ACC Power Rankings: Clemson survives thriller; Miami plummets

Here are the  ACC Power Rankings heading into Week Nine: 

It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

Welcome back to headquarters on the corner of Tobacco Road and the future site of the David Cutcliffe memorial trophy. There were some exciting happenings in the ACC despite a light five-game schedule. Georgia Tech appeared to have a pulse until Jeff Sims got injured, and now they could be on life support. However, Miami is still on the schedule.

Speaking of those Hurricanes, if their game against Duke is not enough evidence to figure out how to get an on-campus stadium — or as close to one as possible — there will never be enough. Can anyone figure out Pitt? Pat Narduzzi had issues with Mark Whipple’s offensive philosophy, but they never had these issues with offensive consistency.

No. 5 Clemson survived No.14 Syracuse behind 172 yards from running back Will Shipley and its defense that shut out the Orange in the second half. Games like these make Clemson dangerous. The Tigers are not flashy offensively, but their defense is elite. It will not be easy for any offense to score on these Tigers.

So, to Red Bandana games, Commonwealth Cups, and schools that need on-campus stadiums, here are the ACC Power Rankings heading into week nine.