It may be only March, but the College Football offseason programs and spring games are either here already, or right around the corner. Therefore, it couldn’t be a better time to discuss the ACC and its contenders.

Although the ACC isn’t the power conference like the Big Ten, the SEC and the PAC-12, it still has several solid teams with aspirations of getting to a BCS game. 

Currently, the two favorites out of the ACC are Clemson and Virginia Tech, both of which are 25/1 to win the BCS National Championship Game. The next closest teams are Miami (FL) and North Carolina, who are 125/1, followed then by Boston College and Georgia Tech, who are 150/1 on the college football odds board. Let’s take a look at the three title contenders, followed by the other long shots.

Florida State Seminoles 12/1

Florida State finished last season with a 9-4 record, but a 5-3 ACC record is what did them in. Early season losses to Oklahoma, Clemson and Wake Forest were the main reason the Seminoles were playing in the Champs Sports Bowl to end their season. Although they beat Notre Dame in that game 18-14, it was a bitter sweet ending for the Seminoles. 

FSU will be looking to improve upon one of college football's best defenses this season, while continuing to use their offensive execution to take advantage of ACC teams. The Seminoles were 4th in the country last year on defense, giving up only 15 points per game.

This team is surely a team that can compete for the ACC crown. Whether or not they can compete for a national title is yet to be seen. However, they will be improved from last season, and Jimbo Fisher will have his team competing like they can win the BCS. If they can take care of Clemson early in the season, it could help out their Bowl game hopes a lot.

Frank BeamerVirginia Tech Hokies 25/1

Last season, the Hokies lost to Clemson twice in the season and ended up playing in the All State Sugar Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines. Tech went 7-2 in the ACC last season, their only two losses coming at the hands of the Tigers of Clemson. The Hokies played a tough game against the Wolverines in the Sugar Bowl, but ended up losing 23-20.

This season, I see the Hokies as the favorites to win the ACC this season. Now back for his junior season, Logan Thomas will look to lead the Hokies back to a BCS Bowl game. Thomas played very well in his sophomore season, throwing for 19 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, along with over 3000 passing yards and almost a 60% completion rate. He also ran for 469 yards and 11 touchdowns. This 6’6 250 pound QB is and will remain a force in the ACC.

Along with Thomas, the Hokies will look to continue upon their stellar 7th ranked defense from last season. The Hokies only gave up an average of 17 points per game last season and this season should not be much different. They have a nice batch of highly rated defensive recruits coming in, and will look to improve upon their 41 sacks and 16 interceptions from 2011. Another piece of good news for the Hokies is that only three of their defensive players from last season are entering the NFL draft, and one of them was a senior.

Clemson Tigers 25/1

Even though the Tigers lost three games during the regular season last year, including two conference losses at NC State and at Georgia Tech, they found themselves playing in the Orange Bowl against the West Virginia Mountaineers. If there was any team that was left with a sour taste in their mouths, it was the Tigers. The Mountaineers blasted Clemson, 70-33 in the Orange Bowl and now Clemson has to enter this season with that huge loss hanging over their head. The Tigers started the season 8-0, before going 2-4 down the stretch, including that horrible loss in the Orange Bowl.

The good news is they will have almost all of their top position players from last season back in for this season, including quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington, and freshman standout, Sammy Watkins. They do lose excellent tight end, Dwayne Allen, but other then that, their highly ranked offense will for the most part be intact for the upcoming season.

The bad news for the Tigers last season was their defense, and they are losing several key members of their defense to graduation/the NFL draft. Three members of their defensive line are entering the draft, and this will pose I big problem for a team that gave up nearly 30 points per game last season.

Long shots

Although teams like Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Boston College are long shots as college football picks to make the BCS title game, they will still be solid teams this season, or even improved upon their 2011 campaigns. Georgia Tech was ranked rather high during the season, but a tough showing towards the end of the year dropped them out of the top 25. Also, they have been hit with sanctions and the NCAA denied their appeal just a few weeks ago.

Though they are known for their basketball, North Carolina should improve upon their 7-6 record from last season, and be good enough to at the very least steal a few wins from the top contenders.

Lastly, Miami should also be improved from their 6-6 record from last season, but they too are facing tough NCAA sanctions for the actions of former booster Nevin Shapiro, left 57 players named in a scandal.