ACC Football Power Rankings: Week 7
1. Clemson Tigers (6-0)
Last Week: 1
The Tigers finally broke the top four in the AP Poll this week in their 31-3 win at Boston College. The Eagles surprisingly hung around for a half before quarterback DJ Uiagalelei brought the Tigers offense to life with three second-half touchdown passes. Their front seven was dominant, forcing 13 QB hurries and four sacks. With the first CFP poll set to be released Nov. 1, it will be interesting to see where the committee slots the Tigers.
Up Next: at Florida State (4-2) Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1)
Last Week: 2
The Wake Forest backfield combined for 221 rushing yards in a dominant 45-10 win against Army. It was an impressive defensive improvement for the Deacs, who allowed just 10 points compared to the 56 in last year’s matchup against the Black Knights and their triple option offense. The Deacs took care of business in their final non-conference game and thus retain their No. 2 ranking from last week.
Up Next: BYE
READ: Three Stars in the Win vs Army
3. Syracuse Orange (5-0)
Last Week: 4
The surprise of the ACC this season has to be coach Dino Babers' undefeated Syracuse Orange, who didn’t play this week with a BYE. Quarterback Garret Schrader and all-league halfback Sean Tucker have been awesome so far this season, and the Orange have the best scoring defense in the conference (14 points allowed per game). Syracuse is favored in their upcoming matchup with NC State, which will be a prime chance for them to pick up their first ranked win since 2017. The Orange jump up a spot after NC State nearly fell at the hands of Florida State.
Up Next: vs NC State (5-1) Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN
4. NC State Wolfpack (5-1)
Last Week: 3
NC State defensive back Devan Boykin snagged an interception in the end zone with just 38 seconds left, securing a 19-17 win over Florida State on Saturday. It was a gritty win for the Wolfpack, who saw Quarterback Devin Leary go down after taking a sack and injuring his right shoulder in the third quarter. Leary later came back to sidelines wearing a sling around his right shoulder, and his status for next week is uncertain. If Leary is unfit to play, the Pack will turn to Charleston Southern graduate transfer Jack Chambers, who is much more of a threat with his legs than his arm. He was 0/1 passing last week in relief, but rushed for 39 yards.
Up Next: at Syracuse (5-0) Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN
5. Florida State Seminoles (4-2)
Last Week: 5
QB Jordan Travis' game-ending interception put an end to the chance for a valiant upset effort Saturday. All questions fell on Head Coach Mike Norvell, who decided against running the ball with three timeouts on the 23 yard line with just 44 seconds left. Regardless, despite two losses in a row, the Seminoles have played well against top ACC powers Wake Forest and NC State. They’ll host Clemson next week and attempt to avoid an 0-3 skid.
Up Next: vs. Clemson (6-0) Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
6. UNC Tar Heels (5-1)
Last Week: 6
Tar Heels QB Drake Maye had his first multi-interception game this week, but still played well enough to secure a 27-24 Tar Heels victory at Miami. The Tar Heels defense looked better again this week, putting up a goal line stand against Miami in the first quarter. This goal line stop led to an eight play, 99 yard drive giving the Heels a 14-0 lead with momentum. The Canes later rallied back, driving down 27-24, but the drive culminated with a DeAndre Boykin interception giving the Heels the win. The Heels will look to take this defensive momentum into an important contest at Duke next week.
Up Next: at Duke (4-2) Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ACCN
READ: Three Takeaways from Wake Forest's Win Over Army
7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-3)
Last Week: 11
After knocking off Duke 23-20 on Saturday and defeating Pitt in Week 5, interim head coach Brent Key is off to a hot start. The Yellow Jackets offense is finally starting to click against FBS competition. Georgia Tech has scored 49 points in its last two FBS matchups, compared to 20 in their previous three games under former head coach Geoff Collins. Quarterback Jeff Sims is establishing himself as the focal point in this offense, passing for 227 yards and rushing for 95 on the ground in another strong performance Saturday.
Up Next: BYE
8. Pitt Panthers (4-2)
Last Week: 8
Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda broke Tony Dorsett’s single game rushing record in a 45-29 win against Virginia Tech Saturday with 320 yards and six touchdowns. Abanikanda is now the second leading rusher in all of college football. Quarterback Kedon Slovis was quiet yet again, throwing for just 170 yards and a pick. This was a game Pitt was expected to win, and though they faltered early on, the Panthers eventually took care of business.
Up Next: at Louisville
9. Duke Blue Devils (4-2)
Last Week: 7
The Blue Devils suffered their first ACC loss under Mike Elko, losing 23-20 in overtime against a Georgia Team that started out the year 1-3. After holding GT to a field goal in overtime, QB Riley Leonard was unable to get anything going for the Blue Devils offense. This led to a 52-yard field goal miss by Charlie Ham cementing the loss. Following a road loss to Kansas last week, Duke has now dropped consecutive games and seems to be sputtering. The Blue Devils have to flush this tough OT loss away; they’ve got arguably their biggest game of the year next week hosting archrival UNC.
Up Next: UNC (5-1) Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ACCN
10. Miami Hurricanes (2-3)
Last Week: 9
Down with the ball 27-17 late in the 4th quarter, it looked as if the Canes were all but done for. QB Tyler Van Dyke led a strong two minute drive downfield culminating in a 16 yard touchdown pass to Colbie Young. The Hurricanes got the ball back, but the drive ended in a Van Dyke interception cementing the 27-24 UNC win. Despite the valiant comeback effort, Miami has now dropped three in a row and falls to 0-1 in conference play. They’ll have a chance to right the ship against the Hokies next week.
Up Next: Virginia Tech (2-4) 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
11. Louisville Cardinals (3-3)
Last Week: 13
With star quarterback Malik Cunningham out, backup QB Brock Domann and the Cardinals backfield stepped up in a 34-17 win against UVA. Domann and running back Trevion Cooley combined for 148 yards rushing in a dominant offensive performance by the Cardinals. The defense had their best outing of the season, accumulating six sacks and two interceptions. This is a nice bounce back win for a Louisville squad that suffered a tough last-second loss at the hands of Boston College in Week 5.The Cardinals will hope to get Cunningham back when they host Pitt this weekend.
Up Next: BYE
12. Boston College Eagles (2-4)
Last Week: 12
With the score tied at 3-3 late in the first half, many BC fans were holding onto the ever so slight chance of upsetting the Clemson Tigers at home. However, the second half was a different story. The Tigers outscored BC 21-0, dominating the game on both sides of the ball. The Eagles were dominated up front for the entire matchup, rushing for just 34 yards. Though the Eagles showed some toughness against a vastly more talented team, they’ll have to be better offensively if they want any chance of winning at Wake Forest in two weeks.
Up Next: BYE
READ: Three Takeaways From Wake Forest's Win Over Army
13. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-4)
Last Week: 14
After putting up 10 points against a porous UNC defense, the Hokies offense bounced back by putting up 29 points in their 45-29 loss against Pitt. With just 13 minutes to spare in the fourth quarter, the Hokies trailed Pitt 31-29. However, Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda answered with two touchdown runs to cement the 45-29 Pitt victory. The Achilles heel for the Hokies was their defense, giving up 496 total yards, 326 of which were on the ground.
Up Next: vs. Miami (2-3) 12:30 PM, ESPN3
14. Virginia Cavaliers (2-4)
Last Week: 10
With Louisville QB Malik Cunningham out, the Cavs had a great chance to pick up an ACC home win Saturday and right the ship. However, after taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Virginia was outscored 34-7 for the rest of the contest. This marked the fourth time the Cavs were held to 17 points or fewer this year. Many predicted that returning QB Brennan Armstrong and this offense would improve this season but if anything they’ve regressed regressed. It’s up to head coach Tony Elliot to figure out a solution.
Up Next: BYE
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