Wake Forest came up just short of the AP Top 25 after its road win over No. 16 Louisville, but the Deacs were close enough to make a real statement in the latest poll.
They landed at 88 points, which effectively puts them at No. 29 in the country and leaves them outside the rankings for now. Wake also showed up on 21 of the 70 ballots, and the highest anyone pushed the Deacs was No. 17 on four different ballots.
Three North Carolina voters - John Johnson of Winston-Salem, Pat Welter of Raleigh and Kate Rogerson of Raleigh - all slotted Wake at No. 23.
That near miss comes after a weekend result that gives Wake a strong case. The Deacs are one of five teams in the country with two P4 road wins, joining Miami, VT, Miss State and UCLA, and they have only one loss to a team that is currently fourth in the nation.
Their win at Louisville also stacks up well against the best victories of several ranked teams, including No. 17 Tennessee’s win at 1-3 Georgia Tech, No.
21 SMU’s win at 2-2 FSU and No. 25 Missouri’s win at 1-2 Kansas.
Still, the bigger picture is simple: the ranking itself won’t decide anything for Wake Forest. The Deacs just need to keep winning, because the AP Poll won’t carry much weight once the College Football Playoff rankings arrive later in the season. For now, the number next to their name is less important than the results they keep piling up each week.
In Other News...
Louisvilles Loss Exposed A Problem Fans Wont Want To Ignore
Wake Forests win over Louisville was the kind of all-around showing coaches love to circle on tape, because it came with useful signs in every phase. The defense held firm against the run and kept Louisville to 75 rushing yards, while Frank Cusano and Matt Herron were among the standouts for setting the edge and closing down inside lanes. On the other side, the interior offensive line did its job in pass protection, giving the offense a steadier platform than it has sometimes found this season.
There were still a few areas that left room for concern, though, especially at tackle, where the grading suggests the edge of the line is still a work in progress. Drayden Dickmann also chipped in with notable work as a run blocker, another encouraging detail for a team that wants consistency when it leans on the ground game. For Wake Forest, the positive takeaway is obvious, but the less polished spots up front are the kind of thing that can quietly become an issue if they keep showing up. [Read more 🡒]