It's been a couple of weeks since our last ACC Power Rankings, but in that break, the top three teams in the conference are beginning to separate from the pack.
SMU is No. 3 in the rankings, with one loss to BYU that turned out not to be a bad loss. The Cougars are one of 11 teams that are still undefeated and have a chance to make the College Football Playoffs.
The Mustangs have an explosive offense, scoring less than 34 points only twice. That includes dropping 42 points of Florida State, which, surprisingly, has a good defense. Other than California, there's no one left on SMU's schedule that can stop it.
Week Eight ACC Power Rankings
Rank | School | Game Result | Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Miami | BYE | 1 (week six) |
2 | Clemson | W, Wake Forest 49-17 | 2 (week six) |
3 | SMU | BYE | 6 (week six) |
4 | Louisville | W, Virginia 24-20 | 3 (week six) |
5 | Georgia Tech | W, North Carolina 41-34 | 5 (week six) |
6 | Pittsburgh | W, California 17-15 | 7 (week six) |
7 | Virginia Tech | BYE | 8 (week six) |
8 | California | L, Pittsburgh 17-15 | 10 (week six) |
9 | Syracuse | W, NC State 24-17 | 13 (week six) |
10 | Boston College | BYE | 4 (week six) |
11 | Duke | BYE | 11 (week six) |
12 | North Carolina | L, Georgia Tech 41-34 | 12 (week six) |
13 | Florida State | BYE | 14 (week six) |
14 | NC State | L, Syracuse 24-17 | 9 (week six) |
15 | Virginia | L, Lousiville 24-20 | 15 (week six) |
16 | Stanford | L, Notre Dame 49-7 | 16 (week six) |
17 | Wake Forest | L, Clemson 49-17 | 17 (week six) |
The other two are Clemson and Miami. While SMU is at the top of the conference, too, Clemson and Miami are a step ahead of them.
Miami has shown its weaknesses over the past couple of weeks, so the BYE couldn't have come at a better time. This Saturday, the Hurricanes still have to play an angry Louisville team, looking to prove itself as one of the top ACC teams after a loss to SMU.
Clemson is steadily improving on offense, while its defense is as stout as advertised. Sure, it's given up 34-plus points to Georgia and NC State, but the latter was given up in garbage time, and the former was held to six points in the first half.
In the last two weeks, Florida State and Wake Forrest were easy games, but the road before Clemson won't be easy. The Tigers have some difficult opponents left, with Louisville, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and South Carolina still on the schedule. All of them are tough but winnable games, which could help when the College Football Playoff committee chooses teams.