It was another interesting week in the Atlantic Coast Conference. To begin the slate, Clemson pulled off the road upset of Louisville on Friday night. Miami nearly shut out a NC State many thought would
put up points. Virginia went on the road and dominated Duke, officially ending the ACC’s doomsday scenario. Pitt got blown out by Notre Dame and Georgia Tech narrowly avoided a huge upset by Boston College.
Without further ado, let’s get to the rankings.
1. Georgia Tech – 9-1 overall, 6-1 conference
Whew. The Yellow Jackets were fortunate to win that game last week. They were down 28-17 in the fourth quarter, gave up another touchdown, yet still left Chestnut Hill with a win. Now, Georgia Tech just has to win against Pitt at home next week to clinch a trip to Charlotte. With how GT’s defense has been playing lately, I don’t like their chances against Georgia in the season finale. Those are two huge games. Brent Key knows his squad has a ton to play for.
2. Virginia – 9-2, 6-1
The Cavaliers bounced back in a big way with a dominant win over Duke last week. Tony Elliott’s squad was up 34-3 in the fourth quarter before the Blue Devils scored a couple garbage time touchdowns. Virginia has a bye this week before its finale vs Virginia Tech. A ten-win season and a trip to Charlotte to play for the conference championship would be quite the season for the Cavaliers.
3. SMU – 7-3, 5-1
The Mustangs had the week off as they watched the moderate chaos unfold around them. SMU has looked good lately. The game against Louisville this week will be another good barometer for them. I have to imagine Jeff Brohm will have the Cardinals ready to play for their trip to Dallas. But with their last two games being losses, maybe Rhett Lashlee’s squad crushes and goes into their season finale at Cal with only one conference loss. The ACC is wild.
4. Miami – 8-2, 4-2
The Canes looked great against the Wolfpack at HRS last week. Carson Beck was accurate, Malachi Toney was dynamic, Girard Pringle Jr. was a revelation, and the defense was ferocious. It was a great overall performance. It will be interesting to see where the CFP ranks them this week. I will say I am legitimately excited to see what this team can do at Va Tech on Saturday afternoon.
5. Louisville – 7-3, 4-3
Damn. The Cardinals were sitting pretty, now they are out of conference championship contention and a CFP afterthought. Apparently the game against Clemson last Friday night was ugly and full of mistakes by both teams. I was in bed by halftime after a long day of traveling and family time. I did remember to check the score as soon as I woke up. I wasn’t surprised Louisville came up short. That said, it does make Miami’s loss to them even more frustrating.
6. Pitt – 7-3, 5-1
The Panthers were down 14-0 to Notre Dame last week before you could blink. I thought the comments by Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi were odd to say the least. Saying out loud that the result doesn’t matter as much because it’s not a conference game is..dumb. Still, Pitt has a chance at redemption with its game at Georgia Tech this week. I know I’d love to see it.
7. Wake Forest – 7-3, 4-3
The. Demon. Deacons. Seven wins and guaranteed to go at least .500 in conference play. Just an overall impressive debut season from new coach Jake Dickert. Wake Forest beat UNC convincingly last week. The Demon Deacons scored a late touchdown with the game already out of reach. I think that may have bothered Bill Belichick, as he gave a very quick postgame handshake. Good for Dickert and Wake. They’re allowed to run up the score if they have the chance to.
8. Duke – 5-5, 4-2
The Blue Devils are somehow 5-5 this season. It seems like their record should be better, but it’s just not. I’ll keep beating this mostly dead horse, but Duke’s defense has been a disaster in multiple games. I would think Manny Diaz would have a better defensive unit, but they just stink. It has to be frustrating for an offense that has been explosive and put up points most of this year. Duke needs to win one of its final two games to be bowl eligible.
9. Clemson – 5-5, 4-4
Dabo still has ‘em playing hard! That was a nice win at Louisville last Friday night. I wonder what Cade Klubnik’s draft stock is right now. Could be test really well and go in the first round? I guess. I’ve said it before, but I just don’t see it with Klubnik as an NFL quarterback. Clemson vs Miami next season should be an interesting matchup between two teams that should look significantly different from this year’s versions.
10. Cal – 6-4, 3-3
The Golden Bears were another team on a bye last week. Their win at Louisville the week before was a great way for them to get to bowl eligibility. This week, it’s The Big Game at Stanford. Cal is by far the more talented team, but anything can happen in rivalry games. Still, I think Cal prevails and has some nice momentum going into their finale vs SMU in Berkeley in Week 14.
11. NC State – 5-5, 2-4
The Wolfpack got demolished at Miami last week. I was genuinely nervous about facing a potent NC State offense that was fresh off a big upset win over Georgia Tech. Those nerves were quelled when Canes safety Jakobe Thomas was sprinting down the sideline for his 55-yard pick six. The game was pretty much over at that point. Luckily for Dave Doeren’s squad, they have a chance to beat another big name Florida program this Friday night in FSU.
12. Stanford – 3-7, 2-5
The Cardinal was also off last week. They finish the season without having to leave home, but the games are against Cal and Notre Dame. Not ideal. An upset of the Fighting Irish would be as incredible as it is unlikely. Stanford’s coaches and players won’t quit until the final whistle of 2025. Still, I am far more interested to see who is going to lead this football program next season and beyond.
13. FSU – 5-5, 2-5
The Seminoles whooped up on Virginia Tech last week. FSU’s offense leaned heavily on the run, with 46 carries for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the woes of the Hokies in 2025, a dominant win is always a good thing. FSU travels to Raleigh this Friday night to face CJ Bailey and NC State. I have a feeling the Wolfpack are going to play much better than they did against Miami last week.
14. UNC – 4-6, 2-4
The Tar Heels got back to their losing ways last week with their 16-point loss at Wake Forest. Bill Belichick then released a statement saying he won’t pursue any NFL coaching jobs. Okay. Do any NFL teams want Belichick at this point? I know he was with the Giants back in the day, but that team needs a coach to help Jaxson Dart grow. That is not Bill Belichick. Is he definitely coming back to Chapel Hill next season? I honestly have no idea.
15. Virginia Tech – 3-7, 2-4
Congrats to Hokies fans for landing James Franklin as their next head coach. He should be a big upgrade over Brent Pry. Franklin knows that area of the country and should be able to recruit it well. Beyond that, I don’t know. As a Miami fan, I’m not all that concerned. Virginia Tech hosts the Canes this week, then plays rival Virginia to close the season.
16. Syracuse – 3-7, 1-6
The Orange had a bye last week. I don’t have much to say about Fran Brown’s 2025 squad. It’s been a lost season ever since quarterback Steve Angeli went down at Clemson back in September. Maybe Syracuse can pull off the upset of the season this week vs Notre Dame. Can you imagine how nuts Fran Brown would go if they actually beat the Fighting Irish? He might have a heart attack on the field.
17. Boston College – 1-10, 0-7
The Eagles were so close to pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season. Sadly, their defense let them down in the fourth quarter by allowing Georgia Tech to hit explosive plays while finding the end zone repeatedly. BC has a bye this week before closing out the season at Syracuse.
See you next week!
