1. No. 12 Miami (9–1, 5–1)
After playing with fire multiple times this year, Miami finally got burned. The Hurricanes dropped their first game of the season this past week in a 28–23 upset loss that ended with the Georgia Tech faithful rushing the field. In the losing effort, Heisman candidate Cam Ward put up 348 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, but fumbled on a potential game-winning drive with just under two minutes left in the game. The Hurricanes will have an extra week to look at the tape before hosting Wake Forest.
Next Up: Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov. 23, 12:00 p.m.
2. No. 14 Southern Methodist (8–1, 5–0)
Even though the Mustangs had a bye week, it still felt like a win for the ACC newcomers. With Miami’s shocking loss, SMU became the only remaining undefeated team in ACC conference play. As a result, its road to the ACC championship game and a potential 12-team College Football Playoff berth became much clearer. The Mustangs will need to continue depending on Texas-native quarterback Kevin Jennings over their next three conference games to close out the regular season.
Next Up: Boston College, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
3. No. 22 Louisville (6–3, 4–2)
Following this weekend’s bye, Louisville will take a trip across the country to take on Stanford. The last time the Cardinals were in action, they posted an impressive double-digit win over Clemson on the road. The Cardinals will look to extend their winning streak to three this weekend as they head out to Stanford.
Next Up: Stanford, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
4. No. 17 Clemson (7–2, 6–1)
The Tigers responded well to their first home loss of the season, following up a loss to Louisville by taking down Virginia Tech in a 24–14 road victory. Although Clemson had a slow start offensively, scoring no points in the first half, the Tigers got it rolling in the second half, erupting for 24 straight points. Running back Phil Mafah continued his strong senior campaign with the Tigers, rushing for 128 yards.
Next Up: Pittsburgh, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
5. Duke (7–3, 3–3)
Duke’s defense came ready to play on Saturday, limiting the NC State offense to a safety, fumble, and two three and outs on their first four possessions. After scoring the first 12 points of the game, the Blue Devils used that advantage to pave their way to a 29–19 victory over the Wolfpack. Blue Devils’ quarterback Maalik Murphy was superb in the win, throwing for 245 yards, zero interceptions, and two touchdowns, while adding another touchdown on the ground.
Next Up: Virginia Tech, Saturday, Nov. 23, 8:00 p.m.
6. Pittsburgh (7–2, 3–2)
Despite rattling off seven straight wins to start the season, the Panthers find themselves in a tough position. This past week, the Panthers dropped their second straight game, losing to Virginia 24–19 at home. Pittsburgh was lackluster offensively, punting the ball six times and turning the ball over twice. The Panthers will need to be better these next couple of weeks as they take on Clemson and Louisville—both ranked opponents.
Next Up: Clemson, Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
7. Syracuse (6–3, 3–3)
This past weekend, the Orange lost to BC 37–31. After falling into a 14–0 hole, the Orange responded well, scoring 21 straight points. But midway through the third quarter, the Orange lost its momentum thanks to a Kyle McCord fumble that led to a safety. Throughout the game, Syracuse had no answer for the Eagles’ rush attack, allowing 321 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Orange look to bounce back into the win column as they make the long trip out West to take on Golden Bears.
Next Up: California, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
8. Georgia Tech (6–4, 4–3)
The Yellow Jackets notched their second upset over a top-10 ranked team this year with a massive 28–23 win over then-No. 4 Miami. Not only did Georgia Tech deliver Miami its first loss of the season, but it also reached six wins on the year to become bowl-eligible. After missing two games, Haynes King returned with both a passing and rushing touchdown to provide Yellow Jackets fans with a winning performance worth storming the field for.
Next Up: NC State, Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m.
9. North Carolina (5–4, 2–3)
At this point in the season, the Tar Heels sit one game over .500 and are one win away from reaching bowl eligibility. North Carolina is coming off a bye, which gave it an extra week to prepare for their interstate clash against Wake Forest. So far this year, running back Omarion Hampton has been on a tear, rushing for over 100 yards in all but one game this season. Hampton seeks to continue his consistent run over the Tar Heels’ three remaining conference games.
Next Up: Wake Forest, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
10. Virginia (5–4, 3–3)
The Cavaliers took down Pittsburgh 24–19 last week, knocking the Panthers out of the top-25 rankings. Virginia overcame quarterback Anthony Colandrea’s two picks by forcing two interceptions of its own to even out the turnover battle. Offensively, the Cavaliers were perfectly balanced, rushing and passing for 170 yards each. The Cavaliers have the chance to knock off their second straight ranked opponent this next week as they head to South Bend to take on No. 8 Notre Dame.
Next Up: No. 8 Notre Dame, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
11. Virginia Tech (5–5, 3–3)
The Hokies dropped their second straight game this past weekend in a 24–14 loss against Clemson.The Hokies just couldn’t get anything consistent going offensively, turning the ball over three times while only running for forty total yards. Looking ahead at the remainder of the schedule, the Hokies have two more games against unranked opponents with the opportunity to become bowl eligible. The Hokies will have a bye this weekend before traveling to Durham, N.C. to take on the Blue Devils in hopes of avoiding a three game losing streak.
Next Up: Duke, Saturday, Nov. 23, 8:00 p.m.
12. Boston College (5–4, 2–3)
The Eagles got a huge win this past weekend, beating Syracuse 37–31, snapping their three-game losing streak. BC was led by a pair of running backs: Kye Robichaux and Jordan McDonald. Robichaux tallied 198 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while McDonald had 133 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own. This weekend, the Eagles seek to hand SMU its first loss in ACC play as quarterback Grayson James makes his second start of the season.
Next Up: SMU, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
13. California (5–4, 1–4)
Last Friday night, the Golden Bears took down Wake Forest 46–36 to notch its first conference win as a member of the ACC. Offensively, the Golden Bears were unstoppable, tallying 500 total yards. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza racked up 385 yards and two touchdowns in the air on the way to a victory. The Golden Bears have been clicking on all gears offensively, scoring a total of 90 points in their past two contests. California will look to keep up its strong offensive production in a game against Syracuse, where a win can make it bowl eligible.
Next Up: Syracuse, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
14. Wake Forest (4–5, 2–3)
The Demon Deacons found themselves down 10–0 less than six minutes into their game against Cal. Even though Wake Forest was able to stay within striking distance throughout the game—even getting the game within three points—its four turnovers and lackluster defense never allowed it to take back the lead in a 46–36 loss. Despite the losing effort, running back Demond Claiborne put up another strong performance with 133 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. The Demon Deacons will have an extra day to prepare for the Tar Heels as they head to Chapel Hill to try and contain Hampton.
Next Up: North Carolina, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
15. NC State (5–5, 2–4)
The Wolfpack fell to Duke at home 29–19 in its last outing. Specifically in the second and third quarter, the Wolfpack struggled to convert their drives into touchdowns. The Wolfpack had to settle for just one touchdown, scoring all of its other points off field goals. NC State will have an extra week to work on its red zone offense before taking on the Yellow Jackets in a Thursday night tilt.
Next Up: Georgia Tech, Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m.
16. Stanford (2–7, 1–5)
After last week’s bye, the Cardinal will host its final home game of the season against Louisville. In order to pull off the upset, the Cardinal will need to clean things up on the defensive end after giving up 59 points to NC State in its last outing. Although the odds are slim, with some physicality on the defensive end, Stanford can give itself a chance to earn a huge win and build some confidence before taking on against Cal.
Next Up: No. 22 Louisville, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
17. Florida State (1–9, 1–7)
A disastrous season for the Seminoles continued with a 52–3 whopping against then-No. 10 Notre Dame. After putting three on the board early, the Florida State offense couldn’t do anything right, punting the ball seven times while being shut out for the rest of the game. Quarterback Brock Glenn was a mess for the Seminoles, throwing for just 51 yards to go along with two picks. After the bye week, the Seminoles will have an opportunity to snap their six-game losing streak in a matchup against Charleston Southern at home.
Next Up: Charleston Southern, Saturday, Nov. 23, 1:30 p.m.
Leave a Reply