ACC Football Power Rankings, Week 10: North Carolina slowly climbing

This is the time in the rankings where we sing the praises of Scott Satterfield. “Oh Satterfield, Oh Satterfield, how lovely are your Cardinals.” He really does have those young men in Louisville believing.

We here at headquarters didn’t see this coming even when an Elvis — Elvis Dumervil that is — impersonator told us his old team had better players than we thought. Satterfield said he came into the season with 38 scholarship players because so many guys left. He coached them up, and he’s found the secret sauce with this group of guys. This squad is one game from a bowl; this might be the best coaching job in the country.

They’re off this weekend, and they travel to Miami after their bye week. Of course, the game the Cardinals want to win is their end of the season rivalry game against the Wildcats in the “Battle for the Bluegrass State”. Yes, y’all can use that.

So, the Demon Deacons might have a decision to make this offseason. The Deacons could have their best season since they won the ACC in 2006 and went to the Orange Bowl. Even with Clemson left on their schedule, a 10-win season is not out of the realm of possibility. That being said, if the coaching carousel turns, Dave Clawson might be a name mentioned with some jobs that could come open.

However, there is the real possibility that coach Clawson is happy in Winston-Salem and wants to stay. If that’s the case, Wake Forest would be happy to keep his services. If his eyes are on a larger job, more money won’t keep him there anyway.

The rest of their schedule is manageable save the Clemson game, and they have a firm grip on second place in the division. Nine wins, a good bowl, and the possibility of 10 wins, Wake better be ready to pony up at season’s end.

Here in the ACC power rankings, we said the Clemson Tigers were four touchdowns better than every team in the conference. Save North Carolina, we might have been wrong. Subtract the one-point victory over the Tar Heels, and the Clemson Tigers have defeated their ACC opponents by an average of 38 points per game. So, they are five touchdowns better than every team in the ACC.

They get a bye week this week and next week — they play Wofford this week and then they finally play in the “Rivalry that really ain’t” Textile Bowl against NC State.

The most intriguing game left on their schedule is Wake Forest. Not that they won’t pummel the Deacons, but are they five touchdowns better than Wake Forest? Can the Demon Deacons hang?