Many ACC teams were off this week, but Thursday night saw the preseason conference favorite all but eliminated from contention in the Atlantic Division. Georgia Tech narrowly made it past a 1-AA opponent, while Virginia looks to be a rapidly improving football team, at least when they play at home.

The Current Standings

Boston College was off this week.

Up Next: Virginia Tech, Saturday, October 18, 8pm, ESPN2

Clemson dropped a big Atlantic Division matchup at Wake Forest 12-7 on Thursday night. The Tiger offense struggled, thanks mostly to poor offensive line play. On Friday, trying to jumpstart his offense and save his job, Tommy Bowden announced that Willy Korn would be taking over the starting quarterback role.

That means Cullen Harper, the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in the ACC, is now on the bench. Harper is now one of three r-senior quarterbacks who have put up good numbers as the starter in the past, but who are now sitting on the bench after being replaced by younger players who have better mobility. The other quarterbacks are Drew Weatherford and Sean Glennon. Not coincidentally, there have been pass protection issues at all three programs.

With two losses already in ACC play, Clemson is all but eliminated from the Atlantic Division race.

• Offensive MVP: Jacoby Ford. 5 catches, 43 yards, 1 touchdown
• Defensive MVP: B Maye. 9 tackles, 1.5 TFL

Up Next: Georgia Tech, Saturday, October 18, Noon, ESPN2

Duke was off this week.

Up Next: Miami, Saturday, October 18, 3:30pm, ESPNU

Florida State was off this week.

Up Next: at NC State, Thursday, October 16, 7:30pm, ESPN

Georgia Tech was missing their top two quarterbacks for their game against 1-AA Gardner-Webb on Saturday. They started Calvin Booker, who isn't cut out for their triple option attack. As a result the Yellow Jackets rushed for just 79 yards and narrowly won 10-7. Derrick Morgan tipped a Gardner-Webb field goal that would have tied the game with 43 seconds left.

Starter Josh Nesbitt was still out with a hamstring injury, while backup Jaybo Shaw was out with a concussion. The Jackets managed to hit Jonathan Dwyer for a 79 yard touchdown pass, and that was the difference in the game.

Nesbitt was dressed out for the game, and it sounds like he'll be ready to play against Clemson this Saturday.

• Offensive MVP: Jonathan Dwyer. 1 catch, 79 yards, 1 touchdown
• Defensive MVP: Derrick Morgan. 10 tackles, 4 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 blocked FG

Up Next: at Clemson, Saturday, October 18, Noon, ESPN2

Maryland was off this week.

Up Next: Wake Forest, Saturday, October 18, Noon, Raycom

Miami's offense struggled yet again in a 20-14 win over Central Florida on Saturday. Quarterback Robert Marve was just 8-of-19 for 74 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. The Canes are looking more one-dimensional each week.

The good news is that their defense is playing well. The Canes' 20th-ranked defense allowed just 78 yards of total offense against UCF. The Golden Knights returned an interception and a kickoff for touchdowns, and that was the extent of their scoring.

The bad news for Miami is that they have lost two starting defenders for the season. Defensive end Eric Moncur is probably their top defensive lineman, while Colin McCarthy is arguably their top linebacker. Their losses will hurt as the Canes start to play better offensive teams.

• Offensive MVP: Graig Cooper. 23 carries, 90 yards, 1 touchdown
• Defensive MVP: Glenn Cook. 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL

Up Next: at Duke, Saturday, October 18, 3:30pm, ESPNU

UNC was outgained by Notre Dame 472-322, but they were +2 in turnover margin. That propelled them to a 29-24 win over the Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill. It was a big out-of-conference win for the ACC and for North Carolina.

There is good news and bad news in the win. The good news is that Shaun Draughn had another good game at tailback, running for 91 yards on 17 carries. He is a much better option than Greg Little. The bad news is that they lost big play wideout Brandon Tate to what is being called a sprained knee. The results of his MRI should be known on Monday. If he is lost for a significant period of time, it could be a big blow for the Tar Heels.

As it stands, UNC needs just one more win to become bowl eligible.

• Offensive MVP: Hakeem Nicks. 9 catches, 141 yards
• Defensive MVP: Bruce Carter. 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks

Up Next: at Virginia, Saturday, October 18, 3:30pm, ABC

NC State was off this week.

Up Next: Florida State, Thursday, October 16, 7:30pm, ESPN

Virginia came up with their second win in a row on Saturday, downing East Carolina 35-20 in Charlottesville. The Hoos dominated this game on both sides of the ball, racking up 430 yards of total offense while holding ECU to just 285.

It was a huge day for tailback Cedric Peerman, who is finally healthy. He had touchdown runs of 79 and 60 yards to lead the Hoos to a big offensive day. This game was actually 6-0 ECU at one point. Once Virginia got rolling, it was never really a contest.

As usual, UVA is playing a lot better at home than on the road. They get another home game on Saturday against rival UNC.

• Offensive MVP: Cedric Peerman. 16 carries, 173 yards, 2 touchdowns. 8 catches, 26 yards
• Defensive MVP: Clint Sintim. 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass broken up

Up Next: North Carolina, Saturday, October 18, 3:30pm, ABC

Virginia Tech was off this week.

Up Next: at Boston College, Saturday, October 18, 8pm, ESPN2

Wake Forest rebounded from their surprising loss to Navy by beating Clemson 12-7 on Thursday night in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons now hold the tiebreaker over Florida State and Clemson, the two other preseason favorites in the Atlantic Division.

In their two conference wins over Florida State and Clemson, Wake Forest scored exactly 12 points in each game. Their defense is very good, but it also indicates how bad certain teams in the ACC are capable of playing offensively.

Wake still needs to find a running game. They are averaging just 2.6 yards per carry on the season. Josh Adams is a good back, but the offensive line is supbar. Riley Skinner is the biggest running threat on the team right now, when he drops back to pass.

• Offensive MVP: Riley Skinner. 22-of-34 for 186 yards, 1 touchdown. 11 carries for 73 yards
• Defensive MVP: Alphonso Smith. 1 tackles, 1 critical second half interception, 1 pass defended