The Best ACC Games to Watch Each Week This College Football Season

College football finally returns for the 2022 season at the start of September. Here's a week-by-week lineup of the best ACC games to watch this fall.

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Week 0: Florida A&M at North Carolina

Aug. 27 at 8:15 p.m., ACCN

Pickings are slim for Week 0 matchups, but if you want to start watching college football right away, this could be an interesting nonconference game. Florida A&M, a historically Black university, has a storied history that includes 15 Black college football national championships. Last year, head coach Willie Simmons and the Rattlers went 9–3. They will be going up against Mack Brown and the Tar Heels, who are looking to bounce back after a lackluster 6–7 record last year.

Week 1: West Virginia at Pitt

Sept. at 7 p.m., ESPN

The Backyard Brawl is back for the first time in more than a decade, and College Gameday is making a visit. The Mountaineers have won seven of the last 10 matchups, including a 21–20 victory back in 2011. But a lot has changed since then, and West Virginia shouldn’t feel too comfortable against Pat Narduzzi and a surging Panthers squad that went 11–3 and claimed their first ACC title last season.

Week 2: Tennessee at Pitt

Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m., ABC

Pittsburgh faces another interesting home matchup at the newly named Acrisure Stadium when Tennessee heads north for the second installment of the Johnny Majors Classic. The Volunteers may have won fewer games in the 2021–22 season (7–6), but they have one thing the Panthers don’t: a returning quarterback in Hendon Hooker. Narduzzi hasn’t named his starter yet, and the loss of Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett will be felt this season. (First-round pick Pickett is technically staying in Pittsburgh—as the Steelers’ quarterback.)

Week 3: Miami at Texas A&M

Sept. 17 at 9 p.m., ESPN

This nonconference matchup is the first of our picks to feature two teams ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25, with new coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes traveling to College Station to take on Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Both teams were unable to compete in the bowls they were chosen for in the 2021–22 season.

Jaylynn Nash/USA Today Sports

Week 4: Clemson at Wake Forest

Sept. 24, TBD

The Tigers are a whopping 69-17-1 all-time in matches against the Demon Deacons. And with Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman—who threw for more than 4,200 yards last season—out indefinitely, that streak is likely to continue. However, the Deacs did manage to top the ACC Atlantic in the 2021–22 season, and this year’s matchup could be an interesting proving ground for the two ranked Carolina teams.

Week 5: NC State at Clemson

Oct. 1, TBD

It’s another battle of the Carolinas as North Carolina State  travels to Death Valley. Last year, the Wolfpack handed the Tigers a 27–21 loss in double overtime. Quarterback Devin Leary—who threw for four touchdowns and 238 yards in that matchup—is returning to NC State, albeit without leading receiver Emeka Emezie. Clemson has won eight of the last 10 Textile Bowl matchups, but Dabo Swinney and the Tigers still have reason to fear an NC State squad hunting for its first conference title in three decades.

Week 6: Army at Wake Forest

Oct. 8, TBD

Week 6 is full of ACC matchups that should be blowouts (Clemson at Boston College), uneventful (Louisville at Virginia) or downright boring (Duke at Georgia Tech). So, what game has the potential to be exciting? How about a matchup between two teams that combined for 126 points and 1,233 yards in their last meeting? Without the influence of Hartman—who threw for 458 yards in last year’s barrage—the Black Knights could sneak up and topple the Deacons. And even if they don’t, the potential for another wow-worthy, high-scoring brawl is too good to pass up.

Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports

Week 7: Miami at Virginia Tech

Oct. 15, TBD

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry and the Hokies are facing two ranked opponents—Pittsburgh and Miami—in back-to-back weeks. This mid-October matchup is an opportunity for newly minted coach Pry, whom Virginia Tech brought in after the firing of Justin Fuente, to strut his stuff against fellow newcomer Cristobal at Lane Stadium. The struggling Hokies haven’t topped the ACC Coastal Division since Fuente’s first season (2016), but were only one game back from Miami in conference play last year.

Week 8: Syracuse at Clemson

Oct. 22, TBD

Sometimes, you just want to watch a blowout. In a week full of easy-looking matchups for the ACC’s ranked teams, this one stands out as the one most primed for carnage. The two orange schools have very different expectations heading into the 2022–23 season. In the ACC’s preseason media poll, Swinney and the Tigers were picked as favorites to win the Atlantic Division. Dino Babers and the Orange? Dead last. So in Week 8, feel free to tune in to what will either be a run-of-the-mill blowout or a devastating upset. Either way, you can’t lose.

Week 9: Pitt at North Carolina

Oct. 29, TBD

On paper, this looks like another win for Narduzzi and the Panthers … but what if it’s not? Both Pitt and UNC have yet to name their starting quarterbacks, but the Tar Heels could have an appealing option in former SI All-American candidate Drake Maye— who was described in 2020 as “the total package.” And no matter who’s throwing the passes, returning standout receiver Josh Downs is going to be a threat. The junior, who set program records in ’21, has been named to several preseason watch lists. And with Gene Chizik returning to Chapel Hill, Carolina could be a threat on the other side of the ball as well.

Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Sports

Week 10: Clemson at Notre Dame

Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., NBC/Peacock

This was a toss up: In-state rivals Wake Forest and NC State are also playing in Week 10, but if, for some reason, you’re able to catch only one college football game on Nov. 5, this prime-time clash between Clemson and Notre Dame is a no-brainer. Last time the Tigers and Irish met up, in the 2020 ACC Championship Game, former quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Clemson stomped out Notre Dame 34–10, tarnishing what had been a perfect season for ex-coach Brian Kelly. New Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman has the chance to get some revenge, and make a statement, with a big win over Swinney at home.

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Week 11: North Carolina at Wake Forest

November 12, TBD

Similarly to its Week 9 matchup against Pitt, unranked North Carolina has a chance here to prove it’s a force to be reckoned with. The Tar Heels have won their last two games against the Demon Deacons by just a combined nine points. In last year’s 58–55 loss, Wake Forest’s signal-caller, Hartman, threw for five touchdowns, while UNC was propelled by a career showing by Ty Chandler (who’s since moved on to the NFL). If Hartman is still out in Week 11, expect the Demon Deacons to be in trouble. If not, there’s a better chance Wake Forest comes out on top—and this time, it will actually count toward the conference standings.

Week 12: Miami at Clemson

November 19, TBD

It’s been more than a decade since Miami last beat Clemson—can things change this year? Voters predict that the Tigers will end up beating the Hurricanes for the ACC Championship, making this late-season matchup a particularly interesting one to watch out for. Will Clemson be upset at home? Probably not. But if redshirt sophomore and 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year Tyler Van Dyke gets a groove going with his receivers—including Clemson transfer Frank Ladson Jr.—then nothing is impossible.

Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

Week 13: Virginia at Virginia Tech

November 26, TBD

It’s Rivalry Week, which means there are no wrong options here. And while some of those games—like Pitt at Miami— hold a little more significance in the grand scheme of things, this in-state battle between the Cavaliers and Hokies is an interesting one. Why? Because of how similar the two teams are. Virginia and Virginia Tech both had mediocre records last season (6–6 and 6–7, respectively). Both are fighting for significance in the ACC Coastal Division, which has seen some clear-cut leaders (again, Pitt and Miami) emerge. Both have new coaches—Pry and Tony Elliott—who are looking to prove themselves and turn their programs around. This year, the Commonwealth Cup is representative of a lot more than just an in-state rivalry.