ACC Football News & Notes: Four-Way Tie Creates Wild Three-Week Finish

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With every week that passes, the ACC keeps getting more interesting. With just three weeks left in the regular season, the top of the standings is defined by chaos: a four-way tie for first place has fans excited for a wild finish. Georgia Tech, SMU, Pittsburgh, and Virginia all entered the weekend with a 5-1 conference record, setting the stage for a dramatic scramble to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

A Deep and Unpredictable Conference

The league is proving to be a deep and highly competitive conference this year, showcasing parity through close games and big upsets:

Top Contenders: Five teams have one conference loss or less.
The Tight Margins: Seven league games have gone into overtime this year, and nearly half of the league games have been decided by one score.
Upset Artists: Six schools have won games against AP Top-10 teams, and nine schools have notched victories against AP Top-15 teams.

The league is also well represented in the national polls:

Poll	Georgia Tech	Miami	Louisville	Virginia	Pittsburgh
AP Top-25	#14	#16	#19	#20	#23
LBM Coaches Poll	#12	#16	#21	#19	#23
Latest CFP Poll	#16	#15	#20	#19	#22

There are seven games altogether this weekend, with six of them being crucial conference matchups. We will focus on the league games on tap:

ACC Weekend Slate: The Must-Watch Games

Friday Night Showdown: Clemson at Louisville

The action begins on Friday night with Clemson (4-5, 3-4) heading to face Louisville (7-2, 4-2).

The Streak on the Line: The Tigers lead the all-time series 8-1, but the Cardinals won the last meeting in 2024. For Clemson, this is their final conference game of the season, and a win would give them a .500 league record for the 27th straight season. Their current streak of 26 years is tied with Boise State.
Cardinals’ Explosive Backfield: Since the beginning of October, Clemson has averaged 34.4 points and 444.5 yards of offense. However, Louisville is a dynamic threat, although star RB Isaac Brown, who leads the nation with 8.6 yards per carry, is unlikely to play due to a leg injury suffered two weeks ago. Louisville is coming off an overtime loss to California last week.

Saturday Midday: NC State at Miami (Senior Day)

NC State (5-4, 2-3) heads to Miami (7-2, 3-2) in a rivalry that promises drama.

Tight Rivalry: The Hurricanes lead the series 11-6-1, but the last six games have been decided by an average of 7.4 points, and the last three have been decided by three points or less.
Bowl Eligibility: The Wolfpack needs one more win to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight season.
Miami’s Home Dominance: This will be Senior Day for Miami. The Hurricanes own a +14.9 average scoring margin and have five wins of 14 or more points this season.

Saturday Midday: Virginia at Duke

Virginia (8-2, 5-1) is at Duke (5-4, 4-1) in a crucial tilt for the top of the standings.

Contender Collision: Virginia leads the all-time series 41-34-0. Both teams enter this game with just one league loss and are looking to bounce back after losses last weekend.
Duke’s Search for the Upset: The Blue Devils are looking for their first win over a ranked team since beating Clemson back in the 2023 season.
Cavaliers’ Defense: Last week, the Cavaliers held Wake Forest to just 203 total yards and only 64 passing yards, showcasing a stifling defense.

Saturday Midday: Georgia Tech at Boston College (Senior Day)

No. 16 Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1) visits Boston College (1-9, 0-6) for the Eagles’ Senior Day.

BC’s Recent Edge: The Yellow Jackets lead the series 7-5-0, but the Eagles have won the last three meetings.
King’s Heisman Pace: Georgia Tech has four victories by 15 or more points this season, largely thanks to QB Haynes King. King is having a Heisman-type year, ranking third in the nation in scoring (10.5 points per game) and total offense (330.3 yards per game), and leading all quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns.
BC’s Passing Threat: BC is ranked 27th in the nation in passing yards (270.4 yards per game), which is the sixth-best mark in the league.

Saturday Afternoon: North Carolina at Wake Forest

North Carolina (4-5, 2-3) heads to Wake Forest (6-3, 3-3) in an in-state battle.

Tar Heels’ Momentum: The Tar Heels are riding a two-game winning streak and lead the series 73-36-2. Over their last three games, UNC’s defense has not allowed more than 17 points and has held teams to under 100 yards rushing six times this year.
Demon Deacons’ Defense: Wake’s defense has been strong as well, holding teams to under 20 points per game this year (second-best in the ACC). They are coming off a win over a ranked Virginia team last weekend—their first win over a ranked team since October 1, 2022.

Saturday Night: Virginia Tech at Florida State

Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3) is at Florida State (4-5, 1-5).

FSU’s Home Finale: The Seminoles lead the series 24-13-1. VT is playing just its third road game of the year, led by RB Marcellious Hawkins (575 rushing yards). This is FSU’s final home game of the year, where they own a 4-2 record.
Air Raid: FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos has thrown for 225 or more yards seven times this season and leads the nation with an average of 15.76 yards per completion.

Next week, we will be back to look at the next-to-last week of games that will determine the final two teams heading to the ACC Championship.