ACC could be one of the nation’s strongest football conferences, with Clemson, Florida State leading way

Clemson never did Clemson last season. (Yes, in college football, Clemsoning has become a verb.) Not even in the national championship game, where the Tigers gamely competed with, before succumbing to, Alabama.

During past seasons, the Tigers typically failed to capitalize whenever it looked like they were in position to vault into the national title picture. This season, Clemson, with quarterback DeShaun Watson at the helm, starts there.

But the Tigers are no lock in what is expected to be a highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference race. Florida State should be strong again, and several other ACC teams have the potential to climb into the national top 25.

A look at how the conference shapes up:

Top story lines

♦ Return of the Tigers

The pressure is on for defending ACC champion Clemson to take the next step after the Tigers’ 45-40 loss to Alabama in last season’s College Football Playoff championship game.

With Watson back for his junior season and a host of proven players surrounding him at the skill positions, anything less than a national title would be a disappointment for many Tigers fans.

Clemson might have the best offense in college football, with Watson and company conceivably exceeding the 38.5 points per game they put up in 2015.

The Tigers lost some of last season’s top defensive playmakers to the NFL, but coordinator Brent Venables has talented, if untested, options ready to step in.

♦ The Coastal route

Clemson and Florida State, the conference’s highest-ranked teams in the preseason, both reside in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. That means whichever team wins the Coastal Division is likely to be an upset away from earning a spot to a major bowl game at the end of the season.

North Carolina is a top contender after going 11-3 in 2015 and returning the players who fueled its strong running game. Miami should be on the rise with new Coach Mark Richt inheriting Brad Kaaya at quarterback. Pittsburgh could be a threat, too, if Coach Pat Narduzzi is able to continue the improvements he implemented in his first year that resulted in an 8-5 record. Even Virginia Tech could be in the mix as new Coach Justin Fuente reworks the offense.

And the Atlantic Division isn’t necessarily a lock for either Clemson or Florida State. With Lamar Jackson emerging as a star at quarterback, Louisville is an intriguing longshot.

♦ Cancer-free Conner

Pittsburgh running back James Conner entered last season coming off a record-breaking sophomore campaign in which he scored 26 touchdowns, ran for 1,765 yards and was ACC player of the year. A torn knee ligament in the first game of the 2015 season made a repeat impossible, and he was later diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

However, he announced in May that weeks of chemotherapy had cleared the cancer from his system. He continued to work out while undergoing treatment and is on track to be ready when the Panthers open against Villanova on Sept. 3.

Top players

♦ Offense

Watson, quarterback, Clemson: Alabama Coach Nick Saban called Watson the most dominant player his team has faced since Auburn’s Cam Newton. The dynamic signal-caller finished third in 2015 Heisman voting as a sophomore. He passed for 4,104 yards and rushed for 1,105.

Dalvin Cook, running back, Florida State: In 2015, Cook crushed single-season program records for yards rushing (1,691) and all-purpose yards (1,935) as he ran toward Heisman candidacy; he finished four spots below Watson in voting. It would be a major coup for the junior to win the Heisman in 2016, but it’s a safe bet that he will be in the conversation.

♦ Defense

Derwin James, safety, Florida State: The 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore looms large in a Seminoles secondary that lost Jalen Ramsey to the NFL. In his first season, James recorded five pass breakups, 91 tackles — 9.5 for losses, including 4.5 sacks.

Devonte Fields, linebacker, Louisville: Of his 11 sacks last season, 8.5 came in the last four games. A senior, he might be able to keep that production going all year now that he has a full season of experience with the Cardinals.

♦ Newcomers

Deondre Francois and Malik Henry, quarterbacks, Florida State: Incumbent starter Sean Maguire, a senior, had an ankle injury in the spring, making it feasible that either redshirt freshman Francois or true freshman Henry, a highly recruited dual-threat quarterback out of Long Beach Poly High, could be under center for the Seminoles earlier than expected.

The games

♦ Best during nonconference

Georgia vs. North Carolina, at Atlanta, Sept. 3.

Mississippi vs. Florida State, at Orlando, Fla., Sept. 5.

Miami at Notre Dame, Oct. 29.

♦ Best during conference

Clemson at Florida State, Oct. 29: There’s no question that this game will be key not only to an ACC title but also a CFP berth. Clemson is ahead of Florida State in preseason rankings, but the ’Noles haven’t lost at home in three years.

North Carolina at Florida State, Oct. 1: The first three games of the Tar Heels’ season should pose no challenge, and if they defeat Pittsburgh at home in the fourth week, they’ll come in hot to Tallahassee hoping to pull off an upset that would catapult the team from solid overachiever to respected front-runner.

Miami at Virginia Tech, Oct. 20: It’s Fuente vs. Richt in a battle between first-year head coaches heralded as the saviors for their respective programs. For Miami, it arrives in the midst of a brutal four-game stretch: Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame.

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Louisville will give the ACC Atlantic Division not one, not two, but three teams in the top 10 along with Clemson and Florida State. The Cardinals probably won’t be able to take down the Tigers or Seminoles, but they get those two teams out of the way early in the schedule and could easily go 7-0 to close out the year.