STL’s Week 9 ACC Football Power Rankings

Nine weeks into this 2016 season and we’ve finally reached the point where we know who the top, or top few teams are, but the back half of the conference is an absolute debacle. MAZEL!

Even though we have no idea, here’s how the writers at Streaking the Lawn think the ACC stacks up.

1. Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) Last week: 1
This week: vs. Syracuse
Sure, the Tigers are undefeated and deserve to be penciled into the College Football Playoff given the teams they still have to play, but are we sure Clemson isn’t suspect? I for one can’t wait to see the meltdown should we see the Tigers lose to Syracuse this weekend or South Carolina in the final week of the season. (Eds. Note: Are we allowed to use the word Clemsoning yet?)

2. Louisville Cardinals (7-1, 5-1) Last week: 2
This week: at BC
Lamar Jackson is for real. We all knew that before this past weekend’s heroics against the Cavaliers. He’ll have to make some serious bonehead mistakes over the final weeks of the season for him not to be the Heisman winner. It doesn’t look like Louisville will have enough to crash the playoff, and that Houston game isn’t looking that difficult anymore.

3. Florida State Seminoles (5-3, 2-3) Last week: 3
This week: at NC State
The Seminoles might be the best three-loss team in the country. Most probably think they even deserved to beat Clemson, but no team deserves to win when their OL gives up that many hits on the QB. It’s amazing Francois is still alive this week and still wants to play football.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2, 4-1) Last week: 4
This week: at Duke
Having gotten past the difficult part of their schedule, the Hokies can pretty much coast to the ACCCG at this point. No, they can’t stumble being tied with UNC, but losing at Duke, to Georgia Tech, or to the Hoos doesn’t seem likely. Maybe Notre Dame will rub some stink on the Hokies and give UVa a chance in the final weekend.

5. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-2, 4-1) Last week: 5
This week: vs. GT
The Heels have a pretty cush ACC schedule to end the season with GT, at Duke, and vs NC State. 10-2 seems very likely at this point so we all have to sit back and wonder: HOW IN THE HELL DID THIS TEAM LOSE TO GEORGIA IN WEEK ONE?!?

6. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-3, 2-2) Last week: 6
This week: at Miami
The Panthers kept it close, but just could not cover the Hokies’ athletic WRs enough. Pitt now gets to travel to Miami to take on the Canes who are coming off an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame, followed up by a trip to Clemson. Poor Pitt could go from 5-2 to 5-5 real quick. Football is fickle.

7. Miami Hurricanes (4-4, 1-3) Last week: 7
This week: vs. Pitt
The Canes were able to do something most teams in college football had not been able to do: lose to Notre Dame. Duke even beat the Irish in South Bend. DUKE! The Canes have also dropped 4 straight so it is time to wonder: should Mark Richt be fired?

8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-3, 2-3) Last week: 10
This week: at UNC
After getting up huge, GT let Duke back into the game and nearly win it. Paul Johnson can’t be too happy with how this season has gone. With games against the Coastal leaders, UNC and VT in back to back weeks on the road, things could get worse before they get better for the Yellow Jackets.

9. NC State Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3) Last week: 8
This week: vs. FSU
Oh man. Remember how we’ve made fun of NC State for months for having a terrible schedule and still not being very good? Yea, well you deserve it if you lose to BC. They’ll have to win two of four against FSU, Cuse, Miami, and UNC. Can they do it? Maybe. Will they? Hopefully not.

10. Syracuse Orange (4-4, 2-2) Last week: 11
This week: at Clemson
The Cuse got a bye week to rest up for their trip down South. Riding high on a two game winning streak, hopefully Syracuse isn’t reading their press clippings. Even if Cuse goes winless over the final four games I would assume most would still consider Dino Babers’ first season a success.

11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-3, 2-2) Last week: 9
This week: vs. UVa
Just when we think Wake could be a secretly decent team they go AND COMPLETELY REDEEM THEMSELVES with a loss to Army. Army is not a terrible team, but still is not a team Wake Forest should be losing to at home. They still get BC to end the season, so even if the Hoos can pull out the victory this weekend, Wake should still go bowling.

12. Virginia Cavaliers (2-6, 1-3) Last week: 12
This week: at Wake
Ya know, one day we’ll get excited about college football season because our team is going to be good. Because our team will pull out that upset win. Because our team will go to a bowl and we won’t have to sweat it out. Hopefully. I mean, I hope it happens one day.

13. Boston College Eagles (4-4, 1-4) Last week: 14
This week: vs. Louisville
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good for you BC! You go BC!

14. Duke Blue Devils (3-5, 0-4) Last week: 13
This week: vs. VT
Sorry Duke. We had to reward BC for getting their first ACC win this decade. Don’t worry, basketball is mere days away now.

That’s how we think the ACC stacks up. Below are all the votes and some math stuff my lawyer brain can’t understand. Feel free to let us know Virginia should be 13 or 14 in the comments.