CBS Sports predicts Clemson to top win total

Clemson looks to surge back into the ACC contenders.

by Brandon Rink - Associate Editor / Staff Writer - Fri Jun 28 12:43:48 GMT-05:00 2024

CBS Sports predicted the ACC win totals this season, and Clemson is expected to exceed some expectations.

CBS' Chip Patterson did the exercise of predicting every ACC game, and he sees the Tigers topping the Vegas win total of 9.5 victories and finishing 10-2 overall with a 7-1 ACC record.

That is topping all but the opener with Georgia and the road trip to Florida State.

"A decade of 10-win seasons coming to an end in 2023 dominated the headlines, but what might be overlooked is that Clemson was a handful of plays away from finishing 11-1 against that same schedule," Patterson said. "Two overtime defeats and a one-score loss to NC State flip a review of 2023 into realizing it won't take much for a bounce back to the program's modern standard. However, it's important to note the way the Tigers respond to the season-opener against Georgia, win or lose, will be crucial because the biggest ACC games come early with NC State on Sept. 21 and Florida State on Oct. 5."

Patterson takes FSU to top 9.5 wins as well and also with a 10-2 record.

"The Seminoles don't get much of a break when it comes to their schedule, but Mike Norvell has done a great job of reinforcing depth throughout the roster with the transfer portal. So even though the Seminoles lost 10 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, a quick scan of the depth chart still shows an ACC title contender. Florida State will have one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the ACC with Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr., as well as a collection of skill position talent that should set up QB DJ Uiagalelei for success in his return to the ACC."

Four total teams are set to finish 7-1 in ACC play by Patterson's predictions with NC State (topping 8.5 wins) and Virginia Tech (topping 8.5 wins) there as well, which would send things deep into tiebreakers.