3 Underdogs That Can Win the ACC in 2023

Football in the Atlantic Coast Conference is a tradition that formally dates back to the early 1950s. Through that span, Clemson (21 titles) and Florida State (15) have combined to win 36 conference championships -- or 46.8% all-time -- which is quite impressive when you consider FSU did not join until 1992.

Naturally, the Tigers (+150 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook) and Seminoles (+185) enter as the favorites to win the 2023 ACC Championship Game at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium -- home of the Carolina Panthers.

For the sake of this piece, let's look at which underdogs have a real chance to win this season's conference title game. When surveying the ACC's field after the favorites, schools like Louisville, UNC and Miami all ring the bell of relevancy.

While contemporaries like the Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten are morphing drastically this and next season, the ACC remains semi-traditional ... for now.

Here are the ACC conference championship odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

*Denotes 2022 ACC Championship Game participant

Louisville Cardinals

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +750

As the city's native son, head coach Jeff Brohm is beginning his first season at the helm for his alma mater. If it is anything like when he was quarterbacking for the Cardinals back in the 1993 Liberty Bowl, then we are certainly in for a showstopping experience.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Louisville has another quality one in 2023: Jack Plummer via the transfer portal. In a prolific 2022 year at UC Berkeley, Plummer threw for 3,095 yards -- the sixth-highest single-season total in Cal history. In a pro-style offense at Louisville, he should be able to operate well with top-tier athletes around him; speedy wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce figures to be one of his top targets.

Looking to improve on an 8-5 season from a year ago, Louisville seems to be trending in the right direction. They managed to win a bowl game in 2022, trouncing their neighbor on the Ohio River, Cincinnati, in the Fenway Bowl.

North Carolina Tar Heels

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +900

Unfortunately for followers of Chapel Hill, UNC has not won a conference title on the gridiron since before an 18-year-old Michael Jordan was enrolled. Be that as it may, the program has absolutely trended positively since head coach Mack Brown took over in 2019.

Through four years of Brown, the Tar Heels have generated three winning seasons -- highlighted by a pinnacle 9-5 in 2022. North Carolina has also qualified for bowls in every campaign under Brown, winning the 2019 Military Bowl after putting a beatdown (55-13) on Temple.

According to ESPN's College Football Power Index (FPI), UNC is ranked third overall in the conference, entering 2023 with a rating of 10.2. They were talented enough to make the 2022 ACC title game, which was their second time doing so in the past eight seasons. This coming campaign could be the best version of the Heels yet -- star quarterback Drake Maye is currently showing +1800 (tied for seventh-best) to take home this season's Heisman, per the Heisman Trophy odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Miami Hurricanes

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +2300

A program that has yielded five national championships (four of which came in a nine-year span) throughout its history, the Miami Hurricanes have remarkably never won an ACC conference football title. Miami's most recent natty came under Larry Coker in 2001 -- when they were still a member of the Big East.

The Canes joined the ACC in 2004. Since then, their best gridiron finish was in 2017 when they went 10-3 despite a loss at the Orange Bowl to Wisconsin -- that was a Miami team that featured future offensive pros Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas and Braxton Berrios.

In the current era, the Hurricanes are entering their second season under head coach Mario Cristobal. Cristobal is already a legend in Coral Gables. Once upon a time, he was a First-team All-Big East offensive tackle for Miami, winning two of those aforementioned national titles as a player (1989 and 1991). Still, Cristobal is looking for current success.

With quarterback Tyler Van Dyke returning for a fourth season, they will surely lean on the dynamic tight-end tandem of Cam McCormick (transfer from Oregon) and Elijah Arroyo in 2023.

Longer Shots

Duke Blue Devils +3700

The basketball school everyone seems to love to hate, Duke will showcase a highly-competitive football program on occasion. In the coming year, the Blue Devils feature an FPI of 2.9 on ESPN. Ranked at 53rd overall, that may not be enough to move the needle, but they have a talented signal-caller returning in Riley Leonard.

Entering his senior season, Leonard is coming off a campaign where he tallied a QBR of 72.9, which was good enough for 28th-best in the nation and 4th throughout the conference. His 20-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in unison with a 63.8% completion clip proved Leonard can thread the needle. But does he have any shot to bring back the first ACC football title to Durham since 1989?

Wake Forest Demon Deacons +5000

In Winston-Salem, we see a small-but-mighty program. Keep in mind: Wake Forest has an annual student enrollment less than any other Power 5 institution. Still, the Demon Deacons approach the upcoming season with an FPI of 5.0 (47th) -- notably higher than neighboring Duke.

Wake Forest is looking to replace Sam Hartman -- who is currently tied with UNC's Maye in the 2023 Heisman odds market -- at quarterback since he transferred to Notre Dame after a productive campaign for Wake. Head coach Dave Clawson has won five bowl games in nine years since taking over in 2014. Can he get the Deacs a step further by winning their first conference championship in nearly two decades?

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