Top 5 Stories From the ACC Right Now

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We are halfway through the college football season and the Atlantic Coast Conference is playing some of the best football in the country. Along with good, compelling football comes many storylines that change weekly. When the conference hosted its ACC Kickoff Media Day, there was optimism around every program. Some dreams quickly became nightmares; others blossomed into self-fulfilling prophecies. Here are the top 5 stories in the ACC from the first half of the season.

'The U' is Back, Maybe

The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes are back again. Maybe. College football fans hear this annually, but the Canes are looking for their best start to a season since 2013. Miami can do this with a win at Louisville on Oct. 19. Quarterback Cam Ward is playing like the savvy veteran that he is and he's an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy. The last two games have tested the Miami faithful and proven why the ACC is never a given week to week. Can the cardiac Canes hold on and make it to the ACC Championship?

FS Who?

There was plenty of doubt last season about the validity of the Florida State Seminoles' football team. Arguments were made on both sides as to why they did or did not deserve to make it into the 2023 College Football Playoff despite winning the ACC championship.

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The committee’s consensus was that they were less than worthy and the Seminoles have spent all of the 2024 season proving the committee correct. Star QB DJ Uiagalelei has been underwhelming, the running game is non-existent and defense has been chanted from the stands more menacingly than it has been played on the field. Will this be head coach Mike Norvell’s final year at the helm at Florida State?

ACC is Full of QBs

The ACC Kickoff Media Day advertised in July that this conference was the conference of the quarterbacks and, like prophecy, truer words have never been spoken. The ACC QBs are on a record tear across the NCAA, putting up jaw-dropping numbers weekly. Eleven of the 17 starting QBs are ranked in the top 50 of the NCAA in passing yards. Household names like Syracuse's Kyle McCord and Ward are neck and neck with up-and-coming gunslingers like Virginia's Anthony Colandrea and Pittsburgh's Eli Holstein. In the market for a great game with competent QB play? The ACC is the conference to deliver.

Omarion Hampton is Him

The Heisman Trophy has long been considered a QB award, but this season has spawned special players contending to change that narrative. Colorado has its two-way star athlete Travis Hunter and, for anyone just emerging from beneath the earth, check out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The ACC has another Heisman hopeful that does not fit the QB criteria. North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton has been a problem for defenses inside and outside of the ACC all year. Hampton has 901 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Hampton is a Heisman dark horse.

ACC is Wide Open

No. 10 Clemson and No. 6 Miami are early favorites for the ACC Championship games. But neither team has separated itself as a sure lock for the ACC title game. There are several teams currently in the running to make an appearance in it. Each week only seems to add to the parity. Miami and Clemson do not play each other in the regular season and will have to navigate their remaining schedules carefully. Other ACC contenders include No. 22 Pittsburgh, No. 21 SMU, Louisville, Syracuse, Virginia and Georgia Tech.

Finally, the college football season's second half is here. All the games so far have led to an exciting, enriching experience inside a competitive conference. The ACC is the conference of QBs. Meanwhile, North Carolina has Hampton, one of the most exciting backs in the country. Traditional powerhouses are shifting inside the ACC, but tradition will not go down without a fight. What will the second half of the ACC season look like and what stories will it produce? We will find out together, game by game.