ACC Football Power Rankings: 2024 Week 11

An update on the Atlantic Coast Conference landscape through 10 weeks of the season.

Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs wide receiver Roderick Daniels Jr. (13) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It might have taken until the first week of the final month of the season, but the title race in the Atlantic Coast Conference gained a lot of clarity this past weekend.

SMU throttled Pitt in a battle of undefeated teams in ACC play, then when you couple that with Clemson's stunning upset loss to Louisville, there are now just two unbeaten teams in conference play left: Miami and SMU

Sure, a few teams are still in the race to get to Charlotte. Clemson, Louisville, Pitt and Virginia Tech have yet to be mathematically eliminated, but the Hurricanes and Mustangs control their own destiny.

So where do things currently stand in the conference following 10 weeks of football? Check out our week 11 ACC power rankings below:

1. Miami Hurricanes

• Record: 9-0, 5-0 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
• Week 10 Result: W, 53-31 vs. Duke

This game was very nearly the marquee upset of the weekend not only in the ACC, but in college football as a whole. Credit to Miami's electric offense for going on a 36-3 run to end the game after going down 11 in the third quarter, but their defense continues to have questions marks galore. Will it cost the Canes down the stretch?

2. SMU Mustangs

• Record: 8-1, 5-0 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 4
• Week 10 Result: W, 48-25 vs. Pitt

It appears that last week's game against Duke was a freak outlier. SMU is turning into a wagon before our very eyes thanks to both a prolific offense and an ever improving defense, and they're on the verge of making the ACC Championship Game in year one int he league. Credit to Rhett Lashlee for his coaching job with the Mustangs.

3. Louisville Cardinals

• Record: 6-3, 4-2 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 5
• Week 10 Result: W, 33-21 at Clemson

It's hard to win in Death Valley. It's even harder to completely dominate Clemson at their place, but that's exactly what Louisville did. Whether it was offense, defense or special teams, what the Cardinals did to the Tigers was nothing short of an ass kicking. Jeff Brohm remains the upset king in college football.

4. Clemson Tigers

• Record: 6-2, 5-1 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
• Week 10 Result: L, 33-21 vs. Louisville

This game was a clear indicator that Clemson's dominant post-Georgia run was more so about the competition faced than the Tigers themselves. Clemson was bullied on the field and thoroughly out-coached on the sidelines. Questions about Dabo Swinney that swirled after the Georgia game are back in full force.

5. Pitt Panthers

• Record: 7-1, 3-1 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
• Week 10 Result: L, 48-25 at SMU

Maybe Pitt's performance against Syracuse was a fluke after all. The Panthers had looked vulnerable in weeks leading up to their matchup vs. the Orange before the SMU game, but the Panthers were thoroughly exposed early in this game and had no real answer. Defense, Pat Narduzzi's calling card, was severely lacking vs. the Mustangs.

6. Syracuse Orange

• Record: 6-2, 3-2 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
• Week 10 Result: W, 38-31 (OT) vs. Virginia Tech

That's one way to rebound from getting embarrassed by Pitt. Sure, Syracuse looked completely out of sorts for most of the game and Kyle McCord is still up-and-down, but the Orange deserve some serious credit for mounting an 18-point comeback to eventually win in overtime. Now they have a good opportunity to finish the season strong.

7. Virginia Tech Hokies

• Record: 5-4, 3-2 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
• Week 10 Result: L, 38-31 at Syracuse

"What could have been" seems to be a theme of the year for Virginia Tech. The preseason ACC dark horse has struggled to finish games at times this season, and that reared its ugly head once again vs. Syracuse. The Hokies are full of potential, they just have fell well short of realizing it this season.

8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

• Record: 5-4, 3-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
• Week 10 Result: Bye Week

The bye week could have come at a better time for Georgia Tech after a pair of lifeless performances against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Their reward on the other side? A date with Miami. Good luck, Yellow Jackets!

9. NC State Wolfpack

• Record: 5-4, 2-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 10
• Week 10 Result: W, 59-28 vs. Stanford

Slowly but surely, NC State is pulling themselves out of the pit of despair. While the Wolfpack's defense is still hit-or-miss, true freshman QB C.J. Bailey is starting to find his footing at the collegiate level, and that offense is thriving because of it. Maybe a bowl game is still in the future for NC State.

10. Duke Blue Devils

• Record: 6-3, 2-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 8
• Week 10 Result: L, 53-31 at Miami

Year one of the Manny Diaz era at Duke has been a rousing success up to this point. Sure, they blew a late lead against Diaz's former team, but the Blue Devils are bowl eligible and nearly toppled the top two teams in the ACC. Regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, it's been a success.

11. Boston College Eagles

• Record: 4-4, 1-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 11
• Week 10 Result: Bye Week

Much like Georgia Tech, the bye week came at a great time for Boston College considering they have dropped three games in a row. Much like the Yellow Jackets, the Eagles now get Syracuse then SMU after the bye. It'll be an uphill climb to get to a bowl.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• Record: 4-4, 2-2 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 12
• Week 10 Result: Bye Week

Wake Forest hasn't been super impressive as of late, but winning close games is better than losing close ones. The end of the regular season has some winnable games for the Demon Deacons, but also some very losable ones.

13. North Carolina Tar Heels

• Record: 5-4, 2-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 14
• Week 10 Result: W, 35-11 at Florida State

Maybe Mack Brown isn't heading to retirement after the season after all. Sure, the competition hasn't exactly been stout, but UNC has won their last two games by a combined 51 points. While it was against FSU, shout out to Omarion Hampton for his incredible five-touchdown performance.

14. Cal Golden Bears

• Record: 4-4, 0-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 13
• Week 10 Result: Bye Week

Cal has been incredibly unlucky since ACC play kicked off, losing all four games by less than a touchdown. Though beating down Oregon State followed by a bye week could serve as some positive momentum heading into the final month of the season.

15. Virginia Cavaliers

• Record: 4-4, 2-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 15
• Week 10 Result: Bye Week

Virginia has been sputtering over the last month or so, losing three three straight after opening at 4-1, and things won't get any easier. Down the stretch, they have to go to Pitt, go to Notre Dame, host SMU and go to Virginia Tech for the Commonwealth Cup. Have fun with that.

16. Stanford Cardinal

• Record: 2-7, 1-5 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 16
• Week 10 Result: L, 59-28 at NC State

Stanford continues to find new ways of expressing complete and total ineptitude. Giving up 527 yards of offense to an NC State team that ranked No. 98 in total offense heading into the matchup is only the latest example. I'm not sure who the answer is for the Cardinal in this age of college football, but it's starting to look like Troy Taylor isn't.

17. Florida State Seminoles

• Record: 1-8, 1-7 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 17
• Week 10 Result: L, 35-11 vs. North Carolina

I'll just say this: do you know how bad you have to be to only score 11 points against a UNC defense? Florida State wraps up their ACC slate of games with their worst mark in conference play in program history.

(Photo of Roderick Daniels Jr.: Jerome Miron - Imagn Images)

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