Miami still sits alone at the top of the ACC, and after Saturday night’s 41-13 road win over Clemson, that hardly feels debatable. The Hurricanes were ruthless on defense, sacking Tait Reynolds six times and shutting down the Tigers’ ground game, then head into a bye week before a rivalry matchup with Florida State.
After that, though, the league turns into a scramble.
Pitt and Duke are the only other unbeaten teams left in the conference, and even Pitt’s win over Virginia Tech came with a major hit: quarterback Mason Heintschel is out for the season. The Panthers forced four turnovers on the road against a team that came in playing well, but now they have to figure out how to reshape the offense before hosting North Carolina next week.
Duke, meanwhile, slid a spot simply because it was on a bye. The Blue Devils return next Saturday against Georgia Tech.
Virginia Tech came agonizingly close to handing Pitt its first loss on Friday night, but a missed field goal at the buzzer, a -4 turnover margin, and a disastrous third quarter buried the Hokies. Even with that setback, they’re still in the ACC Championship conversation, though the schedule gets tougher from here - after a road trip to California.
Wake Forest may have the strongest argument for being higher. The Demon Deacons didn’t just beat Stanford at home; they flattened the Cardinal 57-3. Stanford, fresh off its win over Georgia Tech, looked bad on both sides of the ball and now heads to Notre Dame next week.
That Stanford loss was part of a brutal weekend for the Bay Area schools. Cal, which came into the season with darkhorse buzz thanks to quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele, is still searching for an identity.
The offense has been disjointed for most of the year, and Saturday’s loss to UNLV came with a defense that surrendered 39 points. Next up is Virginia Tech, and Cal badly needs a bounce-back.
Boston College didn’t exactly shine, but the Eagles kept competing against SMU and gave the Mustangs trouble all game. They get a bye before returning on Oct. 17th.
Syracuse picked up a win over UConn, though it wasn’t comfortable late. The defense had trouble slowing the Huskies, but the offense looked strong under Amari Odom, which gives the Orange something to build on before they travel to Virginia next week.
North Carolina hung around with Notre Dame for much of the afternoon, but the Tar Heels never seriously threatened an upset. They couldn’t stop the run and kept turning the ball over, and now they’re headed to Pitt to face a team that just lost its starting quarterback.
NC State may not have looked good most of the season, but it got a needed jolt by upsetting Louisville behind a big performance from CJ Bailey. He threw for over 300 yards against a struggling Cardinals defense, and if that keeps up, the Wolfpack could work their way back into the conference picture. Wake Forest is next.
Virginia’s path is getting rougher by the week. The Cavaliers have dropped two of their last three, and two of their wins have come against Norfolk State and Delaware.
Florida State’s offense gave UVA trouble all day, and the Cavaliers’ own offense kept getting in its way. A rebound chance comes next week against Syracuse.
Louisville, meanwhile, is spiraling. After close games against Ole Miss and SMU had people talking about a possible College Football Playoff path, the Cardinals have now dropped two straight to Wake Forest and NC State. A home game against Florida State is next.
Florida State’s win over Virginia was the surprise of the weekend in the ACC. Given the mood around the program and head coach Mike Norvell, it would not have been shocking if the Seminoles had laid an egg at home.
Instead, Ashton Daniels turned in a strong performance and the run game delivered. The test now shifts to a road trip to Louisville.
Clemson’s loss to Miami was one of those games where the gap showed up in every phase. The Tigers battled, especially on defense, but their offensive line couldn’t keep Reynolds clean or create much in the run game. They’re still alive for a trip to Charlotte, and the bye week comes at a good time.
SMU moved up despite a shaky showing against Boston College. That makes back-to-back weeks in which the Mustangs haven’t played especially well against a clearly lesser opponent, and a much-needed bye is next for Rhett Lashlee’s team.
And then there’s Georgia Tech, which was idle this week and gets Duke at home next Saturday. For now, the Jackets just wait while the rest of the ACC keeps sorting itself out.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech's Remaining Path Looks Worse Than Fans Expected
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ESPNs Football Power Index is painting a bleak picture from here, projecting only a low chance of success over the final eight games and a finish that could land at 2-10. The path back starts with a difficult one, too, with undefeated Duke waiting next, and the broader slate has already shown enough mixed results to keep little comfort in sight. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia And Alabama Are Fueling A Debate Georgia Tech Fans Should Watch
Paul Finebaum had plenty to celebrate after Alabamas 56-23 win over Mississippi State, pointing to a defense that kept quarterback Kamario Taylor in check while the Crimson Tide turned every red-zone trip into points. The performance only added to the sense that Alabama is gathering momentum again, especially after setting an SEC home mark for points against a ranked opponent.
Across the league, ESPN analyst Heather Dinich is making a different case, labeling Georgia the SECs most complete team based on the numbers and its offensive efficiency. With Alabama looming on Georgias schedule, the discussion is now about how the two powers stack up, and whether that matchup will settle which program is best positioned as the conference race tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces An Early ACC Gut Check Against Duke
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Duke has already shown it can handle business this season, including a decisive win over Stanford, a result that stands out around these parts because Georgia Tech lost to Stanford after holding a halftime lead. For the Jackets, the matchup is less about the line and more about whether they can clean up the issues that have surfaced early and answer a conference test before the league race starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]