Miami Hurricanes' DeeJay Dallas (13) takes down Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Chris Finke (10) on a punt return in the first quarter Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS)
As the end of the regular season approaches, college football teams in the ACC inch toward rounding out their records and competing for coveted bowl slots.
While Clemson and Miami stand firm at the top of the pack, Pitt, Duke and Florida State all suffered losses — resulting in a slide to the bottom.
Here are The Pitt News’ ACC power rankings heading into week 12:
Miami jumped to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll after a dominant performance against Notre Dame. Once again Miami’s defense led the way, forcing four turnovers during the game. If the Hurricanes beat Virginia and Pitt, Miami is almost guaranteed a top four ranking heading into the ACC title game. –Grant Burgman, Staff writer
Next Up: Virginia
The Tigers dominated against unranked Florida State and stayed true to their impressive running attack, as all of their touchdowns came on the ground. The Clemson defense also had a strong performance, sacking FSU freshman quarterback James Blackman five times and adding an interception. Clemson’s next test will come against FCS opponent The Citadel. As long as the Tigers stick to the ground game, they will take care of business and continue their march toward the College Football Playoff. –Adin Link, Staff writer
Next Up: The Citadel
It took a long fourth-quarter touchdown run by junior running back Nyheim Hines to put the No. 25 Wolfpack up for good in their 17-14 win over Boston College. Standout senior defensive end Bradley Chubb recorded 2.5 sacks on his way to breaking the NC State all-time sack record. The Wolfpack should be favored when they face off against a streaking Wake Forest team Saturday. –Brandon Glass, Staff writer
Next Up: Wake Forest
Losing a tight matchup with Georgia Tech over the weekend, the Hokies have now lost two straight games. Desperate to get their season on track, they’ll be looking for a win when they host Pitt — a team coming off its own bad loss against North Carolina. The key for Virginia Tech is redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Jackson. Look for Jackson to have a big day as the Hokies regain their footing in the ACC. –David Leftwich, Senior staff writer
Next Up: Pitt
The Yellow Jackets are still bowl eligible, giving them incentive to finish strong. The defense still finds itself within the top 10 for total yards allowed, while the run game is averaging more than 320 yards per game. Double threat junior quarterback TaQuon Marshall is third in the nation for rushing touchdowns. –Luke Baloga, For The Pitt News
Next Up: Duke
The Demon Deacons defeated Syracuse 64-43 in a game where junior running back Matt Colburn rushed for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Wake Forest has officially clinched its second season in a row with a record of .500 or better. The Deacons have a tough matchup this week against No. 19 NC State, but have a great chance to secure a winning season in their final matchup against Duke. –Burgman
Next Up: NC State
The Cavaliers fell to Louisville 38-21 just a week after becoming bowl eligible. The defense once again struggled, giving up almost 500 yards and having no idea how to stop explosive Louisville junior quarterback Lamar Jackson. Virginia will go down to Miami to take on the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes in what will likely be another loss for the Cavaliers. –Dominic Campbell, Staff writer
Next Up: Miami
After rattling off three straight ACC wins, Boston College’s streak came to an end last week with a close 17-14 loss to No. 25 NC State. The Eagles were dealt another tough blow when starting redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown suffered a season-ending leg injury in the game. However, Boston College should still win its upcoming matchup against a struggling Connecticut. –Trent Leonard, Staff writer
Next Up: Connecticut
The Cardinals got back in the win column at home Saturday, defeating Virginia 38-21. Former Heisman trophy winner Jackson recorded his longest touchdown run of the season on a 68-yard scamper in the first quarter. The Cardinals stay in Louisville to take on a poor-performing opponent in Syracuse. –Glass
Next Up: Syracuse
The Seminoles had a tough 31-14 loss to top-ranked Clemson. With that loss, the team is getting dangerously close to not becoming bowl eligible. They need three more wins with three games left to play. –Colin Martin, Staff writer
Next Up: Delaware State
After being up 38-24 at halftime, the Orange had everything go wrong in the second half and lost 64-43 to Wake Forest. The Orange were outscored 40-5 in the second half and allowed the Demon Deacons to gain a school record of 734 offensive yards. Syracuse will play away against the Louisville Cardinals in what will be a decisive game in determining the team’s bowl game chances. –Campbell
Next Up: Louisville
Pitt took their disappointing season to new heights in its loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Junior running back Darrin Hall was tremendous for the third game in a row, but the Panthers’ defense couldn’t stop much from happening. If the defense looks like this again Saturday against Virginia Tech, expect the Panthers’ middling record to get worse. –Abbot Zuk, Staff writer
Next Up: Virginia Tech
Duke lost to Army 16-22 Saturday, earning its sixth straight defeat. The Blue Devils held the nation’s leading rush attack to 22 points, but were stifled on offense the entire game. With two games remaining, Duke needs to win both to become bowl eligible. –Alex Lehmbeck, Staff writer
Next Up: Georgia Tech
The Tar Heels recorded their first win since Sept.16, as they came in to Heinz Field and defeated a struggling Pitt team, 34-31. UNC will look to make it two wins in a row against cross-state opponent Western Carolina Saturday. –Martin
Next Up: Western Carolina
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