ACC football schedules in 2024, ranked from easiest to toughest by Phil Steele (2024)

2024 Schedule: Western Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, at Clemson, Northern Illinois, Wake Forest, Syracuse, at California, Stanford, Duke, at Georgia Tech, at North Carolina

A strong offseason and easy 2024 slate give us confidence that NC State can secure back-to-back nine-win seasons for just the second time since the 1990s. The early tests against Tennessee and Clemson loom large early in the season, but the Wolfpack face just one team in the top eight of our ACC power rankings (UNC, No. 8) after their bout with the Tigers.

2024 Schedule: at Vanderbilt, Marshall, at Old Dominion, Rutgers, at Miami, at Stanford, Boston College, Georgia Tech, at Syracuse, Clemson, at Duke, Virginia

We have the Hokies going 3-1 to start the season in our ACC projected order of finish, with their lone loss coming at home against Rutgers in Week 4. After that, tough ACC games against Miami and Clemson are balanced by matchups with several of the conference's bottom feeders, including Virginia, Boston College and Stanford.

2024 Schedule: at Minnesota, Charlotte, North Carolina Central, James Madison, at Duke, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, at Virginia, at Florida State, Wake Forest, at Boston College, North Carolina State

UNC had the toughest preseason ACC schedule last season but got a far better draw this year. Feisty App State gets replaced by a lesser in-state foe in Charlotte, which headlines a weak non-conference slate. Opening ACC play against rival Duke is no gimme, but the Tar Heels avoid Clemson and Miami.

2024 Schedule: at Nevada, Houston Christian, BYU, TCU, Florida State, at Louisville, at Stanford, at Duke, Pittsburgh, Boston College, at Virginia, California

We expect SMU to have the best season of any ACC newcomer, and its debut schedule is a big reason why. We've got SMU winning at least three of its non-conference bouts and ACCmatchups with Stanford, Cal, Virginia and Boston College. Florida State and Louisville are tough outs, but the Mustangs should go bowling with this schedule.

2024 Schedule: Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Georgia Tech, at Notre Dame, SMU, at Virginia, Miami, at Boston College, at Clemson, at Stanford, Pittsburgh, at Kentucky

The Cardinals won 10 games against a much harder schedule last season but won't have star quarterback Jack Plummer back in the fold. A pair of winnable non-conference matchups bleed into a tough run against Notre Dame and SMU. Easier matchups against Virginia, Boston College and Stanford are met with tough outs against Miami, Clemson and Kentucky.

2024 Schedule: North Carolina A&T, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, at North Carolina State, Clemson, at Connecticut, at Stanford, California, at North Carolina, at Miami, Duke

Wake Forest finished with the worst record in the conference last season (1-7) but is a threat for bowl eligibility thanks to winnable non-conference matchups against North Carolina A&T, UConn and Louisiana. However, don't expect much else with games against NC State, Clemson and Miami later in the season.

2024 Schedule: Ohio, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Holy Cross, at UNLV, at North Carolina State, at Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Boston College, California, Connecticut, Miami

We like Syracuse to win non-conference matchups against Ohio, Holy Cross and UConn, but the trip to UNLV on Oct. 5 could prove dicey.Fran Brown's Orangecould hit the eight- or nine-win mark if it manages to win toss-up games against Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech asit enters ACC play.

2024 Schedule: Kent State, at Cincinnati, West Virginia, Youngstown State, at North Carolina, California, Syracuse, at SMU, Virginia, Clemson, at Louisville, at Boston College

Pitt finished 3-9 last season but looks to get back to bowl eligibility against a mediocre schedule next fall. The Panthers could split their non-conference schedule with wins over Kent State and Youngstown State and avoid Miami and Florida State. However, if the odds were out, Pat Narduzzi's crew would likely be underdogs against UNC, SMU, Clemson, and Louisville.

2024 Schedule: Georgia Tech, Boston College, Memphis, California, at SMU, Clemson, at Duke, at Miami, North Carolina, at Notre Dame, Charleston Southern, Florida

Florida State finished the regular season undefeated last season and is a threat to do the same in 2024. We've got the Seminoles going 11-1 in our ACC projected order of finish, with their lone loss coming at Notre Dame. However, FSU fans shouldn't discount out the home game against Clemson and the trip to Miami.

2024 Schedule: at Florida, Florida A&M, Ball State, at South Florida, Virginia Tech, at California, at Louisville, Florida State, Duke, at Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, at Syracuse

Miami finished 7-6 last fall but landed one of the transfer portal's top quarterbacks in former Washington State star Cameron Ward. The trip to Florida in Week 1 should test the new-look Hurricanes, but Mario Cristobal's crew will likely be the favorite in the six leading up to the Florida State game.

2024 Schedule: Georgia, Appalachian State, North Carolina State, Stanford, at Florida State, at Wake Forest, Virginia, Louisville, at Virginia Tech, at Pittsburgh, The Citadel, South Carolina

Clemson has two of the biggest games in the ACC next season. The Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta has set the stage for a huge Week 1 matchup between perennial powers in the ACC and SEC. The trip to Florida State in Week 5 will help define the conference championship race. The Tigers have a handful of other tough games as they look to reestablish themselves on the national scene.

2024 Schedule: Richmond, at Wake Forest, Maryland, at Coastal Carolina, Boston College, Louisville, at Clemson, North Carolina, at Pittsburgh, at Notre Dame, SMU, at Virginia Tech

Virginia finished with the second-worst record in the conference record last season and could be in line for another stinker in 2024. Richmond and Coastal Carolina are the easiest games on the Cavaliers' schedule, but both are losable. Then there's a brutal five-game stretch that features Louisville, Clemson, UNC and Notre Dame.

2024 Schedule: UC Davis, at Auburn, San Diego State, at Florida State, Miami, at Pittsburgh, North Carolina State, Oregon State, at Wake Forest, Syracuse, Stanford, at SMU

Cal has the talent to makeback-to-back bowl games for just the second time during Justin Wilcox's eight years at the helm, but not much else. The trip to Auburn will be tough. So will the stretch against Florida State, Miami, Pittsburgh and NC State. Fortunately for Cal, the schedule loosens up from there.

2024 Schedule: at Florida State, Duquesne, at Missouri, Michigan State, Western Kentucky, at Virginia, at Virginia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, at SMU, North Carolina, Pittsburgh

We like the Eagles' long-term potential with Bill O'Brien at the helm. However, all signs point towards a rebuilding year in Boston, and the Eagles didn't get any favors with their schedule. Boston College gets smacked in the face early with trips to Florida State and Missouri. It doesn't let up much after, either.

2024 Schedule: TCU, Cal Poly, at Syracuse, at Clemson, Virginia Tech, at Notre Dame, SMU, Wake Forest, at North Carolina State, Louisville, at California, at San Jose State

Newcomer Stanford finished3-9 in thePac-12 last season andis expected to post a similar record with one of the ACC's toughest schedules next season. Clemson, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and SMU is a brutal four-game stretch. The Cardinal gets a breather against Wake Forest before two more tough matchups against NC State and Louisville.

2024 schedule: Florida State, Georgia State, VMI, Notre Dame, at Georgia, Duke, Miami, North Carolina State, at Louisville, UNC, at Syracuse, at Virginia Tech

This is one of the best Georgia Tech teams in years, but it faces an uphill battle for bowl eligibility against an absolute gauntlet in 2024. The Yellow Jackets have three games against CFP contenders in the first five weeks and hit several ACC title contenders in Miami, NC State and Louisville shortly after. Brent Key's crew is the only ACC team inourtoughest overall schedule ranking, and it ranks No. 6 overall.

2024 Schedule: Elon, at Northwestern, Connecticut, at Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina, at Georgia Tech, Florida State, SMU, at Miami, at North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, at Wake Forest

Duke is a threat to start the season 3-1 in non-conference play before hosting rival UNC in an intriguing ACC opener. We're giving Manny Diaz a long leash during his first year on the job. There's potential for the Blue Devils to stumble down the stretch, facing seven of the ACC's top 10 teams in our preseason power rankings in the last eight weeks of the season.