The ACC managed to get two teams into the College Football Playoff in the first season it expanded to 12 teams. That wasn’t easy to manage, but now, the conference is looking to build on that and continue to solidify itself among the Power Four conferences.

With the season just around the corner, former Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson joined the College GameDay podcast. There, they debated just how many teams the ACC is going to manage to get into the Playoff this season. That started with Clawson, who had an optimistic outlook for the conference he spent more than a decade coaching in.

“I would put the over-under at right about three,” Dave Clawson said. “I think Clemson, and I think one of SMU or Miami. There could be a third sleeper team if they can find themselves into the ACC Championship Game.”

For his part, reporter Dan Wetzel was less optimistic about the ACC. He sees this as Clemson’s conference to lose. Behind them, he expects some good teams to beat each other up. That would leave only one spot for the conference, down from the two they got in last season. That is, unless someone finds a way to upset the Tigers.

“I’m gonna go with one. I know it’s not popular on the ACC Network. I can’t sit there and say four on other shows and then come out with four here — I think that’s how Dick Vitale used to do bracketology. He’d have like 80 teams in. Everyone was in… I think Clemson’s going to win this league, and I think it would take somebody beating them,” Wetzel said.

“I think the other teams are going to knock each other out. I think there’s some really good teams, I just don’t know that anyone — we talked about the gauntlet some of these guys have got to go through. Can a Louisville or an SMU win pretty much all those tough games and get to a conference championship game and then beat Clemson? So, I think Clemson is going to win the league and I think they’re gonna win the conference championship game, and that’s going to block the ACC at one. If the season plays out a little differently, absolutely, there’s a second spot in there. Last year, they got two in. It came down to this miraculous kick at the end of the deal. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

Finally, Rece Davis came at this from a similar perspective as Dan Wetzel. He believes that one ACC team in the Playoff is most likely. However, Davis added the caveat that Miami has a path to the Playoff too, if they add a marquee win against Notre Dame.

“I’m going to say one, Clemson, but the first Sunday night of the season, Miami-Notre Dame. If Miami wins that game, I’ll say two. I’ll say that the Hurricanes become the second one and you will have a few that are on the periphery that are being evaluated on selection day. I think those teams will be Louisville, and I think Pittsburgh will be one of them. Close enough to at least be evaluated on selection day. I say it’s one unless the Hurricanes can knock off the Fighting Irish early, and then I’ll say it’s two and Miami gets that second bid.”

Expansion talks around the College Football Playoff are ever-present. For the time being, the Playoff remains at 12 teams, though. That’s going to limit the amount of spaces available and will require an at-large to get in beyond the ACC champion.