

    Toughest Game: vs. Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. Elon
    S.O.S. Score: 14.77
    National Rank: 50th

    MORE: Duke’s Full 2024 Schedule

    13) Virginia Tech Hokies

    Toughest Game: vs. Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. ODU
    S.O.S. Score: 14.29
    National Rank: T55th

    MORE: Virginia Tech’s Full 2024 Schedule

    14) NC State Wolfpack

    Toughest Game: @ Clemson
    Easiest Game: vs. Western Carolina
    S.O.S. Score: 13.69
    National Rank: 61st

    MORE: NC State’s Full 2024 Schedule

    15) North Carolina Tar Heels

    Toughest Game: @ Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. NC Central
    S.O.S. Score: 13.31
    National Rank: 65th

    MORE: North Carolina’s Full 2024 Schedule

    16) SMU Mustangs

    Toughest Game: vs. Florida State
    Easiest Game: vs. Houston Christian
    S.O.S. Score: 13.27
    National Rank: 66th

    MORE: SMU’s Full 2024 Schedule

     

    17) Syracuse Orange

    Toughest Game: @ NC State
    Easiest Game: vs. Holy Cross
    S.O.S. Score: 13.15
    National Rank: 68th

    MORE: Syracuse’s Full 2024 Schedule

    KEEP READING: Top 10 Easiest College Football Schedules in 2024

    College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top 10 returning players, the 2024 college football season schedule, and much more!

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