After holding steady at No. 2 through the bye, Duke takes a step back in the post-Week 6 ACC Power Rankings after a frustrating road loss to Georgia Tech, a team that had been near the bottom of this weekly ranking the last couple of weeks following a difficult start to the season.
At 4-1, everything is still ahead of the Blue Devils, however. They just need to get back on track with a difficult matchup at home against North Carolina on the horizon.
Let's take a look at how the rest of the ACC stacks up after Wee k6:
ACC Power Rankings after Week 6's action
1. Miami: 5-0 (3-0)
It's Miami, and it's everyone else in the ACC. As much as it might pain us to admit it, the Hurricanes are in a class of their own. They hold steady at No. 1 - by a wide margin - and will host Florida State next week fresh off their bye week.
2. Wake Forest: 5-1 (3-1)
The biggest threat to Miami is a team they've already beaten: Wake Forest, which gave the Hurricanes a legitimate game, feels like the second-best team in the ACC right now. They've now won three in a row since their only loss, and they routed NC State 38-14 on the road this weekend. They'll now try to navigate a tricky road contest at Cal.
3. SMU: 4-1 (2-1)
Carnage ahead of SMU allowed the Mustangs to move up this week without playing a game. They haven't looked all that impressive in their last two wins, but back-to-back home games against Virginia and Cal could help them build some momentum toward Charlotte.
4. Duke: 4-1 (1-1)
The first of eight straight ACC games for Duke to finish the season didn't go according to plan. The Blue Devils fell by three on the road against Georgia Tech, a tough loss to stomach for a variety of reasons. Duke will look to get back in the win column against bitter rival North Carolina this weekend in Durham.
5. Pittsburgh: 5-1 (2-1)
Pitt's first game without star QB Mason Heintschel didn't go according to plan, with the Panthers suffering their first loss of the season at home against North Carolina. It was a winnable game they let get away, and now they'll face back-to-back road games at Boston College and Miami.
6. Clemson: 3-2 (2-1)
Clemson moves up without playing thanks to several losses. The Tigers have two losses, but they came at LSU and at home against powerhouse Miami. They do have two ACC wins over North Carolina and Cal, which helps their standing. They get a post-bye week tune-up against Charleston Southern this week before hosting Virginia Tech in a pivotal matchup on 10/24.
7. North Carolina: 3-2 (1-1)
North Carolina earned arguably the biggest win of the Bill Belichick era by going on the road and taking down previously unbeaten Pittsburgh. The Heels look much improved from last season, and the game in Durham this weekend will be massive for bragging rights and ACC positioning.
8. Louisville: 3-3 (2-2)
Coming off back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and NC State, Louisville's season appeared on the brink of disaster. Trailing Florida State 14-0, the Cardinals came up with a pivotal goal-line stand, followed by a 99-yard touchdown run to completely swing the momentum. Louisville outscored FSU 44-6 after the early deficit, and now again looks like a team that will be difficult to deal with. They'll have a chance to build momentum against the cellar of the league with Syracuse, Stanford, and Georgia Tech on deck.
9. Virginia Tech: 4-2 (1-2)
Virginia Tech couldn't shake off the heartbreaking two-point loss to Pitt last week and dropped another close result on the road to Cal. The Hokies will host Georgia Tech this week as they look to get off the snide.
10. Florida State: 3-3 (1-2)
Just when you think Florida State may have turned the corner, things completely fall apart. After a 38-7 win over Virginia last week, the Seminoles took a 14-0 lead against Louisville before getting outscored 44-6 the rest of the way. Now, FSU faces Miami on the road and Mike Norvell's seat is on fire.
11. Virginia: 4-2 (2-1)
Virginia bounced back from the blowout loss to Florida State to earn a close win over Syracuse, but a three-point home win over one of the conference's bottom-feeders doesn't inspire much confidence that the Hoos are legitimate ACC contenders. They'll need to play much better to have a shot next week at SMU.
12. California: 3-3 (2-1)
Just when it looked like things were on the verge of falling apart for Cal, the Golden Bears earned a pivotal win over Virginia Tech to snap a two-game losing streak. The schedule just gets more challenging, starting with Wake Forest in Berkeley this weekend.
13. NC State: 3-3 (1-2)
After the win over Louisville, NC State had a chance to build some momentum and score another massive win, but the Wolfpack couldn't measure up against Wake Forest. After a week off, NC State gets Stanford and Cal in back-to-back weeks with a real chance to build back some momentum.
14. Georgia Tech: 2-3 (1-1)
Georgia Tech earned a massive and much-needed win over Duke at home to salvage its season. They'll look to maintain that momentum on the road against Virginia Tech, who will be similarly desperate for a win after consecutive losses.
15. Boston College: 2-3 (0-2)
Boston College had a bye week and faces a major opportunity at home this weekend against a Pitt team still trying to find its footing without its starting QB.
16. Syracuse: 2-3 (0-3)
Syracuse took a step forward this week, taking a lead into the fourth quarter on the road at Virginia before ultimately coming up short. That's something for Fran Brown to build upon, but unfortunately the schedule is brutal. The next four games for the Orange: vs. Louisville, at North Carolina, vs. SMU, and vs. Clemson.
17. Stanford: 2-4 (1-3)
After beating Georgia Tech, Stanford has gotten pulverized in back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and Notre Dame. They've been outscored 115-10 in the two losses. The good news: FCS Elon awaits in Palo Alto next week.
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