Ranking the ACC after Week 11 of College Football Action

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have clinched the ACC's Coastal Division with their win over the Duke Blue Devils Saturday. Congratulations to them! The Clemson Tigers only need to beat lowly Virginia to join them in the Championship game.

North Carolina has been playing great football the last month and defeated the Miami Hurricanes this weekend.

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1) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-1, 7-1) - Last Week 1

The Yellow Jackets spotted the Duke Blue Devils 10 points, then scored 49 straight unanswered points. The Georgia Tech offense is not just good; it's one of the best offensive attacks in the country.

Today they had 519 yards of total offense that included better than 200 in the air. They can run it, but when needed the Jackets can take it to the air.

If the defense plays with the consistency they showed today, holding the Blue Devils to under 300 yards and only 25 on the ground, this team can finish the season 13-1.

2) Clemson Tigers (7-3, 5-2) - Last Week 2

The Clemson Tigers picked the right time of season to get hot. C.J. Spiller became the first Tiger to throw, run and receive for a touchdown in a game. The offense hasn't scored less than 38 points in a game since the first week in October.

Time to give some credit to head coach Dabo Swinney. He has Clemson on the verge of their first Atlantic Division title. All they have to do is beat the Virginia Cavaliers next week at home. That shouldn't be any problem for a team playing as well as Clemson is.

3) North Carolina Tar Heels (7-3, 3-3) - Last Week 6

Since their loss to Florida State a few weeks ago, the North Carolina Tar Heels have really turned their season around. They are now playing like the team many thought could threaten for an ACC Division Title.

The Heels defeated the Miami Hurricanes 33-24 on Saturday. The defense came up with four interceptions, and the offense, while not spectacular, is light years ahead of the way it played earlier in the year.

Next up for the Heels is a tricky game at Boston College. North Carolina can't win the division, but they can keep improving their bowl status.

4) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-3, 4-2) - Last Week 4

The Hokies have now officially entered the cupcake portion of their schedule. They beat Maryland 36-9 in College Park. RB Ryan Williams had another 100 yard rushing game, and QB Tyrod Taylor had 268 yards and 3 touchdown throws.

The Hokies get to pick up their eighth win of the year next week when NC State comes to Blacksburg. This not a vintage Frank Beamer squad, but they are a solid team.

5) Miami Hurricanes (7-3, 4-3) - Last Week 3

After Miami survived their brutal early schedule, I thought the sky was the limit for this team, but the Canes are now limping to the finish line. As well as Jacory Harris has played most of the year; its apparent if you can get pressure on him, you can force him into mistakes.

The Tar Heels were the recipient of four Harris passes in their game Satruday. The Canes are improved, but the U is not quite back. They get a reeling Duke team next week, and can still finish with a 10-win season.

6) Boston College Eagles (7-3, 4-2) - Last Week 5

Boston is probably the least impressive looking of any of the top 6 teams in the ACC, but that's not their problem. They just keep winning. This time a 14-10 win at Virginia, that keeps their slim Atlantic Division title hopes alive.

Montel Harris had 151 yards rushing. He's been the Eagles best most consistent player. They get North Carolina next week at home in a game critical to the ACC's bowl pecking order.

7) Florida State Seminoles (5-5, 3-5) - Last Week 8

The Seminoles went into Winston-Salem and won 41-28 over Wake Forest. The Deacs had given the Noles a lot of trouble in recent years. The game keeps Florida State's bowl hopes alive. Redshirt freshman QB EJ Manuel played solidly. filling in for injured Nole starter Christian Ponder.

Manuel threw and ran for a touchdown. A win next week against Maryland would lock up a bowl bid. They better beat the Terps for that bid, because after that is a game with top-ranked Florida.

8) Duke Blue Devils (5-5, 3-3) - Last Week 7

For the Blue Devils, a great season would be getting to a bowl. It's starting to slip away. The Blue Devils were no match for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. A 10-0 start early for Duke gave them some hope, but then the Jackets' offensive attack overwhelmed them.

Duke must win their final two games to get to a bowl. Next is a game at Miami for the Blue Devils. Whether they make a bowl or not, the Blue Devils have become respectable, and that's still saying something.

9) North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5) - Last Week 9

This has to be a bitterly disappointing season for the Wolfpack. In Raleigh, the Clemson Tigers just hammered them in yet another game where they gave up more than 30 points.

The defense has been terrible. The offense has been inconsistent at best. They play at Virginia Tech next, then North Carolina. The Wolfpack will be spending bowl season at home.

10) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-7, 2-5) - Last Week 10

After playing a number of close games and losing this year, the Deacs just seemed to run out of gas in their loss to Florida State.

It wasn't that long ago (2006) that Wake Forest won the ACC Championship and the Deacs were getting used to going to bowl games, but this year there is no chance at any bowl game.

QB Riley Skinner was in tears after the game. That's a shame. He's been a very good quarterback, that has led the Deacs to some great wins the last few years.

11) Virginia Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4) - Last Week 11

Al Groh's days are numbered. They fought hard in a 14-10 loss, but couldn't come up with a win in their game with Boston College.

The Cavaliers can still play the role of spoiler. They go to Clemson next week and can severely damage the Tigers division hopes.

I don't see how they can win there though. They can only hope for bad weather, some turnovers, and that the Tigers are looking past them.

12) Maryland Terrapins (2-8, 1-5) - Last Week 12

Did Ralph Friedgen really have three consecutive 10-win seasons in the early part of the decade at Maryland? This team is a total disaster and barely showed up in their loss to Virginia Tech.

At least they'll help Florida State get bowl eligible next week.