1) Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC, defeated Vanderbilt 56-31): What do we take from this game? That Tech can score, even against SEC teams on the road, or that their defense giving up 31 points in a game vs. a 2-7 team is in trouble? Either way, they’re still the best the league has to offer.
2) Miami (6-2, 3-2 ACC, defeated Wake Forest 28-27): It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a Miami team this resilient. I thought they were dead in the water down 17-0.
3) Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC, defeated Coastal Carolina 49-3): Not much to see here other than the likely end to C.J. Spiller’s Heisman hopes. It was fun while it lasted.
4) Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-2 ACC, lost to North Carolina 20-17): Two straight losses are ample cause for outcry in Blacksburg. The Tech defense simply isn’t where it has been in previous years.
5) Boston College (6-3, 3-2 ACC, defeated Central Michigan 31-10): Other than failures to show up against Clemson and Virginia Tech, the Eagles are the most consistent team in the ACC. A Clemson loss puts them in the drivers’ seat in the Atlantic.
6) Duke (5-3, 3-1 ACC, defeated Virginia 28-17): The winner of their game at rival North Carolina goes bowling. The loser faces an uphill battle to get there. Thaddeus Lewis has to be first-team all ACC, and he will bring the heat to Carolina’s suspect secondary.
7) Florida State (4-4, 2-3 ACC, defeated N.C. State 45-42): The Noles would be at home in the Pac-10 this year. Their abject refusal to play defense is strange, but they can continue to simply outscore opponents and be OK.
8 ) North Carolina (5-3, 1-3 ACC, defeated Virginia Tech 20-17): With a pretty complete performance, the Heels showed that they’re capable of beating anyone, anywhere. If only they could avoid playing down to their competition. They need their momentum to carry over for another week to beat a hot Duke team.
9) Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3 ACC, lost to Miami 28-27): Should have won. The Deacs are reeling and I don’t know if they’ll recover in time to gain bowl eligibility (must win 2 of 3 vs. Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Duke).
10) Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC, lost to Duke 28-17): They were lucky to be as close as they were against Duke, a pretty ho-hum performance on both sides of the ball for the ‘Hoos. They do get Miami this week. Last time they were there, they closed the Orange Bowl with a 48-0 win. They won’t get that on Saturday, but maybe they’ll show up.
11) N.C. State (3-5, 0-4 ACC, lost to Florida State 45-42): I wish I had the tape of the Pittsburgh game so I could go back and say, “Now how did they pull that one off?” Their defense is the most physically inept in the ACC this year, by far.
12) Maryland (2-6, 1-3 ACC, Idle): Simple rationale for putting them here: If they were to play each team in the ACC 10 times, would they come out with a winning record? The answer is no, as I expect N.C. State to beat them this week.