Editor’s note: This story is adapted from The Athletic’s preseason guide to all 138 FBS teams ahead of the 2026 season.Miami made it to the national championship game last season, but that was after a controversial tiebreaker resulted in Duke beating Virginia for the ACC title. Though the Hurricanes enter 2026 as favorites, nobody can rule out more ACC surprises.Who’s trending up and down in the ACC entering 2026? What do you need to know about all 17 teams? Here’s our guide to the league’s teams, coaches and top players, with rankings from Chris Vannini’s The Athletic 138, and Playoff and conference championship odds from Austin Mock’s predictor model.Boston College Eagles2025 record: 2-10 (1-7 ACC)
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Odds to make the CFP: 0.3%
Odds to win the ACC: 0.1%
The Athletic 138 ranking: 95thWill they be better, worse or the same this year? Same.Pedigree: The Eagles were an ACC middleweight for most of the past 20 years, with the Matt Ryan era the only exception. There have been dips, but Boston College has always bounced back immediately to another .500-ish season. Is the program invested enough in football to write another comeback story?Why they’re interesting: It’s not clear the Eagles are. Boston College lost high-profile transfers to Indiana (leading rusher Turbo Richard) and Arizona State (top receiver Reed Harris), plus others to Penn State, UCLA and Vanderbilt. It did add former reserves from Georgia, Notre Dame and Florida State, but the Eagles feel adrift from the rest of the conference.Who is the coach? Bill O’Brien is one of just six FBS head coaches who have also been NFL head coaches. Only he and UNC’s Bill Belichick have won multiple NFL playoff games. It all makes the 56-year-old Boston native a seeming coup for the Eagles. But without NIL commitment, that experience might not matter.Who is the QB? Boston College will bet on Saginaw Valley State transfer Mason McKenzie (No. 103 in QB Tiers), who threw for 2,086 yards and rushed for another 942 last season at the Division II level while accounting for 27 total touchdowns. A year ago, Ole Miss struck gold with Trinidad Chambliss from Ferris State, a conference rival of Saginaw Valley State. The Eagles would settle for bronze.Key player: Safety KP Price made the first-team All-ACC preseason squad after starting 26 consecutive games. The returning captain led Boston College in tackles (94) and interceptions (2) last season.Game to circle: Sept. 11 vs. Rutgers. With a schedule that includes 11 Power 4 programs, Boston College has to get one in the nonconference if it wants to take a modest step forward. The Scarlet Knights are the best bet.— Pete SampsonCalifornia Golden Bears2025 record: 7-6 (4-4 ACC)
