The Wolfpacker's ACC power rankings: Week 13

Wake Forest bounced back from last week with a win at home, Virginia Tech finally got back into the win column and Boston College could not carry over the momentum from its game against NC State to its matchup with Notre Dame. With one week to go in the regular season, the ACC is just a few rivalry games away from finalizing its standing before the postseason.

Every Tuesday, The Wolfpacker will rank each of the 14 ACC football programs using the past week’s results, the momentum around the respective programs and what we are hearing from around the conference to inform our decisions. 

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Here are our ACC Power rankings for week 13 of the college football season:

1) Clemson (10-1)

Last week’s result: A 40-10 win over Miami

Clemson solidified its spot atop the power rankings with yet another dominant win in Death Valley. Miami  only managed 98 yards of total offense in the contest as the Tigers’ defense completely shut down the opposition. DJ Uiagalelei threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for 1 more to pace the Clemson offense.

2)  Florida State (8-3)

Last week’s result: A 49-17 win over Louisiana

Florida State took care of business against its non-conference foe, racking up 251 rushing yards to control the pace of the game and score nearly 50 points. With 4 wins in a row, the Seminoles are on an elite run of form right now.

T-3) North Carolina (9-2)

Last week’s result: A 21-17 loss to Georgia Tech

North Carolina lost an ACC contest for the first time this season, with its usually-potent offensive attack fizzling in the second half. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 17-0 lead early but could not hold off the Georgia Tech comeback as the Yellow Jackets scored 21 unanswered points.

T-3) Louisville (7-4)

Last week’s result: A 25-10 win over NC State

Louisville picked up another impressive ranked win over the weekend, using a productive rushing attack, stout defense and an explosive kickoff return to defeat NC State. Jawhar Jordan led the Cardinals with 105 rushing yards and 1 touchdown.

5) Wake Forest (7-4)

Last week’s result: A 45-35 win over Syracuse

Wake Forest’s offense got its rhythm back against Syracuse, with wide receiver A.T. Perry catching 3 of Sam Hartman’s 4 touchdowns during the win. The Demon Deacons now have a chance to finish its regular season strong with a matchup on the road against Duke.

6) NC State (7-4)

Last week’s result: A 25-10 loss to Louisville

Considering NC State had to play its fourth-string quarterback for most of the loss to Louisville, it is a testament to the already-injured Wolfpack that it kept the game so close for so long. The Pack played from behind for most of the game, so they had to lean on the arm of Ben Finley at times as the defense continued to force stops. A limited offense and a crucial special teams mistake on a kickoff return led to the loss.

7) Pittsburgh (7-4)

Last week’s result: A 28-26 win over Duke

Despite 2 interceptions from quarterback Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh withstood a late push from Duke to secure its seventh win of the season. The Panthers held the Blue Devils to 63 rushing yards, and 113 rushing yards from running back Israel Abanikanda helped secure the conference victory.

8)  Duke (7-4)

Last week’s result: A 28-26 loss to Pittsburgh

Quarterback Riley Leonard threw for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns, but Duke fell just short of a comeback ACC win over Pittsburgh. Jordan Moore racked up 199 receiving yards in the loss.

9) Syracuse (6-5)

Last week’s result: A 45-35 loss to Wake Forest

Syracuse lost its sixth-consecutive game and continues to fall in the conference power rankings as a result. The offense was not an issue last weekend, but the defense could not slow down the Wake Forest passing attack.

10) Georgia Tech (5-6)

Last week’s result: A 21-17 win over North Carolina

Georgia Tech is now close to a .500 record after losing 3 of its first 4 games. The Yellow Jackets recorded 186 rushing yards and scored 3 touchdowns after falling behind 17-0 to secure the ACC win.

11) Miami (5-6)

Last week’s result: A 40-10 loss to Clemson

Miami fell short of 100 total yards of offense against Clemson in one of its worst offensive performances of the season. The Hurricanes played 2 quarterbacks who combined for 68 passing yards.

12) Virginia Tech (3-8)

Last week’s result: A 23-22 win over Liberty

Jalen Holston rushed for 3 touchdowns, and Virginia Tech snapped its 7-game losing streak. The Hokies shut out Liberty in the fourth quarter to help preserve its non-conference victory.

T-13) Boston College (3-8)

Last week’s result: A 44-0 loss to Notre Dame

After defeating NC State in its last game, Boston College did not score a point against Notre Dame. Quarterback Emmett Morehead threw 3 interceptions and fumbled twice.

T-13) Virginia (3-7)

Last week’s result: N/A

 UVA will not play the rest of the season following the tragic shooting on its campus.