Odds To Win The 2015 ACC

Odds To Win The 2015 ACC

David Schwab

The following is a brief look at a few of my top contenders to win the 2015 ACC title along with my dark horse pick to pull off an upset. The betting odds to win the ACC have been provided by BetOnline.

Top Favorites

Florida State Seminoles +240

Going back over the past few college football seasons, it was pretty much a given that Florida State would win the ACC behind clearly the best team in the conference. The Seminoles did not disappoint with a combined record of 39-3 over the past three years. They are still favored to win the ACC this season but the gap in talent is not as nearly as wide as it once was.

The big question mark is at the quarterback position with Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson taking over for the departed Jameis Winston, who will now be playing his football on Sundays in the NFL. Florida State is still loaded with talent at both the running back and wide receiver positions, but there is also concern with a defense that allowed an average of 25.6 points a game last year.

Clemson Tigers +250

The Tigers have lost to Florida State three straight times to end their chances to play in the ACC title game, but there could be a changing of the guard in the Atlantic Division this season with the Seminole having to face Clemson on the road this Nov. 7.

One of the biggest things in the Tigers' favor overtake Florida State after a three-year wait is the continued development of Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position. He showed some flares of greatness last season in a limited role as a freshman and the expectation level this season for bigger and better things is running high. It also helps that the Tigers are returning several key starters from a defense that was ranked third in the nation last season in points allowed (16.7).

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +450

The biggest noise out of the Coastal Division this year should once again come from Georgia Tech. They finished the 2014 regular season with a straight-up record of 6-2 and the Yellow Jackets very nearly upset Florida State in last year's ACC title game in a tight 37-35 loss as 3.5-point underdogs.

The outlook for this season remains highly positive behind a Georgia Tech offense that should be able to pick-up where it left off after racking-up an average of 342.1 rushing yards and 37.9 points a game. Quarterback Justin Thomas is back after throwing for 1594 yards and rushing for another 965 yards in 2014, but the biggest strength could be an offensive line that remains mostly intact from last year.

Longshot Play

Louisville Cardinals +850

The Cardinals come into their second season of ACC play with high expectations after going a SU 5-3 in their first go-round in their new conference. To take that next step from good to being the best in the ACC, they are going to have to find a way to beat Florida State and Clemson in their division.

The reason Louisville made my list as the top dark horse to win the ACC is a front seven on defense that is built to handle the best offenses that the ACC can throw at them. The Cardinals are going to have to do a much better job on offense themselves after finishing 2014 ranked 53rd in the nation in scoring, but this defense is more than capable of carry this team all the way to a conference title.