ACC Football Rankings: November 14, 2011
This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done. Here is how we view the ACC football schools as of November 14, 2011:
1. Clemson–At 9-1 with a victory over Wake Forest, Clemson guaranteed itself a spot in the conference championship game. From here, Clemson needs to win out to show that it deserves the top 10 ranking. The conference NEEDS Clemson at 11-1.
2. Virginia Tech–In beating Georgia Tech, Va Tech has solidified itself of #2. With games remaining against talented North Carolina and rival/rolling Virginia, it will not be easy for the Hokies to finish 11-1. The dream matchup of 11-1 Clemson vs. 11-1 Va Tech is still alive though. While a rematch, this would capture attention.
3. Georgia Tech–Of the three 7-3 teams, The Confidential will give Georgia Tech the nod here. It beat Clemson… giving it the best win of the bunch. While Virginia has the head-to-head advantage, Virginia also has the head scratching losses to NC State and Southern Mississippi.
4. Florida State–This young team is rolling now. With the 3-game losing streak a mere blip in the rear-view mirror, these kids appear to be coming together at the right time. Head-to-head matchup with Virginia will tell us a lot.
5. Virginia–At 7-3, Virginia could fairly be ranked #3 or #4 here. But The Confidential will require Virginia to prove it on the field first. As noted above, the win over Georgia Tech is offset by some poor losses. A win over Florida State would vault them to #3.
6. Miami–held their own against a hot Florida State team. On the road. While an argument could be made for North Carolina here, Miami showed that it belonged here by beating North Carolina on the road.
7. North Carolina– At 6-4, North Carolina gets a huge test against Virginia Tech this week. Winning at the Hokies is rarely expected, but the Tarheels need to show that they can compete to maintain this slot.
8. Wake Forest– So many close games for Wake Forest. Playing Clemson to the wire is just another example of same.
9. Syracuse–after three losses in a row, it is tempting to drop Syracuse to double-digits. However, they still have wins over West Virginia and Wake Forest. The latter is something that North Carolina State could not do. A week off before taking on Cincinnati.
10. North Carolina State– Losing to Boston College pretty much sums up this enigma of a team. With Maryland coming up after the Clemson game, NC State can still get bowl eligible.
11. Pittsburgh— Beating Louisville to get to 5-5 made it tempting to slide Pittsburgh up a few notches. With games @ West Virginia and hosting Syracuse to finish the regular season, this will be resolved on the field.
12. Duke—Played Virginia tough before fading. The Blue Devils get the edge over Boston College based on the head-to-head.
13. Boston College–the win over NC State provided some good news for the fan base. Upcoming games against Notre Dame and Miami may not make continued good news a safe bet.
14. Maryland- as if it couldn’t get worse, the drubbing by Notre Dame also featured a season-ending injury to Danny O’Brien. At 2-8, it is difficult to see this team winning either of its two remaining games–both of which are on the road.
What do you think? Do we have it right?
The Confidential 