ACC Week 13 Power Rankings: Nothing is certain after a wild weekend

Once again, we had a week in which it was impossible to predict how things would play out in the ACC. With just two weeks left in the regular season, it’s hard to say who is the best team in the conference. Coming off another wild weekend, here is our best attempt to make sense of the league with our ACC power rankings.

1. Miami (last week: 5)

Over the last six quarters, the Hurricanes have looked more like the team we saw in September that looked like it was going to steamroll the rest of the league. Based on the eye test, Miami might be the best team in the league. But the Canes still need two wins and a lot of help just to reach the ACC championship game.

2. SMU (last week: 2)

The Mustangs were lucky to have the week off, as they were able to avoid disaster. They’ve got two winnable games left and a real chance to get back to the ACC title game.

3. Virginia (last week: 7)

Whoa! It looks like reports of Virginia’s demise may have been overstated. The Cavs responded to last week’s home loss to Wake Forest by giving Duke a shellacking in Durham. It was one of the most complete wins by any ACC team this season. More importantly, it keeps Virginia in the thick of the ACC title race.

4. Georgia Tech (last week: 1)

What in the world was that, Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jackets had a bye week coming off a loss and still managed to overlook Boston College. They needed a 19-6 fourth quarter to beat the worst team in the conference. Yet, a win over Pitt is all that Haynes King and company need to play for a conference title.

5. Clemson (last week: 12)

It’s taken a while, but Dabo Swinney finally has his team playing well. The Tigers still made a lot of self-inflicted errors, but they survived a tough road environment on Friday night. Clemson isn’t as far from the top of the league as its record might suggest, as the Tigers look poised to finish strong.

6. Wake Forest (last week: 6)

The Demon Deacons may not be earning a lot of style points, but they managed to follow up an upset over Virginia with a double-digit win over North Carolina. Keep in mind that Wake Forest has handed both SMU and Virginia their only ACC losses of the season. That gives the Demon Deacons a rather impressive resume.

7. Louisville (last week: 3)

Has anyone fallen harder or faster than the Cardinals? A few weeks ago, they were in the driver’s seat for the ACC title game and perhaps the College Football Playoff. However, they couldn’t overcome a bad night from their kicker in what was a disastrous Friday night.

8. Pittsburgh (last week: 4)

Pat Narduzzi indicated that the Panthers didn’t care about the Notre Dame game because winning it wasn’t going to help them get to the ACC championship game. Pitt definitely played like the game didn’t matter. But are the Panthers actually going to flip a switch and beat Georgia Tech and Miami to finish the season after that performance?

9. California (last week: 9)

The Golden Bears got to enjoy a November bye week with a bowl game already secured. That’s got to feel good ahead of a trip to Stanford next week.

10. Duke (last week: 8)

Good grief! Apparently, that non-conference loss to UConn last week wasn’t a fluke. They got steamrolled by Virginia at home with their ACC title hopes very much alive. Now Manny Diaz needs to beat one of Duke’s in-state rivals just to get to a bowl game.

11. Florida State (last week: 13)

Is it too late to save Mike Norvell’s job? The Seminoles have won two of their last three games after dismantling Virginia Tech on Saturday night. The catch is that FSU is 0-3 on the road this season and needs to win one of its two remaining games, both of which are on the road, to qualify for a bowl game.

12. North Carolina (last week: 14)

After a couple of wins, it’s back to reality for Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels. They failed to find the end zone against Wake Forest, meaning the Tar Heels need to beat both Duke and NC State to get to a bowl game and salvage a dreadful campaign.

13. Virginia Tech (last week: 10)

It looks like Virginia Tech’s win over Cal was an aberration. The Hokies struggled to compete against Florida State, giving them four losses in their last five games and eliminating them from bowl contention. Of course, with games against Miami and Virginia left, things could still get worse for the Hokies.

14. Syracuse (last week: 15)

The good news is that a lost season for Syracuse is almost over. The bad news is that after an off week, the Orange has to travel to South Bend to face a red-hot Notre Dame team that looks like it’s going to sneak into the College Football Playoff.

15. NC State (last week: 11)

Seriously? The same team that beat Georgia Tech two weeks ago got a total of 143 yards against Miami. Somehow, the Wolfpack still has two chances to make a bowl game after such a pitiful performance.

16. Stanford (last week: 16)

It’s all over but the crying for Stanford this season. However, the Cardinal could salvage things by knocking off rival Cal this week.

17. Boston College (last week: 17)

At this point, you almost feel bad for the Eagles. They did so many good things against Georgia Tech, but they still couldn’t finish the job. Without a win, Boston College has to remain at the bottom of the ACC power rankings.