1. Miami (10–1, 6–1)
No. 8 Miami reached double-digit wins this past week with a 42–14 victory over Wake Forest. Despite going into the halftime break only up by six points, the Hurricanes dominated the rest of the game with a second-half shutout and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Freshman running back Jordan Lyle exploded onto the scene with 115 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Hurricanes will head up north next to take on Syracuse, where a win would punch their ticket to the ACC Championship game.
Next Up: Syracuse, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
2. Southern Methodist (10–1, 7–0)
The Mustangs’ perfect ACC record remained unblemished last week thanks to a 33–7 victory over Virginia. No. 9 SMU’s offense, led by quarterback Kevin Jennings, was in control for nearly the entire game. Thanks to the win, the Mustangs clinched an ACC championship game berth while also picking up a top-10 ranking for the first time all season.
Next Up: California, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
3. Clemson (9–2, 7–1)
No. 12 Clemson took care of business last weekend, knocking out The Citadel 51–14. In order to make it to the ACC Championship, the Tigers need to win their next game and have Syracuse pull off the home upset against Miami. The Tigers have a golden opportunity to pick up another ranked victory this week against No. 15 South Carolina. Although Clemson is on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff, the right results this week could end up with the Tigers knocking on the door of a potential playoff bid.
Next Up: No. 15 South Carolina, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
4. Duke (8–3, 4–3)
Over the weekend, Duke picked up a 31–28 over Virginia Tech due in large part to a certain quarterback-wide receiver duo. Quarterback Maalik Murphy and wide receiver Eli Pancol started off the day with an 86-yard touchdown connection on the offense’s first play of the game. When all was said and done, the pair had combined for 188 yards and three touchdowns. That was enough to overcome Murphy’s three interceptions, and the Blue Devils were able to pull out the three-point victory for their eighth win of the season.
Next Up: Wake Forest, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
5. Louisville (7–4, 5–3)
The Cardinals looked unstoppable in a 37–9 win over Pittsburgh last week. On their way to the blowout victory, the Cardinals racked up more than 500 total yards, never turned the ball over, and scored the game’s first 34 points. It was a real bounce-back game for Louisville after its late-game breakdown against Stanford the week before. This week, Louisville will have an in-state, SEC-ACC battle as it makes the quick trip over to Lexington to take on Kentucky.
Next Up: Kentucky, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
6. Syracuse (8–3, 4–3)
Syracuse took care of non-conference opponent UConn in a 31–24 win last week. Syracuse’s aerial attack was on another level, with quarterback Kyle McCord throwing for 470 yards and scoring three total touchdowns. Receivers Darrell Gill Jr., Jackson Meeks, and Oronde Gadsden II each hauled in at least seven catches for more than 100 yards. The Orange will have a tough test this week as it faces off against Miami in a game that will help determine the ACC Championship game.
Next Up: No. 8 Miami, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
7. Georgia Tech (7–4, 5–3)
Last Thursday, the Yellow Jackets executed a game-winning drive that propelled them past NC State 30–29. Quarterback Aaron Philo diced up the Wolfpack defense with a number of completions and scrambles, including an 18-yard touchdown sprint that proved to be the game-winner. After wrapping up ACC play, the Yellow Jackets take on No. 7 Georgia with the opportunity to upset a third AP Top-10 team this season.
Next Up: No. 7 Georgia, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
8. Pittsburgh (7–4, 3–4)
ACC matchups have proved to be a headache for Pittsburgh as it dropped its fourth straight game 37–9 at the hands of Louisville. Over the Panthers’ first seven drives, they had two interceptions, three punts, and two turnovers on downs. The Panthers were never able to establish a strong running game, averaging 2.8 yards per carry as a team. After dropping under .500 in conference play, the Panthers will need to make some changes quickly if they want to snap their four-game losing streak this Saturday against Boston College.
Next Up: Boston College, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
9. Boston College (6–5, 3–4)
In their last games, the Eagles got a dominant 41–21 win over North Carolina on their way to clinching a bowl game. Aside from a second-quarter kickoff return score and two late touchdowns, BC was in control the entire game. A catalyst for the Eagles’ victory was their rushing defense, holding superstar running back Omarion Hampton to a season-low 53 rushing yards. The Eagles also picked off North Carolina quarterback Jacolby Criswell three times throughout the game. After last week’s bowl-clinching win, the Eagles will have one final home game against a struggling Pittsburgh team to see if they can get themselves a better bowl game to close out the season.
Next Up: Pittsburgh, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
10. California (6–5, 2–5)
In this year’s edition of the Big Game, the Golden Bears took the crown, defeating Stanford and defending their home field 24–21. Not only did the Golden Bears get the edge over their Bay Area rival, but they also clinched a bowl game in the process. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was incredible in the win, throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Despite a slow start, the Golden Bears were able to score the final 17 points of the game to secure the win.
Next Up: No. 9 SMU, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
11. North Carolina (6–5, 3–4)
On Saturday, the Tar Heels were no match for the Eagles in their 41–21 loss. So far this season, the Tar Heels have relied on their running back Hampton as a main source of offense, but he couldn’t get anything going against BC, only rushing for 53 yards. The passing game wasn’t much better for North Carolina, with Criswell throwing three picks. The Tar Heels were able to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 20, but it was too little too late for the road team. They will look to bounce back in a big way next week as they host NC State in their final regular season game.
Next Up: NC State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
12. Virginia Tech (5–6, 3–4)
In a back-and-forth game, the Hokies ended up short, falling to Duke 31–28. After slipping down 14–0 early, the Hokies responded in a big way with 17 unanswered points. Even though Virginia Tech forced four turnovers, it still let up nearly 400 yards of total offense to the Blue Devils. One bright spot for Virginia Tech was the play of its senior wide receiver Ali Jennings who hauled in six catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. The Hokies will look to snap their three-game losing streak next week against Virginia as they look to achieve bowl eligibility before the season runs out.
Next Up: Virginia, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
13. Virginia (5–6, 3–4)
The Cavaliers were outmatched in nearly every facet of the game this past weekend in their 33–7 loss to SMU. The Cavaliers’ main issue was their lack of offensive production. Virginia only tallied 173 total yards and scored its only points of the game with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Virginia will look to bounce back from the defeat next week with an in-state battle against Virginia Tech where both teams are only one win away from securing bowl eligibility.
Next Up: Virginia Tech, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
14. Wake Forest (4–7, 2–5)
Early in last week’s game, the Demon Deacons looked like they might have had a chance at an upset. But the Hurricanes ended up being too much to handle in a 42–14 loss. Going into halftime, the Demon Deacons were down by three, but they opened up the second half with three straight punts and didn’t end up scoring any points the rest of the game. After letting up 508 yards of total offense last week, the Demon Deacons will need to make some adjustments defensively if they want to cap off their season with a home win against the Blue Devils.
Next Up: Duke, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
15. NC State (5–6, 2–5)
After entering the fourth quarter down nine points to Georgia Tech, the Wolfpack put together two quick touchdown drives late in the game to claim the lead. A wild quarterback scramble in the final minute was the nail in the coffin for the Wolfpack, though, as they went on to lose 30–29. NC State will have a couple of extra days to rest after its Thursday night game before taking the trip to face in-state foe North Carolina.
Next Up: North Carolina, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
16. Stanford (3–8, 2–6)
Following a game-winning field goal over Louisville, Stanford failed to pick up a second-straight victory, falling 24–21 to their cross-town rival—the Golden Bears. Despite holding a 14-point lead in the third quarter and winning the possession battle, the Cardinal defense let up the final 17 points of the game on its way to the loss. The rivalry loss marks its final conference matchup of the season before the Cardinal take the short trip to face San Jose St. in a non-conference matchup to close out the year.
Next Up: San Jose St., Friday, 4:00 p.m.
17. Florida State (2–9, 1–7)
Florida State snapped its six-game losing streak this past week with a 41–7 win over Charleston Southern, the sort of result that Seminoles fans expected coming into the year. Quarterback Luke Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns in the Seminoles’ second win of the season. Florida State’s final game won’t be easy, as it is set to face off against Florida which has taken down two ranked opponents in its past two games.
Next Up: Florida, Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
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