ACC Power Rankings after Week 8: Undefeated Miami leads the pack while FSU loses all hope
The story of the ACC remains Miami. The Hurricanes are carrying the hopes of the league while Clemson and SMU are working on just-in-case resumes. But the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference has been crazy, and Florida State leads that charge. Here's the rundown on the league.
ACC Power Rankings after Week 8
17. Florida State (1-6)
The only path to a bowl now is five straight wins. ESPN's FPI gives the Seminoles a 0.1% chance of that event. Meanwhile, there's a chance greatly nearing 100% that FSU is the disappointment of the ACC, if not of college football entirely.
16. Stanford (2-5)
Getting crushed by SMU by 30 drops the Cardinal down a spot in the ACC pecking order. The door isn't completely slamming on them having a decent season, but it's certainly heading in that direction.
15. Wake Forest (3-4)
Winning a nonconference game with UConn isn't exactly glamorous. But the Deacons do move up a spot in our rankings, even if they are the worst of the three 3-4 teams.
14. North Carolina (3-4)
The Tar Heels were off this week and have struggled through a tough season. But they're basically a coin-toss proposition to still reach six wins and salvage a bowl appearance, which is keeping them above the rest of the league.
13. NC State (4-4)
This might have been the first real sign of life for the Wolfpack. Rallying from two scores down and hanging on for a win by its knuckles, NC State showed some real spark. A bowl game might well still be on the cards.
12. Virginia (4-3)
A loss to Clemson that wasn't as close as the final score looks doesn't do anything to boost UVA's season. The Cavs are still projected as more likely to come up short of six wins than to reach the mark.
11. California (3-4)
The Bears couldn't pull off a win over NC State in a game that could determine the final thrust of their season. ESPN's FPI still gives Cal almost a three-in-four chance at a six-win season, but it won't be easy.
10. Boston College (4-3)
The Eagles got thumped by Virginia Tech and thus found themselves in the back half of the ACC this week. Here they sit, in a clump of ACC squads almost guaranteed to knock each other into 5-7, 6-6 or maybe 7-5 seasons.
9. Georgia Tech (5-3)
The Yellow Jackets didn't fare well without Haynes King. Tech is still a positive story of the ACC's 2024 season. The Yellow Jackets could end up jumping a couple more spots in the league.
8. Virginia Tech (4-3)
That bad-call Miami loss is the only thing between Tech and being a couple of places higher on this list. Tech will probably finish in the top half of the league and garner a decent bowl bid.
7. Louisville (4-3)
This is a bad spot for Louisville because it is a few decent breaks from being 6-1 and a legit competitor for second place in the league. But the breaks are what the team is, and the Cards are now sitting on a 0.6% chance of a CFP bid, per FPI.
6. Syracuse (5-1)
The Orange were off this week and retain a solid spot. Unfortunately, their schedule hasn't been too challenging early, and they could end up fading a bit late. Still, it's been an impressive 2024 campaign to date.
5. Duke (6-1)
The Blue Devils took down Florida State in a game that might have seemed shocking before the season. Instead, it feels like the new ACC order. Duke's rise might not be as drastic as Indiana's, but the Blue Devils are a major surprise of the 2024 season.
4. Pittsburgh (6-0)
Pitt was off this week and retains a one-in-seven shot at the College Football Playoff. The schedule doesn't favor the Panthers, and there's pretty much zero shot at three CFP bids for the ACC. So Pitt has work to do for an astonishing season, even if it has already had a successful one.
3. SMU (6-1)
The Mustangs pulled off a 30-point win and continue to have a puncher's shot at the CFP. SMU certainly doesn't have the flash factor on its side, but the FPI gives it a nearly one-in-three shot at making the playoffs.
2. Clemson (6-1)
On the other hand, the Tigers keep rolling and do seem more plausible as a playoff team. After all, Texas just got dominated by Georgia, so why is Clemson's loss that particularly nasty? The Tigers may have just had an awful Week 1.
1. Miami (7-0)
Once again, not the most beautiful of wins, and the Hurricane defense had some issues. But Miami is 7-0 and seems well on its way to the CFP.
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