Jul 22, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami quarterback Carson Beck answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The ACC became the final Power Four conference to release its media poll as last week's media days ended. Where do Notre Dame's six opponents rank and how tough are they, at least in the eyes of the media?

Now, there's not much point in taking these polls entirely at face value - last season, Florida State was on top of the media poll.

The ACC media was also high on NC State, picking it fourth in the conference. Instead, the Wolfpack finished in a tie for tenth. Meanwhile, SMU, the regular-season ACC champion, was only pegged as the seventh-best team in the conference.

However, these polls do provide the baseline expectations for teams' performance. With this in mind, how do Notre Dame's ACC opponents rank in the ACC media poll?

Notre Dame's first matchup of the season is also supposed to be its toughest ACC test. The Hurricanes are rebounding from a tantalizing 2024 season and trying to replace Cam Ward, but they should be even stronger. Clemson took the No. 1 spot, but they're still dangerous at 2.

There's a huge drop-off after Miami. Pitt is rated as a bottom-half ACC team in the media poll at ninth. But it's the second-highest rated ACC team the Irish will face.

After a disappointing season, Dave Doeren's team is reloading. Even though it should be better, it's projected for a middle-of-the-pack finish by the ACC media.

Hey, Syracuse was picked twelfth last season and overperformed. The ACC media doesn't care, slotting the Orange into that slot again in 2025. Apparently, they aren't in love with ex-Irish QB Steve Angeli as a replacement for Kyle McCord. An Angeli-CJ Carr matchup would add plenty of spice.

BC is another seemingly middling opponent in what should be a winnable game. In just a five-week span starting on October 11, Notre Dame will take on four of the five teams that hover around the 33rd percentile of the conference, with the Eagles representing the lowest-rated team of that stretch.

The Notre Dame season is bookended by ACC matchups at opposite ends of the competitive spectrum, as they take on Stanford in its last game of the year. The Cardinal rank last in the media poll.

What does it all mean? Notre Dame has an important Week 1 matchup against

a talented and energized Miami team. That will set the tone for the season and illustrate whether Marcus Freeman's team will suffer any post-CFP hangover.

After that? The ACC is already a fairly weak Power Four conference, and no other Fighting Irish opponent manages to crack the top eight in its media poll. There could certainly be

overperformers, like Syracuse or SMU last year.

And an undefeated ACC record could be Notre Dame's recipe for a return to the College Football Playoff.