Week 10 ACC Power Rankings: Wake Forest remains ACC's lone undefeated
As the calendar flips to November, there’s still not much clarity in the ACC standings.
Wake Forest is in a class of its own as the conference’s only remaining undefeated team, but it has a tough schedule down the stretch and could end up with multiple losses.
Pittsburgh and Virginia, both in the mix for division titles, suffered losses in Week 9. North Carolina State got back in the win column, but it needed a 21-point fourth quarter outburst to separate from Louisville. Meanwhile, Miami is surging after defeating NC State and Pitt in back-to-back weeks.
A lot could still change over the final month of the regular season, especially if Wake Forest or Pitt suffer losses in November.
Here’s a look at the ACC power rankings going into Week 10:
14. Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils have lost four straight games, with three of them coming by 30+ points. They’ll be heavy underdogs in every remaining game on their schedule, too.
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Things aren’t going particularly well for Geoff Collins in Year 3 at the helm. The Yellow Jackets are 3-5 this year, have lost two straight and have a very tough schedule down the stretch. 4-8 feels like the best-case scenario at this point.
12. Boston College Eagles
The Eagles have lost four straight games and are struggling to hold onto the optimism from September. Boston College closes with three home games in November, so making a bowl is not completely out of the question.
11. Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles fought hard vs. Clemson, but didn’t do enough offensively to provide any real challenges outside of one 75-yard touchdown reception. FSU is 3-5 and will need a November surge if it wants to make a bowl.
10. Louisville Cardinals
Scott Satterfield’s team has struggled this season, and Malik Cunningham was ineffective on Saturday vs. NC State. The Cardinals are 4-4 with their only conference wins coming vs. Florida State and Boston College.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies
Justin Fuente got his team back on track with a win over Boston College on Saturday. Support still seems to be waning in Blacksburg, and it will be interesting to see if Fuente’s name gains traction with the now-vacant TCU job.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels lost again last week but are slight favorites vs. Wake Forest this weekend. Sam Howell is still arguably the ACC’s best quarterback and Josh Downs has been unstoppable this season. UNC is capable of winning out and finishing 8-4, but recent history suggests it won’t.
7. Syracuse Orange
There’s a big drop off in the ACC after No. 6, but Syracuse gets the nod here because it has a clear identity on offense. Sean Tucker is a major problem and should be a leading candidate for the Doak Walker Award. With a little more luck, the Orange could have a much better record than their current mark of 5-4.
6. Clemson Tigers
The Tigers have fallen off in a big way this year, but their defense is still elite nationally. They proved that again on Saturday vs. Florida State. But the offense is dreadful enough to keep them out of the ACC’s top five teams going into November.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers
Kenny Pickett’s Heisman candidacy took a big hit with his fourth quarter interception in a loss to Miami. He threw for a school-record 519 yards, though. Pitt still controls its own destiny in the ACC.
4. Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers lost a shootout with BYU over the weekend but still sport one of the best offenses in the country. They’re still in the mix for the ACC Coastal.
3. Miami Hurricanes
This is a big leap for the Hurricanes, but that’s what happens when you win back-to-back games vs. ranked teams. Tyler Van Dyke looks like the future at quarterback. Miami has a reasonable chance to win out, and could even find itself in the ACC title game if things break right for them.
2. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Dave Doeren got his team back in the win column on Saturday with a relatively comfortable win over Louisville. Devin Leary might be the most underrated quarterback in the country.
1. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Demon Deacons are 8-0 after thrashing Duke over the weekend. They have one of the best offenses in the country, but will need more from their defense in order to successfully navigate a tough November slate.