One year ago, the ACC entered the season with hardware to show off. Clemson was coming off its national championship, Lamar Jackson had just won the Heisman Trophy, and the resounding narrative going into 2017 was that the league had climbed the mountaintop in college football. As we prepare for 2018, things feel a little bit different. The league went 8-3 in bowl games last year and still has a legitimate national championship contender with the 2018 Tigers, but turnover among many of the league's stars and a leadership change at Florida State had created more intrigue than certainty for the conference as a whole.

Basically, we know Clemson will be really good. Beyond that? We think Miami will be a top 10 team again, and we think that Florida State and Virginia Tech are good enough to make things interesting for those top teams. But losses to graduation and the NFL Draft have created voids that need to be filled, and it's going to take game action before we know who else from the ACC is going to bolster the league's argument as one of the top conferences in college football. Keep on reading to see the CBS Sports college football team's unique takes on the ACC entering the 2018 season.

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Graphic illustration by Michael Meredith

Most overrated team

Virginia Tech: This concern is two-fold. First, the Hokies have so much youth and inexperience on defense, especially linebacker. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster may be a legend, but he has his work cut out for him. Offensively, there's a bit of wait-and-see mentality with quarterback Josh Jackson. Yes, he was exciting in his four games, but things took a turn once he played against Clemson. For the rest of the season, he showed little-to-no progression. Let's see how he does in Year 2. -- Ben Kercheval (also Tom Fornelli, Chip Patterson)

Florida State: Part of this has to do with Clemson so far ahead of everyone else in the ACC. Part of this has to do with Jimbo Fisher going to Texas A&M. Part of this has to do with FSU coming off its worst season in eight years. Part of this has to do with Willie Taggart being 47-50 in his career. -- Dennis Dodd

Georgia Tech: It used to be a perennial bowl team, if not conference title contender.  However, things have fallen off the last three years, which include only one bowl trip.  The Yellow Jackets will be more experienced on offense this year, but the schedule is pretty rough.  Making a bowl this year still seems unlikely. -- Jerry Palm

Louisville: I actually think Louisville is pretty talented. There will be a couple of guys that have breakout seasons on defense. The offensive line is massive. The wide receiver position is loaded. But a Louisville team that went 8-5 with a generational quarterback is not going to go 8-5 without him. Replacement arm Jawon Pass has upside, but I'd be surprised if he's ready right out of the box in Year 1 as a starter. The bigger concern is the third defensive coordinator in three years, the most recent being the primary culprit in Notre Dame's 2016 slump to 4-8. I see a lot of losses on this schedule. -- Barton Simmons

NC State: When you lose an all-star team up front on the defensive line, you're going to have issues. NC State is going to have issues. Yes, Ryan Finley is a great quarterback and might have a stellar career when he leaves Raleigh, North Carolina, but with massive defensive turnover and a tough division that still includes Clemson, Florida State and a sneaky Boston College squad, I just don't see the Wolfpack contending. -- Barrett Sallee


Most underrated team

Boston College: BC has a few things going for it that I look for in a team that could surprise people. First, it finished last season strong, winning five of seven, including wins over Louisville and Florida State. Its two losses came by a total of 10 points. It did all this while being led by a freshman quarterback in Anthony Brown and a freshman running back in AJ Dillon. Both are back, as well as 13 other starters, including an offensive line that has more returning starts on it than any offensive line in the country not named Wisconsin. In an Atlantic Division with plenty of space open behind Clemson, Boston College might be in the best position to take advantage. -- Tom Fornelli (also Dennis Dodd, Jerry Palm, Barrett Sallee, Ben Kercheval)

Duke: The Blue Devils are the second-best team in the Coastal Division, but nobody is talking about them. David Cutcliffe is as reputable as they come as a quarterback guy, and he thinks Daniel Jones is special. That's good enough for me, but I happen to like what I've seen out of the kid with my own eyes, too. Duke also returns almost all of its top pass catchers and has an offensive line group that is full of upside guys that got their feet wet last season. With one of the best linebacking units in the country, a talented secondary and plenty of experience, this is a cycle-up year for Duke. A start of 2-1 or better will net at least nine wins. -- Barton Simmons (also Chip Patterson)


Bold prediction

  • Dennis Dodd: Trevor Lawrence will replace a struggling Kelly Bryant at halftime of the national championship and help upset Alabama in Tide-Tigers IV. How does it taste, Nick?
  • Jerry Palm: Clemson is separating itself from the rest of the league as a program.  The Tigers will make winning the ACC look easy this season.  
  • Tom Fornelli: Clemson will go 8-0 in the ACC during the regular season, winning each game by at least two scores.
  • Chip Patterson: Miami enters the ACC Championship Game 12-0, but Clemson wins again.
  • Barton Simmons: Dillon of Boston College will lead the nation in rushing yards.
  • Barrett Sallee: If Virginia Tech pulls the upset on Labor Day night over Florida State, the Hokies will be in the College Football Playoff race through the end of the season
  • Ben Kercheval: Bryant begins the season as Clemson's starting quarterback, but Lawrence ends the season as the No. 1 guy.

ACC predicted order of finish

ACC champion

Clemson: When Dabo Swinney says he believes that Clemson can win with any one of the quarterbacks on the roster, it's sincere, and not just because of the talent at the other 21 positions on the field. Bryant has already shown a baseline that includes an ACC Championship and wins over Auburn, Florida State and Miami. As a senior who spent two years backing up Deshaun Watson, he knows the offense through and through, and he can lead the Tigers to a College Football Playoff again in 2018 as the starter under center. Lawrence has enough ability to lead Clemson to an ACC Championship with a ceiling and a future that includes national championship contention. How Clemson gets there and who is the quarterback under center are questions, just not ones that should shake your faith in Dabo getting his fourth straight ACC crown. -- Chip Patterson (unanimous)