MY NEW ACC FOOTBALL POWER RANKINGS

CLEMSON COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BOUND?

ACC football entered Week 9 with a few marquee matchups that would shape the conference title chase heading into November.

ACC football had a number of big games this past weekend and there were plenty of surprises that had fans and the media scratching their heads.

Now that the weekend is over let’s take a look at our updated ACC football power rankings after Week 9.

14: NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

(1-6) Last Week: 13,

North Carolina is at the bottom of our rankings even though you can consider it a tossup between them and Louisville as to who is the worst team in the conference. The Tar Heels run defense couldn’t slow down Virginia, as they gave up 208 yards on the ground in the 31-21. A four-game losing streak may not end with Georgia Tech coming to town this weekend.

13: LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

(2-6) Last Week: 14,

We aren’t sure if Louisville is the worst team in the conference but giving up 56 points to Wake Forest puts them in close consideration. Jawon Pass did have a good game throwing the ball, as he threw for 358 yards and a touchdown. However, it should be another loss this weekend as they travel to Death Valley to take on the ACC juggernaut Clemson.

12: FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

(4-4) Last Week: 9,

If you would’ve told me Florida State would be one of the worst teams In the ACC at the start of the season I would’ve called you crazy. Willie Taggart knows how to get the most out of his offenses and watching them fail to move the ball consistently has been jaw-dropping. The Seminoles will need to win at least two more games to become bowl eligible and with four games against bowl-eligible teams, I don’t see them getting another victory this season.

11: WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

(4-4) Last Week: 12,

It was a revenge game for Matt Colburn, as the former Louisville recruit had his scholarship rescinded 48 hours before National Signing Day a few seasons ago. He gashed the Cardinals defense for 243 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns. The Demon Deacons are 4-4 and face top 25 opponent Syracuse this weekend. It would be a big upset if they were to get the win.

10: VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

(4-3) Last Week: 7,

At the start of the season, the Hokies were viewed as a potential contender for the ACC championship. Their defense has been poor for most of the season, and the Yellow Jackets were able to rack up over 465 yards on the ground and didn’t attempt more than one pass on the entire game. The Hokies schedule doesn’t get easier in November with Boston College, Miami and Virginia all at home.

9: GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

(4-4) Last Week: 11,

Georgia Tech, as we just mentioned, did not complete a pass against Virginia Tech. They ran the ball 78 times for 465 yards and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. The defense wasn’t spectacular but when you control the clock the way Georgia Tech did in this game you don’t have to shut the opponent out. They travel to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels and should pick up their fifth win of the season.

8: DUKE BLUE DEVILS

(5-3) Last Week: 6,

A few weeks ago, Duke was sitting at 5-1 and look like a potential ACC title contender. The three-week stretch of games against Virginia, Pittsburgh and Miami would decide if they could keep up their strong momentum to start the season. So far they have fallen flat and may only win one more game this season. The Panthers racked up 54 points against the Blue Devils in the upset and Duke will have to work on their run defense as they gave up 484 yards and four scores on the ground. A trip to Miami is next up on the schedule and it could be their third loss in a row.

7: PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

(4-4) Last Week: 10,

After gashing Duke for 484 rushing yards and nearly 10 yards per carry, Pittsburgh sits at 3-1 in the conference and is a half game out of the division lead. Qadree Ollisin (18 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown) and V’Lique Carter (seven carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns) were the stars of the game and have been the backbone of the offense the last couple of weeks. Pittsburgh travels to Virginia this week and if they pick up the W they will be in the driver’s seat for the ACC title game.

6: MIAMI HURRICANES

(5-3) Last Week: 2,

Another potential ACC title contender, Miami fell flat against Boston College on Friday night. The offense couldn’t get anything going as Malik Rozier finished with only 150 yards passing and threw two interceptions. The passing defense played well as Anthony Brown through for only 152 yards but Miami will look to end their two-game losing streak with a matchup against Duke this weekend.

5: NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK

(5-2) Last Week: 3,

Just two weeks ago the Wolfpack were undefeated with the potential to dethrone Clemson and take over the ACC title race. They were thumped by the Tigers then this weekend gave up three touchdowns in the first quarter and never got back into the game against Syracuse. The 51-41 loss was their second in a row but they can still get to a decent bowl game. Florida State comes to town and with their poor offense; North Carolina State should get back on track with a win.

4: BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

(6-2) Last Week: 8,

AJ Dillon is healthy again and that is a scary thing for Boston College’s remaining ACC opponents. He ran the ball 32 times for 149 yards and a score in the Eagles big win over Miami. The Eagles are one win away from becoming a bowl eligible and travel to Blacksburg to face a very inconsistent Virginia Tech team.

3: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

(6-2) Last Week: 5,

Virginia made easy work of North Carolina, as Bryce Perkins threw for three touchdown passes and ran for another, finishing with over 325 total yards of offense. The Cavaliers run defense did a good job of shutting down Michael Carter and the Tar Heels, as North Carolina ran the ball 22 times for just 66 yards. The division lead will be up for grabs this weekend as Pittsburgh comes to town in a Friday night matchup. If Virginia wins this game they should be in the driver seat to face Clemson in the ACC title game.

2: SYRACUSE ORANGE

(6-2) Last Week: 4,

Syracuse is 6-2 and although the ground game didn’t get much going, Eric Dungey carved up the Wolfpack defense for over 400 yards passing and three touchdowns. Unless Clemson stumbles and loses three of their last four, Syracuse won’t have a shot at the ACC title game. That won’t happen but they are still clearly the second best team in the conference. A visit to Wake Forest next week will be a tough test, as the Demon Deacons have been overlooked by opponents most of the year.

1: CLEMSON TIGERS

(8-0) Last Week: 1,

With Trevor Lawrence commanding the offense Clemson looks unbeatable. Against a very talented Florida State defense, he threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Travis Etienne was held out of the end zone with just 45 yards rushing on the ground, but it was still a very convincing win for the Tigers. They face Louisville this weekend and should easily pick up win number nine.

So those are our ACC football power rankings after Week 9. Are you happy with where your team is ranked? Comment below and let’s get ready for week 10!