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ACC Football: Coastal Division Power Rankings Week 8
Another week of ACC Football. Another round of Coastal Division Power Rankings
If Week 7 was about survival, then Week 8 was about domination.
Last week teams were praying to sneak by. This week teams were praying from mercy. Blow outs were the norm and each conference had its share.
Let’s start in the Big Ten where Michigan asserted its position with their blow out win over Illinois. Elsewhere Nebraska stayed unbeaten. Ohio State saw their season start to teeter with a hard loss, thanks to this play:
In the Pac-12 Oregon cant help but be dominated. The Mighty Ducks have now lost five straight and their Head Coach is checking out the want ads.
Meanwhile, Washington continued its domination with a big win over Oregon State. The Huskies are a favorite for the playoff and have outscored their last three opponents 155-44.
In the Big 12 it is West Virginia doing the dominating. The Mountaineers are undefeated and looking for real. Their defense is on fire. The last two games they have 27 total points, including zero in the final half against TCU.
In the SEC, the most dominating team in the land reigns in Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat another ranked team by double digits and have now won 20 in a row.
The other Alabama team, also known as Auburn, did their fair share of dominating too. The Tigers skewered the Hogs Saturday 56-3. The two schools still meet to end the season and the East title might be on the line once again.
Finally, in the ACC Atlantic, it was Louisville doing the dominating. Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson having a big game is not a surprise.
What the Cardinals did to the Wolfpack, however, did shock some. After days of talk of an NC State upset, Louisville crushed the team from Raleigh 54-13, leaving no question who the second best ACC team is.
There were only two games this week in ACC football Coastal country. Both had close moments, but neither ended that way. With three teams on bye there is little movement this week, but there is a new team at the bottom.
Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Kurt Benkert (6) attempts to avoid the tackle of North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Malik Carney (53) in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia Cavaliers
(2-5, 1-2)
Last week: Lost 35-14 to North CarolinaLast rank: 6th
The Cavaliers drop this week because their losses are starting to outweigh their wins. For weeks they stayed a spot ahead of Duke thanks to the head to head win. However, with their fifth loss of the season, Virginia finally drops to the bottom once again. The Cavaliers offense looked helpless against a Tar Heels defense that teams have had success against this season. Virginia’s offense, despite two Tar Heel fumbles, only garnered two scores. One of those came on a well-executed fake field goal. The other was aided by two fourth down conversions and a questionable pass interference call. Virginia will look to avoid a second straight three-game losing streak when they host Louisville Saturday. The Cardinals boast the Heisman favorite and just crushed a better State team.
Oct 14, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) tries to scramble away from the tackle of Duke Blue Devils linebacker Joe Giles-Harris (44) during the second half at Papa John
Duke Blue Devils
(3-4, 0-3)
Last week: ByeLast rank: 7th
Duke moves up a spot this week. The Blue Devils, despite losing to the Cavaliers, have a more realistic chance of making a bowl. That’s where one extra win can come in handy. The last time Duke played, they made Lamar Jackson look almost human. Now with a week of preparation, they will look to take on the triple option. The Blue Devils will look to keep their bowl chances alive with a win in Atlanta this week.Next: Home Again, Naturally
Oct 15, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets mascot Buzz photobombs a shot during the second half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
(4-3, 1-3)
Last week: ByeLast rank: 5th
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a bye week. The week before they beat up on an overmatched Georgia Southern team. Some experts have said watch out for the team from Atlanta. I am not there yet. Tech’s big wins are over Boston College, winless in the ACC, and Vanderbilt, 1-3 in SEC play. They have also gotten to play five of their seven games at home. They get yet another home game this week when they welcome in Duke. The winner keeps their bowl season alive. The loser stays at the bottom of the division.Next: Miami Hurricants
Oct 20, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) is sacked by Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Vinny Mihota (99) and defensive tackle Tim Settle (97) during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Hurricanes
(4-3, 1-3)
Last week: Lost 37-16 to Virginia TechLast rank: 4th
Miami might have fallen this week if not for a head to head win over Georgia Tech and a Yellow Jackets bye. Does anyone remember when Miami was undefeated, top ten, and the cream of the Coastal? That was only three weeks ago. However, three straight losses, two at home, and the Canes are unranked and in need of a miracle to win the Coastal. For the fourth straight week Mark Walton has failed to eclipse 100 yards rushing in a game. After rushing for 401 yards and seven touchdowns in his first three games, the sophomore back has rushed for only 203 yards and one score in his last four. Miami is 1-3 in those games. Miami will look to get back on track this week as they travel to play Notre Dame. What once looked like a potential show down in South Bend, looks to be a needed tuneup for both squads instead.
Oct 15, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Nathan Peterman (4) scrambles with the ball as Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Zach Bradshaw (51) chases in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Panthers
(5-2, 2-1)
Last week: ByeLast rank: 3rd
Another bye week, another nonmovement. Pittsburgh might be the best team in the Coastal. Their two losses have come by a total of 8 points and are undefeated at home. They stay at third because of their head to head loss to UNC. That can change this week though. Pitt welcomes in Coastal favorite Virginia Tech this week. The Hokies just played a Thursday night game so they won’t be on short rest. The Panthers, however, got an extra week to prepare for this game. If Pitt can win, they will be only a UNC loss away from their first ever Coastal Crown.Next: Hollins Honor
Oct 22, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) scores a touchdown as Virginia Cavaliers safety Kelvin Rainey (38) defends in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina Tar Heels
(6-2, 4-1)
Last week: Won 35-14 against VirginiaLast rank: 2nd
I want to start by giving props to Bug Howard. The Senior receiver stepped down from himself and wore the number of an injured teammate. I am hoping this may be a trend and UNC receivers take turn wearing the number 13 throughout the season. So beyond the honor, the Heels did a lot of things right against Virginia. First, there was the defense. The Heels held the Cavs to 253 total yards. In fact, in the last three games teams are averaging only 293 yards per game against the Heels. The offense was already legit. If the defense becomes respectable as well, people better watch out. Elijah Hood also busted out of his slump with 107 yards and a score. And then of course there was Mitch who had two big pass plays that both went for touchdowns, one of which to the aforementioned Mr. Howard. Additionally, UNC won their ninth straight true road game. Of course not everything went aces for the Heels. There was the blown coverage on the fake field goal. There was also a couple more false starts that put North Carolina in a tough spot. Also there is the before and after halftime execution. The Heels have gotten the ball coming out of halftime every game this season. In the eight drives before half and the eight drives after, the Heels have scored on only six of them, five touchdowns and a field goal. On the other ten drives, they have three fumbles, four punts, and three missed field goals. Those are opportunities to close the door on teams. Of course the team is leading the Coastal Division by half a game and are bowl eligible for the fourth season in a row. The Heels get a bye this week. They will probably spend Thursday night pulling for Pittsburgh to knock off Virginia Tech.
Oct 20, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies fullback Steven Peoples (32) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia Tech Hokies
(5-2, 3-1)
Last week: Won 37-16 against MiamiLast rank: 1st
The Hokies keep themselves in the Coastal Driver seat with a big win over Miami. Virginia Tech got big performances from Jerod Evans and Travon McMillian. The duo combined for 488 total yards and three scores. They also stayed strong even after Miami got back within seven. It was a good response after the let down game a week before in Syracuse. The Hokies will try to secure another big road win this week, they beat the Heels at the Hill, when they travel to play Pitt on Thursday. A win and Virginia Tech can see the Coastal Division line. A loss and they will be kicking themselves once again for that loss to the Orange.
Well, that does it for this week. Again Virginia Tech wins the Coastal as long as they win out. UNC gets it by winning out and a Hokies loss. Pitt gets it by winning out and a Heels loss. The other four teams aren’t mathematically eliminated yet, but this is a three team race.
With that said, Thursday nights winner will go a long way in shaping up these rankings as well. The Hokies win and everything stays status quo. The Panthers win and the top gets a shakeup. So get a great start to the week, because this race will come down to the wire.
What did you think of this week’s rankings? Let us know in the comments below.
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