Week 8 ACC Power Rankings

Ohhhhhhhh buddy. We get a loss from one of the top teams in the conference and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE in the Power Rankings. Now we all just need to pray for a Clemson loss to NC State this weekend for more CHAOS!

Here's what the rankings looked like last week, but entering week 7, this is how we think the ACC stacks up:

1. Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0). Last week: 1
Clemson went out and played the most complete football game anyone has played in Miami since West Virginia in the 2011 Orange Bowl. Also appears they might have scored the most since that night as well by hanging 58 on the Hurricanes. The Tigers basically have one more challenge left with FSU in two weeks, but they'll have to avoid a let down against NC State this weekend. The same Wolfpack team that ended the Tigers National Title aspirations in 2011.

2. Florida State Seminoles (6-1, 4-1). Last week: 2
Just when you think college football couldn't get any weirder, FSU goes out and tries to kick a game winning field goal. The Noles were all but eliminated from the playoff with the loss, but should they be able to win out and notch W's at Clemson, Florida, and over the winner of the best division in college football, they might be able to backdoor their way in.

3. Duke Blue Devils (6-1, 3-0). Last week: 3
Two of the Blue Devils three ACC wins have been two point victories. They've come away victorious, but one has to wonder if they'll be able to eek out wins against the better competition coming after this week's game against Miami (UNC and Pitt).

4. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1, 3-0). Last week: 4
Well, the Heels certainly weren't disciplined this past weekend, racking up 135 penalty yards on 13 penalties. Lucky for them, they were still playing UVa, so it didn't really matter. They'll have to right the ship quickly if they'll want to win the Coastal with a game against Pitt this Thursday and Duke next weekend. The division should be decided by early November.

5. Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1, 4-0). Last week: 5
Pitt is off to an unbelievable start and are a bomb FG away from being 7-0. Things are about to get hairy though with a three game stretch of UNC, Notre Dame, and Duke. If Pitt is for real and Narduzzi worked a miracle in his first season, Pitt could be looking for yet another head coach after he bolts for a bigger program.

6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-5, 1-4). Last week: 10
When we looked at the Jackets schedule last week it looked like they were going to miss a bowl, but after that miraculous upset of the Noles things are looking sunnier in Atlanta with upcoming games against UVa, VT, and Miami.

7. Louisville Cardinals (3-4, 2-2). Last week: 7
Louisville was so thankful to see the back half of their schedule come. BC, Wake, Syracuse, and UVa for four straight games can cure just about any team's woes. The Cardinals got back to their winning ways last weekend taking out BC 17-14. Offense appears to still remain a question, but not many offenses have looked all that good against BC's defense this season.

8. N.C. State Wolfpack (5-2, 1-2). Last week: 9
Well, we didn't get the upset we wanted as the Wolfpack put away Wake in convincing fashion, 35-17. The Pack go from the worst team in the conference to the best this weekend, hosting Clemson. If Dave Doeren wants us to believe his team is better than the high school OOC schedule they played, putting up a fight against the Tigers will be a good start.

9. Miami Hurricanes (4-3, 1-2). Last week: 6
I don't think "not pretty" even begins to describe that game. Let's just leave it at that. Maybe Coach Golden will want to return to Charlottesville and return the UVa defense to what it was when he was here previously.

10. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-5, 1-3). Last week: 8
For the Hokies to keep their bowl streak alive, they're going to have to have three wins out of games against BC, GT, UNC, and UVa. To make matters worse, three of those four games aren't in the friendly confines of Lane Stadium. Hell, the UVa-VT game at the end of November will probably see two 4 win teams (or worse). Yikes

(tie)11. Boston College Golden Eagles (3-5, 0-5). Last week: 11
I've said it before, but we should all feel really bad for BC's defense. Outside of their game against Clemson (where they even forced two ints), they haven't given up more than 17 points in a game!

(tie)11. Virginia Cavaliers (2-5, 1-2). Last week: 12
I mean, you read about that tire fire enough as it is, you don't need me to tell you.

13. Syracuse Orange (3-4, 1-2). Last week: 13
Four straight losses and the next three games are at FSU, at Louisville, and hosting Clemson. It looks like it'll get worse before it gets better in New York, but hey, it's almost basketball season!

14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-5, 1-4). Last week: 14
You were our hope to finally and truly embarrass NC State. Oh, and like Syracuse, it's going to get worse; even worse than what's coming for Cuse. Final four: Louisville, at Notre Dame, at Clemson, and Duke. Oof.