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Through 9 weeks and as a Virginia fan, I am not more excited about basketball season starting next week than I am for the football team’s last four games. 2018 is wild, man!
Here is how the STL staff thinks the ACC shakes out heading into Week 10.
1. Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0). Last week: 1
Last game: win 59-10 at FSU. This week: vs. Louisville
They’re a machine. Secretariat Jessica-Parker has an amazing stable of wide outs to throw to and their defense is a force. And we all look forward to Alabama being a 13.5 point favorite against them in January.
2. Boston College Eagles (6-2, 3-1). Last week: 5
Last game: win 27-14 vs. Miami. This week: at VT
AJ Dillon came back and Addazio handed it off to him THIRTY TWO TIMES. These next two weeks against Virginia Tech and Clemson are going to decide whether BC can be considered the class of the ACC, or in the middle of the pack with the rest of the conference.
3. N.C. State Wolfpack (5-2, 2-2). Last week: 2
Last game: loss 51-41 at Syracuse. This week: vs. FSU
I think we all could see a letdown coming after they were throttled at Clemson. With five winnable games in front of them it will be interesting to see whether they phone it in since they think they have nothing to play for, or if they win out to go 10-2, and compete for a NY6 bowl game.
4. Virginia Cavaliers (6-2, 4-1). Last week: 4
Last game: win 31-21 vs. UNC. This week: vs. Pitt
No good things come from my sports team, so I will assume this is a mirage.
5. Syracuse Orange (6-2, 3-2). Last week: 8
Last game: win 51-41 vs. NC State. This week: at Wake
Cuse will likely go 8-4 and have their best season in a long time. Hell, they’re ranked for the first time since Donovan McNabb was there (I think). Their reward? Playing in the Pinstripe Bowl for the 3rd time since 2010.
6. Miami-Florida Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2). Last week: 3
Last week: loss 27-14 at BC. This week: vs. Duke
I don’t care what Miami does the rest of the season. I hope they fire Mark Richt so we can point and laugh at their stupidity. But, I just need them to win at Virginia Tech in three weeks. That’s all I ask.
7. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-3, 3-1). Last week: 6
Last week: loss 49-28 vs. GT. This week: vs. BC
The Hokies have alternated between wins and losses since the second week of the season. You want to know how that plays out the rest of the way? Win vs. BC, loss vs. Pitt, win vs. Miami, LOSS TO UVA. You heard it here first, folks.
8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-4, 2-3). Last week: 11
Last week: win 49-28 at VT. This week: at UNC
Bless you petty and mean Paul Johnson. Scoring 49 points without completing a pass on the BLUE COLLAR LUNCH PAIL BUD FOSTER DEFENSE was amazing. Now, let UVa win in two weeks though.
9. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-4, 3-1). Last week: 9
Last week: win 54-45 vs. Duke. This week: at UVa
So far this season Pitt has home wins against Duke and Syracuse and a loss to............North Carolina. I don’t know what to make of the Panthers other than they will probably ruin my Friday night.
10. Duke Blue Devils (5-3, 3-1). Last week: 7
Last week: loss 54-45 at Pitt. This week: at Miami
Poor David Cutcliffe. Heading into their game with Virginia Tech we had them as high as 4th in the power rankings and since they’ve gone 1-3. With Miami and Clemson still on the schedule, the Blue Devils will have to beat either UNC or Wake to make a bowl.
11. Florida State Seminoles (4-4, 2-4). Last week: 10
Last week: loss 59-10 vs. Clemson. This week: at NC State
I hope for ya’ll’s sake you did not watch that Clemson game. I had to and woo boy, was it not pretty. I feel genuinely bad for Deondre Francois or anyone else who is forced to take snaps in an FSU uniform this season.
12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-4, 1-3). Last week: 12
Last week: win 56-35 at Louisville. This week: vs. Syracuse
Two more wins to get to six and no layups out of the final four. It’s not looking good for the Deacons, but they put up a million on Louisville and Matt Colburn II is my favorite non-UVa player in college football.
Matt Colburn had his scholarship taken away by Bobby Petrino 2 days before signing day. Petrino wanted to greyshirt him. Colburn would later walk on at Wake Forest. Today, he rushed for a career-high 243 yds w 3 TDs in a 56-35 win over Petrino and Louisville.
— Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) October 27, 2018
13. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-6, 1-4). Last week: 13
Last week: loss 31-21 at UVa. This week: vs. GT
Probably not as bad as their 1-6 record, but probably not a whole lot better either.
14. Louisville Cardinals (2-6, 0-5). Last week: 14
Last week: loss 56-35 vs. Wake. This week: at Clemson
If Clemson’s starters played the entire game, they might put up 100 against Louisville. On top of that, they all think Jeff Brohm is going to willingly leave Purdue, and they can afford to make that happen.
Football Rankings by Voter
Rank | Caroline | Will | Schwartz | Leung | Sayer | Tiki | Neckel | Trogs | Wiley | Ellis | Ryan | Hobeck | Alex | Pierce | Emily |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Caroline | Will | Schwartz | Leung | Sayer | Tiki | Neckel | Trogs | Wiley | Ellis | Ryan | Hobeck | Alex | Pierce | Emily |
1 | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson |
2 | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Boston College | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | NC State | NC State | Syracuse | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | |
3 | NC State | NC State | NC State | Pittsburgh | NC State | Boston College | Boston College | Pittsburgh | NC State | NC State | NC State | NC State | Syracuse | NC State | |
4 | Boston College | Boston College | Boston College | NC State | Boston College | NC State | Syracuse | Syracuse | Pittsburgh | Syracuse | Boston College | Boston College | NC State | Syracuse | |
5 | Syracuse | Syracuse | Georgia Tech | Syracuse | Georgia Tech | Syracuse | Pittsburgh | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Boston College | Syracuse | Syracuse | Boston College | Boston College | |
6 | Virginia | Georgia Tech | Syracuse | Georgia Tech | Syracuse | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Virginia | Virginia | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | |
7 | Georgia Tech | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Miami | Boston College | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | Virginia | |
8 | Duke | Duke | Miami | Duke | Duke | Miami | Duke | Boston College | Miami | Duke | Miami | Duke | Virginia Tech | Duke | |
9 | Miami | Miami | Duke | Miami | Miami | Duke | Miami | Duke | Duke | Miami | Duke | Miami | Duke | Virginia Tech | |
10 | Wake Forest | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Florida State | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Miami | Miami | |
11 | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | |
12 | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | |
13 | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina |
14 | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | Louisville |