At the midway point of the season, Florida State and Clemson are the top two teams and Wake Forest is the worst -- just as expected. But the rest of the league is a jumbled mess. Saturday's Duke-Virginia contest has become one of the biggest games of the season in the Coastal Division.
1. Florida State (6-0, 4-0 in ACC)
Up next: vs. Notre Dame, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: This week's game with the Irish has a ton of intrigue and is the toughest remaining game on the Seminoles' schedule. And as for off-field intrigue, the Jameis Winston saga supplies it by the ton.
2. Clemson (4-2, 3-1)
Up next: at Boston College, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: BC's one-dimensional offense shouldn't worry Clemson's defense. But how effective will Clemson's offense be without injured star freshman QB Deshaun Watson?
3. Virginia (4-2, 2-0)
Up next: at Duke, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: A Duke-Virginia showdown with Coastal Division title implications? Welcome to the ACC.
4. Duke (5-1, 1-1)
Up next: vs. Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: Duke has won five of the past six games against the Cavs, and the Blue Devils also have won seven in a row at home overall.
5. Louisville (5-2, 3-2)
Up next: vs. North Carolina State, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: The Cardinals need to find some more offense. Perhaps the Wolfpack's flimsy defense will help in that regard.
6. Georgia Tech (5-1, 2-1)
Up next: at North Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: Tech's long-shot dreams to finish unbeaten ended last week. The Yellow Jackets should have no issues moving the ball on the Tar Heels, but can Tech's defense hold up?
7. Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-1)
Up next: at Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 16
The skinny: Injuries have hurt the Hokies at tailback and at defensive tackle. Expect a low-scoring game against Pitt.
8. Miami (4-3, 1-2)
Up next: at Virginia Tech, Thursday, Oct. 23
The skinny: The Hurricanes took out some frustrations on Cincinnati last week; next week's game will determine whether they have any hope of winning the Coastal Division.
9. Pittsburgh (3-3, 1-1)
Up next: vs. Virginia Tech, Thursday, Oct. 16
The skinny: The Panthers will be looking to snap their three-game losing streak when the Hokies come calling Thursday night.
10. Boston College (4-2, 1-1)
Up next: vs. Clemson, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: BC would seem to have a shot at the upset because Clemson has lost star freshman QB Deshaun Watson.
11. North Carolina State (4-3, 0-3)
Up next: at Louisville, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: The Wolfpack won their first four games. But they still seem likely to sweat it out when it comes to bowl eligibility because they have lost 11 in a row in league play.
12. North Carolina (2-4, 0-2)
Up next: vs. Georgia Tech, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: The Tar Heels closed last season with a flourish. If they want to do the same this season, Saturday's game would be a good place to start.
13. Syracuse (2-4, 0-2)
Up next: at Wake Forest, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: Nothing says "college football" like a mid-October matchup between a bad Syracuse team and an even worse Wake Forest team.
14. Wake Forest (2-4, 0-2)
Up next: vs. Syracuse, Saturday, Oct. 18
The skinny: Wake's best chance for a league victory comes this week.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
