Greg McElroy Names Key 'Dark Horse' Teams to Challenge for ACC Championship

The ACC might not be as stacked as the SEC or Big Ten but there is some considerable depth within the conference. Many have the Florida State Seminoles, Clemson Tigers, and Miami Hurricanes as the teams to beat. However, ESPN's Greg McElroy makes his picks for possible dark horse teams to challenge for the conference title.

McElroy breaks down the entire ACC conference during his latest episode of Always College Football . After explaining why Florida State, Clemson, and Miami are the favorites, the popular sports analyst names two dark horse teams for the 2024 season. Those being the NC State Wolfpack and Louisville Cardinals.

"These qualified as the dark horses. These are teams that could make their way to the playoff. But in all likelihood, they're probably an 8-9 win team that nobody really wants to play."

NC State finished 9-4 last season and fit the bill of a dark horse contender. Now that the College Football Playoffs are expanded to 12-teams, the Wolfpack could be a major benefactor. But they'll have their hands full in the ACC and must first prove themselves in their conference.

Meanwhile, Louisville held a solid 10-4 season last year and played well in most of their games. If they can maintain that effort this upcoming season they could certainly be in the mix for the ACC Championship. That would make the Cardinals a prime threat to potentially make the postseason.

We'll have to see how the season plays out. Both NC State and Louisville should challenge plenty of their opponents next season. But they must truly play above and beyond if each of them hope to beat out Florida State, Clemson, or Miami.

The Wolfpack have a relatively favorable schedule. However, they have two key matchups early on in the season against the Tennessee Volunteers and Clemson. Other games to watch for the Wolfpack are Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Louisville has a bit of a more difficult schedule ahead. Their key matchups are against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Miami, and Clemson. Not too mention, the Cardinals also have to face off against Georgia Tech and SMU.

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