2016 record: 14-1, 7-1 ACC (won national championship)
Coach: Dabo Swinney (10th year)
Sked or alive? There are potential land mines sprinkled throughout – vs. Auburn (Sept. 9), at Louisville (Sept. 16), at Virginia Tech (Sept. 30), at North Carolina State (Nov. 4), at South Carolina (Nov. 25). But the ACC Atlantic – and maybe a CFP berth – likely will come down to the Nov. 11 showdown against Florida State.
Why they’re here: Tigers fans won’t like this spot for the defending champs, who bring back a ton of talent, especially on defense. But it’s hard to replace a generational quarterback (Deshaun Watson), and it’s even harder to handle the aftermath of unprecedented success.
