The ninth week in the ACC is now over and we are entering the last month of the season with a clear championship picture.

Miami, Clemson, Pitt, and SMU are undefeated in conference play through November, and it looks like we’ll be getting a combination of these four teams playing for the title. The only team that could crash this party is Virginia Tech, the only team outside the top four to suffer an upset in the conference. The Hokies still have a chance to make noise in the ACC.

So how did week nine change this week’s ACC Power Rankings?

17.Florida State (1-7, 1-6). Last week: 17

Florida State didn’t have much of a chance against Miami on Saturday, and it didn’t look like they had any chance at all. The defense was able to contain Cam Ward somewhat, but the offense was unable to move the ball and stop the run. FSU will now miss a bowl and host North Carolina next Saturday.

16.Stanford (2-6, 1-4). Last week: 16

Stanford had a tough game against Wake Forest at home yesterday but couldn’t get the win and now they need to win if they want to make the bowl game. The Cardinal defense couldn’t slow down Wake Forest’s passing attack, and now they must travel across the country to face NC State.

15. Wake Up the Forest (4-4, 2-2). Last week: 15

Wake Forest won against Stanford yesterday and they are now among the teams sitting at 4-4 in the ACC. The offense did most of the work yesterday and this win was huge for Wake’s bowl chances. The Demon Deacons will have next week off before starting the final stretch of the season.

14.Cal (4-4, 0-4). Last week: 14

Cal still doesn’t have an ACC win, but they ended their losing streak with a win over former Pac-12 rival Oregon State yesterday. The Golden Bears got a great game from Fernando Mendoza (364 yards) and now need just two more wins to become bowl eligible. Can they find a way to do that in their first year in the conference? They are off next week.

13. Virginia (4-4, 2-3). Last week: 10

Virginia had the advantage against North Carolina on Saturday, but they lost 41-14 at home. Virginia’s defense continues to struggle, giving up nearly 300 yards passing to Jacolby Criswell and over 100 yards rushing to Omarion Hampton. This team felt like it had improved under Tony Elliott this year, but it was a failure. They need two wins to reach bowl eligibility and have a bye week to figure things out.

12.Boston College (4-4, 1-3). Last week: 11

It looked like Boston College had given Louisville a hard time when they jumped out to a 20-0 lead on Friday night, but they allowed the Cardinals to come back. The defense struggled to stop the Louisville offense and the loss dropped Boston College to 4-4. They have a bye week to figure things out, and the Eagles are another ACC team that is two wins away from a bowl berth.

11. NC State (4-4, 1-3). Last week: 12

NC State has been off this week and will be back in action on Saturday at home against Stanford.

10. North Carolina (4-4, 1-3). Last week: 13

After losing four straight games, North Carolina got back on its winning streak with a 41-14 win over Virginia on Saturday. Considering how the last few games have gone, this was an impressive effort from the Tar Heels, especially the defense. Their bowl hopes are still alive and they travel to Tallahassee next week to face 1-7 Florida State.

9.Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3). Last week: 9

The Yellow Jackets lost their second straight game when they lost to Virginia Tech on Saturday, and there may be no team in need of a bye week more than Georgia Tech. Quarterback Haynes King is still injured and did not play yesterday, nor did linebacker Kyle Efford. With the remaining schedule including Miami, NC State and Georgia, they will need these players to have a chance to go to the bowl game.

8. Syracuse (5-2, 2-2). Last week: 5

Syracuse was eliminated on the road against Pitt on Thursday night, and turnovers were to blame. Quarterback Kyle McCord did not play well and repeatedly put the team in a bad position by throwing interceptions. This team is likely out of the ACC race now and will host a surging Virginia Tech team on Saturday.

7.Louisville (5-3, 3-2). Last week: 7

The Cardinals were coming off a bad loss against Boston College on Friday night, but Tyler Shough and Ja’Corey Brooks brought them back and got the win. Louisville has a great chance to shake up the ACC race when they travel to Clemson on Saturday.

6th Duke (6-2, 2-2). Last week: 6

Give Duke credit. They were major underdogs at home and went to overtime with SMU, but the two-point play didn’t work and the Blue Devils likely lost their chance to compete in the ACC. They have a chance to shake things up this week when they travel to Miami to face the undefeated Hurricanes, a chance to face Manny Diaz’s old program.

5.Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-1). Last week: 8

Don’t look now, but Virginia Tech has won three in a row and still has a chance in the ACC. Yesterday against Georgia Tech, the offense wasn’t very good, but the defense did more than enough to win. Watch out for running back Bhayshul Tuten, who was injured in yesterday’s game. Can Virginia Tech win its fourth straight game away at Syracuse on Saturday?

4.SMU (7-1, 4-0). Last week: 4

SMU was in a tough spot against Duke on Saturday night, but they pulled it off and improved to 7-1 and undefeated in the ACC. The Mustangs will face Pitt on Saturday, and the winner of that game will be well positioned to pose a threat to Miami and Clemson in the ACC.

3.Pitt (7-0, 3-0). Last week: 3

Continue doubting Pitt at your own risk. The Panthers dispatched Syracuse on Thursday and remain unbeaten in the ACC. The Panthers have a tough schedule to finish the year, but they are a major factor in the ACC heading into November. A big road test is expected at SMU next Saturday.

2. Clemson (6-1, 5-0). Last week: 2

Clemson has been off this week and will be back on the field next Saturday against Louisville.

1.Miami (8-0, 4-0). Last week: 1

Miami was never really in danger against Florida State on Saturday. They dominated the running game against the Seminoles and the defense didn’t let them get anything done. One thing to watch going forward is Florida State’s ability to pressure Cam Ward and keep him in check on Saturday. The Hurricanes are still the best team in the conference and will now face Duke on Saturday looking to improve to 9-0.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Defeat to Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech Football: Everything from Head Coach Brent Key to Virginia Tech After Yellow Jackets’ Loss

Georgia Tech Football: Biggest Takeaways from Yellow Jackets’ 21-6 Loss to Virginia Tech