Coming off a 10-3 season, Maris Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes are flying high right now, still he may not be the best coach in the ACC. In the name of Carson Beck, CharMar Brown, Zach Carpenter, and whonot, the Canes—despite losing Cam Ward—are loaded with some serious talent while heading to the 2025 season. But let’s be honest, despite a 10-3 record, the Canes’ defense [ranked 68th in the nation] was exposed last year.

Veteran CFB analyst Josh Pate did not hold back when calling out Miami’s weaknesses. “Offense wasn’t a problem for them last year. Obviously, the defense was historically bad, so then they go, and they get Heatherman from Minnesota as the coordinator.” Now, while Cristobal is still optimistic about the 2025 season, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are quietly cruising towards another ACC crown.

With 22 ACC titles under their name, the Tigers have built a culture of consistency while the rest of the ACC is still trying. On May 2, the boys from The Next Round delved deep into who they believe would be the ACC champion in 2025. “I don’t think it’s like super easy, but I feel good, and I think the odds in Vegas probably will reflect this, but I would say Clemson to win the ACC,” Lance Taylor said. Ryan Brown also chimed in, saying, “The more you think about it, Clemson is the most obvious.” And a big part of it comes from their relatively lighter schedule.

Clemson’s 2025 schedule isn’t exactly a gauntlet. “Clemson is favored in every game this year,” Taylor added. “Unless South Carolina does something crazy and they’ve got 10 wins at the end of the season then maybe that game’s close to a pick but I think right now on paper, Clemson is favored in all 12 games.” Most are projected cakewalk — LSU, Troy, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, UNC, Boston College, SMU, Duke, Florida State, and Furman. Outside of a sneaky trip to Louisville and the rivalry bout with South Carolina, they’re looking at a smooth ride. That’s a 10-2 team minimum. And if they run the ACC table, they’re playoff bound.

Another key factor that’s working in their ACC championship favor is the returning unit. QB Cade Klubnik in Year 3. Garrett Riley will still call plays. And add Tom Allen, the new DC with Big Ten blood veins. Clemson’s going to be dangerous. USA Today already has them at Top 5 in their Too-Early Top-25 rankings. As analysts Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith wrote, “The pieces are in place for a run at the national title. QB Cade Klubnik and the defending ACC champions will be expected to repeat in 2025 and go deeper into the playoffs.” Meanwhile, in Miami, Mario Cristobal isn’t sitting on his hands.

Can Mario Cristobal’s big moves get them ahead of Clemson?

Mario Cristobal knows the heat is on. Cam Ward may be gone, but they’ve a battle-tested signal caller in Carson Beck. But there are questions surrounding this Georgia transfer. Jake Crain wasn’t buying into all the hype on Crain & Company Podcast, listing him as his No. 8 and openly saying, “I almost left Carson Beck off this list… I got him at eight because I do respect what he was able to do at Georgia… but I thought last year, you know, he looked a little bit shaky in the pocket.” That’s not the kind of uncertainty you want floating around when you’re trying to knock off a Clemson dynasty.

Still, Mario Cristobal’s moves are loud. CharMar Brown is a true weapon with a mission to destroy Miami’s opponents. Add him to a backfield featuring Mark Fletcher, Jordan Lyle, Girard Pringle, and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey. And Carson Beck’s got weapons too — Cincinnati and BYU WR transfers Tony Johnson and Keelon Marion, plus NC State LB Kamal Bonner and Texas kicker Bert Auburn, adding support on defense and special teams. The pieces are there, and so is the pressure. 

Mario Cristobal’s got no excuses. If he can’t make it with this roster, especially in an ACC that’s basically Clemson, then the whispers will get louder. Will Miami rise, or will Clemson remind everyone who still runs the ACC?