ACC Power Rankings: Tigers tumble from top spot
Down goes Clemson. Notre Dame‘s sound upset on Saturday night in South Bend put a serious dent in the ACC’s College Football Playoff chances, while bringing a new team into the top spot of our ACC Power Rankings for the first time all year.
And even that was a bit tenuous, with North Carolina needing a second-half comeback to beat Virginia on the road.
In any case, there was plenty of ACC action on Saturday, so let’s dive into the matchups and see how it changed the outlook in the conference as we really barrel down the home stretch.
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Today we reorder the ACC Power Rankings following Week 10 games.
2022 ACC Power Rankings – Week 10
- North Carolina (+1)
The Tar Heels fell behind and had to engineer a second-half comeback, ultimately winning 31-28 against Virginia. Quarterback Drake Maye was electric again, finishing 26-of-37 passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 74 yards and a score. North Carolina hasn’t won big on the road this year, but it’s getting the job done and now has a big game against Wake Forest on tap.
- Clemson (-1)
The Tigers gave up touchdowns in all three phases, allowing Notre Dame to score off a blocked punt and a pick-six, while being unable to slow down the Fighting Irish on the ground. Notre Dame ran for 263 yards and controlled the game from start to finish. Clemson will go forward still with quarterback question marks after DJ Uiagalelei was briefly lifted, Cade Klubnik entered and threw an interception, then Uiagalelei returned only to throw the 96-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter.
Florida State absolutely pounded in-state rival Miami in a 45-3 win. Quarterback Jordan Travis threw for three touchdowns and Florida State put together a well-balanced game, passing for 225 yards while rushing for 229 yards. The Seminoles gave up only 62 yards passing to the ‘Canes and 126 rushing, putting the clamps down defensively. Florida State will finish a two-game road swing next weekend with a trip to Syracuse for a late game.
The Wolfpack were billed as one of the league’s top defensive units going into the year and showed it on Saturday against Wake Forest. NC State sacked Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman four times and forced him into three interceptions, all while completely stopping the Demon Deacons on the ground. Freshman quarterback MJ Morris was excellent for NC State, going 18-of-28 passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding 19 carries for 43 yards in the 30-21 win.
Louisville cruised with a comfortable 34-10 win over James Madison, pulling away after a tight first half. Quarterback Malik Cunningham threw for three touchdowns, while Tiyon Evans and Jawhar Jordan both topped the 100-yard mark rushing in the contest. Louisville now begins a final stretch that pits it against Clemson on the road, NC State at home and Kentucky on the road.
- Duke (+2)
Despite veteran quarterback Phil Jurkovec missing the game for Boston College, Duke didn’t really have it easy. His replacement, Emmett Morehead, threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. But the Blue Devils were able to pull out a 38-31 win thanks to a dominant showing on the ground, piling up 232 yards and four touchdowns. The win earned Duke bowl eligibility with three games still remaining.
- Wake Forest (-1)
Turnovers and becoming one dimensional have been massive issues for Wake Forest in recent weeks and that was the story Saturday. Hartman threw three interceptions and the Demon Deacons simply couldn’t run the ball. After losing two straight, the road isn’t getting easier, either. Up next are home dates with North Carolina and then Syracuse.
- Pittsburgh (+2)
Pittsburgh remains a tough team to figure out, seemingly capable of playing with anyone but also having suffered a head-scratching loss or two. The Panthers were without star running back Israel Abanikanda on Saturday but Rodney Hammond Jr. turned in a career day with 124 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Pittsburgh pulled out a 19-9 win, taking advantage of Syracuse playing without starting quarterback Garrett Shrader.
- Syracuse (-2)
Making his first career start, Florida transfer quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson had a tough go of things, finishing 8-of-23 passing for just 120 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Orange ran for just 25 yards and couldn’t get anything going offensively, finishing with just 145 total yards in the 19-9 loss.
- Miami (-1)
The Hurricanes are a complete disaster right now and the fact they remain this high in our ACC Power Rankings is more a reflection of how bad the bottom of the league is than anything else. A 45-3 loss to Florida State saw quarterback Tyler Van Dyke reinjured and three different quarterbacks take snaps. Miami managed just 62 yards passing and 126 on the ground and bowl eligibility now looks in serious jeopardy for Mario Cristobal‘s outfit.
Virginia owning the head-to-head win over Georgia Tech and playing North Carolina to within three points in a 31-28 loss keep us (narrowly) from dropping the Cavaliers below the Yellow Jackets. That Virginia was able to keep it a game against the Tar Heels despite being down three starting receivers was impressive. But now Virginia must win against Pittsburgh next week if it wants to keep hopes of bowl eligibility alive.
Turnovers allowed Georgia Tech to turn things around in the fourth quarter and rally to beat Virginia Tech 28-27. The Hokies turned it over three times in the fourth quarter as the Yellow Jackets won the final frame 12-0. Playing without starting quarterback Jeff Sims, Georgia Tech got a productive outing from new starter Zach Pyron, who threw for 253 yards and a score, while adding 66 rushing and another touchdown on the ground. Georgia Tech now takes on Miami with a chance to move up the ACC Power Rankings.
No Jurkovec, surprisingly no problem. Boston College got a terrific outing from freshman Emmett Morehead, who threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Boston College just couldn’t get stops, falling to Duke 38-31. Bowl eligibility is now out of reach.
The Hokies blew a golden chance to beat the Yellow Jackets, up 27-16 with the ball inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter. But a fumble by Keshawn King led to a possible 14-point swing and gave Georgia Tech the momentum when it mattered. Now with seven losses, Virginia Tech’s shot at a bowl is gone.
Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 9 ACC Power Rankings here!