ACC Football Power Rankings: Clemson clinches Atlantic, UNC on doorstep of Coastal title

Clemson’s unbeaten season, and the Tigers’ hopes of playing for a national championship, got blown away in Saturday’s 35-14 loss to Notre Dame.

The Tigers did win the Atlantic Division, as Syracuse fell to Pitt, but how bad was the loss in South Bend? Head coach Dabo Swinney called it “an ass-kicking.” That’s an effective way of describing Clemson’s anemic attack.

Meanwhile, Clemson will have to settle for the ACC Championship game and a probable matchup with North Carolina.

Over in the Coastal, UNC took a step closer to the title with a hard-fought win over Virginia, 31-28. Louisville, meanwhile, continued its late-season rally, beating James Madison, 34-10.

With three weeks to go in the regular season, the ACC has eight bowl eligible teams, while Pittsburgh is one win away from post season play.

Atlantic

1. Clemson (8-1, 6-0 ACC) Clemson had no answers for Norte Dame, on either side of the ball, Saturday night. Clemson, suffering its first defeat of the season, is all but eliminated from the national championship
2. NC State (7-2, 3-2 ACC) The Wolfpack has won two straight behind true freshman quarterback MJ Morris, defeating Wake Forest, 30-21, at Carter- Finley Stadium. NC State scored 17 unanswered points on its way to beating No. 22 Wake.
3. Louisville (6-3, 3-3 ACC) Just like that, Louisville football is bowl-eligible after beating James Madison. UL was 2-3 just a month ago, and fans were calling for Cardinal head coach Scott Satterfield’s job. Louisville has now won four straight, including impressive wins over Pitt and Wake Forest.
4. Wake Forest (6-3, 2-3 ACC) The Demon Deacons continued their free fall down the Atlantic Division.
5. Florida State (6-3, 4-3 ACC) FSU decimated Miami, 45-3, Saturday. The Seminoles have won two straight after a three-game losing streak
6. Syracuse (6-3, 3-2 ACC) The Orange lost their third straight, this time falling 19-9 at Pitt. Syracuse’s loss handed Clemson the Atlantic title.
7. Boston College (2-7, 1-5 ACC) Without starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec, the Eagles still managed 31 The defense was the problem as the Blue Devils mauled BC, 38-31.

Coastal

1. North Carolina (8-1, 5-0 ACC) UNC held off Virginia, 31-28. The victory was Mack Brown’s first-ever win in Charlottesville.
2. Duke (5-3, 3-2 ACC) The Blue Devils became bowl-eligible under first-year coach Mike Elko with a 38-31 win over Boston College.
3. Pitt (5-4, 2-3 ACC) The Panthers had a huge win Saturday, beating Syracuse, 19-9.
4. Miami (4-5, 2-3 ACC) At No. 4 in the Atlantic, this is where the division falls off the cliff. The Hurricanes fell below .500 with an embarrassing home loss to FSU, 45-3. In truth, the game wasn’t that close.
5. Virginia (3-6, 1-5 ACC) The positive: Virginia fought hard against UNC but fell at home, 31-28. The negative: first year head-coach Tony Elliott continues to struggle with in-game management decisions.
6. Georgia Tech (4-5, 3-3 ACC) The Yellow Jackets rallied late to stun Virginia Tech, 28-27, in Blacksburg.
7. Virginia Tech (2-7, 1-5 ACC) For the second consecutive game, Tech blew a double-digit lead, during a 28-27 loss at home to Georgia