ACC power rankings entering Week 9: Virginia Tech bounces back, North Carolina falls

Another week of college football, another edition of the ACC: The Always Chaos Conference! This week was actually… pretty tame by ACC standards?

The ACC actually now has the clearest Championship picture of any conference! Miami, Wake Forest, and SMU are all in control of their own destiny, with Wake and SMU meeting on November 14. Any other team would need some additional help.

Oh, and a coach was fired this week. The Dave Doeren era at NC State is officially over, and they’re targeting… Philip Rivers? Only in the ACC!

MORE: Biggest risers in College Football after Week 8

Ranks 10-8

10. North Carolina

Whoever said football is a game of inches was right. Syracuse’s game-winning two-point conversion over North Carolina was literally inches away from being no good and the Tar Heels escaping with a victory. But the call on the field stood, and the Tar Heels got knocked down the list, even after a great performance from Billy Edwards Jr.

9. Syracuse

The Orangemen showed in Week 8 that they can be among the ACC’s mid-tier when they have a healthy quarterback. Steve Angeli looked great against North Carolina, and Umari Hatcher and Calvin Russell III are forming a solid receiver duo.

8. Virginia

The ground game found success against Duke, but the ‘Hoos still couldn’t muster enough offense to beat Duke. Beau Pribula must improve as a passer if this team wants to get back to a Bowl game.

Ranks 7-4

7. Clemson

It’s hard to fathom why Dabo Swinney thought he could go into a season with this QB situation. Tait Reynolds is a 3-star true freshman. He’s not supposed to be starting, and he’s not supposed to be good. Outside of that position, this is a solid roster that is performing as expected.

6. Duke

What can’t Nate Sheppard do? The all-world running back actually THREW the game-winning TD pass over Virginia. There is not a running back in the country who means more to his team than Nate Sheppard.

5. Virginia Tech

The Hokies are a quality football team. One does not simply walk into Clemson and win. But they also have two of the more puzzling losses out of any ACC games this season. They had some bad schedule luck. If they had played Pitt without Mason Heintschel, or drawn Cal at home, they could be unbeaten right now.

4. Louisville

The Cardinals were on a Bye this week. They don’t control their own destiny in the ACC title race, but they have a very soft remaining schedule. 9-3 is likely.

MORE: Biggest fallers in College Football after Week 8

Top 3

3. Wake Forest

The Deacs were on a Bye this week. The vibes are high in Winston-Salem right now! The Week 11 game against SMU is likely to determine who will play Miami in the ACC Championship game.

2. SMU

The Mustangs started out slow but finished with a flurry for a 59-20 victory over Cal in Week 8. They scored 42 unanswered points in the second half! Kevin Jennings is playing the best ball of his career, and Kendrick Raphael has made their offensive attack more balanced.

1. Miami

The Hurricanes came out to make a statement against Pitt after their close (and controversial) call against Florida State. The game was over quickly, and Malachi Toney had over 150 receiving yards before halftime. Toney is making a case to end the season in New York as a Heisman finalist.

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