Conference record book
Atlantic Coast Conference Top 25 Games of the 1970s
The best games involving a ACC member at the time of kickoff, ranked without favoring either side.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 68/100
- Overtime
- 0
National ranking
The conference's top 25
25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 1976PostseasonNeutral site
Maryland vs. Houston
Maryland 21, Houston 30
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 6 Houston · 9-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
- 1974Week 2
Alabama at Maryland
Alabama 21, Maryland 16
Nonconference
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 14 Maryland · 5-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
- 1977Week 11
Notre Dame at Clemson
Notre Dame 21, Clemson 17
Nonconference
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Clemson · 4-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
62
Game score
- 1975Week 9
Penn State at Maryland
Penn State 15, Maryland 13
Nonconference
No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 14 Maryland · 2-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
62
Game score
- 1978Week 12
Clemson at Maryland
Clemson 28, Maryland 24
Conference game
No. 10 Clemson vs. No. 13 Maryland · 4-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
60
Game score
- 1974PostseasonNeutral site
Maryland vs. Tennessee
Maryland 3, Tennessee 7
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Maryland vs. No. 14 Tennessee · 4-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
59
Game score
- 1971PostseasonNeutral site
North Carolina vs. Georgia
North Carolina 3, Georgia 7
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 18 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Georgia · 4-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
59
Game score
- 1975PostseasonNeutral site
NC State vs. West Virginia
NC State 10, West Virginia 13
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 15 NC State vs. No. 10 West Virginia · 3-point margin
Ranking 27/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
59
Game score
- 1974PostseasonNeutral site
Houston vs. NC State
Houston 31, NC State 31
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 15 Houston vs. No. 13 NC State · 0-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
59
Game score
- 1978PostseasonNeutral site
Ohio State vs. Clemson
Ohio State 15, Clemson 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 20 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Clemson · 2-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
58
Game score
- 1977PostseasonNeutral site
North Carolina vs. Nebraska
North Carolina 17, Nebraska 21
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 14 North Carolina vs. No. 12 Nebraska · 4-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
57
Game score
- 1974Week 9
Maryland at Penn State
Maryland 17, Penn State 24
Nonconference
No. 15 Maryland vs. No. 10 Penn State · 7-point margin
Ranking 27/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
55
Game score
- 1973Week 11
NC State at Penn State
NC State 29, Penn State 35
Nonconference
No. 20 NC State vs. No. 6 Penn State · 6-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
55
Game score
- 1979PostseasonNeutral site
Michigan vs. North Carolina
Michigan 15, North Carolina 17
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 14 Michigan vs. No. 18 North Carolina · 2-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
53
Game score
- 1976Week 7
Wake Forest at Maryland
Wake Forest 15, Maryland 17
Conference game
Unranked Wake Forest vs. No. 6 Maryland · 2-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
53
Game score
- 1977Week 10
North Carolina at Clemson
North Carolina 13, Clemson 13
Conference game
No. 19 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Clemson · 0-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
53
Game score
- 1971Week 4
Duke at Stanford
Duke 9, Stanford 3
Nonconference
No. 19 Duke vs. No. 10 Stanford · 6-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1975Week 10
NC State at Penn State
NC State 15, Penn State 14
Nonconference
Unranked NC State vs. No. 8 Penn State · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1978Week 11
NC State at Penn State
NC State 10, Penn State 19
Nonconference
Unranked NC State vs. No. 1 Penn State · 9-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
- 1970Week 11
Tennessee at South Carolina
Tennessee 20, South Carolina 18
Nonconference
No. 8 Tennessee vs. Unranked South Carolina · 2-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
- 1973Week 4
NC State at Nebraska
NC State 14, Nebraska 31
Nonconference
No. 19 NC State vs. No. 2 Nebraska · 17-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1974Week 10
Penn State at NC State
Penn State 7, NC State 12
Nonconference
No. 7 Penn State vs. Unranked NC State · 5-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1979Week 9
Auburn at Wake Forest
Auburn 38, Wake Forest 42
Nonconference
No. 20 Auburn vs. No. 14 Wake Forest · 4-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1974Week 5
East Carolina at NC State
East Carolina 20, NC State 24
Nonconference
Unranked East Carolina vs. No. 8 NC State · 4-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1974Week 6
NC State at Virginia
NC State 22, Virginia 21
Conference game
No. 11 NC State vs. Unranked Virginia · 1-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Conference inclusion comes from each team's conference ID stored on the game row, so later realignment never rewrites history. Regular-season AP ranks come from the game's week; postseason ranks use the final regular-season poll before bowl and playoff results.