WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest's improbable Atlantic Coast Conference championship a year ago was either a sign of parity or parody.

When the ACC underwent its football-fueled expansion a few years ago and brought Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College into a conference that had been dominated by Florida State, it seemed certain any of those schools would annually rule the league.

That changed last season, when the Hurricanes and Seminoles stumbled and Wake Forest — the smallest school in the league and the preseason pick to finish last in its division — wound up winning the ACC for just the second time in school history.

That — combined with a postseason in which three of its best-finishing teams (Wake Forest, league runner-up Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech) lost their bowl games — prompted critics to scoff that the Demon Deacons merely took advantage of a down year in the ACC.

Now, with Virginia Tech poised to possibly contend for the national title, Florida State and Miami seemingly back on the upswing and 30 all-conference players returning, the ACC is out to prove it's a deeper, better league.

"If you get picked sixth in either division, you shouldn't feel too bad, because I don't think there's a bad football team in the ACC," Demon Deacons coach Jim Grobe said. "And when you've got all those good teams, somebody's got to be picked first, somebody's got to be picked last, but I really believe that you could be a heck of a football team and not have much to show for it."

The Hokies have 16 starters back, including eight from a dominating defense, and are the overwhelming favorites to win the ACC for the second time since joining the league in 2004. Coach Frank Beamer has taken the Hokies to 14 straight bowl games.