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Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

Parity in ACC gives everyone shot at league title

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2014, file photo, Duke football players celebrate with fans after they defeated Virginia 20-13 in an NCAA college football game in Durham, N.C. The 24th-ranked Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1) are back in the national polls _ the first time they've earned rankings in back-to-back seasons since the 1950s. (AP Photo/The Herald-Sun, Bernard Thomas, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2014, file photo, Duke football players celebrate with fans after they defeated Virginia 20-13 in an NCAA college football game in Durham, N.C. The 24th-ranked Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1) are back in the national polls _ the first time they've earned rankings in back-to-back seasons since the 1950s. (AP Photo/The Herald-Sun, Bernard Thomas, File) FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2014, file photo, Duke football players celebrate with fans after they defeated Virginia 20-13 in an NCAA college football game in Durham, N.C. The 24th-ranked Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1) are back in the national polls _ the first time they've earned rankings in back-to-back seasons since the 1950s. (AP Photo/The Herald-Sun, Bernard Thomas, File)

The Atlantic Coast Conference is still looking to prove there’s good football in the league beyond Florida State.

This week could big a major step in showing whether the balance of power extends outside of Tallahassee, Florida.

The jockeying begins in the crowded Coastal Division. Defending champion Duke leads the way with Georgia Tech on its heels and four schools within a half game of the Blue Devils.

Second-ranked and unbeaten FSU leads the Atlantic but third-place Louisville would like nothing more than knock off the defending national champion Seminoles in Thursday night’s nationally televised showdown.

“The parity is definitely there,” Syracuse coach Scott Shafer said. “In any given week, anybody can get knocked off. You just never know. There’s going to be a lot of fourth-quarter games here as we finish up.”