This week already possesses as much intrigue as any other this season in ACC football.
Virginia Tech officially parted ways with head coach Justin Fuente after a 48-17 win over Duke, there’s a three-horse race in the Atlantic Division between Clemson, Wake Forest and NC State and a two-team race in the Coastal Division between Pitt and Virginia.
Each week The Clemson Insider ranks every team in the ACC 1-14 based off their performance from the previous week of competition.
- Wake Forest – A thrilling 45-42 win over NC State propelled the Demon Deacons back into the College Football Playoff Top 10 this week. Wake Forest remains in the driver’s seat in the ACC Atlantic but faces a still test at Clemson on Saturday with an opportunity to clinch its first title since 2006.
- Pitt – The Panthers outlasted North Carolina 30-23 in overtime to remain atop the Coastal Division. Pitt hosts Virginia on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and can clinch the division with a win.
- NC State – The Wolfpack fought hard at Wake Forest last Saturday but fell short in the game’s final moments. NC State hosts Syracuse on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and needs a three-way tie to reach the ACC Championship Game.
- Clemson – Somehow amid a screwed-up season the Tigers still possess an opportunity to place for a conference championship. That opportunity starts on Saturday when it hosts Wake Forest in hopes of denying it a championship bid at Memorial Stadium.
- Virginia – The Cavaliers struggled offensively against ninth ranked Notre Dame without quarterback Brennan Armstrong. He is still questionable for Saturday’s matchup at Pittsburgh.
- Louisville – The Cardinals rolled Syracuse 41-3 in Louisville on Saturday to get within one game of bowl eligibility. Louisville travels to Duke on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
- Boston College – The Eagles’ offense showed out in a 41-30 win at Georgia Tech last week with Phil Jurkovec at the helm. Boston College hosts Florida State on Saturday at noon.
- North Carolina – The Tar Heels batted at Pittsburgh last week but fell short in overtime. North Carolina hosts Wofford on Saturday at noon.
- Florida State – The Seminoles willed themselves to a 31-28 comeback win over rival Miami on Saturday. FSU travels to Boston College this week and needs a win to keep its bowl hopes alive.
- Miami – The Hurricanes fell short at Florida State on Saturday and all but eliminated themselves from the possibility of playing for an ACC title. Miami hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
- Virginia Tech – The Hokies dominated Duke 48-17 but things turned at the start of the week when the school announced it parted ways with head coach Justin Fuente. He finished with a 43-31 record with the Hokies. Defensive line coach J.C. Price will serve as the interim head coach as Virginia Tech travels to Miami.
- Syracuse – The Orange struggled mightily at Louisville and managed just one field goal in a lopsided defeat. Syracuse plays at NC State on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. with bowl eligibility on the line as it hopes to play spoiler in Raleigh.
- Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets lost their fourth straight game on Saturday to Boston College. Georgia Tech hopes for an honorable showing at Notre Dame on Saturday at 2:30 before it closes out the season with top-ranked Georgia.
- Duke – Virginia Tech dominated the Blue Devils in Blacksburg on Saturday. Duke remains the only winless team in the ACC as it plays host to Louisville on Thursday night.