Clemson football is poised to take another step forward and there’s nothing UNC or anyone can do about it.

If you listen to what coaches are saying at ACC Media Days, it’s probably something like “We really like our chances this year” or “Our team is ready to compete.”

This just coach-speak. Everyone knows that this is Clemson’s conference.

The reigning national champions made a stir even before Media Days even began by electing to leave star quarterback Trevor Lawrence at home. Although he’s not even eligible for the NFL Draft until 2021, Lawrence is probably the best player in the nation.

As a freshman, Lawrence threw for 30 touchdowns to only four interceptions. In the College Football Playoffs against Notre Dame and Alabama, he completed over 60 percent of his passes and tossed six touchdowns. When the stage was the biggest, Lawrence was at his best.

And he’s forced to play college football for another two years! It speaks to the depth of talent that Clemson has and the distance the Tigers have placed between themselves and rest of the conference.

Clemson also has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation, meaning that when Lawrence and the rest of Clemson’s upperclassmen move on to the NFL, there will still be plenty of talent for Dabo Swinney to work with.

Clemson serves as the benchmark for what the rest of the ACC aspires to be.

Along with five-star talent everywhere on the roster, Clemson’s football facilities are also probably only second in the nation to what Alabama has. The $55 million facility has bowling lanes, a basketball court, a putting green, pools, and even a slide. That’s crazy.

With Clemson putting millions of dollars into facilities upgrades, other ACC teams are following suit.

Just look at UNC, who recently opened a new indoor practice facility and who are working on facilities upgrades right now. The Tar Heels have already announced that a new weight room and football locker room will be opened before the upcoming season.

This is a great sign for UNC’s future.

Regardless of who the head coach is, UNC making the right moves to be an attractive location for top recruits. Brown has preached his intentions to build a fence around North Carolina, and facilities upgrades are critical to keep top recruits from jumping the border to Clemson, South Carolina.

But UNC is not the only ACC team to shovel money into upgrades. Teams like Wake Forest, Miami and Florida State have all opened new facilities in recent years, with more teams planning their next moves as well.

UNC might not catch Clemson on the field anytime soon, but it’s a great sign that the Tar Heels are upgrading in more ways than one.

Featured image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports