Published Nov 16, 2021
How the ACC sees the ACC: Week 12 rankings
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Chris Peak  •  Pitt Sports News
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With two weeks remaining in the regular season, how do ACC writers in the rivals.com network see the conference? Here’s how they voted in the Week 12 rankings.

For the second week in a row, the voters placed the same schools in the top four spots, with Wake Forest ahead of Pitt, N.C. State and Clemson. Last week, though, the Deacons, Panthers and Wolfpack split the first-place votes with seven going to Wake Forest, five going to N.C. State and four going to Pitt.

This week, Pitt got four again, but the other 12 first-place votes all went to Wake Forest. That didn’t change the order in the rankings, but it did increase the separation between Pitt (211 points) and N.C. State (188 points). Last week, those two teams were separated by just one point.

Voters respected the Wolfpack’s performance in a 45-42 loss at Wake Forest; four of the other six teams in the conference who lost on Saturday dropped at least one spot, but N.C. State held firm at No. 3.

On the flip side of the coin were Virginia (down one spot after losing to Notre Dame), North Carolina (down one spot after losing at Pitt), Miami (down three spots after losing at Florida State) and Syracuse (down four spots after losing at Louisville). Georgia Tech and Duke also lost this weekend, but they stayed in place at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively.

There’s an opportunity for a shakeup at the top this week. Pitt will be hosting Virginia in a potential Coastal-clinching clash at Heinz Field at 3:30, but the ACC’s premier game is at noon, when Clemson hosts Wake Forest.

Week 12 rankings
TeamLast weekResultRecord

1. Wake Forest

1 (Same)

45-42 W vs. NC State

9-1 (6-0)

2. Pitt

2 (Same)

30-23 W vs. UNC

8-2 (5-1)

3. N.C. State

3 (Same)

45-42 L @ Wake

7-3 (4-2)

4. Clemson

4 (Same)

44-7 W vs. UConn

7-3 (

5. Louisville

9 (Up 5)

41-3 W vs. Syracuse

5-5 (3-4)

6. Virginia

5 (Down 1)

28-3 L vs. Notre Dame

6-4 (4-2)

7. North Carolina

6 (Down 1)

30-23 L @ Pitt

5-5 (3-4)

8. Boston College

10 (Up 2)

41-30 W @ GT

6-4 (2-4)

9. Florida State

11 (Up 2)

31-28 W vs. Miami

4-6 (3-4)

10. Miami

7 (Down 3)

31-28 L @ FSU

5-5 (3-3)

11. Virginia Tech

12 (Up 1)

48-17 W vs. Duke

5-5 (3-3)

12. Syracuse

8 (Down 4)

41-3 L @ Louisville

5-5 (2-4)

13. Georgia Tech

13 (Same)

41-30 L vs. BC

3-7 (2-6)

14. Duke

14 (Same)

48-17 L @ VT

3-7 (0-6)