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ACC power rankings: SMU rises to the top, Miami and Pitt fall after upset losses in Week 11

craig meyer, usa today
·7-min read

For weeks, the ACC was relatively predictable as a football conference, with many of its top teams stacking up win after win after win.

The past two weeks have introduced a little more chaos to the equation.

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After a 7-0 start, Pitt has dropped two straight games and fallen out of the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Last week, Clemson lost its first night home game in 11 years. During Week 11, the league got what might be its most surprising result yet, with previously unbeaten Miami and Heisman Trophy front-runner Cam Ward falling to Georgia Tech on the road.

Where does everything stand in the conference after that shake-up?

Here’s how the ACC’s 17 teams stack up after Week 11 of the 2024 college football season:

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ACC football power rankings

1. SMU (8-1, 5-0 ACC)

  • Last week: 2

  • This week: vs. Boston College

For the first time in more than two months, there’s a new team atop the ACC hierarchy — and it’s one of the league’s newest members. With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the Mustangs have emerged as the best team in the conference in their debut season. The final stretch of their schedule is forgiving, too, with its final three games coming against 5-4 teams.

2. Miami (9-1, 5-1)

  • Last week: 1

  • This week: Bye

The Hurricanes were playing with fire for many of the past seven weeks, going back to a narrow win against Virginia Tech. On Saturday, they got burned — or, given their opponent, stung. Miami was held to 23 points, less than half of its season average to that point, and was unable to contain the Georgia Tech run game in a loss to the Yellow Jackets.

3. Clemson (7-2, 6-1)

  • Last week: 3

  • This week: at Pitt

The Tigers bounced back from a deflating home loss to Louisville by going on the road and knocking off Virginia Tech in one of the conference’s toughest road environments. Cade Klubnik threw for three touchdowns while the Clemson defense held the Hokies to a season-low 228 yards.

4. Louisville (6-3, 4-2)

  • Last week: 5

  • This week: at Stanford

Coach Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals got some much-needed rest after their first-ever win against Clemson. They’ll have a chance to pick up their fourth win in the past five games Saturday at Stanford.

5. Pitt (7-2, 3-2)

  • Last week: 4

  • This week: vs. No. 16 Clemson

Not even two weeks ago, the Panthers were firmly in the College Football Playoff hunt. Now, they’re staring down the possibility of a three-game losing streak, with a game against a top-20 Clemson team looming. In a 24-19 loss to Virginia, Pitt lost quarterback Eli Holstein to an injury after suffering a late hit on a targeting penalty and was on the less desirable end of a controversial call in which a fourth-down stop late in the fourth quarter was wiped out.

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6. Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3)

  • Last week: 8

  • This week: Bye

The Yellow Jackets kicked off the college football season with an upset of a top-10 ACC team from Florida and, sure enough, they managed to do it again. Even with a banged-up Haynes King at quarterback, Georgia Tech dominated Miami on the ground and effectively kept the ball away from Ward and the Hurricanes’ explosive offense. The Yellow Jackets are now bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time in a decade.

7. Duke (7-3, 3-3)

  • Last week: 7

  • This week: Bye

Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils recovered from a difficult loss at Miami by securing a 29-19 win over NC State to move to 2-0 this season against opponents from North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Maalik Murphy threw two touchdowns in the victory and ran in for a three-yard touchdown to break a tie late in the third quarter.

8. Syracuse (6-3, 3-3)

  • Last week: 6

  • This week: at Cal

The Orange has lost two of its past three games following a 5-1 start to the season. Kyle McCord threw for 392 yards and two touchdowns, but Syracuse gave up 313 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per carry in a 37-31 loss to Syracuse in the 100th anniversary of the first meeting between the programs.

9. North Carolina (5-4, 2-3)

  • Last week: 12

  • This week: vs. Wake Forest

The Tar Heels were idle during Week 11, but move up three spots with the three teams immediately ahead of them last week all falling.

10. Virginia (5-4, 3-3)

  • Last week: 13

  • This week: Bye

Coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers picked up by far their biggest win of the season with a 24-19 upset on the road against then-No. 23 Pitt. Xavier Brown had two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, and the Virginia defense held the Panthers to 292 total yards. It was the start of a tough final stretch for the Cavaliers, who play ranked teams in three of their final four games.

11. Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3)

  • Last week: 9

  • This week: Bye

There’s little shame in losing to Clemson, even at home, but the Hokies’ 24-14 loss to the Tigers didn’t inspire much confidence. What had been a strong rushing attack for much of the season was subdued against Clemson, managing just 40 yards and 1.9 yards per carry.

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12. Boston College (5-4, 2-3)

  • Last week: 14

  • This week: at No. 13 SMU

Coach Bill O’Brien and the Eagles mercifully ended a three-game losing streak and did so without starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos for much of the second half, defeating Syracuse 37-31. The victory was keyed by Kye Robichaux, who rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

13. NC State (5-5, 2-4)

  • Last week: 10

  • This week: Bye

The Wolfpack’s hopes of a third-consecutive win were dashed by a 29-19 home loss to Duke. Coach Dave Doeren’s team was held to 268 yards and just 3.9 yards per play, with freshman quarterback C.J. Bailey completing just 41% of his passes and turning it over twice.

14. Cal (5-4, 1-4)

  • Last week: 15

  • This week: vs. Syracuse

After a long and excruciating wait, the Golden Bears have their first-ever ACC win after toppling Wake Forest 46-36. An offense that has struggled at times this season exploded for 500 yards, with quarterback Jordan Mendoza accounting for 436 total yards and three touchdowns. That offensive outburst included scoring 10 points in just nine seconds in the first quarter.

15. Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3)

  • Last week: 11

  • This week: at North Carolina

The Demon Deacons saw their two-game win streak get snapped in a 10-point loss to Cal that dropped them to 1-5 at home this season. They finished the game with four turnovers while allowing at least 40 points for the fourth time in their past seven games.

16. Stanford (2-7, 1-5)

  • Last week: 16

  • This week: vs. No. 24 Louisville

The Cardinal was idle this week, with a home game against a surging Louisville team awaiting on the other end of the bye.

17. Florida State (1-9, 1-7)

  • Last week: 17

  • This week: Bye

The misery continues for the Seminoles, who fell to 1-9 after a 52-3 loss to Notre Dame, the most lopsided result ever in the series between the two storied programs. The following day, coach Mike Norvell fired both of his coordinators and his wide receivers coach.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ACC power rankings: SMU rises, Miami and Pitt fall after Week 11