ACC Football Power Rankings: 2022 Week 11
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The king and his kingdom have been toppled. Well, sort of.
Clemson might have clinched the Atlantic Division by way of losses from other teams, but they will not be entering the ACC Championship game unblemished. Their 14-game winning streak was snapped on the road this past weekend in listless fashion by, of all teams, Notre Dame.
Conversely in the Coastal Division, while North Carolina hasn't officially clinched it yet, it seems like it is only a matter of time. They're riding a lot more momentum than Clemson currently is, and while the Tigers' loss certainly puts a damper on the ACC's chances at getting into the College Football Playoff, don't rule out the Tar Heels just yet.
Anyways, where do things currently stand in the league following week 10? Check out our updated ACC power rankings below:
1. North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 8-1, 5-0
Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
Week 10 Result: W, 31-28 at Virginia
Sure, there's very much still defensive issues with this team, but North Carolina's offense continues to be absolutely insane. Not only is quarterback Drake Maye the clear frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year, he could be a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy. Not to mention wide receiver Josh Downs has had an amazing run since returning from injury. Mack Brown has the Tar Heels rolling like they were towards the end of his first stint in Chapel Hill.
2. Clemson Tigers
Record: 8-1, 6-0
Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
Week 10 Result: L, 35-14 at Notre Dame
Clemson's team-wide issues, particularly on offense, finally bit them. Both of their quarterbacks, D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik, each threw interceptions that directly resulted in Notre Dame touchdowns, the Irish dominated the Tigers' front seven with a consistent run game, and Clemson even gave up a touchdown on special teams. This is still an extremely talented squad, but a championship-level team this is not.
3. NC State Wolfpack
Record: 7-2, 3-2
Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
Week 10 Result: W, 30-21 vs. Wake Forest
Anyone who thought that NC State's still had a puncher's chance at being competitive after Devin Leary went down for the season is either a Wolfpack fan or lying. But they have shown real grit as a of late. Quarterback M.J. Morris has now led NC State to a furious comeback win over Virginia Tech, and now a win over their in-state rival. Not to mention that their defense harassed a normally efficient Demon Deacons offense. There is still hope left for a double-digit win season in Raleigh.
4. Louisville Cardinals
Record: 6-3, 3-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 5
Week 10 Result: W, 34-10 vs. James Madison
How in the world did Boston College beat this team? Anyways, this team went from dead in the water since that loss to a four-game win streak and bowl eligibility. The defense has been absolutely suffocating during that stretch, and quarterback Malik Cunningham is starting to round back into form. Head coach Scott Satterfield deserves major credit for this turnaround. If you ask me, Clemson needs to be a serious upset alert this weekend.
5. Florida State Seminoles
Record: 6-3, 4-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
Week 10 Result: W, 45-3 at Miami
Now *that* is how you take care of your bitter rival: put your foot on their throat and never look back. Quarterback Jordan Travis has elevated his play in recent weeks, running back Trey Benson has had a great two-week stretch, and the Florida State defense snuffed out any hope that Miami might have had. That might be easy to do, considering it's Miami, but they still took care of business in an emotional game.
6. Syracuse Orange
Record: 6-3, 3-2
Last Week's Ranking: No. 4
Week 10 Result: L, 19-9 at Pitt
When it rains, it pours. After coming so incredibly close to knocking off Clemson, Syracuse has now lost three in a row, and their most recent loss is particularly damning. Pitt didn't have the ACC's leading rusher in Israel Abanikanda, have a defense that has largely underachieved, and still beat the Orange. Sure, quarterback Garrett Shrader could play due to injury, but running back Sean Tucker has looked pedestrian as of late. Not sure where Cuse goes from here.
7. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Record: 6-3, 2-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
Week 10 Result: L, 30-21 at NC State
Not a great stretch here for Wake Forest It's hard to envision this happening given his repertoire, but man, quarterback Sam Hartman has looked downright bad over the last couple games. Not to mention that the Demon Deacons' defense has let the floodgates open against average offenses during this time as well. It won't get any easier down the stretch, either, with North Carolina on the horizon.
8. Duke Blue Devils
Record: 6-3, 3-2
Last Week's Ranking: No. 8
Week 10 Result: W, 38-31 at Boston College
One year removed from from going 3-9 overall, 0-8 in the ACC and firing longtime head coach David Cutcliffe, Duke is going bowling. Truly a remarkable job by first year head coach Mike Elko. Sure, the Blue Devils' defense nearly spoiled this, but their offense continues to look efficient with quarterback Riley Leonard under center. A solid ground game helps as well.
9. Pitt Panthers
Record: 5-4, 2-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 10
Week 10 Result: W, 19-9 vs. Syracuse
I'll admit, I didn't think Pitt had much of a chance given the aforementioned circumstances. But they were able to pull out a solid win even without their best player and an okay performance from quarterback Kedon Slovis. RB Rodney Hammond and WR Jared Wayne carried the offense, and the Panthers' defense finally put together a performance they were capable of making given their talent on that side. Now they just need to capitalize on the momentum.
10. Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 3-6, 1-5
Last Week's Ranking: No. 11
Week 10 Result: L, 31-28 vs. North Carolina
Full disclosure: Virginia only went up a rank because everyone else around them had such horrible losses, and they did almost pull off the upset. At least the Cavaliers' offense didn't look completely inept against UNC, although it's still crazy to see Brennan Armstrong fall so far. The defense gets a pass this week because the Tar Heels are just that good on offense, but you still have to wonder if Tony Elliott is the man for the job.
11. Miami Hurricanes
Record: 4-5, 2-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
Week 10 Result: L, 45-3 vs. Florida State
It seems that Miami booster John Ruiz and Texas A&M's booster base have come to the same realization: simply throwing money at the team won't fix glaring coaching issues. I won't go as far to say that Mario Cristobal will be a complete and total flop with the Hurricanes, but he surely has a long way to go until The U is even remotely relevant on a nation scale - partially due to him and his coaching staff (looking at you, Josh Gattis).
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Record: 4-5, 3-3
Last Week's Ranking: No. 13
Week 10 Result: W, 28-27 at Virginia Tech
It still blows my mind how much better Georgia Tech looks since they booted head coach Geoff Collins. Sure, Virginia Tech isn't exactly the cream of the crop in the ACC, but the Jackets were still able to move the ball fairly well even with a backup quarterback. Plus they did their job on defense, as well. Whoever GT opts to hire as their next head coach, retaining interim head coach Brent Key in some capacity is probably a good idea.
13. Virginia Tech Hokies
Record: 2-7, 1-5
Last Week's Ranking: No. 12
Week 10 Result: L, 28-27 vs. Georgia Tech
Not sure which side of the ball for Virginia Tech looked worse: the offense that was led by an inefficient Grant Wells and lackluster run game, or the defense that let a backup quarterback anchor a 463-yard effort. The Brent Pry era in Blacksburg continues to be off to a very rocky start.
14. Boston College Eagles
Record: 2-7, 1-5
Last Week's Ranking: No. 14
Week 10 Result: L, 38-31 vs. Duke
Well, at least they nearly pulled it off against Duke. With a backup quarterback no less. Regardless, Boston College continues to be in an absolute free fall since their win over Louisville. At this point, you have to wonder if head coach Jeff Hafley is even coming back.
(Photo of Storm Duck: Scott Taetsch - USA TODAY Sports)
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