ESPN's Bill Connelly named the top-five best in-conference ACC games for this upcoming season. The rankings comes just a few months ahead of opening kickoff of the great College Football Game we know.

The Miami Hurricanes enter the 2026-27 season with high expectations and are expected to be the No. 1 team in the conference. Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes are the clear favorite to win the ACC, their early October matchup against Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers was recently listed by ESPN as a must-watch game of the season.

Here is what ESPN had to say about the matchup between the Hurricanes-Tigers:

After last season's epic skepticism, SP+ is actually more optimistic about Clemson's potential this season than most prognosticators seem to be. And after a Week 1 trip to LSU comes this huge game. If the Tigers are to produce a redemption arc in 2026, we'll likely know it after Week 5 -- ESPN.
The Hurricanes will face off against the Tigers in Death Valley this season, a place the Hurricanes haven't beat the Tigers since 2010. Hurricanes new quarterback Darian Mensah had one of his greatest college football games in Death Valley this past season, throwing for 361 passing yards and four touchdown passes.

The last time the two teams faced off was in 2023 with the Hurricanes coming out on top and winning 28-20 on a goal line stand. The game between the Hurricanes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was also listed; however, the Irish are not a part of the ACC.

What game are you most excited to see the Hurricanes play? Should this game between the Hurricanes and the Tigers be on the list? Let us know down below.

 

Im nervous about this game . Someone tell me we roll

 

Im nervous about this game . Someone tell me we roll

Last time we played, we beat them in part due to Corey Flagg. I don’t think their roster is much better than that year’s team.

We mf ROLLING

 

I'm dying at "top-five best in-conference ACC games". What's the competition? Our ND game isn't a conference game, and Clemson-ND don't play each other this year.

 

I hope they beat LSU to start the season.

But I just don't know if they'll be any better than last year. Like, whose on deck for them to be better? They didn't go into the portal.

Think of where Miami would be right now if we didn't get anyone in the portal this year and remove anyone who came through the portal last year but is still playing. We'd be an 8 win team. After watching Miami the last two years you'd have to be fu**ing insane to not go into the portal. Dabo is going to lose his job this year.

 

 

Clemson plays Cal on a Friday night the week before us

 

 

We shating on these Cats this year.

 

Im nervous about this game . Someone tell me we roll

 

I hope they beat LSU to start the season.

But I just don't know if they'll be any better than last year. Like, whose on deck for them to be better? They didn't go into the portal.

Think of where Miami would be right now if we didn't get anyone in the portal this year and remove anyone who came through the portal last year but is still playing. We'd be an 8 win team. After watching Miami the last two years you'd have to be fu**ing insane to not go into the portal. Dabo is going to lose his job this year.

Their Defense will be really good, but their Offense will struggle due to below average QB play.

They actually did hit the Portal this offseason & added 11 players, including our very own CJ Jr. It's just that most of their portal players likely won't start.

They scout really well developing good homegrown players, however they've fallen behind in the CFB arms race because every team has great players now due to massive portal overhaul influxes. Teams are changing at a rapid pace in just one offseason & it's speeding up the process of transitioning from bad to good. It used to take 3-4 years before a bad team could become good, now it can happen in just one offseason.

Their biggest issue is Offensive philosophy & playcalling, more than anything.

 

We beating that Dabo’s ars$e soundly

They are not beating LSU either