Miami, FL
ACC power rankings: CFP hopefuls SMU, Miami, Clemson remain on top after Week 13
Last Saturday was a day of relative chaos in college football.
Seven of the top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll lost, with much of the carnage occurring in the SEC, where three top-15 teams fell, all to unranked opponents.
If there’s a conference that stands to benefit the most from that mayhem, it just might be the ACC, which now has a conceivable path to getting two teams into the 12-team College Football Playoff. Its three most likely entrants — SMU, Miami and Clemson — held up their end of the bargain with comfortable victories Saturday against Virginia, Wake Forest and The Citadel, respectively.
But what does the rest of the league look like?
Here’s how the ACC’s 17 teams stack up after Week 13 of the 2024 college football season:
ACC football power rankings
1. SMU (10-1, 7-0 ACC)
- Last week: 1
- This week: vs. Cal
The Mustangs’ 33-7 win at Virginia was the eighth victory in a row for coach Rhett Lashlee’s team and clinched it a spot in the ACC championship game. A win against Cal at home on Saturday would give SMU its second-consecutive season with at least 11 wins — a mark it hadn’t previously reached since 1982.
2. Miami (10-1, 6-1)
- Last week: 2
- This week: at Syracuse
In their first game since a gutting loss at Georgia Tech, the Hurricanes pulled away late from Wake Forest, scoring 22 unanswered points in the final eight minutes for a 42-14 victory. With a win at Syracuse, Miami will earn just its second-ever trip to the ACC championship game, a surprisingly rare appearance for a program of its historical caliber.
3. Clemson (9-2, 7-1)
- Last week: 3
- This week: vs. No 14 South Carolina
The Tigers are done with ACC play and can make the conference championship game if Miami loses at Syracuse. Even if they don’t make it to Charlotte, a win against rival South Carolina would give them not only in-state bragging rights, but it would keep their playoff hopes alive, with a 10-2 overall record.
4. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3)
- Last week: 4
- This week: vs. No. 7 Miami
The Orange’s 31-24 victory against UConn gave it at least eight wins for the fourth time since 2010. With 470 yards against the Huskies, Kyle McCord broke the program’s single-season passing yardage record. Syracuse can cap off what has been a strong first season for coach Fran Brown with a win against Miami that would shake up the national playoff picture.
5. Louisville (7-4, 5-3)
- Last week: 7
- This week: at Kentucky
The Cardinals’ loss to Stanford in Week 12 was as ugly a setback as a ranked team has endured this season, but they bounced back by throttling Pitt 37-9. Louisville nearly doubled the Panthers in total yardage, 507-265. Now, it will try to snap a five-game losing streak to rival Kentucky.
6. Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3)
- Last week: 5
- This week: vs. No. 6 Georgia
The Yellow Jackets held on for a 30-29 victory against NC State, assuring them of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 10 years. They racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense despite playing much of the game with backup Aaron Philo at quarterback. Next up? Their annual rivalry game against Georgia.
7. Duke (8-3, 4-3)
- Last week: 6
- This week: at Wake Forest
The Blue Devils have thrived in close games this season, with five of their eight wins coming by a single score following a 31-28 victory against Virginia Tech. They can pick up a ninth win on Saturday against a struggling Wake Forest team. It would be the fourth time since 2013 that Duke had won at least nine games, something it hadn’t previously done since its 1941 Rose Bowl season.
8. Pitt (7-4, 3-4)
- Last week: 9
- This week: at Boston College
The Panthers have lost four in a row since a 7-0 start that shot them up to No. 17 in the Coaches Poll. The latest setback was a 28-point dismantling at the hands of Louisville, a game in which Pitt lost starting quarterback Eli Holstein to a nasty-looking leg injury in the first quarter.
9. Boston College (6-5, 3-4)
- Last week: 12
- This week: vs. Pitt
The Eagles rolled past North Carolina 41-21 after holding the Tar Heels to 212 total yards and forcing three turnovers. The win got Boston College to bowl eligibility in its first season under coach Bill O’Brien.
10. North Carolina (6-5, 3-4)
- Last week: 8
- This week: vs. NC State
The Tar Heels’ three-game win streak got snapped in unsightly fashion, with a 20-point loss to Boston College in a game in which quarterback Jacolby Criswell threw three interceptions. The setback came days after 247Sports reported that 73-year-old coach Mack Brown plans to remain at North Carolina beyond this season.
11. Cal (6-5, 2-3)
- Last week: 15
- This week: at No. 9 SMU
The Golden Bears have had some tough luck in their first season in the ACC, with five one-score losses in conference play, but they’re ending the season on a strong note. Cal has won three of its past four games and became bowl eligible with a win over rival Stanford.
12. Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4)
Last week: 11
This week: vs. Virginia
Since getting to 5-3 and seemingly putting its early season disappointments behind it, the Hokies have come undone, with three consecutive losses after a 31-28 defeat against Duke. It was Virginia Tech’s fifth one-score loss this season. Coach Brent Pry’s team will need a win against rival Virginia to earn bowl eligibility.
13. Virginia (5-5, 2-4)
- Last week: 10
- This week: at Virginia Tech
A difficult final stretch of their schedule has worn on the Cavaliers, who have lost five of their past six games after a 4-1 start. Four of those six matchups came against teams that were ranked at the time. Virginia was held to just 173 total yards in a 26-point home loss to SMU.
14. NC State (5-6, 2-5)
- Last week: 13
- This week: at North Carolina
The Wolfpack suffered an excruciating 30-29 loss to Georgia Tech, a game in which it took a six-point lead with a touchdown with 1:30 remaining, but allowed a go-ahead, 75-yard drive in just 1:08. It will need a win against North Carolina to avoid missing a bowl for just the third time in the past 11 years.
15. Stanford (3-8, 2-6)
- Last week: 14
- This week: at San Jose State
The Cardinal very nearly followed up its stunning win against Louisville with another victory, but allowed 17 unanswered points to squander a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter in a 24-21 loss to rival Cal.
16. Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5)
- Last week: 16
- This week: vs. Duke
Whatever faint hopes the Demon Deacons had of reaching a bowl were dashed by Miami in a game in which they were out-gained by a 508-193 margin.
17. Florida State (2-9, 1-7)
- Last week: 17
- This week: vs. Florida
The Seminoles snapped a six-game losing streak with a 41-7 victory against what’s now a 1-11 FCS Charleston Southern team. Already assured of a last-place finish in the ACC, coach Mike Norvell’s team can try to end a miserable season with a win against rival Florida.
Parking during severe weather in Florida: Where to keep your car safe in Miami during a hurricane or tropical storm. What residents should know.
When hurricane season strikes, it’s hard not to picture the iconic “cars floating in water” scenario.
That effect typically occurs due to storm surge.
Residents in South Florida, which usually has the highest hurricane potential, know to move their vehicle to higher ground, if possible.
In the event of flood threats − aside from tropical storms or hurricanes − cities in South Florida may allow residents to park for free in select public garages, although proof of residency is frequently required.
But as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season nears, many Floridians are bracing for the storm, and that includes buying a hurricane preparedness kit, getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage, and/or devising what to do with your car.
Keep reading for more information on where to park in Miami in the event of a flood threat such as a hurricane.
When is 2026 hurricane season in Florida?
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to Nov. 30 every year, with August, September and October being the most active months, particularly in Florida. In several years past, however, hurricane season has started early, with tropical systems named as early as April or May.
In addition to building damage or palm trees that bend from strong wind, the image of car tops peeking through floodwaters has become synonymous with Florida hurricanes.
Photos of hurricane damage, flooded cars in Florida
If there’s a hurricane in Miami, Florida, some public garages will be open to protect cars from floods
Those living in low-lying areas could see their homes flood in the event of a tropical storm – but there are ways to mitigate damages.
For instance, while you can’t uproot and move your entire property, you and your family can evacuate, and you can move your vehicle to higher ground. In the event of flood threats, cities in South Florida may allow residents to park for free in select public garages, although proof of residency is frequently required.
The city of Miami Beach, for one, is located in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, according to the city government. It provides qualifying residents – those with properties on streets where the elevation is low enough to experience flooding from King Tides – with free temporary parking accommodations at three of its municipal parking facilities. Residents must register, and will receive a notification via email when a flood event is “activated.”
Miami and Miami Beach allow residents to park free during floods. How to apply
For GPS and web searches, here are the addresses of participating parking garages:
- Garage 1 at 200 7th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Garage 9 at 500 17th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Garage 6 at 400 W. 42nd St., Miami Beach, FL 33140
The city of Miami and Miami Parking jointly offer a similar initiative – the hurricane parking program – which allows residents and employees of the city of Miami to park one vehicle per household in select garages during flood events.
Participating garages for that include:
- College Station Garage, 190 NE 3rd St., Miami, FL 33132
- Knight Center Garage, 100 SE 1st St., Miami, FL 33131
- Regatta Harbour Garage, 3351 Pan American Drive, Miami, FL 33133
Applications for the hurricane parking program are open year-round, but anyone interested must provide either proof of residency or employment – utility bills, vehicle registration and city of Miami employee badges are all acceptable forms of documentation, according to the MPA’s website.
Registration for the program expires one year from the date it was initiated, and must be renewed on a rolling basis to maintain access. If there’s a storm or flood alert, the program could be activated “at the discretion of the CEO of the Miami Parking Authority,” but is guaranteed to be activated once the National Hurricane Center or Emergency Operations Center issues a hurricane watch, according to the MPA.
Will my car at a Miami parking garage be accessible during a Florida tropical storm or hurricane?
Once a hurricane warning is issued, all MPA facilities will be shut down until the Emergency Operations Center deems them safe to reopen. So while your car may be safe from flood threat, it may not be accessible.
How much does parking cost in Miami and Miami Beach, Florida?
Normally, hourly rates for parking vary in Miami and Miami Beach, Florida, usually depending on the time and day of the week. Parking garage rates in Miami Beach can range from $2 an hour to $20 for 15 hours. In the event of an emergency such as a tropical storm or hurricane in the Miami-Dade County area, parking fees can be waived.
If you do live in a low-lying area that’s prone to flooding, it may be safer to evacuate entirely if there’s a severe weather threat. The Florida Division of Emergency Management maintains a website to help you determine whether you live in an evacuation zone – just click the link and enter your address.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Find a USA TODAY Network newspaper near you.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
Universal Pictures is swapping two big tentpoles on the calendar, and it’s only because one is in more of a position to go then the other.
The Radio Silence-directed revival of The Mummy with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprising their roles as Rick and Evie O’Connell will now go on October 15, 2027 instead of May 19, 2028. The only other title on that date is an untitled Paramount movie.
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Previously, the October 15 date was being occupied by an untitled Blumhouse movie, which now shifts to October 8, 2027.
Meanwhile, the Joseph Kosinski-directed Miami Vice ’85, starring Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler as detectives Ricardo Tubbs and Sonny Crockett, respectively, will go later, moving from August 6, 2027 to May 19, 2028. No other major motion picture studio titles are scheduled on that date so far.
Note that the new Miami Vice date falls on the weekend before Memorial Day weekend (May 26-29) in 2028.
For now, Universal is reserving the August 6, 2027 date for an untitled event movie. Uni has had great fortune with that first weekend in August, opening such pics as Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw there in 2019 when it opened to $60 million.
The Dolphins wrapped up Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft with two first-round selections, selecting Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 pick and cornerback Chris Johnson 27th overall out of San Diego State.
The Dolphins were active early, sending their original No. 11 pick to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys’ 12th, 177th and 180th overall selections. Miami then moved up to select Johnson, trading its 30th and 90th selections to San Francisco for picks Nos. 27 and No. 138.
A consensus All-American and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2025, Proctor spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide (2023-25), where he started 40 games at left tackle. He helped Alabama to an SEC title in 2023 and to College Football Playoff appearances in 2023 and 2025. He was named to the 2023 SEC All-Freshman team and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2024.
“He’s unique. He’s rare,” said General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. “He’s a 350-pound man with unique athletic traits that can play four spots across the line of scrimmage – left tackle, right tackle, both guards…We brought him in on a 30 visit. I could feel his conviction and his desire to be a good football player and do the things that he needs to do to be the best pro that he can be. All I can tell you is that there wasn’t another one in the draft like him, period.”
Proctor is the fifth Alabama player and the first Crimson Tide offensive lineman to be drafted by Miami in the first round. At No. 12, Proctor is the third-highest drafted offensive tackle by the Dolphins behind Jake Long in 2008 (1st overall) and Richmond Webb in 1990 (9th overall).
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