ACC Football: Week 12 ACC Power Rankings
In this story:
The ACC Championship is now set. With North Carolina taking down Wake Forest on Saturday night, the game on December 4th in Charlotte will be between Clemson and North Carolina. Both teams are still theoretically in the playoff conversation and there could be a lot on the line in that game in a few weeks.
Elsewhere around the ACC, Florida State kept dominating by blowing out Syracuse, NC State was shocked by Boston College, Duke overcame a slow start to beat Virginia Tech, and Miami went on the road and beat Georgia Tech.
So how did the power rankings shake up after week 11?
14. Virginia Tech (2-8, L vs Duke, 24-7)- Last week: 13
Things keep getting worse for the Hokies. Virginia Tech played hard on Saturday against Duke, but the offense is still among the worst in the country. A 2-10 debut season for Brent Pry is possible with Liberty coming up on Saturday and a win against 3-7 Virginia is far from a guarantee.
13. Virginia (3-7, L vs Pittsburgh 37-7)- Last week: 11
Virginia's season was perfectly summarized in the first two plays of the game against Pittsburgh on Saturday. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw two pick-sixes on his first two pass attempts of the game and after being one of the most prolific players in college football in 2021, has turned into a shell of himself. Pittsburgh dominated Virginia and with that loss, Virginia will not go to a bowl game. It has been a terrible first season for Tony Elliott in Charlottesville.
12. Boston College (3-7, W vs NC State 21-20)- Last week 14
Give credit where it was due, Boston College went on the road and beat a top-20 team and it is rather amazing considering all of the injuries that the Eagles have suffered this year. The Eagles will have to try and do the same thing again this week as they go on the road and face Notre Dame on Saturday.
11. Georgia Tech (4-6, L vs Miami 35-14)- Last week: 10
Georgia Tech came up short against Miami on Saturday
It was a tough day for Georgia Tech on Saturday, in more ways than one. First, freshman quarterback Zach Pyron was knocked out of the game and it was later revealed that he will miss the rest of the season. Georgia Tech also lost the game 35-14 and a bowl game is going to be nearly impossible. The coaching search is going to be the most important topic of conversation at Georgia Tech for now.
10. Miami (5-5, W vs Georgia Tech 35-14)- Last Week: 12
It was not perfect, but Miami got a win on the road and freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown showed flashes of promise for Miami. Brown totaled nearly 100 yards rushing to go with over 100 yards passing and the Miami run game did pretty well against the Yellow Jackets. Miami will have to beat either Clemson or Pittsburgh to get to a bowl game in year one under Mario Cristobal.
9. Syracuse (6-4, L vs Florida State 38-3)- Last week: 9
Syracuse has completely fallen apart after their 6-0 start and while a lot of it can be blamed on injuries, Syracuse just looked lifeless against the Seminoles and it is fair to question how this team will finish at Wake Forest and Boston College.
8. Wake Forest (6-4, L vs North Carolina 36-34)- Last week:8
Like Syracuse, Wake Forest has just fallen apart after a good start. The defense could not get a stop against the North Carolina offense on Saturday and now the Demon Deacons have lost three straight games. Wake and quarterback Sam Hartman are going to have a chance to finish strong with games against Syracuse and Duke, but those are not guarantees given how this team is playing. What was a promising season has now turned into a disaster in these last three games.
7. NC State (7-3, L vs Boston College 21-20)- Last week: 3
The Wolfpack looked to be rolling along and had a chance to try and get a double-digit win season, which has not happened since 2002. However, the Wolfpack choked away a game against a 2-7 Boston College team, and NC State is almost certainly going to be falling out of the college football playoff rankings on Tuesday. It has still been a solid season for NC State, but the loss on Saturday puts a damper on things.
6. Louisville (6-4, L vs Clemson 31-16)- Last week: 5
Unfortunately for Louisville, quarterback Malik Cunningham injured his shoulder in the loss to Clemson and it is unknown at the moment when he will be back. If he can't come back, winning games against NC State and Kentucky will be pretty tough. The Cardinal's defense had been great at getting pressure on the quarterback, but only had two sacks against Clemson. It was a disappointing game against the Tigers that was only made worse by the injury to Cunningham.
5. Pitt (6-4, W vs Virginia 37-7)- Last week: 7
Israel Abanikanda has been one of the best running backs in the ACC this year
Pitt got off to a quick start against Virginia by scoring two defensive touchdowns in the opening seconds and they never looked back. Israel Abanikanda had another 100-yard game on the ground and the Panther's defense swallowed up the Virginia offense. Pitt has two interesting games against Duke and Miami to close out the season.
4. Duke (7-3, W vs Virginia Tech 24-7)- Last week: 6
Mike Elko keeps making his case for ACC coach of the year by winning games. Duke got off to a slow start on Saturday against Virginia Tech, but the Blue Devils found a way to win and have a chance at a 10-win season if they win every remaining game including their bowl game. That won't be easy considering they play at Pittsburgh and then against Wake Forest, but it is on the table.
3. Florida State (7-3, W vs Syracuse 38-3)- Last week 4
The Seminoles keep rolling and are playing like a top 15 or top 10 in the country right now. The latest team in Florida State's way was Syracuse and FSU rolled them and quarterback Jordan Travis continues his impressive play. Florida State now has a great chance at a 9-3 season if they can beat Louisiana and rival Florida. The Seminoles are peaking right now and Mike Norvell should also be considered for ACC coach of the year.
2. North Carolina (9-1, W vs Wake Forest 36-34)- Last week: 2
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is playing like a Heisman contender so far this season
North Carolina clinched the Coastal Division on Saturday with a win over Wake Forest and Drake Maye continues to play like a Heisman Trophy Candidate. Maye threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday and wide receiver Josh Downs caught all three of the touchdowns. This offense is operating at a continued high level and is still a darkhorse for a playoff spot.
1. Clemson (9-1, W vs Louisville 31-16)- Last week: 1
Clemson bounced back from its loss to Notre Dame last week and controlled the game against Louisville from start to finish. It was Phil Mafah leading the rushing attack for the Tigers this week and the defense played much better than they did against the Fighting Irish (although it was against Louisville's backup quarterback). The Tigers welcome Miami to Death Valley on Saturday and then finish the season with rival South Carolina.
Follow us on social media for the latest with Georgia Tech Athletics!
Facebook: All Yellow Jackets
Twitter: @AllYellowJacket
Follow Jackson on Twitter: @jacksoncaudell
See all of the latest Tech News at AllYellowJackets.com
Check out the Georgia Tech Homepage
Listen to the Goal Line Stand Podcast for the best Georgia Tech and national college football coverage!
More Georgia Tech Related Content:
Georgia Tech lands 2023 wide receiver Bryce Dopson
Mack Brown talks Georgia Tech ahead of ACC Coastal matchup
Georgia Tech vs Georgia game time announced
ACC Basketball: Three ACC Teams in latest AP Top 25
Zach Pyron is out for the remainder of Georgia Tech's season
Georgia Tech Football: Three biggest takeaways from loss to Miami
Georgia Tech Women's Basketball defeats Kennesaw State 65-39, begins season 2-0
Georgia Tech opens as a massive underdog to North Carolina
Georgia Tech Football: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Miami loss
Watch: Georgia Tech wide receiver Nate McCollum speaks after loss to Miami
