The first weekend of November is over and a lot of clarity has emerged within the ACC.

For weeks, there was talk about Miami and Clemson winning and meeting in the ACC Championship, but that has now changed. With the Tigers losing to Louisville and SMU limiting Pitt on Saturday night, things have changed. It is now the Mustangs and Hurricanes who control their own destiny to advance to the ACC, not the Tigers and Hurricanes. Miami remained undefeated yesterday thanks to a strong second half against Duke and they are still conference favorites.

The other notable ACC result yesterday was Virginia Tech’s loss to Syracuse, ending the Hokies’ faint hopes of advancing to the ACC championship game. They were missing quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten, but they also had a 21-3 lead and lost.

So how are the power rankings shaping up after a rocky Week 10 in the ACC?

17. Florida State (1-8, 1-7 ACC). Last week: 17

Nothing has changed here. The Seminoles were eliminated at home against North Carolina and finished ACC play 1-7. There’s not much to say here other than things might get worse for Mike Norvell’s team next week at Notre Dame.

16. Stanford (2-7, 1-5). Last week: 16

The Cardinal had a tough mission getting to Raleigh for a noon kickoff, but its defense appeared to be staying at home in Palo Alto. NC State put 59 points on Stanford and handed them their seventh loss of the year, putting a bowl game out of reach.

15. Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2). Last week: 15

Wake Forest was off this weekend and is back in action next Friday against Cal

14. Cal (4-4, 0-4). Last week: 14

Cal was off this week and is back in action next Friday at Wake Forest

13. Virginia (4-4, 2-3). Last week: 13

Virginia was off this week and is back in action next Saturday against Pitt

12. Boston College (4-4, 1-3). Last week: 12

Boston College was off last week and will be back in action next Saturday against Syracuse at home

11. NC State (5-4, 2-3). Last week: 11

I was tempted to put NC State in the top ten, but I’ll hold off for now. It was an impressive performance from the Wolfpack, even if it was against Stanford. Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey is starting to look more comfortable and is playing well, which is good news for NC State’s bowl hopes. They can clinch bowl eligibility next week with a win against in-state rival Duke.

10. North Carolina (5-4, 2-3). Last week: 10

Although it’s just Florida State, congratulate North Carolina for showing up and winning. This was the first time Mack Brown beat Florida State and it brings the Tar Heels one win away from bowl eligibility. North Carolina is off next week.

9. Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3). Last week: 9

Georgia Tech was off this week and is back in action next week against Miami.

8. Virginia Tech (5-4, 3-2). Last week: 5

What a disappointment for the Hokies. They had won three straight games and were still in the mix in the ACC, but they blew a big lead on the road against Syracuse and lost in overtime. They were missing their starting quarterback and running back, but losing a lead like that is inexcusable. The Hokies will host Clemson next Saturday.

7. Duke (6-3, 2-3). Last week: 6

Duke held an 11-point lead over No. 5 Miami yesterday, but then it all fell apart. The defense couldn’t contain Cam Ward and the offense stopped scoring. It was a missed opportunity for Manny Diaz and his team to create a surprise. They travel to North Carolina State next week.

6. Syracuse (6-2, 3-2). Last week: 8

Give credit to Fran Brown and Syracuse. After getting destroyed against Pitt last week, they bounced back and clinched bowl eligibility yesterday with an overtime win against Virginia Tech. Can they continue their momentum next week against Boston College?

5. Louisville (6-3, 4-2). Last week: 7

Louisville faced a tough schedule this year, but they finally took down one of their main opponents. The Cardinals defense played a very good game against the Tigers and assured them of their bowl eligibility heading into their bye week. It’s possible this win puts the Cardinals in the top seeding of the College Football Playoff on Tuesday.

4. Pittsburgh (7-1, 3-1). Last week: 3

Pitt was one of college football’s feel-good stories, but they got blown out last night at SMU. The Panthers were never really in the game and are now likely out of the ACC title game unless things get crazy (which is always possible). Pitt hosts Virginia next Saturday night.

3. Clemson (6-2, 5-1). Last week: 2

Last night was a disaster for Clemson. A poor offense, poor coaching decisions and special teams mistakes doomed the Tigers and likely ended their hopes of making the College Football Playoff. They would need a lot of help to advance to the ACC title game now.

2. SMU (8-1, 5-0). Last week: 4

There aren’t many teams in the country that are playing better than SMU right now. They backed that up with a 48-25 win over No. 18 Pitt and now they control their own destiny to advance to the ACC and have a chance to make the College Football Playoff. Rhett Lashlee’s team left before making its final push in the final three weeks.

1.Miami (9-0, 5-0). Last week: 1

The king remains the king. Miami jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, then was outscored 28-3, then finished the game beating Duke 36-3. Miami’s defense has once again highlighted its problems, but the offense is currently the deadliest in the country. Can Miami avoid a road scare next week against Georgia Tech?

Additional links:

Georgia Tech Football: Game time announced for next week’s game against Miami

Georgia Tech Recruiting: Yellow Jackets land three-star defensive tackle Blake Belin

Georgia Tech Basketball 2024-25 Season Preview: Forwards