1. Southern Methodist (11–1, 8–0)
In its inaugural season in the ACC, No. 8 Southern Methodist has shattered expectations. The Mustangs’ undefeated run in conference play continued this past weekend with a 38–6 win over California. Even after locking a spot up in the ACC Championship game, the Mustangs showed no mercy, shutting the Golden Bears out 21–0 in the first half. Running back Brashard Smith was effective on the ground and in the air, totaling 134 yards and two touchdowns. Over the past two weeks, the Mustangs’ defense has locked down opponents, allowing a total of just 13 points. SMU will continue to lean on Smith and its defense as it faces off against Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Next Up: No. 18 Clemson, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
2. Miami (10–2, 6–2)
After a 9–0 start, No. 14 Miami has dropped two of its last three games, including a 42–38 loss to Syracuse last week. Cam Ward threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns and Xavier Restrepo continued his productive senior campaign with nine grabs for 148 yards and a touchdown. But the Hurricanes’ defense once again proved to be their Achilles heel, letting up 42 points. As a result, the Hurricanes were unable to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship and placed their postseason hopes in the hands of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
3. Clemson (9–3, 7–1)
Despite a 17–14 loss to then-No. 15 South Carolina last weekend, No. 18 Clemson still ended up as winners. Thanks to Syracuse’s upset win over Miami, Clemson punched its ticket to the ACC Championship game against SMU. In their latest matchup, the Tigers let South Carolina’s freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers get whatever he wanted on the ground. Sellers finished the game with 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard game-winning run with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Clemson will need to be ready for SMU’s Kevin Jennings and his dual-threat ability in this Saturday’s ACC Championship game.
Next Up: No. 8 SMU, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
4. Syracuse (9–3, 5–3)
Over the weekend, No. 23 Syracuse had its most impressive victory of the season, taking down then-No. 6 Miami 42–38. Quarterback Kyle McCord outdueled Ward, throwing for 380 yards and three touchdowns. The Orange had a scoop-and-score from defensive back Devin Grant toward the end of the third quarter to put it ahead despite being down 21–0 earlier in the game. The effort won Syracuse a spot in the AP Top 25. Although Syracuse won’t be competing for a spot in the playoff, Saturday’s win put an emphatic cap on its regular season.
5. Duke (9–3, 5–3)
With under 10 seconds remaining in the game, Duke found itself tied 17–17 against Wake Forest. On the game’s final play, quarterback Maalik Murphy found receiver Jordan Moore streaking down the sideline for a walk-off 39-yard touchdown. Moore was effective in his final regular season game, tallying five catches for 98 yards, in addition to the game-winner. The game may have been closer than anticipated, but the Blue Devils were able to finish their season on a win.
6. Louisville (8–4, 5–3)
Louisville took down in-state rival Kentucky 41–14 in its final game of the season. The Cardinals came ready to play, jumping out to a 20-point lead in the first half. The X-factor was the defense, which forced five turnovers and did not allow a single point in the opening half. It was a strong finish for the Cardinals, as they notched their eighth win in blowout fashion.
7. Georgia Tech (7–5, 5–3)
On Friday night, Georgia Tech suffered a 44–42 loss to its fiercest SEC rival in then-No. 7 Georgia. Even after securing a commanding 20–6 lead in the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets could not close out the upset victory. Quarterback Haynes King stayed hot despite the loss with five total touchdowns and 413 scrimmage yards. The eight-overtime classic was one for the books. Though the Yellow Jackets showed a lot of fight against a talented Georgia team, they ultimately fell short in their final contest of the season.
8. Boston College (7–5, 4–4)
Boston College picked up a 34–23 win over Pittsburgh in Week 14 by putting the first 13 points on the board and never looking back. BC’s defensive performance was strong throughout and included a 55-yard pick-six by defensive lineman Ty Clemons that allowed the Eagles to extend their lead to 13 in the second quarter. Star defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku totaled 10 tackles and 3.5 sacks, capping off his campaign for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The win pushed the Eagles to .500 in ACC play to close out the regular season.
9. Pittsburgh (7–5, 3–5)
After jumping out to a 7–0 start, the season couldn’t have ended much worse for Pittsburgh fans. Pittsburgh’s losing streak extended to five games in a 34–23 loss at BC last Saturday. Quarterback Nate Yarnell had 296 passing yards and three touchdowns, but threw a pick-six. One of the main reasons for the Panthers’ loss was their inability to establish the run game. The Panthers tallied only 23 rush yards in the losing effort.
10. California (6–6, 2–6)
California could not produce much while facing off against the ACC’s top team and ultimately fell 38–6 against then-No.9 SMU. Throughout the game, the Golden Bears’ offense was dormant, failing to score until late in the third quarter. Cal also never applied effective pressure on the Mustangs’ defense. Even after dropping the season finale, the Golden Bears will prepare for a bowl game appearance.
11. Virginia Tech (6–6, 4–4)
Virginia Tech snapped its three-game losing streak and earned its right to a bowl game last weekend, defeating Virginia 37–17. Running back Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns while averaging almost seven yards per carry. The Hokies’ offense was extremely effective overall, posting 456 total yards and avoiding turnovers on their way to their win.
12. NC State (6–6, 3–5)
NC State came away with a 35–30 rivalry win over North Carolina last weekend. Running back Hollywood Smothers was key for the NC State offense. He scored two touchdowns, including a game-winning touchdown run with just under 30 seconds left. The Wolfpack sealed the victory with a forced fumble before planting its flag at midfield.
13. North Carolina (6–6, 3–5)
The Tar Heels lost to in-state opponent NC State 35–30 last weekend. Although they had already punched their ticket to a bowl game, the Tar Heels’ defense fell short in a big way in the final minute, allowing NC State to score the game-winning touchdown. Despite the defensive letdown, the offense showed out as quarterback Jacoby Criswell threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
14. Virginia (5–7, 3–5)
In a battle for a bowl game, the Cavaliers couldn’t clinch their sixth win, losing 37–17 to the Hokies. Quarterback Tony Muskett was not his best, turning the ball over three times. After three straight punts to start the game, the Cavaliers struggled to find any consistent offense. The Cavaliers found themselves in a 20–3 hole at the half and could never recover.
15. Wake Forest (4–8, 2–6)
After battling all game, Wake Forest came up short 23–17 against the Blue Devils. The Demon Deacons were up by two touchdowns at one point in the second half but failed to find any offense late in the game. One bright spot for the Demon Deacons was Horatio Fields, who tallied six catches for 84 receiving yards and a touchdown. Despite his effort, a lapse in the secondary led to a game-winning touchdown for the Blue Devils in the waning moments.
16. Stanford (3–9, 2–6)
In its final game of the season, Stanford lost to San José State 34–31 as quarterback Ashton Daniels’ three interceptions were ultimately too much to overcome for the Cardinal. Stanford’s pass defense was also ineffective, giving up 385 passing yards and four passing touchdowns to Spartan quarterback Walker Eget. Stanford’s first year in the ACC was far from perfect and will look to improve over the offseason.
17. Florida State (2–10, 1–7)
If you asked Seminoles fans how their team would do this season, few would have responded that FSU would end with 10 losses and a rival planting its flag on the Seminole logo. That is what happened this past weekend, however, as the Seminoles fell short to Florida 31–11. The Seminoles’ run game tallied less than 100 yards while averaging only 2.3 yards per carry. There’s no question that FSU’s program is going to need to make some major changes in the offseason.
