Ahead of the 2025 season, the ACC may be under-represented in teams towards the top in championship odds, but they still have a few programs looking to make a title run this fall. Clemson, Miami, SMU, Florida State, and Louisville will all be in the playoff hunt, and with Bill Belichick at the helm in UNC, they are now a Wild Card in the ACC. Let’s dive in and look at the five best conference matchups this season.
The Best 5 ACC Games in 2025
SMU at Clemson (Oct. 18)
The history between these two programs is short. Last season’s ACC Title Game, which Clemson edged out 34-31, is the only time they’ve ever faced off. They both enter 2025 with top-three odds to win the conference: +110 for Clemson and +800 for SMU.
Does @grok know ball? Here is Grok’s 2025 ACC football predictions pic.twitter.com/Ak5jOuiKMB
— College Football Live (@CollegeFBonX) May 7, 2025
SMU followed up an 11-3 season with the 31st-best recruiting class this offseason. Conversely, perennial ACC favorites Clemson are looking for another strong season from Heisman hopeful Cade Klubnik.
Miami at Florida State (Oct. 4)
The Hurricanes and Seminoles will meet in October in the 70th installment of this intrastate battle. Miami pounded FSU last season, 36-14, and FSU will be out for revenge.
Florida State enters 2025 with much longer odds to win the ACC (+1800) than Miami (+425), so a win in this one would help advance those odds. Miami newcomer Carson Beck will get his first taste in this rivalry as he looks to lead the Canes back to playoff contention.
Clemson at UNC (Oct. 4)
Dabo Swinney will get his first head-to-head matchup versus the legendary Belichick. On paper, these two don’t seem to be much of a competition, but Belichick represents a true wildcard at this point.
Clemson holds a 40-19-1 record all-time in this series and should be heavily favored against a UNC team with +3000 odds to win the conference. This game could be more interesting because UNC’s early-season schedule isn’t exactly daunting. If they roll into this matchup against Clemson at home, with a 4-0 record and a future NFL Hall of Famer on the sidelines, this will be must-see TV.
Clemson at Louisville (Nov. 14)
This mid-November matchup is another potential ACC title game preview. While Clemson enters the season as prohibitive favorites in the conference, the Cardinals enter tied for the third-best odds with +800.
Louisville went 9-4 in 2024 with a 5-3 conference record. Before the 2024 season, they were 0-8 all-time against Clemson, but a 33-21 victory gave them their first win in this series. Clemson will look to prevent the Cardinals’ first win streak in this ACC series in 2025.
Miami at SMU (Nov. 1)
These two programs have only faced off once, and that was in 1965, a 7-3 win for the Mustangs. SMU made a statement in its inaugural ACC season by making it to the conference title game, which Miami looked like a lock for early in the 2024 season, before a late-season collapse.
KEEP READING: Top 10 ACC WR-CB Matchups in the 2025 College Football Season: Antonio Williams vs. Chandler Rivers Lock Heads on Nov. 1
They both enter 2025 with conference title hopes, and this November matchup could be a preview of a higher-stakes matchup later on.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
