This past weekend, a few teams scraped out close victories, others reminded us of their dominance and one continued its descent into mediocrity. Here are the rankings going into Week 9.
1. No. 3 Clemson (7-0, 4-0 ACC)
Clemson came out and thoroughly destroyed the Miami Hurricanes in Miami, 58-0, making it the third-largest shutout in conference history and the Canes worst loss in program history. Clemson will play NC State on Halloween, hoping to avoid the dreaded trap game before an ACC showdown against Florida State.
2. No. 17 Florida State (6-1, 4-1 ACC)
The Seminoles lost to the struggling Yellow Jackets, 22-16, on a last second blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. One thing that might be a concern down the road is late-game play, as they were outscored in the second half 12-0 in the second half by Georgia Tech.
3. (rv) UNC-Chapel Hill (6-1, 3-0 ACC)
The Tar Heels continue to ride the defense to the tune of a 6-1 record for a three-way tie for first in the Coastal division. The Heels have only allowed more than 20 points once this season. Now they will get the Pittsburgh Panthers Thursday night for a chance to take sole possession of the Coastal Division.
4. No. 23 Pittsburgh (6-1, 4-0 ACC)
The Panthers have narrowly defeated their last three opponents, winning by a combined total of 13 points. They will need to be on top of their game if they want a chance to defeat the Tar Heels this Thursday at Heinz Field.
5. No. 22 Duke (6-1, 3-0 ACC)
The Blue Devils defense looked like a shell of itself on Saturday against the Hokies. After holding opponents to single digits against four of its six first opponents, the defense allowed 43 points in a thrilling 45-43 quadruple overtime victory. Up next are the Hurricanes, who were thumped by Clemson and now have an interim coach at the helm.
6. NC State (5-2, 1-2 ACC)
Head coach Dave Doeren got his first win for the month of October as the Wolfpack jumped to an early 28-0 lead to get the win against Wake Forest, 35-17. Running back Matt Dayes returned to dominance, rushing for two touchdowns of 50+ yards in a 205 rushing yard effort.
7. Louisville (3-4, 2-2 ACC)
While the Cardinals defeated the Boston College Eagles 17-14, they did not look great doing so, as they turned the ball over four times and had eight penalties for 49 yards. The Cardinals will have to minimize the mistakes on a short week as they take on Wake Forest Friday night.
8. Virginia Tech (3-5, 1-3 ACC)
The return of Michael Brewer to starting quarterback was just not enough for the Hokies in their loss to Duke. The offense amassed 453 total yards in Brewer’s return, which is a good sign when going into a tough matchup with the defensively stout Boston College Eagles on Halloween.
9. Miami (4-3, 1-2 ACC)
Not only was the 58-0 loss to Clemson the worst in program history, it was enough to get Al Golden fired as Miami head coach. Interim coach Blake James will take over for a Canes team that is spiraling downward, with a matchup against a tough Duke team on the way.
10. Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC)
Had it not been a fake punt that set up a game winning field goal for Pittsburgh, the Orange could easily be 4-3 with a solid conference win-loss record. Syracuse will face a shell-shocked Florida State team in Tallahassee this Saturday as it tries to get back to .500.
11. Georgia Tech (3-5, 1-4 ACC)
The Yellow Jackets have temporarily escaped the cellar of the ACC after a thrilling blocked field goal return helped seal the 22-16 upset of No. 9 Florida State. While a Coastal championship is out of the picture at this point, the Yellow Jackets could have an outside shot at a bowl berth if they win their last four games, starting with Virginia.
12. Virginia (2-5, 1-2 ACC)
The Cavs had Carolina tied going into halftime but could not do anything with the momentum, getting outscored 13-0 in the second half and losing 26-13. The Cavs offense was sloppy during the game, turning the ball over five times against the Tar Heels. Virginia will look to even its conference record when it hosts Georgia Tech this Saturday.
13. Wake Forest (3-5, 1-4 ACC)
The Deacons could not keep pace with NC State’s hot start to the game, falling in a 28-0 deficit in the first quarter to eventually lose 35-17. All four touchdowns scored on the Deacons in the first quarter were for more than 50 yards, including an 85-yard run by Matt Dayes. Things don’t look to get any easier for the Deacs as they will play a much improved Louisville team this Saturday.
14. Boston College (3-5, 0-5 ACC)
The Eagles offense looked putrid in the 17-14 loss to Louisville, as they only had four first downs for the entire game. Next up is the Hokies, a team that just posted 43 points on a Duke defense that’s one of the best in the nation.
