Uniform Nation's 2014 ACC uniform rankings

Before shifting gears to the non-power conferences, our conference-by-conference uniform rankings take a look at the ACC. The Atlantic Coast Conference may be full of historical programs, but few wear traditional uniforms, making this list a little tougher to compile. Taking every team's home, road, and alternate uniforms into consideration, my rankings are listed below:

1. Clemson (Tyler Smith - Getty Images)

You'll be hard pressed to find a better logo in all of sports than Clemson's paw print logo. I'm admittedly biased, as I wore the same logo on my helmet during my high school playing days, but the true reason the Tigers top this list is because of their purple alternates. If only they were worn more often.

2. Miami (FL) (Nike)

Because my obsession with college football started at the turn of the millennium, I've always believed the Hurricanes to be a modern team. Miami's uniforms have always been unique, but part of me wonders how long it'll be before another team copies their look again. The team can scrap the helmet with the sublimated Ibis logo and stick with the standard helmet, though, one of the game's best.

3. Florida State (Nike)

Similar to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Seminoles ditched the one of the best uniforms in the sport for a Nike-fied shell of itself. While the fade-to-black garnet helmet is pretty cool and the pattern on the sleeves/collar is a nice tribute to the Seminole tribe, a simple update to Nike's latest template would have sufficed, and kept Florida State atop the conference rankings.

4. Virginia (Paul Fredericksen - USA TODAY Sports)

Sticking to its old-school roots, UVA can do little to improve its look. Most teams with that designation would be ranked higher, but the Hoos must drop the modern pants stripes before that can happen. The orange helmet and pants are acceptable alternate options, but they should never be worn together.

5. Pittsburgh (Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports)

Many fans would welcome a return to blue and yellow and the cursive "Pitt" script, but I believe that would be a step in the wrong direction. There's nothing special or particularly wrong with the current uniforms, and if anything, the team should embrace the steel city number font that adorned the Pro Combat uniforms.

6. Louisville (David Manning - USA TODAY Sports)

Although the Cardinals used traditional striping during Charlie Strong's tenure, it's apparent that Bobby Petrino would like to return to a more modern style in his second stint as head coach. Already introducing a black alternate that Strong said would never see the field, Petrino announced the team will don the uniform in the season opener. If Western Kentucky is any indication, it won't be long until Louisville is lower on this list.

7. Virginia Tech (Jeremy Brevard - USA TODAY Sports)

A truly unpopular opinion, Virginia Tech also looks best with modern uniforms. With a few tweaks, I believed that the Tyrod Taylor era uniforms could have been solid look for the next decade. I absolutely loved the orange alternate uniforms. Don't get me started on the Hokie Stone and turkey feet helmets, which, thankfully, the team admitted they'll never wear again.

8. NC State (Liz Condo - USA TODAY Sports)

The Wolfpack have one of the cleanest standard uniforms in the country, and like all other Adidas schools before them, suffer from the template of the uniform it wears. Their current look is miles ahead of the Atlanta Falcons knockoff uniforms the team when Mario Williams was sacking the quarterback, but the carbon fiber helmet completely contradicts this classic look.

9. North Carolina (Bob Donnan - USA TODAY Sports)

Had Carolina simply used navy blue instead of black, these uniforms would have looked great. Instead, the Tar Heels look like the Carolina Panthers. The collar is an eyesore and can easily be fixed (search: NFL, toilet seat collars) and the program missed out on a great opporutunity to use the argyle pattern used by the basketball team.

10. Duke (Streeter Lecka - Getty Images)

Although the Blue Devils looked like exact copies of the Indianapolis Colts, it's hard not to like a such a classic look. Unfortunately, they were scrapped in favor of a new set that features inconsistencies from uniform to uniform. If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

11. Boston College (Greg M. Cooper - USA TODAY Sports)

One of the few Under Armour teams will a subdued look, there's nothing special when it comes to Boston College. While the stained glass markings on the numbers and helmet stripe are creative and unique to the school, the Eagles looked best when Matt Ryan was under center.

12. Georgia Tech (Daniel Shirey - USA TODAY Sports)

The only major college football team that doesn't wear uniforms supplied by Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour, Georgia Tech looks like it belongs in the Arena Football League. Russell Athletic has tried some unique idea, including a honeycomb-patterned helmet and sleeves, but the Yellow Jackets should return to the Calvin Johnson era uniforms.

13. Wake Forest (Jeremy Brevard - USA TODAY Sports)

Wearing a template that Missouri first introduced in 2005, Wake Forest is still trying to relive its Orange Bowl days. Removing the piping in favor of traditional stripes would do a world of wonder for the Demon Deacons, although wearing these helmets will only hurt their rankings.

14. Syracuse (Nike)

In the past decade or so, Syracuse has had a hard time committing to one look. The Orange added a block "S" to the side of the helmets and slightly modified the jerseys until they had a pretty solid look...until now. The number font alone is enough to put Syracuse at the bottom of this list.