ACC team surges to US LBM Coaches Poll top 10 as Clemson hits new low

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers hit a new low with Saturday's 20-6 loss to a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team that entered Week 11 of the 2026 college football season with just two wins. The Tigers' ACC foes, meanwhile, are surging. Will the ACC be a two-bid league in the 2026 College Football P

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What is the story about?

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers hit a new low with Saturday's 20-6 loss to a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team that entered Week 11 of the 2026 college football season with just two wins. The Tigers' ACC foes, meanwhile, are surging.

Will the ACC be a two-bid league in the 2026 College Football Playoff?

For the first time this season, a new conference foe joined the Miami Hurricanes in Sunday's new US LBM Coaches Poll following another dominant victory in Week 11.

Wake Forest (9-1, 6-1 ACC) stormed into the top 10 following a statement 49-7 win over the SMU Mustangs in Dallas. The Demon Deacons rushed for six touchdowns, and North Carolina transfer quarterback Gio Lopez accounted for three scores as the Deacs won for the seventh straight time.

Jake Dickert's team jumped out to a 42-0 lead at halftime over SMU (7-3, 5-3), which entered the day with hopes of reaching the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 5 in Charlotte.

Wake Forest's only loss this season was a competitive 33-20 defeat to the Miami Hurricanes back in Week 3. Miami (9-1), which defeated Duke (7-3), 36-25, at Hard Rock Stadium, remained firmly in the Coaches Poll top 10 at No. 7.

Wake Forest and the Canes were joined two other ACC teams in Sunday's new poll. The Louisville Cardinals (7-3) had the biggest jump of any unranked team last week, rising 10 spots to climb back into the top 25 at No. 22 after a chippy 16-14 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Even with a loss to Miami, Duke reentered the rankings at No. 24 after keeping it a one-score game against Darian Mensah and Canes until the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils host Clemson Friday night at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham.

Another new low for Dabo Swinney, Clemson football

The Tigers (6-4, 4-3) reached another low point Saturday and were thoroughly dominated in a two-touchdown loss to Georgia Tech, a team that entered the game having lost four straight by double digits and five of its last six overall.

Quarterback Tait Reynolds left the game on the Tigers' first series and never returned. In Reynolds' absence, Clemson used three quarterbacks, including former walk-on Trent Pearman and Week 1 starter Christopher Vizzina. The three combined for 142 passing yards as the Tigers finished with just 228 total yards.

Clemson's defense, which had been a strength over the past month as the Tigers quietly built a 6-3 record, allowed 269 rushing yards. Former Alabama and Michigan running back Justice Haynes ran for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Yellow Jackets totaled 407 yards.

It was Clemson's first home loss to Georgia Tech since 2008, which was Dabo Swinney's first game as the Tigers' interim coach.

Swinney's 250th career game as head coach Saturday ended with Clemson falling to 2-9 in its last 11 games against Power Four competition at home.

Social media reacts to Clemson losing to Georgia Tech, Tait Reynolds injury

📸 Ashley Tumlin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/fCWetvVC9q pic.twitter.com/MFr0EfHBeM
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) November 14, 2026

Who's rising, falling in Coaches Poll entering final College Football Playoff push?

Here's a look at the full top 25 rankings in the US LBM Coaches Poll heading into Week 12.

Schools Dropped Out

No. 23 SMU; No. 24 South Carolina; No. 25 New Mexico

Others Receiving Votes

Liberty 87; Memphis 70; New Mexico 48; Missouri 47; SMU 39; UTSA 38; South Carolina 35; Northwestern 17; Air Force 14; Nebraska 12; Louisiana Tech 12; North Texas 11; Oklahoma 8; Illinois 8; Auburn 7; Minnesota 6; Oklahoma State 5; Toledo 2; Virginia 1; North Dakota State 1

Dabo Swinney apologizes to Clemson fans, feels ‘responsibility’ with loss

📸 Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network , USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect https://t.co/OBfAxEXcVl pic.twitter.com/sUQoOIl7rr
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) November 15, 2026

Clemson football schedule 2026

Kickoff for Clemson-Duke in Week 12 of the 2026 college football season is 7:30 p.m. ET Friday at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. The game can be seen on ESPN.

All times Eastern.