POWER RANKINGS

Breaking down the ACC

1. Clemson: The Tigers have clinched another division title, giving their fans a chance to gobble up tickets for the ACC championship game.

2. Virginia: The Cavaliers have a week off so they can consider all their possibilities as the season winds down.

3. Virginia Tech: The Hokies honor longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster the right way with a strong effort against Demon Deacons.

4. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons couldn’t hold up their end of the deal to make the trip to Death Valley seem like a true showdown this week.

5. Pittsburgh: The Panthers tend to have trouble against Tar Heels, so the Thursday night matchup is critical to stay in the Coastal Division race.

6. Miami: The Hurricanes have won three in a row so they must be regretting a few earlier missteps that are proving costly.

7. Florida State: Seminoles figure out a way to get the job done at Boston College, and now go for their sixth victory this week.

8. Boston College: The Eagles fail to take advantage of Florida State’s upheaval, falling at home in a game they needed to have in their favor.

9. North Carolina: The Tar Heels picked up their only ACC victories the past two seasons against Pittsburgh, so can they pad their 2019 total by beating Panthers again?

10. Louisville: Cardinals seemed to be on a roll until going to Miami, so now they need to turn it around while facing teams at bottom of the standings.

11. Duke: The Blue Devils failed to find a spark in the Notre Dame game, but there’s time to salvage the season.

12. North Carolina State: The Wolfpack had enough problems facing Clemson, and then the injury toll grew.

13. Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets face another team contending for the top spot in the Coastal Division when Hokies visit.

14. Syracuse: Orange needs to figure some things out, and the defensive shortcomings might be most troubling.