By james art 
With ten weeks of college football complete and the first College Football Playoff rankings announced this Tuesday, the final push for teams to make their case for a spot in the first-ever coveted 12-team playoff and a spot in the ACC Championship is in full force. Week 10 might have been the best week to learn more about the true strength of teams in the ACC.
With that said, here are our Week 11 ACC Football Power Rankings and what the college football prognosticator says about the top team’s playoff chances.
1. SMU (8-1, 5-0) – 47% chance to make CFP
Pony up! After last week’s overtime win against Duke, SMU made sure to silence any doubters against Pittsburgh, cruising to a dominating 48-25 victory. It’s safe to say the Mustangs took the ACC by storm this season, proving to be a formidable addition to the Atlantic Coast Conference. If you had told me five years ago that I would be writing about how SMU is the best football team in the ACC, I would have called you crazy.
Next: Inactive
2. Miami (9-0, 5-0 ACC) – 93% chance to make CFP
Despite the easy schedule, the Hurricanes have answered the bell every week with outstanding performances from Cam Ward, who have propelled Miami to be the number one scoring offense in the country. What I will say about the Hurricanes is that being a sports reporter in Virginia has taught me the true meaning of the phrase “defense wins championships” and there are a lot of question marks surrounding Miami’s defense.
Next: at Georgia Tech
3. Louisville (6-3, 4-2 ACC)
Louisville’s three losses this season were to Notre Dame by seven, Miami by seven and SMU by seven. The road win over Clemson was a huge win for the program, cementing its status as a top team in the ACC. Led by quarterback Tyler Shaw, the Cardinals offense built a Clemson defense that has impressed all year. Pittsburgh on Nov. 23 will be Louisville’s next opportunity to continue building its resume.
Next: at Stanford
4. Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC)
After the bye week, the Tigers suffered their first major setback of the season with a home loss to Louisville. Cade Klubnik and the offense scored just seven points through the first three quarters as Clemson’s offense looked out of rhythm throughout the game. With Virginia Tech, Pitt and South Carolina coming up, the Tigers will have plenty of opportunities to redeem themselves. However, they have to cross their fingers and hope Miami or SMU loses an ACC game. The Tigers are currently winless in the rankings, dropping them three spots and putting their hopes of reaching the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff in serious jeopardy.
Next: at Virginia Tech
5. Pittsburgh (7-1, 3-1 ACC)
The Panthers were defeated in Dallas on Saturday night, getting blown out by the Mustangs. Regardless, Pat Narduzzi and Eli Holstein turned this program around; winning seven games in a row is no easy feat. A successful season is still very important to Pitt.
Next up: vs. Virginia
6. Syracuse (6-2, 3-2 ACC)
The sixth team to reach a bowl game in the ACC this season is the Syracuse Orange. After a heartbreaking loss to Pittsburgh last week in which Kyle McCord threw three touchdowns … to the other team, the former Ohio State QB bounced back to lead the Orange to a 38-31 overtime victory over Virginia Tech. Also, running back LeQuint Allen was stellar Saturday night with 121 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Next: at Boston College
7. Duke (6-3, 2-3 ACC)
Duke trailed Miami by one in the fourth quarter before Miami scored three touchdowns to blow the game out of proportion. The Miami result, combined with Duke’s overtime loss to SMU, shows that the Blue Devils can play with any team in the conference; the question is, can they win?
Next: at NC State
8. Virginia Tech (5-4, 3-2 ACC)
Virginia Tech falls in the rankings after an extended loss to Syracuse. The Hokies have lost many close games this season, including a 38-34 loss to Miami; I hope you are starting to see a trend with the hurricanes. Either way, Virginia Tech has a chance to change everything this week.
Next up: vs. Clemson
9. Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3 ACC)
The Yellow Jackets, coming off a bye week, have a chance to shock the college football world this Saturday against Miami. Georgia Tech has one of the toughest schedules in college football, with Georgia still to play.
Next up: vs. Miami
10. North Carolina (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
After suffering a four-game losing streak that threatened to derail their entire season, the Tar Heels won their last two games, with their three remaining games coming against lower-ranked ACC teams. If all goes as expected, North Carolina could finish at a very respectable 8-4.
Next: Inactive
The rest:
11. Virginia (4-4, 2-3 ACC)
12. Boston College (4-4, 1-3 ACC)
13. Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2 ACC)
14. NC State (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
15. Cal (4-4, 0-4 ACC)
16. Stanford (2-7, 1-5 ACC)
17. Florida State (1-8, 1-7 ACC)
Read our power rankings from last week here: Virginia football: Week 10 ACC football power rankings