There appears to be a clear top three in the ACC hierarchy at this point, but after that it's kinda anybody's guess.
Miami, Wake Forest, and SMU look to be a class above the rest of the league. After that, good luck deciding the order from there. It feels like from 4-17, anybody can beat anybody.
For Duke, the Blue Devils took a step forward this week after snapping its two game losing streak with a thrilling 19-16 win over Virginia on Friday night.
Let's take a look at where everyone stands in this week's ACC power rankings:
ACC Power Rankings after Week 8
1. Miami: 7-0 (5-0)
It's Miami and everyone else in the ACC this year. The Hurricanes had little trouble this week dispatching of Pitt by a score of 52-23 and will now head on the road to face North Carolina on Halloween in a tricky spot with Notre Dame looming in South Bend the following week.
2. Wake Forest: 6-1 (4-1)
Wake Forest holds steady after the bye week. Their only loss was by 13 to Miami, and they've got a chance to run the table to set up a potential rematch in Charlotte. The Demon Deacons are a real playoff threat, and their November 14th road game at SMU could have massive implications in the ACC and national races.
3. SMU: 6-1 (4-1)
After a couple of uninspiring wins in a row, SMU looked a lot more like a playoff team against Cal, especially in the second half. Trailing at one point 20-17, the Mustangs scored 42 unanswered to score a 59-20 win. A tricky road game at Noon against Syracuse awaits next weekend.
4. Virginia Tech: 6-2 (3-2)
The Hokies scored a massive road win at Clemson, coming from behind in the fourth quarter to earn the win in Death Valley. Ethan Grunkmeyer hit Luke Reynolds for a 5-yard touchdown with 1:44 to play to lift Virginia Tech to the 20-16 win that keeps them alive in the ACC race. Now they'll get a bye week before a Friday night matchup against SMU on the road.
5. Louisville: 4-3 (3-2)
Louisville holds steady after a bye week. They are another sneaky contender to get to Charlotte with a navigable schedule down the stretch.
6. Duke: 5-2 (2-2)
After back-to-back losses that followed the same fourth-quarter script, Duke got the job done against Virginia on the road thanks to a gutsy trick-play call by Manny Diaz. Nate Sheppard threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Brody Keefe, and then Patrick Smith-Young intercepted Beau Pribula to seal the win. Next up for Duke is a home matchup against Boston College.
7. Clemson: 4-3 (2-2)
Clemson dropped a heartbreaker at home against Virginia Tech, with offensive struggles once again standing out. Now, the Tigers go on the road to face a rested Florida State team on Halloween.
8. North Carolina: 4-3 (2-2)
Just when things looked like they were rolling for Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill after back-to-back road wins over Pitt and Duke, the train derailed back in Chapel Hill with a stunning overtime loss to Syracuse at home. Now, they'll welcome in No. 1 Miami.
9. Boston College: 4-3 (2-2)
Boston College may be the most improved team in the ACC from what they looked like early in the season. The Eagles rolled to a 22-point win at Georgia Tech, their second straight impressive conference win coming off a six-point win over Pitt the week prior. They'll look to make another leap up the standings on the road against Duke next.
10. Florida State: 3-4 (1-3)
FSU is the toughest team in the league to get a real read on. They've got four losses, but they showed what they have the potential of being by pushing Miami to the brink last week. After a bye week, they'll face a critical home game against Clemson.
11. Pittsburgh: 5-3 (2-3)
Pittsburgh has now lost three in a row since losing its starting QB to a season-ending injury. They were non-competitive against No. 1 Miami and now head back home looking to find answers against Georgia Tech.
12. Virginia: 4-4 (2-3)
Virginia came up agonizingly short at home against Duke. This is a shell of the team we saw early in the season, with a CVS receipt for an injury report. Things only get tougher this week as they go on the road to face Wake Forest.
13. Stanford: 4-4 (2-3)
Stanford earned its most impressive win of the season - and arguably of the last couple of seasons - by taking down NC State at home, leading to the Wolfpack making a leadership change. It was a pivotal win with three straight road games up next.
14. Syracuse: 3-4 (1-4)
After close losses to both Virginia and Louisville, Syracuse finally pulled one out late by taking down North Carolina on the road in overtime. Star freshman WR Calvin Russell came up clutch, and the Orange will look for a second straight upset win with SMU coming to town.
15. California: 3-5 (2-3)
Cal's matchups against Wake and SMU went as you might expect, producing two blowouts. They'll look to bounce back against NC State on the road.
16. NC State: 3-4 (1-3)
There may not be a more disappointing team in the league this year than NC State. The administration in Raleigh agreed, firing Dave Doeren on Saturday after the loss in Palo Alto. It's a lost season for the Wolfpack.
17. Georgia Tech: 2-5 (1-3)
If NC State isn't the most disappointing team in the ACC, it's because it's Georgia Tech. Losing OC Buster Faulkner was a bigger loss than anyone realized, and the Jackets are now in the cellar. A 22-point home loss to Boston College was rock bottom for this season.
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