No. 24 Louisville's matchup with No. 9 Ole Miss headlines Week 1 slate for ACC teams
Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (1) stiff arms Pittsburgh linebacker Rasheem Biles (3) on a carry during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Pittsburgh, Sept. 27, 2025. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
Things to watch this weekend in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
No. 24 Louisville (0-0) vs. No. 9 Mississippi (0-0) in Nashville, Tennessee; Sunday, 7;30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Picked to finish third in the ACC, the Cardinals open with a marquee matchup against a top-10 Southeastern Conference opponent. They've won 28 games in coach Jeff Brohm's first three seasons while regularly appearing in the AP Top 25 poll, a run that included reaching the ACC title game in 2023.
This neutral-site contest will offer an early opportunity for the Cardinals to help their long-term hopes of making the 12-team College Football Playoff. Louisville has added Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback to an offense featuring running back Isaac Brown, the ACC rookie of the year in 2024 who played nine games last year due to injury.
Ole Miss played in last year's CFP.
The undercard
No. 19 SMU (0-0) at Florida State (1-0), Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Mustangs are considered the top contender to preseason ACC favorite and seventh-ranked Miami. They start their season with a Labor Day trip to Tallahassee, where Mike Norvell’s Seminoles are picked to finish 11th in the league.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) runs with the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against California, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Berkeley, Calif. Credit: AP/Justine Willard
SMU opens the year with a Heisman Trophy campaign for quarterback Kevin Jennings, who helped the Mustangs reach the ACC title game in their 2024 debut season that included a trip to the first 12-team CFP.
Clemson (0-0) at No. 11 LSU (0-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
The battle of Tigers in Death Valley moves from last year's appearance in South Carolina ( LSU won 17-10 ) to Louisiana. While LSU is playing its first game under Lane Kiffin, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is facing pressure to get the Tigers back among the national elite. The Tigers won two national titles and eight ACC crowns between 2015-24, but slid to 7-6 last year for their worst record since 2010.
Clemson is picked fourth in the ACC and is unranked in the preseason for the first time since 2011.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney greets his team before an NCAA college football game against Duke, Nov. 1, 2025, in Clemson, S.C. Credit: AP/Scott Kinser
Impact players
— Miami QB Darian Mensah. Mensah led Duke to last year's ACC championship before jumping into the transfer portal to land with the seventh-ranked Hurricanes, who reached last year's CFP title game and are picked to win their first ACC crown. Mensah, who threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns last year, makes his Hurricanes debut with Friday's cross-country trip to face Stanford (1-0).
— California QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Sagapolutele had a strong freshman season, throwing for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns, then committed in December to return under first-year coach Tosh Lupoi. The Golden Bears open with an instate tussle against UCLA of the Big Ten on Saturday night.
Inside the numbers
Virginia Tech hosts VMI on Saturday to open James Franklin's coaching tenure. The Hokies have won three games twice in the previous four seasons. ... Syracuse carries an eight-game losing streak into the season, which started after quarterback Steve Angeli was lost to a torn Achilles tendon. Angeli is due to return for Saturday's opener against New Hampshire. ... Duke opens at home against Tulane with a new starting quarterback for the fourth straight year. The Blue Devils have gone from Riley Leonard (2023) to Maalik Murphy (2024) and Mensah last year, and now turn to San Jose State graduate transfer Walker Eget. ... North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia have open dates after playing in Week Zero.
