That's the only way commissioner Jim Phillips and the conference are going to generate respect and a seat at the table in conversations with the SEC and Big Ten as further realignment speculation figures to hover over the ACC in the coming years.

Dabo Swinney believes the Clemson Tigers will be college football's first major 16-0 team. Swinney, ever the eternal optimist, made that proclamation in a recent sit-down with veteran ESPN college football reporter Chris Low for a lengthy feature on the Clemson football program ahead of the 2025 season.

Ahead of Week 1 contests for SEC schools, Warren Nolan released regular-season record projections. Nolan Analytics projects Tennessee to finish its 2025 regular season with a 9-3 record, losing to Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Below are regular-season record projections and who each SEC team will lose to.