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The ACC made a strong statement this week as three of its teams competed in the AP Top 25, with No. 11 Wake Forest traveling to No. 25 SMU and No. 5 Miami hosting Duke. Both the Demon Deacons and the Hurricanes extended their winning streaks with impressive victories, and they are expected to remain ranked, possibly moving up depending on other results. SMU, on the other hand, will likely drop out of the poll, while Duke might enter the top 25 despite its loss.
Wake Forest Stuns SMU on the Road
Wake Forest, the favored team, traveled to Dallas and put on a dominant display, nearly reaching 50 points while holding SMU to a single touchdown. The 49-7 victory was a statement win that justified the school's decision to sign head coach Jake Dickert to a long-term contract. The Demon Deacons (9-1) won by a larger margin than Notre Dame did against Boston College, and SMU (7-3) is considered a stronger team, having won the head-to-head matchup on Oct. 3. Additionally, Wake Forest handed the Mustangs their first home ACC loss; SMU had been 12-0 in conference play at Gerald Ford Stadium.
Quarterback Gio Lopez returned after missing the previous week's shutout win over Merrimack and completed 14 of 25 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. Backup Steele Pizzella added 48 passing yards. The Demon Deacons rushed for 286 yards, led by Ty Clark's 77 yards, and scored six of their seven touchdowns on the ground, with five different players reaching the end zone. Lopez ran for two scores, and wide receiver Carlos Hernandez caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Miami Rebounds After Notre Dame Loss
No. 5 Miami (9-1) returned home after a road loss to Notre Dame and took out its frustration on Duke, the former team of quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah threw for 382 yards and a touchdown against his old squad, leading the Hurricanes to a 36-25 win. Cooper Barkate, a former Duke player, recorded 134 receiving yards. Javian Mallory scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) to help his team secure the victory.
Duke (7-3) was led by Nate Sheppard, who ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 93 yards. Sheppard kept the Blue Devils within striking distance for much of the game, pulling them within five points before halftime after trailing by 12 late in the third quarter. However, Miami responded with two touchdowns, including one after Walker Eget's interception, to put the game out of reach.
College Football Playoff Implications
Despite having three teams in the AP poll and Duke receiving votes, the ACC was not as fortunate in the College Football Playoff rankings. Miami was the only team in the top 12, but it dropped from No. 1 to No. 7 after the loss to Notre Dame. Wake Forest was ranked No. 13, while SMU and Duke were unranked. The committee had five two-loss teams ahead of the Demon Deacons, four from the SEC. Oregon, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Ohio State, LSU, Missouri, and Oklahoma State were ranked behind Wake Forest, but each has three losses.
Entering this week, Duke and SMU each had two losses. Their absence from the rankings means Miami and Wake Forest lack chances to claim wins over ranked opponents, unlike several SEC and Big Ten teams, despite Wake Forest ranking No. 10 in strength of record and No. 8 in average win probability. The Demon Deacons have a better strength of record than Tennessee, BYU, and Texas Tech, all of whom would make the playoff field based on last week's update. While Wake Forest ranks No. 13 in the Football Power Index, and both Duke and SMU rank outside the top 25, BYU, Texas Tech, and UCLA would not make the field if that metric were heavily relied upon. The Demon Deacons would rank No. 11 under the old BCS system.
Wake Forest has won seven straight games and has not lost since falling to Miami 33-20 at home over two months ago. In those seven wins, the Demon Deacons have outscored opponents 343-65, with only N.C. State and Louisville scoring more than one touchdown against them. Miami is clearly a strong team and on track for another playoff berth, ranking No. 3 in strength of record. However, the committee needs to recognize Wake Forest as a legitimate contender as well, and the SMU win may help that cause.
Originally reported by newsobserver.