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BOZICH | ACC Football Power Rankings: Louisville's schedule toughest in league play

  • Updated
  • 3 min to read
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Guess who drew a three of spades, a five of clubs, a seven of hearts and a nine of diamonds?

Jeff Brohm and the University of Louisville football team, that's who.

Take a look at the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Call the roll of the four undefeated teams in league play: Clemson, Miami, SMU and Pittsburgh.

There are 17 teams competing in the ACC this season. Guess the name of the only program scheduled for play against all four teams atop those standings?

That would be Louisville.

The Cards have already lost to SMU and Miami. They'll visit Clemson Saturday and play host to Pittsburgh Nov. 23.

I'm not suggesting a conspiracy theory. I'm not suggesting anything outrageous or under-handed. I'm not offering an excuse for Louisville's 3-2 record in the league.

Both of Louisville's ACC losses unfolded at home in one-score games the Cardinals were positioned to win. They need to play better. The Cards had their shots. They weren't good enough. Happens.

I'm just saying that some years the schedule gives you a hug. And some years it kicks you in the shins. And this season, as we move into November, Louisville has drawn the ACC's toughest in-conference schedule.

I'm also saying the overall schedule will remain a major story in ACC football this season. Reasonable people are convinced that Clemson, Miami and SMU are all on track to finish 8-0 in the league because the Tigers, Hurricanes and Mustangs will not play each other.

In fact, Miami will not play Clemson, SMU or Pitt. Clemson and SMU both get Pitt in addition to Louisville. And Pitt, which is a surprising 7-0, still must play SMU (Saturday), U of L and Clemson.

The ACC has announced that if Clemson, Pitt and SMU finish 8-0, the two teams picked to play in the ACC title game will be chosen by the league's No. 5 tie-breaking rule — the winning percentage of conference opponents in league games only.

Currently that team projects to be SMU.

On to my ACC Power Rankings.

  1. Clemson (6-1 overall, 5-0 in the ACC): The Tigers have won their five league games by an average of 23.6 points. Only Indiana and Army have better winning margins in league play.
  2. Miami (8-0, 4-0): ESPN's FPI Index puts the Hurricanes expected win probability at 75% or higher in their last four games. In fact, it's over 90% in two games.
  3. SMU (7-1, 4-0): The Mustangs might be without quarterback Kevin Jennings Saturday against visiting Pitt because of a hit he took to his lower body against Duke last weekend.
  4. Pitt (7-0, 3-0): The Panthers might be without starting quarterback Eli Holstein at SMU because of a hit that forced him out of the game in the fourth quarter against Syracuse last week.
  5. Louisville (5-3, 3-2): Unlike Pitt or SMU, the Cards will have their starting quarterback Tyler Shough in Death Valley Saturday night and he'll need to deliver a big game to post the upset.
  6. Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-1): The Hokies have come off the mat to beat Stanford, Boston College and Georgia Tech by an average of three touchdowns.
  7. Duke (6-2, 2-2): The Blue Devils gave a game to SMU in overtime by missing three make-able kicks, including a 30-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation.
  8. Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3): The Bulldogs are on a two-game losing streak and likely won't be bowl eligible if they don't beat North Carolina State Nov. 21 because their other two remaining opponents are Miami and Georgia
  9. Virginia (4-4, 2-3): The Cavaliers have lost three straight and the number is likely to grow to four (Pitt), five (Notre Dame), six (SMU) or even seven (Virginia Tech).
  10. Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2): The Demon Deacons have lived on the edge. Five games have been decided by four or less. They've won three of them. But they were no match for Clemson or Ole Miss.
  11. California (4-4, 0-4): Somebody send a fruit basket and cookie to the Bears. Their four conference losses have been by a combined nine points. Jeff Sagarin's computer formula has them the ACC's seventh-best team.
  12. Syracuse (5-2, 2-2): The late-season fade has become a Syracuse trademarkm and Orange quarterback Kyle McCord was dreadful while throwing three passes for a Pick Six in the first half in a big loss to Pitt.
  13. Boston College (4-4, 1-3): Bill O'Brien's sagging team is carrying a 3-game losing streak into its off week.
  14. North Carolina (4-4, 1-3): The Tar Heels showed they have not quit by beating Virginia, but they're still looking at a coaching change.
  15. North Carolina State (4-4, 1-3): The Wolfpack snuck past California but those home losses to Wake Forest and Syracuse are hard to overlook.
  16. Stanford (2-6, 1-4): The Cardinal have been outscored 162-81 in conference play. Louisville has a November trip to Palo Alto.
  17. Florida State (1-7, 1-6): Another friendly reminder that 81 of 170 voters at the ACC preseason media gathering in Charlotte last July picked Mike Norvell's team to repeat as conference champions. I'd like a few names.

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