Urban Meyer’s Clemson Prediction Casts Dark Shadow Over the ACC

After embarrassing losses by Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech during the first two weeks of the college football season, many pundits are down on the ACC.

Of the Power Four Conferences, which also include the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten, a case could be made that the ACC is the weakest, which is why Urban Meyer’s prediction for the conference’s winner on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” on Saturday morning shows just how bleak the outlook is for the conference.

“Clemson went shoot-his-shoe with the best team in the country, Georgia, at halftime. Then it was over,” Meyer said. “Here’s the difference, the Power Five teams, Power Four teams, the best four or five teams in the country … the difference is the top rosters in the country have no weaknesses. You know why? After spring practice, you go like this and you get a free agent.

“Clemson hasn’t done that. They’re not one of the best four or five rosters. I still think they’re going to go to the playoffs. I think they’re going to win the ACC, but they’re not a national championship team … until you get the NIL and roster management going with the transfer portal.”

Yes, you read that right. Meyer tore Clemson down, stating it wasn’t an elite CFB team anymore and pointing out how badly it got boat-raced by Georgia, a national championship contender, then in the next breath, he still picked the Tigers to win the ACC championship.

Meyer’s remarks are a scathing indictment on Miami, North Carolina, Florida State, N.C. State and Pittsburgh that he thinks none of those programs are capable of unseating a Clemson team that many feel got exposed in Week 1 against the Bulldogs.

If Clemson does end up winning the conference for any reason other than going on a truly dominant 12-game win streak, then it truly says a lot about where the ACC ranks among the top leagues in college football.