ACC Football Power Rankings: Miami, NC State stand tall at the top

We we head to the stretch run, NC State and Miami remain on a collision course for the ACC football championship and sit atop the conference power rankings.

That doesn’t mean Clemson, Georgia Tech or someone else can’t slide into one of the two spots reserved for the Atlantic and Coastal champions.

When college football pundits gathered before the season, tabbing Miami as a favorite to come out of the Coastal was seen as an obvious choice. The Hurricanes returned a strong nucleus for Mark Richt and appeared to be positioned for a good season reminiscent to the days of old.

However, NC State wasn’t seen as much of a challenger to Clemson, Florida State and Louisville in the Atlantic. All the Wolfpack have done to date is win their first four league games, including triumphs vs. the Seminoles and Cardinals.

A date with reigning national and ACC champion Clemson remains, but as we head into Week 9, here’s a look at how the conference shapes up.