ACC Power Rankings
By: will-vandervort November 19, 2015

Clemson claimed sole ownership of the Atlantic Division crown with its win at Syracuse last week. The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in all three major polls as they earned the top spot in the Coaches Poll this past Sunday for the first time since January of 1982.

The Tigers, who will go for win 700 all-time against Wake Forest on Saturday, has now been the No. 1 ranked team in all three of the College Football Playoff Committee’s Rankings, and has owned the top spot in the last two Associated Press Polls.

North Carolina is in position to clinch its first Coastal Division Championship with a win over Virginia Tech on Saturday or a Pitt loss to Louisville. The Tar Heels have not won an ACC Championship in football since 1980, Lawrence Taylor’s senior year at Chapel Hill.

  1. Clemson (10-0, 7-0 ACC), Last week No. 1: The Tigers remained No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Rankings for a third straight week. It marks the longest stretch in which a Clemson team remained No. 1 in any poll. The Tigers have won 13 straight games dating back to the last three games of 2014. It is the second longest winning streak in the country. Who is next: vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  2. North Carolina (9-1, 6-0 ACC), Last week No. 2: The Tar Heels continue to impress. They scored 125 points combined in wins over Duke and Miami. A win or a Pitt loss will clinch the Coastal Division Title. Who is next: at Virginia Tech, noon, Saturday.
  3. Florida State (8-2, 6-2 ACC), Last week No. 3: The Seminoles completed their ACC schedule by scoring 27 unanswered points against NC State. Running back Dalvin Cook set a single-season rushing record and now has an ACC best 1,369 yards. Who is next: vs. Chattanooga, 3:00 p.m., Saturday
  4. Pitt (7-3, 5-1 ACC), Last week No. 7: The Panthers need to beat Louisville and then get a little help from Virginia Tech against North Carolina to keep its Coastal Division title hopes alive. Who is next: vs. Louisville, 3:45 p.m., Saturday
  5. Louisville (6-4, 5-2 ACC), Last week No. 4: The Cardinals have won 6 of their last 7 games and are now positioning themselves for one of the ACC’s better bowl games. Who is next: at Pitt, 3:45 p.m., Saturday
  6. NC State (6-4, 2-4 ACC), Last week No. 6: The Wolfpack can also move up in bowl positioning with a win over Syracuse this Saturday and then a victory over UNC in the season-finale next week. Who is next: vs. Syracuse, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  7. Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3 ACC), Last week No. 9: Saturday’s game against North Carolina will be Frank Beamer’s final home game in Blacksburg. The players will be wearing special black uniforms and a patch on their left shoulder to honor their head coach, who is retiring at the end of the season. Who is next: vs. North Carolina, noon, Saturday
  8. Miami (6-4, 3-3 ACC), Last week No. 5: The Hurricanes were outscored 117-21 by the ACC’s two best teams (Clemson and North Carolina) this year. Who is next: vs. Georgia Tech, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  9. Duke (6-4, 3-3 ACC), Last week No. 8: Duke has lost three straight games to Miami, North Carolina and Pitt. Since the devastating loss to Miami on the game’s final play on Halloween, the Blue Devils were outscored 97-44 to North Carolina and Pitt. Who is next: at Virginia, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  10. Virginia (3-7, 2-4 ACC), Last week No. 10: Safety Quin Blanding leads the ACC and is 8th nationally among all defensive backs in tackles. He is averaging 9.4 tackles per game. Who is next: vs. Duke, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  11. Syracuse (3-7, 1-5 ACC), Last week No. 12: The ‘Cuse put up a fight against top-ranked Clemson as they rushed for 242 yards on 34 carries. Those were the most rushing yards allowed by the Clemson defense this year. Quarterback Zack Mahoney had 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Orange. Who is next: at NC State, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  12. Georgia Tech (3-7, 1-6 ACC), Last week No. 11: It’s been a long season for Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets. This is the worst year for the program since 1996. Their 18 straight bowl appearances—third best in the ACC—has come to an end. Who is next: at Miami, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  13. Wake Forest (3-7, 1-5 ACC), Last week No. 13: The Demon Deacons held Notre Dame to a season-low 282 total yards last week. Who is next: at Clemson, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  14. Boston College (3-7, 0-7 ACC), Last week No. 14: The Eagles will play Notre Dame at Fenway Park. It marks the first time since 1956 the Eagles have played at the old ballpark. Who is next: vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., Saturday.