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With the Heels losing in the longest game in ACC football history, the Coastal Division is now a complete toss up:
IT'S REAL AND IT'S SPECTACULAR!!!! https://t.co/FdBKlPC0UN pic.twitter.com/AbvroWJhOK
— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) October 20, 2019
Virginia is now in the driver’s seat in the Coastal at 3-1 in the conference, while Pitt is in second place at 2-1. Three teams, including the Tar Heels, are at 2-2 in the conference, which will keep things interesting for a week or two in conference play.
Clemson and Wake are holding steady at the top of the Power Rankings. Unfortunately, Carolina’s loss caused one of the biggest drops in the Power Rankings as UNC fell from third to ninth this week.
Let’s take a look at how things have shaken up after a wild weekend of college football.
1. #4 Clemson Tigers 7-0 (5-0)
Clemson’s 45-10 victory over Louisville did not do much to impress the voters as they dropped a spot in the AP Poll this week. Despite the score from Saturday, this Tigers team is not the dominant force of the past couple years, especially with turnovers. However, they should be able to take care of business for the next couple weeks.
Next game: 10/26 at 7:30 vs. Boston College
2. #25 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 6-1 (2-1)
It was not pretty, but the Deacs got it done against Florida State Saturday night in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest left a lot of points on the board with five field goals. The longest of the five makes was from 27 yards. Head coach Dave Clawson will have two weeks to work on the red zone offense before hosting NC State.
Next game: 11/2 vs. NC State
3. Virginia Cavaliers 5-2 (3-1)
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cavaliers put up 17 in the second quarter. That would be enough to go the distance in their 48-14 beatdown of Duke. This was a pivotal win for UVA as it puts them in charge of the Coastal...at least for the time being.
Next game: 10/26 at 3:30 at Louisville
4. Pittsburgh Panthers 5-2 (2-1)
With nine sacks against Syracuse, Pitt now leads the nation in sacks. The defense was key to victory in the second half because the Pitt offense only generated a field goal during the entire second stanza. The Panthers have a great opportunity in front of them with a struggling Miami team next.
Next game: 10/26 at 12:00 vs. Miami
5. Virginia Tech Hokies 5-2 (2-2)
The Hokies won the longest game in ACC history and are back in the conversation for the Coastal Division. At the very least, if the Coastal title remains out of the reach, Virginia Tech is another victory closer to bowl eligibility.
Next game: 11/2 at 2:30 at Notre Dame
6. Duke Blue Devils 4-3 (2-2)
A blowout of Virginia Tech on the road. A narrow loss to Pitt at home. A solid win against Georgia Tech. Destroyed by Virginia. Duke is an inconsistent team and it will be interesting to see which team shows up in Chapel Hill Saturday.
Next game: 10/26 at 4:00 at UNC
7. Louisville Cardinals 4-3 (2-2)
The Cardinals’ offense finally hit the wall against Clemson this past Saturday and it will not get easier against Virginia. The Cavaliers rank eighth in the nation in total defense. Will the Cardinals step up and cause more Coastal chaos?
Next game: 10/26 at 3:30 vs. Virginia
8. Boston College Eagles 4-3 (2-2)
The Eagles stretched their lead to 31-3 on Saturday against NC State before allowing a Wolfpack touchdown late in the third and eventually won 45-24. BC gained 429 yards on the ground and did not commit any turnovers. With that type of effort, can they play spoiler on Saturday in Death Valley?
Next game: 10/26 at 7:30 at Clemson
9. North Carolina Tar Heels 3-4 (2-2)
After last week’s loss, this game feels like a must-win. And in many ways, it is. The Tar Heels are looking to end their current losing streak to their archrival and need a victory to remain in the Coastal hunt and on the path to bowl eligibility.
Next game: 10/26 at 4:00 vs. Duke
10. Florida State Seminoles 3-4 (2-3)
The Seminoles remain streaky, now losing two straight conference games after winning two in a row. FSU had a late lead in Winston-Salem, but could not complete the comeback in the wet conditions. With Syracuse traveling to Tallahassee, the Seminoles should return to .500 across the board, but that is not a guarantee with this team.
Next game: 10/26 at 3:30 vs. Syracuse
11. NC State Wolfpack 4-3 (1-2)
In what was supposed to be a matchup of strengths Saturday, NC State’s rush defense was dominated by BC’s running game. The bye week could not come at better time for the Wolfpack as they need to regroup with a tough schedule ahead.
Next game: 11/2 at Wake Forest
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2-5 (1-3)
GT’s win was all about taking advantage of opportunities. Defensive efforts and trickery kept them in the ballgame. With 53 seconds left in the game, Georgia Tech tied the game against Miami then blocked a field goal to force overtime. The Yellow Jackets then made it happen in OT to win.
Next game: 11/2 vs. Pitt
13. Miami Hurricanes 3-4 (1-3)
Miami is now off to their worst seven-game start in a season to 22 years. As they travel to Pitt to face a streaking Panthers team, the Hurricanes need to bounce back to reach bowl eligibility.
Next game: 10/26 at 12:00 at Pitt
14. Syracuse Orange 3-4 (0-3)
It seemed like just yesterday the Orange were ranked. With Georgia Tech’s win Saturday, Syracuse remains the only ACC team without a conference win. Looking ahead, it does not look good for the Orange. But then again, anything can happen.
Next game: 10/26 at 3:30 at Florida State
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