Preseason college football power rankings: In ACC, Clemson among three teams with playoffs in their sights

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Clemson has company near the top of the ACC. This isn't to say the Tigers are going to be unseated from atop the conference — let's not get crazy.

But No. 2 Clemson is joined in the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll by No. 9 North Carolina and No. 16 Miami (Florida), marking the first time the conference has had three teams ranked that highly in the debut poll since 2007.

With three teams with sights on the College Football Playoff and a handful of others with Top 25 potential, the ACC can make a credible case for being seen as the third-strongest conference in the Power Five, even if an enormous gap still separates the league from the SEC and Big Ten.

That depth doesn't change one important thing: Clemson still is going to win the conference and represent the ACC in the playoff. As expected, the Tigers top the league's preseason power rankings.

1. Clemson (2020 record: 10-2)

DJ Uiagalelei takes over for Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, and in nearly every other such transfer there'd be major concerns over the Tigers' production from the position.  He's one of several second-year players destined for bright-lights stardom, right alongside defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy. 

2. North Carolina (8-4)

With Lawrence gone, the best quarterback in the ACC — the most proven, certainly — is the Tar Heels' Sam Howell, who serves as the face of a program clearly on the rise. In just two quick years, Mack Brown has remade UNC into a major destination for the area's top talent. 

3. Miami (8-3)

The Hurricanes step right into a quagmire with a season-opening date against mighty Alabama, which could very well end in the same way as most of the Tide's openers against Power Five competition. But a loss wouldn't impact the Hurricanes' place in the ACC pecking order; last year's step forward under coach Manny Diaz bodes well for 2021, especially with a healthy D'Eriq King under center.

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4. Pittsburgh (6-5)

There is solid depth and experience almost across the board on offense despite two key losses up front, but there's a reload under way on the defensive line and in the secondary. The schedule is a bigger concern: Pittsburgh draws Clemson, Miami and UNC at home, which isn't terrific. The pieces are still in place for a charge at the Top 25.

5. Wake Forest (4-5)

Do not be surprised at all to see the Demon Deacons at six or even seven wins heading into November as they take advantage of a very smooth schedule across the year's first two months. That November slate is a bear — at North Carolina, home for North Carolina State, at Clemson and at Boston College — but this may be the deepest team of coach Dave Clawson's tenure.

6. Boston College (6-5)

This is a more experienced team heading into coach Jeff Hafley's second year, with the makings of perhaps the program's best offense in nearly a decade. A friendly schedule could yield eight wins during the regular season.

7. North Carolina State (8-4)

The Wolfpack need a vastly improved performance from the offensive line and may get just that, should an uptick in experience yield better results than during a poor 2020 season. There's a foundational piece in tackle Ikem Ekwonu, one of the most promising underclassmen in the conference.

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8. Virginia Tech (5-6)

You can sell yourself on the offense, especially if quarterback Braxton Burmeister stays healthy. You can convince yourself the defense is up to the challenge in coordinator Justin Hamilton's second season. With early matchups against UNC, West Virginia, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, the year could still run off the rails by midseason, which would put coach Justin Fuente's job security in serious doubt.

9. Virginia (5-5)

A charge to .500 in the second half of last season speaks to Virginia football under coach Bronco Mendenhall: the Cavaliers will play hard and compete every week. There doesn't seem to be enough on this roster to lift Virginia back to the top of the Coastal, but this is still a bowl team capable of upsetting one or more higher-ranked opponents.

10. Louisville (4-7)

The Cardinals were a woeful -12 in turnover margin in 2020, including a combined -10 in the six games decided by 14 or fewer points. With unproven faces at running back and wide receiver, the overall margin for error on offense is small if Louisville is going to rediscover its 2019 form.

11. Georgia Tech (3-7)

The Yellow Jackets keep getting better under third-year coach Geoff Collins, and a bowl berth is in the program's future. A schedule that includes non-divisional games against Clemson, Notre Dame and Georgia makes six wins a tough ask in 2021.

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12. Florida State (3-6)

FSU will be better, but will that be reflected in the team's final record? The Seminoles take on five teams in the top 16 of the preseason Coaches Poll in addition to trips at Wake Forest and Boston College, meaning the projected gains on both sides of the ball still may not yield a spot in the postseason.

13. Duke (2-9)

Maybe bringing back just 10 starters isn't a bad thing after bottoming out near the bottom of the ACC a season ago. In addition, it's never too wise to gamble against David Cutcliffe, one of the most successful coaches in program history. But the Blue Devils would need a huge boost from a dozen or more youngsters to get to respectability.

14. Syracuse (1-10)

Syracuse was so awful last season that it's hard to find any discernible cause for optimism. Even noticeable improvement on both sides of the ball would leave Dino Babers' team outside the top half of the conference rankings.

Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg