Here is a look at the 10 games leading up to the conference championship that ACC fans will not want to miss in 2013:
10. North Carolina at Virginia Tech, Oct. 5, time/network TBD -- The Hokies have won seven of the past nine in the series, but one of the losses came last season. Consider this one, which is the Hokies' homecoming, a shakeout game in the Coastal Division.
9. North Carolina at North Carolina State, Nov. 2, time/network TBD -- UNC's victory over the Wolfpack last season snapped N.C. State's five-game winning streak in the series; the victory came on a 74-yard punt return by Gio Bernard with 13 seconds left. This is one of the most important division-crossover games in the ACC this fall.
8. Georgia Tech at Clemson, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN -- Another important division-crossover game, and it will be the final league game of the season for both teams. Tech has won seven of the past 10 in the series.
7. Virginia Tech at Miami (Fla.), Nov. 9, time/network TBD -- This is Miami's homecoming and it comes a week after the Hurricanes will have played at Florida State. The Hokies had won three in a row in the series until UM won in a blowout last season. This could end up determining the Coastal Division title.
6. Georgia Tech at Miami (Fla.), Oct. 5, time/network TBD -- The third in a monster three-game stretch for the Yellow Jackets, who play North Carolina and Virginia Tech in the two weeks preceding this one. If the Yellow Jackets can manage a 2-1 mark in those games, they have a shot at the Coastal Division crown. Meanwhile, this is the first league game for the 'Canes, who have won four in a row in the series.
5. Clemson at North Carolina State, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN -- This is the first league game of the season for both teams, and it comes on a Thursday night. Clemson has won eight of the past nine in the series. On paper, this is the Tigers' toughest league road game of the season (the others: Syracuse, Maryland and Virginia).
4. North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Sept. 21, time/network TBD -- This is the first league game for both and a key Coastal Division matchup. Tech won 68-50 last season in the highest-scoring ACC game in history.
3. Miami (Fla.) at North Carolina, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN -- These look to be the two best teams in the Coastal Division, and this matchup should go a long way toward determining who wins the division title. Miami is 16-3 all time in ESPN Thursday-night games, including 5-2 on the road.
2. Miami (Fla.) at Florida State, Nov. 2, time/network TBD -- For the first time in a while, this one should be a highly hyped matchup. (Still, it's nothing like the stretch from 1987-1993 when both were in the top 10 every season when they met.) It's not a stretch to think this will be the first of two meetings between the teams, with the other coming in the ACC Championship game. The visiting team has won six of the past seven meetings in the rivalry.
1. Florida State at Clemson, Oct. 19, time/network TBD -- The two best teams in the league (on paper, anyway) get together, with the winner taking a giant step toward wearing the Atlantic Division crown. Florida State is off the week before, while Clemson will be coming off a game against Boston College. The home team has won 10 of the past 11 in the series.
Follow Mike Huguenin on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
