The Clemson Tigers' reign as ACC champions has lasted for six years, and the consensus around college football is that the number should grow to seven this December in Charlotte.
But the Miami Hurricanes, hellbent on reclaiming its status as a perennial national powerhouse, believe they're capable of dethroning Clemson under the bright lights and earning the ACC crown.
"It's for sure a goal of ours," Hurricanes defensive end Deandre Johnson told The DA Show on Wednesday. "That's something we want to happen, but we know we've got to take it one week at a time, one game at a time. Right now, the focus is Alabama, that's who's next on the schedule. But we for sure have that goal set in mind, and we've just got to get through it, week by week."
Miami, which finished 8-3 last season, was led on offense by quarterback D'Eriq King, who threw for 2,686 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 11 games. The redshirt senior also showed off his dual-threat abilities, as he rushed for 538 total yards on 130 attempts and scored four times on the ground.
During the second quarter of Miami's Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State last December, King suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. In late July, he told reporters that his surgically repaired knee feels 100-percent, and he hasn't experienced any limitations on the field.
"He's a guy who comes in every day and pours his heart out into his craft and team," Johnson said of King. "He's been that leader for us, he gets everything going... He controls what he can control, manages the offense pretty well. He's been making some pretty good plays. He's looking good out there, so I'm excited to see what he's going to bring to the team. He knows we need him, so he's been working his tail off."
No. 14 Miami will open the 2021 regular season against No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 4 in Atlanta. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Hurricanes currently have the second-best odds (+1000) to win the ACC championship and the 16th-best odds (+7500) to win the national title.
The entire Hurricanes football conversation between Johnson and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.