ACC Power Rankings updated after Week 10 of college football
It was another wild weekend in the ACC, which included one half of the ACC Championship Game being locked in. Florida State beat Pitt 24-7 on Saturday to clinch a spot in the ACC title game. The Seminoles are now 9-0 (7-0) with games remaining against Miami, North Alabama and Florida. Only one of those games is a conference game, which means FSU is locked in and has earned a trip to Charlotte.
Louisville also took a big step towards clinching a spot in the ACC Championship game this past weekend by pounding Virginia Tech 34-3. The Cardinals are now 8-1 (5-1) with games remaining against Virginia, Miami and Kentucky.
Elsewhere in the ACC, Clemson earned its biggest win of the year by holding off Notre Dame, while Georgia Tech pounded Virginia to move to 4-2 in the conference. Here’s a look at the updated ACC Power Rankings after Week 10 of the college football season:
1. Florida State (9-0)
Florida State had a little more trouble with Pitt than most were expecting, but the Seminoles still did enough to earn a win and remain undefeated. It’s not a huge surprise that Florida State struggled some offensively as star receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson missed the game.
The top two targets for Jordan Travis could be back this weekend against Miami, which would make FSU even more dangerous. Even though FSU wasn’t dominant this past weekend, it remains the class of the ACC.
2. Louisville (8-1) (+1)
Louisville had a bad outing against Pitt last month but has otherwise been perfect in Jeff Brohm‘s first season back at his alma mater. The Cardinals defense was lights out against a Virginia Tech squad that entered this past weekend’s game playing well.
Louisville has allowed 3 points combined over two games since falling to the Panthers. The Cardinals should continue to play well this weekend against a Virginia team that has been struggling.
3. North Carolina (7-2) (+1)
It was an ugly start for the Tar Heels against Campbell as the two teams were tied after the first quarter. However, eventually Drake Maye and company started rolling.
Maye tossed four touchdown passes and North Carolina scored 59 points as the Tar Heels got back on track after dropping a couple of games. UNC closes out the schedule with tough matchups against Duke, Clemson and NC State.
4. Duke (6-3) (+1)
Speaking of the Blue Devils, Mike Elko‘s club just continues to find ways to win games. Duke held off Wake Forest for a 24-21 win last week, despite being forced to play its third string quarterback.
Starting quarterback Riley Leonard is slated to miss some more time moving forward. However, with the way Duke’s defense is playing, the Blue Devils will still be tough to beat.
5. NC State (6-3) (+2)
The NC State defense continued to play lights out over the weekend, leading the Wolfpack to a 20-6 win over Miami. NC State improved to 6-3 (3-2) with the win.
Head coach Dave Doeren challenged his team after a poor performance against Duke and his group responded. The Wolfpack have knocked off Clemson and Miami in back-to-back weeks since then to earn bowl eligibility.
6. Clemson (5-4) (+2)
The odds were stacked against Clemson on Saturday, but the Tigers found a way to win. Playing without several starters, including running back Will Shipley, Clemson ended its two-game losing skid by holding off a Notre Dame team that entered the game playing really well.
Phil Mafah led the way for Clemson, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Jeremiah Trotter had a great game, including a pick-six, as the Tigers held Sam Hartman and the Irish in check.
7. Georgia Tech (5-4) (+2)
Georgia Tech continues to be a pleasant surprise in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets pounded Virginia on Saturday to improve to 4-2 in league play.
Quarterback Haynes King had three total touchdowns in the win, as Georgia Tech topped the 45-point mark for the second straight week. The Yellow Jackets face Clemson on Saturday, before games against Syracuse and Georgia to close out the season. Getting one more win and reaching a bowl game would be a huge accomplishment for this team.
8. Miami (6-3) (-5)
It has been a weird and disappointing season for the Hurricanes. Miami was brutal on offense this past weekend against NC State, while falling to 2-3 in ACC play.
The season got off to a promising start as Miami was 4-0, but the Hurricanes are 2-3 since. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw three interceptions against the Wolfpack, and it’s hard to tell just how healthy he is.
9. Boston College (6-3) (+3)
Boston College earned a big road win over Syracuse on Saturday to improve to 3-2 in the ACC and become bowl eligible. The Eagles have now won five straight games, thanks in part to quarterback Thomas Castellanos.
BC has come a long ways since losing to Northern Illinois and struggling to beat Holy Cross the first two weeks of the season. Up next, the Eagles host Virginia Tech on Saturday.
10. Virginia Tech (4-5) (-4)
The Hokies tumbled in the ACC Power Rankings after getting blown out by Louisville on Saturday. It’s not a surprise that Virginia Tech lost to the Cardinals, but it was surprising to see the Hokies not be competitive.
Virginia Tech will look to get back on track this weekend against Boston College. The Hokies need to win two of their final three games against BC, NC State and Virginia to become bowl eligible.
11. Wake Forest (4-5) (+1)
Even in a loss, the Demon Deacons had a solid showing against Duke. Dave Clawson‘s team continues to play hard but just come up short.
Wake Forest is 4-5 on the season, but it played two of the better teams in the ACC in Clemson and Duke very close. Wake has a tough final three games with matchups against NC State, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
12. Syracuse (4-5) (-1)
The Orange are still winless in ACC play after dropping a close game with Boston College this past week. After starting the season 4-0, Syracuse hasn’t won a game since.
The offense in particular struggled against the Eagles, with Carlos Del Rio-Wilson tossing four interceptions. Syracuse closes out the season with games against Pitt, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
13. Pitt (2-7 (+1)
Pittsburgh looked much better against Florida State than it did during a 58-7 loss to Notre Dame the previous week. The Panthers played hard after being embarrassed against the Irish and trailed only 10-7 at the half against the ACC’s best team.
Still, Pitt has lost three straight games and only has one FBS win all year. The Panthers will face another team that has really struggled in ACC play in Syracuse this weekend.
14. Virginia (2-7) (-1)
The Cavaliers were unable to continue their momentum after beating North Carolina and taking Miami to overtime. Virginia was blown out at home by Georgia Tech over the weekend as Tony Elliott‘s club fell to 2-7 (1-4).
Making matters worse is the fact that quarterback Tony Muskett was banged up in the loss. Virginia played spoiler earlier this season against North Carolina and will look to do so against on Thursday against Louisville.
This weekend promises to be another fun one in the ACC, and there are some interesting rivalry games taking place. Two of the top matchups in the league for this weekend are Florida State hosting Miami and North Carolina hosting Duke. Those games are sure to impact next week’s ACC Power Rankings.