ACC Week 12 Power Rankings: ACC stands for the All Chaos Conference

It was yet another crazy week for ACC football in which it looked like nobody wanted to be the best team in the conference or win the ACC title. After everything that went down, we will once again try to make sense of everything with our weekly power rankings.

1. Georgia Tech (last week: 2)

The Yellow Jackets must have hated having a bye week coming off a loss. The good news is that a loss and then a bye would allow Georgia Tech to reset with a lot of season left to play if the Yellow Jackets can get back on track. The better news is that staying idle got them back to the top of the power rankings.

2. SMU (last week: 5)

A 45-13 win over Boston College this week feels like one of the few times this season the Mustangs took care of business against a weaker team without any issues. Perhaps that’s a sign that SMU is peaking at the right time with a return to the ACC Championship Game within its grasp.

3. Louisville (last week: 1)

After being in the driver’s seat, the Cardinals suffered an unforgivable home loss to Cal this past weekend. It’s not that they lost to a bad team, but the Cards needed to take care of business at home in that situation, especially with Clemson and SMU left on their schedule. Louisville now has a narrow path to the ACC Championship Game.

4. Pitt (last week: 7)

Staying idle helped the Panthers move up in this week’s ACC power rankings. But there will be no free passes this week when Pat Narduzzi’s team welcomes Notre Dame to town.

5. Miami (last week: 6)

The Hurricanes were somewhat listless for most of the first half against Syracuse. That’s not something you might expect from a team coming off a loss. They aren’t a serious factor in the ACC race, and they don’t exactly look like a top-25 team either.

6. Wake Forest (last week: 8)

Last week’s loss to Florida State aside, the Demon Deacons continue to be a pleasant surprise. They now have wins over SMU and Virginia, not to mention a close loss with Georgia Tech. More importantly, they are bowl-eligible, which is an incredible accomplishment for Jake Dickert in his first season in Winston-Salem.

7. Virginia (last week: 4)

We’ve been a little skeptical about Virginia for a few weeks, and Saturday’s home loss to Wake Forest is why. A string of close wins finally caught up with the Cavs. However, they still have just one conference loss, so all is not lost for them.

8. Duke (last week: 3)

Just when we start to believe in the Blue Devils, they lose a non-conference game to UConn. As we know, the Huskies aren’t a bad team. Also, this game won’t impact Duke’s chances in the ACC race. But they clearly overlooked UConn, which isn’t something good teams do.

9. Cal (last week: 11)

The Bears are now bowl-eligible and scored their first truly impressive ACC win of the season by winning at Louisville. Cal has leaned heavily on true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele this season, and he’s delivered. They might be middle of the pack, but with a game against SMU left on their schedule, the Bears will have a lot of say on who wins the ACC.

10. Virginia Tech (last week: 9)

The Hokies had a bye this week, as they gear up to finish the season with Florida State, Miami, and Virginia, needing to win all three games to get to a bowl game. Good luck with that.

11. NC State (last week: 10)

The Wolfpack had a whole week to enjoy its upset win over Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, a trip to Miami is on tap next week with NC State still one win shy of bowl eligibility.

12. Clemson (last week: 12)

Is the real Clemson finally starting to stand up? Of course, it’s tough to get too excited about a win over Florida State this season. Dabo Swinney’s team still needs two more wins to get to a bowl, and they have a chance to make a statement Friday night against Louisville. 

13. Florida State (last week: 14)

The good vibes following a win over Wake Forest didn’t last long for Mike Norvell. Unfortunately, the Seminoles couldn’t join the long list of teams that have won at Clemson this season. Even in a down season for the Tigers, FSU came up short and has now lost nine of its last 10 games against Clemson.

14. North Carolina (last week: 15)

Two wins in a row for Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels means a move up the ACC power rankings. Granted, neither win is all that impressive, but North Carolina is still alive for a bowl game if the Heels can win two of their last three games.

15. Syracuse (last week: 16)

A trip to Miami wasn’t particularly easy for the Orange, who still lack competent quarterback play. However, they kept things competitive with the Hurricanes for a majority of the first half, as they continue to be tough defensively.

16. Stanford (last week: 13)

This is more or less the Stanford team we expected to see this season. Other than beating Boston College, the Cardinal has been held to 20 points or less in every ACC game, which we know is not a winning formula.

17. Boston College (last week: 17)

Unlike past weeks, it’s hard for Boston College to find a silver lining to this week’s loss to SMU. The Eagles committed four turnovers and never looked competitive, keeping them at the bottom of the ACC power rankings.