These five teams are the ACC’s legitimate College Football Playoff contenders for the 2025 season

The ACC joined the Big Ten and SEC as the only conferences to get multiple teams into the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. Now that a standard has been set, there are a handful of teams hoping to be a part of another multi-bid season in 2025. Clemson and SMU will hope for not only a return to the CFP but a chance to take the next step with a playoff win, but several other teams also the fall with playoff aspirations. Some were in the mix before stumbling late in the season, while others are hoping offseason moves can spark the on-field improvement needed to crash the bracket. 

Picking the five most likely CFP contenders is an imperfect exercise in the ACC, especially when the national outlook only leaves room for a couple of nominees. Few predicted SMU into the bracket at the beginning of 2024, and even fewer thought Indiana or Arizona State would be making an appearance in the playoff. With all factors taken into consideration, we’ve got our list, ranked from most likely to least likely to contend for the CFP in 2025. 

Clemson  

The Tigers are one just nine teams with national championship odds of 20/1 or better (18/1), and the only team from the ACC with odds of 30/1 or better according to FanDuel Sportsbook. It’s the most offseason buzz the Tigers have seen in a couple of years, and it comes on the back of a 2024 late-season charge that included an ACC Championship and a return to the CFP for the first time since 2020. Cade Klubnik was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country, throwing 36…

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Author : Chip Patterson

Publish date : 2025-03-19 16:12:00

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