ACC Power Rankings
By: will-vandervort October 22, 2015

The Atlantic Coast Conference has four teams in this week’s Associated Press College Football Poll with Clemson leading the way at No. 6. Florida State is ranked No. 9, Duke is ranked 23rd and Pitt is No. 25.

The top five teams this week stayed the same in the TCI Power Poll with Clemson leading the way with the top spot for a seventh straight week. Miami was the biggest mover, jumping up three spots from No. 9 to No. 6 this week.

  1. Clemson (6-0, 3-0 ACC), Last week No. 1: The Tigers hit the road for the first time in a month when they travel to Miami this Saturday to take on the Hurricanes. This is the first of four road games in the last six weeks of the season for Clemson. Who is next: at Miami, Noon, Saturday
  2. Florida State (6-0, 4-0 ACC), Last week No. 2: Running back Dalvin Cook ranks second nationally in rushing yards per carry at 8.68. He is also second nationally in rushing at 159.2 yards per game. Who is next: at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., Saturday
  3. Duke (5-1, 2-0 ACC), Last week No. 3: Safety Jeremy Cash is ranked fifth nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 1.92 per game with 11.5 in six games. Cash, who leads the ACC in tackles behind the line of scrimmage is the only defensive back in the country ranked in the top 50. Who is next: at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  4. North Carolina (5-1, 2-0 ACC), Last week No. 4: The Tar Heels have won five in a row. They lead the ACC in scoring offense, total offense, and are second in rushing offense. Quarterback Marquise Jones is having a great run during the streak as he ranks fourth in the ACC in total offense at 255.3 yards per game. Who is next: vs. Virginia, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  5. Pitt (5-1, 3-0 ACC), Last week No. 5: Don’t look now but Pitt might be the most complete team in the Coastal Division. The Panthers are solid on defense. They have a good enough running game and wide receiver Tyler Boyd is a game-changing playmaker that forces defenses from stacking the box. Who is next: at Syracuse, Noon, Saturday
  6. Miami (4-2, 1-1 ACC), Last week No. 9: The Hurricanes finally bounced back after a loss to Florida State and put up 30 points on the Hokies defense in a home win. Now they get a Clemson team that has won nine straight and is squarely in the middle of the conversation for a College Football Playoff bid. Who is next: vs. Clemson, Noon, Saturday
  7. 7. Louisville (2-4, 1-2 ACC), Last week No. 6: The Cardinals went blow-for-blow with Florida State for the better part of two quarters last Saturday, but in the end turnovers crept up on them again, allowing FSU to pull away for the 20-point win. Who is next: Boston College, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  8. Virginia Tech (3-4, 1-2 ACC), Last week No. 8: This is a big game for Virginia Tech. A win can keep their slim hopes alive in the Coastal Division. A loss and the only things left to accomplish will be bowl eligibility and a win over Virginia. Who is next: vs. vs. Duke, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  9. NC State (4-2, 0-2 ACC), Last week No. 10: It is weird to say that the Wake Forest game is the biggest game of the year for the Wolfpack, but that is the case. NC State desperately needs a win to not only stay in the ACC Atlantic Division race, but also for confidence reasons. A loss this week, with games against Clemson and FSU still looming could spell trouble for Dave Doeren’s team. Who is next: at Wake Forest, Noon, Saturday
  10. Virginia (2-4, 1-1 ACC), Last week No. 14: I’m not sure Virginia is the 10th best team in the ACC, but it beat Syracuse in double overtime. Of course, I expect the Cavaliers to slip in the rankings next week after its visit to North Carolina. Who is next: at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  11. Syracuse (3-3, 1-1 ACC), Last week No. 7. After a 3-0 start, the Orange has slowly come back down to reality. They have lost three straight and will be facing a tough Pittsburgh team this Saturday. The bright spot during the losing streak is the play of their freshman quarterback. Eric Dungey is the only freshman quarterback ranked among the top 10 nationally and leads the ACC with a 167.1 rating. Who is next: vs. No. 25 Pitt, noon, Saturday
  12. Wake Forest (3-4, 1-3 ACC), Last week No. 11: The Demon Deacons have been up and down on defense the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago they shutout BC 3-0, but turned around and allowed UNC to hang 50 points on them. Who is next: vs. NC State, Noon, Saturday
  13. Boston College (3-4, 0-4 ACC), Last week No. 12: In the six games prior to playing Clemson, the Eagles allowed 572 yards combined. The Tigers amassed 532 total yards, while quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 420 yards and totaled four touchdowns. Who is next: vs. at Louisville, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  14. Georgia Tech (2-5, 0-4 ACC), Last week No. 13: At one point, the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 3 in our power poll, but now they have fallen all the way to 14 after five straight defeats – the first time that has happened since 1994. Who is next: vs. Florida State, 12:30 p.m., Saturday