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ACC power rankings: CFP hopefuls SMU, Miami, Clemson remain on top after Week 13

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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.

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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.

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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.



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Allen: Miami season a failure without a trophy

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Allen: Miami season a failure without a trophy


Inter Miami CF defender Noah Allen insists the team enters the MLS Cup playoffs with high expectations, emphasizing that anything less than lifting the trophy would be considered a failure.

“Yeah [it’s a failure for if Inter Miami don’t win MLS Cup]. We have high expectations for ourselves,” Allen said.

“I feel like we have the highest standard in ourselves and we want to win every trophy possible. Yeah, we want to win.”

Inter Miami concluded the MLS regular season in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 65 points, drawing Nashville SC for the best-of-three Round One playoff series.

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The Herons will host Nashville on Friday night at Chase Stadium for the first match, and secured home-field advantage for the potential third game due to table placement.

“I’m very excited about the playoffs. I have confidence in my team; we have the best of all time, and well, we’re really excited,” Rodrigo De Paul said.

“But football doesn’t always win the best or the one who deserves it most. We have to keep that percentage of luck as low as possible, and whatever work it takes, give everything we have to do our best so that the playoffs go our way.”

Inter Miami are familiar with their Round One opponent, concluding the regular-season campaign with a 5-2 triumph over Nashville on Oct. 18. Now the team will prepare for at least two more games against the same rival.

Lionel Messi, who scored three goals against Nashville in the final game to secure the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, failed to train in the first 15 minutes of the session on Oct. 21. The reason behind his absence is unknown.

Inter Miami were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2024 which has motivated them for this year’s post-season.

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“I feel like we have a good relationship between each other and I feel like we play good football with the ball. We keep a lot of possession and I just feel like we have to have that confidence that we are the best team in the league,” Allen said.

“Yeah, it’s not a sense of urgency. There’s not a panic or anything. It’s more of a motivation, right? And especially the guys that were here last year, I think everyone remembers it.

“And I think it’s been a message around the whole offense that everyone can understand is that it’s difficult, right?

“It’s not traditional, some players may agree, some players may not agree, but we have to do it. We have to win two games.”

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Key player could miss Miami Heat opener

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Key player could miss Miami Heat opener


After a preseason in which many of the Miami Heat guards missed time, the team is being hit now in a more vulnerable place on the roster.

It was expected that Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis wouldn’t be available for the season opener in Orlando on October 22, and neither practiced Monday. Also out, however, was someone who has been available as much as any NBA player the past couple of weeks:

Kel’el Ware.

Kel'el Ware

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The second-year player coming off an All-Rookie season is being bothered by neck spasms, with coach Erik Spoelstra not giving much insight about when Ware will be back. This comes after Ware led all NBA players in preseason points, and several other categories, as the Heat pushed him to play frequently and passionately.

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While Ware isn’t expected to start — Nikola Jovic likely gets that nod next to Bam Adebayo — he is slotted for 25-plus minutes coming off the bench, especially since Miami is so short on bigs. The Heat just cut Precious Achiuwa, leaving only Keshad Johnson (an oversized wing who has been inconsistent) and two-way-contract rookie Vlad Goldin.

Playing Goldin against an Orlando Magic team with plenty of size — and skilled size such as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — is not ideal. Wendell Carter Jr. is likely the starting center for the Magic, and Goga Bitadze had a strong training camp.

The Heat are scheduled to practice again Tuesday before heading up the state.

It would be a welcome sight to see Ware back on the court.

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How Far Did Miami Football Drop in Polls After Louisville Loss

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How Far Did Miami Football Drop in Polls After Louisville Loss


In the wake of the loss to Louisville, the Miami Hurricanes have dropped in both the AP and USA Coaches polls, but not all is lost.

The Hurricanes have dropped from the No. 2 team in the country to No. 9. There is still some value with this team, and now they control their destiny once again, similar to last week.

The issue with this loss is now they no longer control the chaos that is the ACC standings. The Hurricanes are the second-highest-ranked team in the ACC, behind No. 7 Georgia Tech, following No. 16 Virginia, and now No. 19 Louisville.

The Canes’ loss hurt, but the voters still see that they are a. top 10 team in the country. The conflicting schedule does not help with how everything went as well. A game against Florida, then a bye, then Florida State, then another bye, and finally, the Hurricanes have the rest of the season after the Cardinals.

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The Hurricanes will face off against Stanford. A game they should dominate, but who knows how this team will react after such a heartbreaking loss.

(Ranking, team, first-place votes, points)

  1. Ohio State (60), 1,643
  2. Indiana (6), 1,583
  3. Texas A&M, 1,499
  4. Alabama, 1,463
  5. Georgia, 1,360
  6. Oregon, 1,317
  7. Georgia Tech, 1,143
  8. Ole Miss, 1,119
  9. Miami, 1,073
  10. Vanderbilt, 1,031
  11. BYU, 975
  12. Notre Dame, 964
  13. Oklahoma, 882
  14. Texas Tech, 782
  15. Missouri, 748
  16. Virginia, 624
  17. Tennessee, 527
  18. South Florida, 501
  19. Louisville, 458
  20. LSU, 388
  21. Cincinnati, 350
  22. Texas, 318
  23. Illinois, 168
  24. Arizona State, 155
  25. Michigan, 123

Receiving votes: USC 97; Utah 40; Tulane 37; Houston 34; Navy 28; San Diego State 7; James Madison 6; Boise State 4; TCU 2; Minnesota 1

(Ranking, team, first-place votes)

1. Ohio State (65), 1,625
2. Indiana, 1,549
3. Texas A&M, 1,470
4. Alabama, 1,408
5. Georgia, 1,358
6. Oregon, 1, 302
7. Georgia Tech, 1,153
8. Ole Miss, 1,110
9. Miami (Fla.), 1,027
10. BYU, 990
11. Oklahoma, 960
12. Vanderbilt, 902
13. Notre Dame, 872
14. Missouri, 778
15. Texas Tech, 738
16. Virginia, 528
17. Tennessee, 523
18. Texas, 483
19. LSU, 451
20. USF, 393
21. Cincinnati, 355
22. Louisville, 336
23. Illinois, 192
24. Michigan, 175
25. Arizona State, 144

Receiving votes: Navy 59; USC 52; Utah 51; Tulane 45; Houston 34; Iowa 17; James Madison 9; Iowa State 9; San Diego State 4; North Texas 4; Washington 3; UNLV 3; SMU 3; Memphis 3; TCU 2; Pittsburgh 2; Boise State 2; Northwestern 1

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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.

Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes- TwitterFacebookInstagramYoutube, and BlueSky.

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