Atlantic Division:
Clemson (6-0, 4-0): The No. 3 Tigers survived a scare from visiting Boston College last Saturday, falling behind early before pulling away to win 24-10. They host No. 5 Florida State this week in a showdown which will put the winner in the drivers seat for the Atlantic Division title.
Florida State (5-0. 3-0): Coming off of a bye week, the Seminoles are primed for their trip to Clemson. Freshman quarterback Jameis Winston has thrown 17 touchdown passes this season, and his matchup against Clemson’s Tajh Boyd is sure to be an electrifying one.
Maryland (5-1, 1-1): The Terps survived against Virginia last week in College Park, and they need just one more win to become bowl eligible. Dual-threat quarterback C.J. Brown will return next week against Wake Forest, having missed the Virginia game with a concussion.
Syracuse (3-3, 1-1): The Orange’s first road conference game as a member of the ACC was a successful one as it defeated N.C. State in Raleigh 24-10. Running backs Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley both amassed more than 100 yards on the ground. Next Saturday’s game at Georgia Tech presents a big swing game for ‘Cuse’s bowl chances.
Boston College (3-3, 1-2): Everyone expected Clemson to steamroll BC last Saturday, but the Eagles showed they can hang with the big boys before the Tigers wore them down. They get a bye week before a trip to UNC-Chapel Hill on Oct. 26.
Wake Forest (3-3, 1-2): Coming off of a bye week, the Demon Deacons also have a swing game on Saturday when Maryland visits BB&T Field. Senior quarterback Tanner Price has played brilliantly since being benched in the loss to Clemson on Sept. 28th.
N.C. State (3-3, 0-3): An abysmal offensive showing against Syracuse and injuries to several key players land the Wolfpack in the Atlantic cellar this week. State enjoys a much-needed bye week to get healthy before a big road test at Florida State. Graduate student quarterback Brandon Mitchell, the opening day starter, is expected to return to action in Tallahassee after missing the previous five games with a foot injury.
Coastal Division:
Miami (5-0, 1-0): The No. 10 Hurricanes were off on Saturday and head to Kenan Stadium on Thursday to face UNC-Chapel Hill. They should remain undefeated going into a two game stretch with big games against FSU and Virginia Tech to open the month of November.
Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-0): The Hokies clinched bowl eligibility for the 21st year in a row with a 19-9 win against Pittsburgh in Blacksburg. As usual, the defense has been the straw that stirs the drink for the No. 19 team in the nation. They get a week off before traveling to Duke on Oct. 26.
Pittsburgh (3-2, 2-2): Saturday’s loss at Virginia Tech was far from unexpected, and the Panthers are still very much alive for a bowl bid. They now have two straight non-conference games against Old Dominion and Navy before heading to Georgia Tech on Nov. 2.
Duke (4-2, 0-2): the Blue Devils full of confidence heading into a game at Virginia next week, after 35-7 win against Navy in Durham. The winner of that game will get their first conference win. Senior quarterback Anthony Boone returned to action for Duke and threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns against Navy.
Georgia Tech (3-3, 2-2): The Yellow Jackets stepped out of conference play on Saturday and fell to BYU on the road 38-20 for their third straight loss, which lands them behind Pitt and Duke. There’s no need to panic yet for Paul Johnson’s club, but they need to stop the bleeding against Syracuse next week.
Virginia (2-4, 0-2): The Cavaliers fought the Terps across the Potomac on Saturday but missed a field goal at the gun in a 27-26 loss to Maryland. UVa amassed more than 500 yards of offense in that game, but with several tough opponents left, they can likely kiss their bowl hopes goodbye if they lose to Duke.
UNC-Chapel Hill (1-4, 0-2): The Tar Heels got Saturday off in preparation for their clash with Miami on Thursday. The good news for Carolina is that the schedule softens considerably after that game. The bad news is that the Heels have dug such a hole that they have almost no margin for error if they want to go bowling.
