David M. Hale 6y

ACC Week 11 power rankings: Clemson, Miami make it official

It's not that there was much question who the top two teams in the ACC were before Week 11, but now it's official. Miami and Clemson will face off Dec. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the conference championship, and it's not entirely unthinkable that both could squeeze into the College Football Playoff.

1. Miami Hurricanes

OK, Miami Twitter. You can stop complaining now. A second consecutive dominant victory over a ranked foe earns the Canes the top spot. More important, however, Virginia's loss Saturday earned Miami its first trip to the ACC championship game, where the debate can be settled on the field.

2. Clemson Tigers

Kelly Bryant's team is 9-1 and poised for a third straight playoff berth, but if Clemson wants to finish the job, it needs to find some answers in the passing game, which has struggled to find much success in the past month.

3. NC State Wolfpack

It wasn't pretty -- especially when it came to the kicking game -- but NC State earned a needed victory at Boston College after two painful losses to top-four teams. The Wolfpack won't win the Atlantic, but Saturday did prove something about NC State's resilience.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies

Back-to-back losses put a damper on the Virginia Tech enthusiasm, but a second consecutive 10-win season is still possible.

5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The ACC's biggest Jekyll & Hyde team turned in one of its good games against the Hokies, and now needs only a win Saturday against struggling Duke to secure a bowl bid.

6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Here's a fun stat: In the past decade, only four quarterbacks have tallied 2,000 pass yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 500 rush yards and 10 rush TDs in their team's first 10 games: Lamar Jackson, Jordan Lynch, Dak Prescott and Wake's John Wolford. Only one has done it with fewer than five turnovers: Wolford.

7. Boston College Eagles

BC has to feel as if it let one get away against NC State, but more concerning is the health of quarterback Anthony Brown, defensive end Harold Landry and cornerback Kamrin Moore, all hurt or out Saturday.

8. Louisville Cardinals

More than another big game from Jackson or the Cards clinching a bowl berth, the success of Louisville's struggling defense was cause for optimism against Virginia.

9. Virginia Cavaliers

After taking Louisville to the wire last season, Saturday's struggles had to be more than a bit frustrating. And with two games to go against Miami and Virginia Tech, the task doesn't get any easier.

10. Florida State Seminoles

Another week, another ugly performance by the offense. That FSU struggled against Clemson is no surprise, but the lack of any success on the ground, given that the Tigers were without several key starters on defense, was just more salt in the wound.

11. Syracuse Orange

The defense had made such nice strides this season. None of that was evident Saturday against Wake. That Clemson win feels like a long time ago.

12. Pittsburgh Panthers

There was some budding enthusiasm for Pitt. Then the Panthers lost to woeful North Carolina. This has not been a fun season.

13. Duke Blue Devils

The questionable playcalling, the turnovers, the sacks, the clear regression for Daniel Jones ... David Cutcliffe has some big questions looming this offseason.

14. North Carolina Tar Heels

Say what you will about the awful season UNC has endured, but it's a team that hasn't given up. Larry Fedora deserves some credit for that.

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