ATLANTIC
No. 2 Florida State (7-0, 4-0): The Seminoles are in prime position for a spot in the first-ever college football playoff. Coming off of its final bye week, Florida State has five consecutive weeks of games to end the season, starting with a showdown against Louisville on Thursday.
No. 22 Clemson (6-2, 5-1): Clemson is red-hot heading into its second bye week, having won its last five games, all against ACC opponents. If the Tigers can manage to run the table, they could easily find themselves in the Orange Bowl for a second straight year.
Louisville (6-2, 4-2): The Cardinals finally got a week off after playing for eight straight weeks, only to be welcomed back into action by the No. 2 team in the nation, Florida State. Louisville’s defense will look to continue its dominant play and try to find the secret to stopping sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston.
Boston College (5-3, 2-2): This team may be the definition of inconsistency. The Eagles have not won or lost back-to-back games since winning two straight in mid-September. Just one win away from bowl eligibility, Boston College will look to take down slumping Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Syracuse (3-5, 1-3): Carrying its momentum from a dominant win over Wake Forest, the Orange managed to keep things close with No. 21 Clemson on Saturday. Syracuse will look for its second ACC win when the team hosts NC State on Saturday.
NC State (4-4, 0-4): The Wolfpack had lost four straight heading into its first bye week of the year and needed to turn things around quickly. Hopes for the postseason are still very much alive for NC State, as all four games remaining in the season are winnable.
Wake Forest (2-6, 0-4): The Demon Deacons hit their bye week at the right time, having lost four consecutive conference games. Wake will have to win all four of its final games to reach the postseason, which looks unlikely, as No. 22 Clemson travels to Winston-Salem on Thursday.
COASTAL
No. 24 Duke (6-1, 2-1): Despite being on a bye week, the Blue Devils slipped into the top 25 after No. 20 Southern California was defeated. The newly-ranked team will face a fairly easy schedule for the remainder of the season, starting with a trip to Pittsburgh.
Miami (5-3, 2-2): The Hurricanes are heating up, nearly shutting out Virginia Tech on the road Saturday. With freshman QB Brad Kaaya getting more comfortable with every game, Miami will have a good chance to become bowl eligible this weekend after facing UNC-Chapel Hill.
Virginia (4-4, 2-2): After a promising start to the season, the Cavaliers dropped their first two ACC showdowns. The Virginia squad will need to shake off its last-second loss to UNC-Chapel Hill when travelling to Georgia Tech this weekend if it wants to avoid three straight losses.
Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2): After two straight losses to division rivals, the Yellow Jackets rebounded by stomping Pittsburgh on Saturday. The No. 4 ground attack in the nation did not disappoint, netting 465 rushing yards and seven touchdowns against a top-50 defense.
UNC-Chapel Hill (4-4, 2-2): Don’t look now, but the Tar Heels may be for real. Though the team’s defense ranks fourth-worst in the nation, the Carolina offense has been on fire, putting up 119 points in the past three games. The Heels will be tested when they travel to Miami Saturday.
Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-2): The Panthers are on a slippery slope, having lost four of their past five contests. With all four of Pitt’s remaining games coming against conference opponents, the team needs to find some sort of momentum. The Panthers will have to face No. 24 Duke on Saturday.
Virginia Tech (4-4, 1-3): Once at the top of the Coastal division rankings, the Hokies have gone first to worst after nearly being shut out at home for the first time since 1995. As the only team in the Coastal division with a losing conference record, Virginia Tech is in need of a win against Boston College on Saturday.
