Chris Mitch Pat
1. Clemson 1. Virginia Tech 1. Virginia Tech
2. Virginia Tech 2. Georgia Tech 2. Clemson
3. Florida State 3. Clemson 3. Florida State
4. Wake Forest 4. Florida State 4. Georgia Tech
5. Georgia Tech 5. Wake Forest 5. UVA
6. UVA 6. UVA 6. Miami
7. Miami 7. Miami 7. Wake Forest
8. Boston College 8. NC State 8. Duke
9. NC State 9. UNC 9. NC State
10. UNC 10. Boston College 10. UNC
11. Duke 11. Duke 11. Boston College
12. Maryland 12. Maryland 12. Maryland
Power Rankings
*-Bowl Eligible
#-Atlantic Champion
1. Virginia Tech (LW 2)(9-1)*
Chris: Last Thursday night's game against Georgia Tech was a great win for Virginia Tech. I still don't have them ranked ahead of Clemson in my personal Power Rankings but I think Virginia Tech has improved a lot more than Clemson since their October 1 match-up. I am not saying Virginia Tech will win if these teams face off again in the ACC Championship game but I really like where Virginia Tech is headed. I am struggling to write a proper review of the Hokies right now because I am beyond excited about this Thursday night game against UNC. I love Thursday night football games in Blacksburg. The last time UNC played in Blacksburg on a Thursday night they came away with the win on a last second field goal after a Ryan Williams' fumble. This game on Thursday night has a lot on the line for this Virginia Tech team, it's Senior night and win will give Tech its 8th straight season with 10 wins and keep them in the driver seat for the Coastal Division. Should be a good one.
Pat: What a great test for the Hokies this past Thursday. And what a great prospect in one of the youngest teams in the ACC competing at this level. With each passing week, Logan Thomas is giving every Hokie fan more and more assurance in his capabilities on the field. How about this for a young VT quarterback? 209 yards passing, 70 yards rushing and 3 passing touchdowns to go along with 2 rushing touchdowns. In other words, the kid was apart of every touchdown. And the mix of pass-to-rush is something we all can see Frank Beamer is happy to have under center…again.
2. Clemson (LW 1)(9-1)*#
Pat: Well, its hard to come right out and say the Tigers looked off this weekend. Yeah, they gave the ball to Wake Forest three times in the game, but that’s just what we expect to see when teams face Wake Forest. They’ve proven they can be difficult for good teams. But Clemson shouldn’t be performing like this at home this late in the season. Coming off their first loss of the season,a bye week and then game like this one, things could be tense in South Carolina. Over the next two games, Clemson should be able to pick up the pieces heading into the post-season; they’ll be favored in both games.
Mitch: They'll be in the ACC Championship game no matter what, but they will also win their remaining ACC game. I don't think South Carolina will beat them either despite Clemson's propensity to pulling a Clemson... actually I think South Carolina will beat Clemson but I don't want them to. I want two top ten teams in the title game.
3. Florida State (LW 4)(7-3)*
Mitch: I think they are playing the best defense of any team in the conference. I also think that we sustain so many injuries on offense it is impossible to tell what is going on. I am almost positive EJ is hurt and back up running back Jermaine Thomas could be as well. But it's not out of the realm of possibility that Jimbo is not showing some plays so Virginia will have less to prepare on or for Florida to prepare for how how we are playing lately. One thing is for sure, we are in need of consistent offensive play... if you listened to the podcast, Chris and I were already looking to next year. Mostly me, because that is all Florida State has in regards to proving we are worthy of being a ranked team. Plus, it is our best shot of playing some good solid football rather than the ridiculously sloppy games we are prone to play.
Chris: I said for weeks that I would trust Florida State's improved play if they got a win against Miami and they did. So here I am, I think Florida State is playing well and the win against Miami proved it. Florida State's remaining regular season games are against UVA and the Florida, both games that could be lost, but I doubt that. Florida State won't finish in the top 10 this season but will finish high enough to have the national media firing up the engines to the Seminole hype train again next summer.
4. Georgia Tech (LW 3)(7-3)*
Chris: Georgia Tech is a good team and that's one reason I was so excited after Virginia Tech's win against the Yellow Jackets. This team can run the ball but they struggled to stop the run on defense, which allowed Virginia Tech to do whatever they wanted on offense. Georgia Tech had chances to win the game last Thursday but one punch and a few failed fourth down conversions did them in. This team will always win games as long as Paul Johnson is at the helm running that tough to defend option attack. Maybe they just need to get rid of that defensive coordinator, Al Groh. I mean he hasn't beat Virginia Tech in years. What did you expect Georgia Tech?
Pat: Tough loss for a tough Georgia Tech team. 1-3 after starting 6-0, that could make your stomach churn if you’re a Jacket fan. Their offense was productive as usual with 340 total yards, but good defenses really challenge this team. The offense has been exposed, but it can still run the score up on teams that think they have it figured out and haven’t. The bottom line is, Virginia Tech just punished them with their offense. Logan Thomas picked and rushed this defense apart. So, the issue here seems to be, the Jackets have a great offense that most teams can’t handle. But their defense is too streaky to be reliable. After shutting down the Clemson scoring machine, Virginia Tech came out and did what they wanted with the ball. Still a dangerous team, likely to put two more wins together; though Georgia may be difficult.
5. Wake Forest (LW 7)(5-5)
Mitch: Grobe has a better team this year than he though the would have. They started strong and have faded as of late, but the scare they gave Clemson was one that made conference members realize Wake is always ready to play. They will be a good team next year too.
Chris: I ranked this team at fourth and I'll be honest I am struggling with them their. The problem becomes that the fourth through sixth ranked teams all lost this weekend but Wake Forest looked the best in their loss. That being said Wake Forest has three straight losses and is still not bowl eligible. They should win their next two games against Maryland and Vanderbilt and end up going to a bowl game. Maybe they should be a little bit lower in our Power Rankings for now.
6. UVA (LW 5)(7-3)*
Pat: Moving right along, seven wins with two games to go. This is Virginia people. I am truly excited about the possibility that the Virginia-Virginia Tech game could be about more than just the rivalry. This match-up in two weeks could be about the Coastal crown. And yet, they were so close. Unfortunately, they’ve got a match-up against a Florida State team that could wear them out if they aren’t careful. They’ll really need to put some points on the board early to have a chance at beating FSU.
Mitch: They are recruiting well and have a lot of young talent. I read yesterday they have the second most number of freshmen on a team. I was impressed by that. I kind of hope London has one more good year and then leaves for a job in the SEC, like Tennessee after Dooley gets canned next year.
7. Miami (LW 6)(5-5)
Chris: Al Golden's name is being thrown around in several of the jobs that have opened up this season, including the Penn State job. I think Golden is a good coach and should get out of Miami at the end of this season. He had know idea what mess he was walking into at Miami and after doing a good job this season should be rewarded with a job that doesn't come with all that baggage. So he should stay away from that Penn State job as well. That being said get out while you still can Golden.
Pat: The final score was a misrepresentation of how separated these two teams were throughout the game. Florida State punished Miami on special teams and in the end, it was what caused the loss. Al Golden, however, has done a remarkable job with this team this year. Facing all the pressure in the world, the young coach has really made a mark in the ACC after opening up with a loss to the Terrapins. They can be streaky at times, but I really enjoy the speed of this offense. They’ll need a replacement for Jacory next year, but if they can find that, this might be a Miami team we aren’t used to seeing. After it all though, they close out the season with back-to-back wins for an impressive 7-5 finish after facing a lot this season.
8. NC State (LW 8)(5-5)
Pat: I don’t get you guys. Every season you come in, take down the Tarheels to surprise everyone, and then you’re done. Hey O’Brien, the alumni are still meeting about your job, in case you were wondering. If you’re going to do something in the conference, then do something! It’s a shame this team can't come out with a same consistency from week to week. Who knows? If they were better coached, maybe they’d win more of these cupcake games. Whatever…they’re 5-5 with a loss coming up against the Tigers in Raleigh, and then, I’m going to say tom O’Brian coaches for his life against Maryland and they make a bowl. Oops! We all know that isn’t what they’re trying to do. Sometimes you just back into these things.
Mitch: I think NC State will be better next year because there is no way one could repeat the number of injuries they had. Plus Glennon will improve and has already. I think O'Brien took a big hit this year but it will pay off next year. Not saying they will be a top tier team, but they will be competitive and keep the middle of the conference feisty and upset some folks (please not us!)
9. Boston College/UNC* (Boston College LW 11/UNC LW 9)(Boston College 3-7/UNC 6-4)
Mitch: This team has no chance to improve going into next season. How does a team with a handful of wins not improve? Because they will have a new coach and typically teams with no coaches do not improve immediately.
Chris: The past few weeks I have been writing things to do in Boston instead of watching Boston College play. Boston College's defense is tough and their offense still pretty much stinks but coming out of their bye week they have played with a different tenacity. That's just to say they don't seem to give up right at kickoff. Mitch is right they will have a new coach next season and I don't see anyone big lining up for the job so Boston College will have another season of limited success. Expect me to write about things to do in Boston again next season.
Pat: You wouldn’t stop dropping in the Power Rankings if you didn’t have another game all season the way you guys played against State. Hear they lost this weekend to BC? No? Perhaps you guys are spending too much time studying aircraft carriers. I’ll kill your hopes right now, no one would invite you to play on an aircraft carrier if each college used one as a home stadium. Get it together. Well, wait til next week and get it together. Hopefully you wont be too enthralled in basketball season to give up a win to Duke. Either way, might as well be headed to the Dean Dome instead of Blacksburg on Thursday. You guys don’t have a chance.
Mitch: This team will decline next season. In fact, they are set up to be one of the bottom three next year just because of the NCAA sanctions and how that affects recruiting and the ability to hire a coach. NC State showed they may be on the right path when they beat UNC, and really that was enough to save Tom O'Brien. If there is one place with an inferiority complex it's Raleigh.
11. Duke (LW 10)(3-7)
Mitch: If Cutcliffe can't improve on wins next year then he is screwed. I think he is a good coach and there has been improvement at Duke, but the "wins and losses" don't lie. However, if Duke has the balls to keep him beyond four years and see if it is a just a case of stagnated turn around due to how far down the Devils had fallen, they could show recruits and their coach they are committed to the program. That goes a long way, especially for football players who perceive the school as only basketball minded.
Pat: Looking at my rankings this week, yes, you’re reading that right. A team goes 0-5 and I’m moving them up the charts. Well, that’s because in their last five loses they’ve really challenged three good teams, Virginia included. Well…that’s a part of it. The bottom four teams make it hard to argue over who is the worse. That competition is a dogfight.
12. Maryland (LW 12)(2-8)
Chris: Maryland your last win came against Towson. I don't know anything about Towson. I am trying to think of some positives going forward for you guys but I really can't think of any. You finish your season on the road at Wake Forest and at NC State and your fans should be thankful. Thankful that they don't have to go see you guys anymore. They can watch you at home and change the channel when it get's out of hand, which won't take long in either game.
Mitch: I see the beginnings of a quarterback controversy in College Park . O'Brien can play but so can his back up. I kind of hope Edsall gets his stuff together because it sucks to see talent wasted. Also I hate that we have a flagship university of a state being freaking terrible in an AQ conference. Plus, i want Scott Van Pelt to get excited and tweet about his team. The downside of them being good is a bunch of pasty ass, wanna be northeasterners who think they are good at football. It'd be like the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles all over again. #NFLreference #cantwaitforcuseandpitt #notreally #icanwait
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i ranked GT 2? that is not a good thing. they should not be ahead of Clemson at this point. i know they beat Clemson, but I think in the grand scheme of rankings they are the third best team in the ACC this year.
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