ACC Football Power Rankings: Virginia Tech Rises, Clemson & Miami Battle For Top Spot
By Scott Roche
Another week of ACC football and another week of controversy. It can't escape the conference or the officials. Or Miami.
For the third time in four weeks, the Hurricanes were locked in a tight game in the fourth quarter. Again, a call on the field went against Miami and led to a scoop and score for Louisville, only to have the call overturned without indisputable video evidence. It all led the Hurricanes leaving Kentucky with a 52-45 victory over Louisville.
As far as the rest of the conference goes, Virginia Tech started the weekend early on Thursday night with a 42-21 win over Boston College at home behind a record-breaking night for running back Bhayshul Tuten. He set the all-time single-game rushing record with 266 yards and four touchdowns, three on the ground, against the Eagles.
Friday night, Duke picked up their first win ever over Florida State, 23-16, at home, then on Saturday, Clemson put up 48 points at home in a win over Virginia. North Carolina State traveled West to California and rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Bears, 24-23 in a battle of winless conference teams. SMU steamrolled Stanford, 40-10, while Wake Forest won by three points at Connecticut, and Georgia Tech lost to Notre Dame in non-conference matchups. Before we look ahead to Week 9, here are the latest ACC Football Power Rankings.
ACC Football Week 8 Power Rankings
Rank | Team | Record | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Clemson | 6-1 | 1 |
2. | Miami | 7-0 | 2 |
3. | SMU | 6-1 | 3 |
4. | Pittsburgh | 6-0 | 4 |
5. | Syracuse | 5-1 | 5 |
6. | Duke | 6-1 | 7 |
7. | Virginia Tech | 4-3 | 9 |
8. | Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 6 |
9. | Louisville | 4-3 | 8 |
10. | Boston College | 4-3 | 10 |
11. | Virginia | 4-3 | 11 |
12. | NC State | 4-4 | 13 |
13. | California | 3-4 | 12 |
14. | Wake Forest | 3-4 | 16 |
15. | North Carolina | 3-4 | 15 |
16. | Stanford | 2-5 | 14 |
17. | Florida State | 1-6 | 17 |
This week offers some very interesting matchups. Syracuse will travel to Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and then Boston College will host Louisville on Friday night in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Saturday, Virginia Tech hosts Georgia Tech, Miami will host in-state rival Florida State, and a huge 8 p.m. matchup on the ACC Network will have Duke hosting SMU. With that schedule and some matchups, there is bound to be more shifting for next week's rankings.
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