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Week 13 of ACC action is in the books.
It was a week dominated by the favorites in the ACC. The top 7 teams on last week’s power ranking all won in Week 13.
At the very top of the list, SMU and Miami continue to control their own destiny. The Mustangs have already clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Miami will do so if it beats Syracuse next weekend (with Clemson waiting to poach that spot if the Hurricanes slip-up).
Here’s Saturday Down South’s updated ACC Week 13 power rankings:
17. Florida State (Previously: 17)
Florida State defeated Charleston Southern this week. Hey, any win is a good win for the Noles.
16. Wake Forest (Previously: 16)
Wake picked up its 7th loss of the season on Saturday vs. Miami, meaning the Demon Deacons have officially been eliminated from postseason play.
15. Stanford (Previously: 15)
Stanford put up a good fight, but the Cardinal ultimately lost to rival Cal by 3. Still, it’s been an encouraging close to the season for Stanford.
14. NC State (Previously: 14)
Brutal loss for NC State on Saturday night. The Wolfpack’s bowl hopes will now require a win over North Carolina next weekend. A lot will be on the line for both teams. NC State has won 3 games in a row in this series, but it could be Mack Brown’s last regular season game as Carolina’s head coach. Expect emotions to be high all around.
13. Virginia (Previously: 10)
Very disappointing performance for Virginia at home on Saturday against SMU. The Cavaliers need to win in Blacksburg next weekend in order to get bowl-eligible.
12. Virginia Tech (Previously: 12)
Tough loss for the Hokies on Saturday, as Brent Pry’s team fell 31-28 in Durham. Virginia Tech is now 5-6 this season and will host 5-6 Virginia next weekend. Winner goes bowling.
11. North Carolina (Previously: 9)
UNC’s winning streak ended on Saturday with a blowout loss to Boston College. The Tar Heels now have a meeting with NC State on Saturday where there will be plenty on the line for both programs.
10. Cal (Previously: 13)
Cal got to bowl eligibility on Saturday with a narrow win over rival Stanford. All things considered, it’s been a good year for the Golden Bears in the ACC.
9. Pitt (Previously: 8)
Pitt’s season has unraveled. The Panthers have now lost 4 in a row since their 7-0 start to the season. Eli Holstein also suffered what appeared to be a serious leg injury in the blowout loss to Louisville.
8. Boston College (Previously: 11)
Boston College smashed North Carolina on Saturday to get to 6 wins. The Eagles are bowl eligible in Year 1 under Bill O’Brien, which is an impressive accomplishment — especially considering what has gone on with their quarterback room this season.
7. Syracuse (Previously: 7)
Another week, another win for Syracuse and coach Fran Brown. Winners get washed. The Orange can go for 9 regular season wins next weekend if they upset Miami at home.
6. Louisville (Previously: 5)
Louisville slips 1 spot this week despite getting a much-needed bounce-back win over Pittsburgh. It’s not been the season the Cardinals wanted, but Louisville is still one of the better teams in this league.
5. Duke (Previously: 6)
Duke won yet another close game on Saturday night, beating Virginia Tech 31-28 in Durham. Maalik Murphy threw 3 touchdown passes and averaged almost 10 yards per attempt. You can quibble with the schedule if you want to, but Duke’s results have been impressive. I’ve been late to moving Duke up all season, but the Blue Devils have earned a spot in the top 5 entering Week 14.
4. Georgia Tech (Previously: 4)
Georgia Tech narrowly beat NC State on Friday night thanks to a last-minute touchdown. The Yellow Jackets allowed NC State to score 22 points in the 4th quarter, but were still able to come away with the win.
3. Clemson (Previously: 3)
Clemson took care of business against Citadel on Saturday despite having a makeshift offensive line. The Tigers will hope to be healthier up front going into next week’s matchup against rival South Carolina.
2. Miami (Previously: 2)
Miami got back in the win column this week with a big win over Wake Forest. The Hurricanes still control their own destiny, but they need a win over Syracuse next week in order to reach the ACC title game.
1. SMU (Previously 1)
SMU retains the top spot this week after blowing out Virginia 33-7 on the road. It was the Mustangs’ best road performance since its drubbing of Stanford more than a month ago. SMU also clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a victory.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
