ACC Football Power Rankings: Week 11
1. Clemson (8-1)
Last week: 1
Game Result: 35-14 loss to Notre Dame
The last time Clemson traveled to South Bend in 2020, the Irish upset the Tigers in a high-scoring 47-40 double overtime affair. Two years later, Clemson all but spoiled their hopes at a return to the College Football Playoff with another loss. The Tigers failed to remotely score at the same level as they did during the COVID season — they did not post their first points of the game until the fourth quarter. Everything seemed to go wrong for Clemson — for the second-straight game, head coach Dabo Swinney benched starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, only to put him back in after a Cade Klubnik interception. Trailing by 14 and in the red zone, Uiagalelei responded by throwing a pick-six that put the Tigers to bed. Clemson struggled elsewhere on the field too, allowing a special teams touchdown and 263 rushing yards defensively. Still with a lot on the line — an ACC Championship game and potential New Year’s Six bowl appearance — Swinney will once again have to make a decision at quarterback and find a way to reinvigorate his team. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: vs Louisville, Saturday, 3:30 ET, ESPN
Opening Line: Clemson -8
WATCH: Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III scores 2 TDs in win over the Cardinals
2. North Carolina
Last week: 2
Game Result: 31-28 win over Virginia
Despite a valiant effort from the 3-6 Virginia Cavaliers, the Tar Heels were able to overcome an early deficit and notch their fifth road win of the season, more than any other team in the country. Star QB Drake Maye posted another solid outing, throwing for 293 yards and 2 TDs without any interceptions. UNC hasn’t always won in dominant fashion this season — three of their last four games have been decided by just three points — but Mack Brown’s group has now won five in a row and remains undefeated in ACC play. As it stands now, UNC is by far the favorite from the Coastal division to earn a trip to Charlotte come ACC championship weekend. The Tar Heels are now 8-1 and retain their No. 2 ranking on our list leading into a road matchup with Wake Forest. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: at Wake Forest, Saturday, 7:30 ET, ESPN2
Opening Line: North Carolina +3
3. NC State (7-2)
Last Week: 6
Game Result: 30-21 win over Wake Forest
With freshman MJ Morris making his first collegiate start at quarterback, the Wolfpack dominated Wake Forest in every facet of the game in front of a raucous home crowd. Morris was a near perfect 18 of 28 for 210 yards and three touchdowns, but most notably was risk averse and did not turn over the ball. Morris’ best moments of the game came in the team’s opening drive of the second half — he led NC State on a 15-play, 7-plus minute touchdown drive that gave the Pack a 10-point lead and put them in the driver’s seat. Wide receiver Thayer Thomas led the way with 8 receptions for 79 yards. Morris found his touchdowns via acrobatic catches from Darryl Jones (2) and Keyon Lesane (1). The NC State defense was successful at turning Wake Forest into a one dimensional offense, only allowing 17 rushing yards and forcing the Deacs to put the ball into the air. In doing so, the Wolfpack utilized a potent pass rush to post 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. NC State has a recovery game against Boston College before tough season-ending matchups with Louisville and North Carolina. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: vs Boston College, Saturday, 3:30 ET, ACC Network
Opening Line: NC State -17
READ: Takeaways from Wake Forest's 30-21 loss vs NC State
4. Florida State (6-3)
Game Result: 45-3 win over Miami
Last Week: 7
The Seminoles snuck their way back into this week’s AP poll for the first time since they lost to Wake Forest at home, clocking it at No. 25 following a 45-3 thrashing of the Miami Hurricanes. The offense was about as balanced as could be, putting up 225 rushing yards and 229 passing in the home victory. This FSU team is starting to pick up steam — they’ve put up 86 combined points in their last two contests and QB Jordan Travis has nearly 600 passing yards, six touchdown passes and only one interception over that stretch. It appeared that FSU’s season had hit the skids after they lost three in a row to Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson, but Mike Norvell’s squad has rebounded nicely from that brutal stretch of the schedule and jumps up three spots in our rankings after back-to-back blowout wins. The Noles face another tough test next weekend, traveling to Syracuse to take on the Orange in primetime. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: at Syracuse, Saturday, 8 ET, ACC Network
Opening Line: Florida State -6
5. Louisville (6-3)
Last Week: 4
Game Result: 34-10 win over James Madison
Despite not forcing a single turnover after snagging eight against Wake Forest two weeks ago, Louisville cruised to victory behind a complete team effort against James Madison, a team that is performing well in their first season in the FBS. The defense held Dukes’ quarterback Todd Centeio to just four completions for 52 yards, holding their opponent scoreless in the second half. On offense, quarterback Malik Cunningham completed 14 of 20 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns, including a 44-yard ball to Tyler Hudson — Hudson ended the day with six receptions for 142 yards and the score. After bursting for a big 52-yard TD against Wake Forest, running back Tiyon Evans one-upped that play with a 71-yard scamper in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 10-point lead. From there, Louisville didn’t look back, adding two fourth-quarter scores to pull away to a comfortable victory. The future gets much tougher next week — the Cardinals will travel to Death Valley to face a Clemson team looking for redemption. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: at No. 12 Clemson, Saturday, 3:30 ET, ESPN
Opening Line: Louisville +8
6. Wake Forest (6-3)
Last Week: 5
Game Result: 30-21 loss to NC State
After starting out 6-1 and climbing as high as No. 10 in the AP rankings, Wake Forest is now an unranked, three-loss team following consecutive defeats to Louisville and NC State. The Deacs didn’t have their best stuff on Saturday — Sam Hartman threw three interceptions in the loss and Wolfpack QB MJ Morris put up three touchdown passes in his first career start. At one point, Wake trailed by just six points in the fourth quarter, but the defense couldn’t get off the field and NC State sealed the game with a late field goal. The Wake offense has been far less efficient over the past two games, scoring just 21 points in each contest after putting up 40-plus in five of their first seven. The defense has hit a cold streak in the turnover category as well — they’ve forced just one takeaway in the last two games, a forced fumble in garbage time against Louisville after the game was already out of reach. The road doesn’t get much easier for the Deacs — UNC comes to town on Saturday for a prime time matchup on national TV. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: vs No. 15 North Carolina, Saturday, 7:30 ET, ESPN2
Opening Line: Wake Forest -3
7. Syracuse (6-3)
Last Week: 3
Game Result: 19-9 loss to Pittsburgh
After losing starting quarterback Garrett Shrader in last week’s loss to Notre Dame, the Syracuse offense was dead in the water from the start — they punted the ball seven times. The only points for the Orange all game came off the foot of Andre Szmyt. Backup quarterback Carlos Del-Rio Wilson only completed eight passes for 120 yards, and highly-touted running back Sean Tucker mustered just 19 yards on 10 carries. The Syracuse defense struggled to get to the quarterback, only posting one sack, but forced two turnovers in coverage. Despite all the offensive struggles, the Orange went into the half only trailing 10-6. With Shrader at quarterback, this is a game Syracuse likely runs away with. They will certainly hope to have him back from concussion protocol for the final stretch of the season, which begins with a ranked Florida State coming to town. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: vs No. 25 Florida State, Saturday, 8 ET, ACC Network
Opening Line: Syracuse +6
8. Pittsburgh (5-4)
Last Week: 9
Game Result: 19-9 win over Syracuse
The Panthers bounced back nicely after consecutive losses on Saturday, beating then-No. 20 Syracuse by two scores at home. Granted, the Orange were without starting quarterback Garrett Shrader, but it’s still an impressive win for a Pittsburgh team who was without star running back Izzy Abanikanda. Sophomore Rodney Hammond Jr. rose to the occasion in his absence, finishing with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Panthers’ defense was stout, surrendering only 145 yards of total offense and nine points on three field goals. Pitt had hit the skids after losing to Louisville and getting blown out by North Carolina in back to back weeks, but Saturday gave them their fifth win of the season and put them back over .500. They’ll try to become bowl eligible next week when they take on Virginia on the road. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: at Virginia, Saturday, 12 ET, ACC Network
Opening Line: Pitt -6
9. Duke (6-3)
Last Week: 8
Game Result: 38-31 win over Boston College
In just his first year at the helm, head coach Mike Elko has the Blue Devils bowl eligible, making a strong case for ACC Coach of the Year honors. Riding a 17-0 run to close the first half, Duke staved off a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Boston College. To open the game, quarterback Riley Leonard got the Blue Devils on the board with a 60-yard dash to the end zone — he finished as the game’s leading rusher with 96 total yards. On defense, Duke held Boston College to just 75 yards on the ground while hounding the quarterback with five sacks and 10 QB hits. The Blue Devils might not be done winning just yet — they have a favorable matchup at home next week against Virginia Tech. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: vs Virginia Tech, Saturday, 12 ET, RSN
Opening Line: Duke -10
10. Georgia Tech (4-5)
Last Week: 10
Game Result: 28-27 win over Virginia Tech
The Yellow Jackets earned their fourth win of the season in thrilling fashion on Saturday, defeating Virginia Tech 28-27. Tech trailed 27-16 entering the fourth quarter, but QB Zach Pyron took over in the final frame, tossing a 56-yard touchdown pass and adding a 9-yard rushing touchdown with under four minutes to go to seal the deal. Pyron finished the game with 253 passing yards and 56 rushing yards. The Jackets suffered a tough blow with the loss of starting QB Jeff Sims, but after Saturday they’re just two wins away from becoming bowl eligible. They’ll have a chance to take another step toward that goal against a floundering Miami squad at home next weekend. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: vs Miami, Saturday, 3:30 ET, ESPN3
Opening Line: Georgia Tech -3
11. Virginia (3-6)
Last Week: 13
Game Result: 31-28 loss to North Carolina
Virginia put up a fantastic effort at home against a far superior Tar Heels team, going into halftime with a 10-7 lead. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was average through the air, completing 17 of 35 passes for 232 yards and an interception. The rushing attack, which posted 186 yards and all four touchdowns — two from Armstrong — kept the Cavaliers in the game. Virginia struggled against the no huddle offense — all four UNC touchdowns came when the Cavaliers were unable to make substitutions. The defense also had no answer for the Tar Heels’ ground game, which gained 162 yards from Elijah Green and quarterback Drake Maye. At 3-6, Virginia will have to win out to become bowl eligible, but the possibility is there. If the Cavs can defeat Pittsburgh next week, Coastal Carolina and Virginia Tech present opportunities for the team to come in as favorites. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: Pittsburgh, Saturday, 12 ET, ACC Network
Opening Line: Virginia +6
12. Boston College (2-7)
Last Week: 14
Game Result: 38-31 loss to Duke
The Eagles have had the odds stacked against them all season long, as injuries to a significant portion of the offensive line have hindered their ability to find a rhythm on offense. To make things worse, they were without veteran QB Phil Jurkovec (knee) this weekend against Duke. Jeff Hafley’s group put up a valiant effort against the Blue Devils, though, coming back from a 24-7 deficit to claw within one score in the fourth quarter. Replacement QB Emmett Morehead shined, throwing for 330 yards and four TDs, while star wideout Zay Flowers caught two touchdowns. The Eagles fall to 2-7 and face a tall order against NC State on the road next weekend. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: at No. 17 NC State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ACCN
Opening Line: Boston College +17
13. Virginia Tech (2-7)
Last Week: 12
Game Result: 28-27 loss to Georgia Tech
After starting the game down 10-0, 20-straight points and a fourth-quarter lead could not get Virginia Tech over the line against Georgia Tech. Leading by 11 at the beginning of the final quarter, the Hokies gave up two-straight touchdowns to squander the game away. Both of the team’s touchdowns came on the ground, as did 138 of their yards. Quarterback Grant Wells was below average in the loss, completing 14 of 25 passes for 164 yards. He threw an interception and lost two fumbles, one of which critically came on the GT 10-yard line. After a matchup with Duke, the Hokies hardest game will likely come outside of the ACC — the team faces No. 19 Liberty in two weeks. To close the season, Virginia Tech is playing for pride at this point — they no longer have enough games on the schedule to obtain bowl eligibility. - Essex Thayer
Up Next: at Duke, Saturday, 12 ET, RSN
Opening Line: Virginia Tech +10
14. Miami (4-5)
Last Week: 11
Game Result: 45-3 loss to Florida State
The Hurricanes got absolutely throttled on Saturday, falling 45-3 to Florida State on the road. The wheels have fallen off the wagon for this team — they’ve lost five of their last seven and put up just 188 yards of total offense in Saturday’s loss. There aren’t many positives to report about this one, and the Canes’ performance sends them to the bottom of our rankings. Miami will try to bounce back next week on the road at Georgia Tech before finishing the season with matchups against Clemson and Pitt. - Ben Conroy
Up Next: at Georgia Tech, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., RSN
Opening Line: Miami +3
All bets via Circa Sports
Follow @DeaconsDaily on Twitter and Instagram for more Wake Forest content
