The regular season is over and the ACC will be sending seven teams to bowl games this season. Clemson, Boston College, and Florida State from the Atlantic Division; and Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina from the Coastal.
When all was said and done, the conference shook out much like it did last season. There was a lot of parity and unpredictability from week-to-week, and there were also a lot of solid programs. But there still aren’t any national title contenders, and never was that more evident than Saturday, when an underachieving Georgia team gashed ACC favorite Georgia Tech.
For the Terps it was a season to forget. Last week’s frustrating loss to Boston College left the program at 2-10 and in some serious turmoil heading into next season. Heads have already rolled in the conference as Virginia has already let coach Al Groh go, and there is speculation Ralph Friedgen is next.
In case you missed it, editor and power rankings contributor Aaron Kraut gave some solid reasons why “The Fridge” deserves another shot in today’s edition of The Diamondback.
He also still has Clemson at the top of his power rankings…
It’s been just as long a season here at Terrapin Trail as at the Gossett Football Team House. We even failed to show up last week, which was inexcusable. But we have enough guts to come back with a strong finale.
1. Georgia Tech (Last week – 1)
Josh Nesbitt was his usual solid self, but the young Bulldogs, especially tandem Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, showed they could be much better next season. Meanwhile, the ACC Championship Game will once again be the least interesting of any. Is there anyone who wouldn’t root for Boise State if they played Tech? – Mike Lemaire
2. Clemson (Last week – 2)
Call me stubborn, but my confidence in the Tigers isn’t hurt by their egg at South Carolina Saturday. Also, nobody should act surprised that a mediocre SEC team would beat one of the top contenders in the ACC. That has been the lay of the land for a good while now. – Aaron Kraut
3. Virginia Tech (Last week – 3)
Ryan Williams came on strong — really strong — after the Hokeis lost star Darren Evans in the preseason. “His legs are like tree trunks,” Terp linebacker Alex Wujciak said after the two teams played earlier this fall. Williams’ emergence as the best running back in the ACC is one thing for VT to take out of a semi-dissapointing season. – Aaron Kraut
4. Miami (Last week – 4)
Throttling South Florida will most likely mean the ‘Canes will be playing into the new year. Miami has a few potential early entrees — RB Graig Cooper and DT Allen Bailey are the top of the list — but their skill position nucleus will remain intact, and their defense will add depth. Look for Randy Shannon’s crew to be a trendy pick to win the conference next season. – Mike Lemaire
5. North Carolina (Last week – 5)
Another indicator of the truest words in sports: “Talent wins.” A Carolina defense loaded with NFL-level talent made up for a meager offense and a bad start. Now the Tar Heels are on the verge of a tidy 9-4 season. – Aaron Kraut
6. Florida State (Last week – 7)
The ESPN coaching coverage machine is already firing on all cylinders with Charlie Weiss and Notre Dame. But David Amber and Mark Schlabach were both standing outside Doak Campbell Stadium speculating on Bobby Bowden. One reported option is for Bowden to become a Seminole ambassador… that sounds about right. – Mike Lemaire
7. Boston College (Last week – 6)
LB Luke Kuechly may be the best freshman in a conference stocked with good ones. But the Eagles 8-4 record is as misleading as 25-year-old quarterback Dave Shiniskie excusing his four-interception game against NC State by telling The Boston Globe, “I am just a freshman”. – Mike Lemaire
8. Wake Forest (Last week – 
Here’s where it gets hairy. I’ll give Wake the nod over Duke because they beat the Blue Devils last weekend. – Aaron Kraut
9. Duke (Last week – 9)
David Cutcliffe really needed not to lose that opener to Richmond. He did and now Duke isn’t bowl eligible. – Aaron Kraut
10. North Carolina State (Last week – 11)
Despite losing his record-breaking attempts without an interception streak and leading his team to a 5-7 record, QB Russell Wilson showed North Carolina why he still might be the best future pro of the group with his four-touchdown game against a loaded defense. – Mike Lemaire
11. Virginia (Last week – 10)
The fire Al Groh jokes aren’t nearly as funny now that he has actually been fired. It was obvious a change needed to be made there. Groh was never a particularly good coach, despite some unfounded hype because he somehow once coached an NFL team. – Aaron Kraut
12. Maryland (Last week – 12)
The one constant in the conference this season has been the cellar-dwelling Terps. A combination of injuries, inexperience, and inconsistency never gave them a shot. There is talent left over to suggest that next season will be better, but there are still a lot of questions remaining, even those that aren’t job-related. – Mike Lemaire