ACC Football Power Rankings: 2024 Week 14

An update on the Atlantic Coast Conference landscape heading into the final week of the regular season.

Nov 23, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals linebacker Stanquan Clark (6) and linebacker TJ Quinn (34) tackle Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With just one week left in the regular season, one spot is still up for grabs in the ACC Championship Game.

League newcomer SMU did the previously unthinkable this past weekend, officially clinching a spot in the title game. As for who will meet the Mustangs in Charlotte, it's now officially down to Clemson vs. Miami.

Can the Canes take care of business against Syracuse and punch their ticket? Or do the Orange have chaos in store? Also, how will various other members of the ACC close out the regular season?

Where do things currently stand in the conference following 13 weeks of football? Check out our week 14 ACC power rankings below:

1. SMU Mustangs

• Record: 10-1, 7-0 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
• Week 13 Result: W, 33-7 at Virginia

I can't help but wonder how high SMU would be ranked if Kevin Jennings was the day one starter. The Mustangs have been otherworldly since making the change at quarterback, and have a great chance to win the ACC in their first year in the league. Truly a remarkable job by freshly-extended Rhett Lashlee.

2. Miami Hurricanes

• Record:10-1, 6-1 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
• Week 13 Result: W, 42-14 vs. Wake Forest

For a second, I thought Miami had a Mario Cristobal special in store for the second half against Wake Forest. But credit to the Canes: that porous defense took care of business after halftime and their offense finally woke up in the fourth quarter. Now, Miami is just one win away from getting to the title game.

3. Clemson Tigers

• Record: 9-2, 7-1 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
• Week 13 Result: W, 51-14 vs. The Citadel

SEC teams aren't the only ones who schedule cupcakes in the penultimate game of the regular season. Jokes aside, if Clemson is able to back door their way into the ACC Championship Game, don't count out Dabo Swinney. Even though his Tigers haven't looked super crisp in the last three ACC games.

4. Louisville Cardinals

• Record: 7-4, 5-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 5
• Week 13 Result: W, 37-9 vs. Pitt

Where the hell was this team against Stanford? Louisville went from losing to one of the worst power conference teams in football to steamrolling a Pitt squad that isn't far removed from being in the ACC title game discussion. "What Could Have Been" will be the theme of the season for the Cardinals.

5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

• Record: 7-4, 5-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 4
• Week 13 Result: W, 30-29 vs. NC State

This game was part of what makes college football great. The backup quarterback (in this case Aaron Philo) coming off the bench and leading a game-winning drive in the final seconds. Between this, the Miami upset the week before and their recent recruiting prowess, Brent Key has the Yellow Jackets on a roll.

6. Syracuse Orange

• Record: 8-3, 4-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
• Week 13 Result: W, 31-24 vs. UConn

It seems that Syracuse loves to only play in close games, at least that's how it seemed over the last month. Regardless, the prolific offense has carried them to their best season since 2018. Could the Orange pull a stunner and upset Miami this weekend with how up-and-down the Canes' defense has been?

7. Duke Blue Devils

• Record: 8-3, 4-3 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 8
• Week 13 Result: W, 31-28 vs. Virginia

I continue to be amazed by Manny Diaz's coaching job in just his first year at Duke. Sure, Virginia Tech has certainly been a disappointment and Duke didn't look super great against them, but he has the Blue Devils on the precipice of a nine-win season after losing multiple impact player along with Mike Elko. If you ask me, he's the ACC Coach of the Year.

8. Pitt Panthers

• Record: 7-4, 3-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
• Week 13 Result: L, 37-9 at Louisville

Pitt must be listening to too much Tom Petty, because boy are they free fallin'. It's been one thing after another for the Panthers over the last month, and now it seems that they'll be without Eli Holstein for the finale and bowl game. It's still a better year than what was expected in the preseason, but man, this has to sting if you're a Pitt fan.

9. Boston College Eagles

• Record: 6-5, 3-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 11
• Week 13 Result: W, 41-21 vs. North Carolina

If there's anything I've learned from the ACC this season, it's that midseason quarterback changes can work miracles. Grayson James led a comeback against Syracuse, nearly toppled SMU, and then boat raced North Carolina. The future seems to be bright for Bill O'Brien's squad in Chestnut Hill.

10. Virginia Tech Hokies

• Record: 5-6, 3-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
• Week 13 Result: L, 31-28 at Duke

If you're reading this, Eli Pancol just caught another pass. Virginia Tech couldn't cover him at all, and it was emblematic of some of the Hokies' bigger problems at hand. They had a chance to really finish the season strong after some early hiccups, but are now sitting on three straight losses.

11. NC State Wolfpack

• Record: 5-6, 2-5 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 10
• Week 13 Result: L, 30-29 at Georgia Tech

Few things in college football have to hurt more than orchestrating a go-ahead drive, only for your opponent to immediately turn around and do the same for the win. QB C.J. Bailey has been good for NC State since taking over, but not against Georgia Tech. Now, the Wolfpack have to take down their rival in order to even get to a bowl.

12. Cal Golden Bears

• Record: 6-5, 2-5 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 14
• Week 13 Result: W, 24-21 vs. Stanford

What an incredible comeback by Cal in the Big Game. Things certainly could have played out a lot better over the season for the Golden Bears with the amount of close losses, but they still showed an incredible amount of fight. Justin Wilcox has this team in the right direction.

13. North Carolina Tar Heels

• Record: 6-5, 3-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 12
• Week 13 Result: L, 41-21 at Boston College

I see that North Carolina's defense has gone back to not being able to stop a nosebleed. I know that Mack Brown continues to reiterate that he isn't retiring, but at this rate, maybe he should. The Tar Heels just don't seem to have any direction right now.

14. Virginia Cavaliers

• Record: 5-6, 3-4 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 13
• Week 13 Result: L, 33-7 vs. SMU

Tony Elliott's decision to stick with Anthony Colandrea over Tony Muskett as the starting quarterback ultimately proved to not pay off. Would Virginia have defeated SMU if the later started? Probably not, but it didn't help, and this team has not looked the same over the last month and a half.

15. Stanford Cardinal

• Record: 3-8, 2-6 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 15
• Week 13 Result: L, 24-21 at Cal

Just when I thought that Stanford had some momentum in the right direction after stunning Louisville. They were up multiple scores in their rivalry game with Cal, only to completely colapse down the stretch. I've mentioned it several times before, but it bares repeating: Troy Taylor has an incredible rebuild on hand.

16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• Record: 4-6, 2-5 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 16
• Week 13 Result: L, 42-14 at Miami

What do you get when you combine one of the worst defenses in the ACC with the top offense in college football? You get Wake Forest surrendering over 500 yards of offense. Even the Demon Deacons' offense, which has shown flashes, was not good. Dave Clawson needs to fix things in the offseason, and fast.

17. Florida State Seminoles

• Record: 2-9, 1-7 ACC
• Last Week's Ranking: No. 17
• Week 13 Result: W, 41-7 vs. Charleston Southern

(Photo via Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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