Miami is still standing at the front of the ACC race, and right now the path behind the Hurricanes is starting to come into focus.
The conference picture after Week 8 has a clear top tier and not much chaos at the top, with Miami unbeaten and looking like the team to beat for a berth in the ACC championship game. The most likely challenger, at least for now, appears to be the winner of the Nov. 14 meeting between Wake Forest and SMU.
That said, this league has spent all season reminding everyone that certainty doesn’t last long. Syracuse’s upset of North Carolina and Duke running back Nate Sheppard tossing the game-winning touchdown pass to beat Virginia were just the latest examples of how quickly things can flip.
- Miami (7-0, 5-0 ACC)
The Hurricanes are the clear frontrunner, but they can’t afford to get wrapped up in what comes next. Next week’s trip to Notre Dame is waiting, and an upset at North Carolina could still be lurking.
- Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1)
The Demon Deacons’ Nov. 14 showdown with SMU is shaping up as the game that will decide who gets the shot at Miami in the title game.
- SMU (6-1, 4-1)
The Mustangs not only have Wake Forest on deck, they also have a trip to Notre Dame the following week. Handle that stretch, and a College Football Playoff berth is sitting there.
- Louisville (4-3, 3-2)
The Cardinals are having their season drowned out by what rival Kentucky is doing in Will Stein’s first season.
- Duke (5-2, 2-2)
The Blue Devils are sitting one win away from a program-record fifth straight bowl trip.
- Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2)
The Hokies get a bye before heading to Dallas to face SMU.
- Clemson (4-3, 2-2)
Dabo Swinney has to get Clemson’s offense sorted out, and fast.
- UNC (4-3, 2-2)
North Carolina followed its upset win over Duke with a rough showing against Boston College, and that’s not the kind of swing that will make Bill Belichick popular.
- Boston College (4-3, 2-2)
That win over the Tar Heels should have Duke paying attention.
- Pittsburgh (5-3, 2-3)
You can’t help but wonder what this Panthers team might have looked like if Mason Heintschel had stayed healthy.
- Virginia (4-4, 2-3)
The Cavaliers are on a two-game skid and now have to head to Wake Forest on Saturday.
- Stanford (4-4, 2-3)
There are sparse crowds, and then there was what the Cardinal saw Friday night at home.
- California (3-5, 2-3)
The Golden Bears have dropped four of their last five, but they do get NC State at home this Saturday.
- Florida State (3-4, 1-3)
Mike Norvell’s buyout after this season is about $45.6 million. The question hanging over Tallahassee is whether the Seminoles would actually pay it.
- NC State (3-4, 1-3)
Dave Doeren was one of three Power 4 coaches dismissed this weekend, ending a 14-year run as a steady presence in Raleigh. The Wolfpack now has a major hire to make.
- Georgia Tech (2-5, 1-3)
This is still a bizarre team, now sitting at 2-5.
- Syracuse (3-4, 1-4)
The Orange aren’t going to finish winless in league play, so there’s that.
In Other News...
Dukes Overachieving Start Is Being Driven By An Unexpected Group
Dukes strong start has not just been about a few returning faces settling into bigger roles. A surprising core of transfer additions has helped shape the Blue Devils identity on both sides of the ball, with wideout Jonah Burton emerging as the teams leading receiver after stops at Baylor and Idaho State. He has given the passing game a reliable target, while Rutgers transfer CJ Campbell has added balance as a complementary back.
The impact has been just as noticeable in the secondary, where cornerbacks Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers have become key pieces after arriving from Montana and Western Kentucky. Their presence has helped stabilize a defense that looks more comfortable and more competitive than it did a year ago. For Duke, the story of this fast start keeps circling back to a group that did not arrive together, but has quickly become central to what the team is building. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Allen Fieldhouse Win Made Two Early Difference-Makers Hard To Ignore
The most encouraging part of Dukes early preseason run is not just that it handled Belmont and Tennessee before outlasting Kansas in the toughest test yet, but that the Blue Devils are already getting meaningful production from a couple of players who were not expected to carry the entire load. Junior center Patrick Ngongba looked far more imposing inside, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds while showing the kind of physicality and passing that can make him more than just a paint presence. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell also made his mark, scoring 23 points with a style that fit the moment because he did not try to force much of anything.
Against Kansas, that balance mattered. Duke also cleaned up one area that had the potential to tilt a close game the other way, shooting 81.8% from the line in a victory that turned into a useful early measuring stick. The longer this preseason stretch goes on, the more these two stand out as players who can change the look of the rotation, which makes the next test worth watching closely for a team still sorting out how its pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Got Two Weekend Wins Fans Should Feel Good About
Duke picked up a pair of morale-boosting weekend wins, and both came in ways that should leave the fan base feeling encouraged about where things are headed. On the football side, the Blue Devils survived a close one against Virginia by leaning on a late trick play, with Walker Eget finding Nate Sheppard on a double pass before Sheppard hit Brody Keefe for a touchdown that swung the game.
Patrick Smith-Young then finished it off with an interception on Virginias final possession, giving Duke a hard-earned finish in a game that could have gone either way. On the hardwood, the Blue Devils kept the momentum rolling by going on the road and beating Kansas 90-84 in an exhibition, with Patrick Ngongba and John Blackwell leading the way as preseason play wrapped up and the regular season drew near. [Read more 🡒]