ACC Week 8 Power Rankings: The middle of the conference is all mixed up

Right around the middle point of the ACC season, it’s relatively clear who the top teams in the conference are. However, the middle of the pack is a jumbled mess. We try to make sense of things with our weekly power rankings following a week of mostly lopsided games.

1. Miami (last week: 1)

The 5-0 Hurricanes got a well-deserved week off. But they come out of the bye with a home game against Louisville, which is among the toughest games left on Miami’s schedule.

2. Georgia Tech (last week: 2)

The Yellow Jackets didn’t have much trouble with Virginia Tech on Saturday. It remains the Haynes King show, as Georgia Tech’s quarterback had two rushing and one passing touchdowns. They are perfect at the midway point, although a visit to Duke could pose a challenge this week.

3. Virginia (last week: 3)

The Cavs must have loved being 5-1 during their bye week. Virginia’s upcoming schedule also makes it hard to find games that could trip them up.

4. Duke (last week: 4)

Duke was also among the teams that had a bye this past weekend. The Blue Devils have Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Virginia over the next month, so the rubber is about to meet the road for Manny Diaz and company.

5. Louisville (last week: 5)

The Cardinals had to spend their bye week stewing over their home loss to Virginia. To make things worse, they come out of the bye with a Friday night visit to Miami this week.

6. Pittsburgh (last week: 9)

It turns out blowing out Boston College behind true freshman Mason Heintschel wasn’t a fluke, as the Panthers scored a road win over Florida State. Pitt faces another road test this week, but if the Panthers keep winning, the ACC title game and College Football Playoff aren’t out of the question.

7. Clemson (last week: 7)

After a couple of losses, Dabo Swinney’s team has bounced back with a pair of lopsided wins. But beating the worst two teams in the ACC proves nothing. The Tigers hope to make a statement this week when they host SMU.

8. SMU (last week: 8)

Speaking of the Mustangs, they had an easy time beating Stanford over the weekend. However, they lack a signature win that can catapult them to the top of the ACC power rankings. They’ll have that opportunity this week when they visit Clemson. With a win in Death Valley, we can take the Mustangs seriously as a contender to reach the ACC Championship game again.

9. Florida State (last week: 6)

Dating back to last season, the Seminoles have lost eight straight conference games. That’s a problem, even if all three losses this season have been close. Did this team really beat Alabama to open the season? 

10. California (last week: 10)

The jury is still out on Cal, who had the weekend off. But the Bears are 4-2 and should have no problem reaching a bowl game this season.

11. Wake Forest (last week: 11)

Unfortunately, beating Oregon State doesn’t move the needle much. But midway through the season, the Demon Deacons are 4-2. However, after getting a bye this week, Wake’s schedule features some tough games during the second half of the season.

12. Syracuse (last week: 12)

Syracuse needed a bye in the worst way. To get to a bowl game, the Orange probably has to win its remaining home games, starting this weekend against rival Pitt.

13. Virginia Tech (last week: 13)

After losing to Georgia Tech, the Hokies will get a bye this week. At 2-5, Virginia Tech’s season already looks to be over, especially if you look at the schedule they have down the stretch that features Louisville, Florida State, Miami, and Virginia.

14. NC State (last week: 15)

We moved the Wolfpack up one spot in our power rankings because they at least stayed competitive with Notre Dame for a half. They also head into the bye week at 4-3, just two wins away from a bowl. Unfortunately, NC State’s schedule isn’t conducive to getting two more wins.

15. Stanford (last week: 14)

There weren’t exactly high hopes for the Cardinal against SMU this past weekend. There also isn’t a lot of hope for a 2-4 Stanford team that has to win at least one of its next three games against Florida State, Miami, and Pitt to keep its bowl hopes alive.

16. Boston College (last week: 16)

The Eagles are riding a four-game losing streak after getting blown out by Clemson. If they can’t beat New England rival UConn at home this week, BC could be looking down the barrel of a one-win season.

17. North Carolina (last week: 17)

As bad as the season has been for the Tar Heels, they’re only 2-3 coming out of their bye. They weirdly have enough winnable games left to potentially make a bowl game. However, rumors of Bill Belichick already trying to leave keep them at the bottom of the ACC power rankings, which says a lot about the chaos surrounding the program, especially if you’ve watched BC play.