USA TODAY Sports released the updated US LBM Coaches Poll on Sunday after the top of the ACC got shaken up over the weekend.
The Miami Hurricanes trailed Duke by as many as 11 points in the second half, but five touchdowns over the final 25 minutes helped star quarterback Cam Ward and his teammates remain undefeated.
The Clemson Tigers and Pittsburgh Panthers weren’t so lucky. After winning six games in a row, the Tigers saw their playoff chances dwindle to a prayer after the Louisville Cardinals came into their stadium and left with a 33-21 victory.
The Panthers, who won their first seven games of the season, never stood a chance on the road against a motivated SMU team. Running back Brashard Smith ran for 161 yards and scored three total touchdowns as the Mustangs led by 37 points with five minutes to play, and two late Pitt touchdowns could only salvage a 48-25 final score.
SMU and Miami now sit in the driver’s seat for the ACC Championship Game as the only teams undefeated in conference play. The Hurricanes rose to fourth in this week’s voting while the Mustangs shifted all the way up to 15th.
Clemson tumbled down to 17th with their defeat, and the Panthers fell all the way down to 23rd. But here come the Cardinals near the bottom of the rankings, second among the teams receiving votes for an unofficial spot at 27th.
Check out the complete results of the new US LBM Coaches Poll below:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 9-0 | 1,349 (53) |
| 2 | Georgia Bulldogs | 7-1 | 1,267 (1) |
| 3 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 7-1 | 1,245 |
| 4 | Miami Hurricanes | 9-0 | 1,194 |
| 5 | Texas Longhorns | 7-1 | 1,138 |
| 6 | Tennessee Volunteers | 7-1 | 1,039 |
| 7 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 7-1 | 982 |
| 8 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 7-1 | 961 |
| 9 | BYU Cougars | 8-0 | 918 |
| 10 | Indiana Hoosiers | 9-0 | 916 |
| 11 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 6-2 | 772 |
| 12 | Ole Miss Rebels | 7-2 | 657 |
| 13 | LSU Tigers | 6-2 | 653 |
| 14 | Boise State Broncos | 7-1 | 615 |
| 15 | SMU Mustangs | 8-1 | 603 |
| 16 | Texas A&M Aggies | 6-2 | 518 |
| 17 | Clemson Tigers | 6-2 | 513 |
| 18 | Iowa State Cyclones | 7-1 | 511 |
| 19 | Army Black Knights | 8-0 | 404 |
| 20 | Washington State Cougars | 7-1 | 284 |
| 21 | Kansas State Wildcats | 7-2 | 201 |
| 22 | Missouri Tigers | 6-2 | 192 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 7-1 | 178 |
| 24 | Colorado Buffaloes | 6-2 | 124 |
| 25 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 6-3 | 85 |
Dropped Out
No. 24 Illinois; No. 25 Memphis
Receiving Votes
Tulane 38; Louisville 38; South Carolina 33; Louisiana 27; Syracuse 24; UNLV 17; Arizona State 17; Minnesota 14; Iowa 13; Memphis 5; Illinois 3; Texas Tech 1; James Madison 1