Virginia Tech in its open week seemed to have one of the more positive weeks among the ACC with several games going the Hokies' way. The conference now appears to be a clear two-team race with Wake Forest and Miami completely separating themselves from the rest of the ACC. Here is how the ACC ranks after nine weeks of football:

17. Georgia Tech (2-6, 1-4 ACC)

Another lackluster performance from Georgia Tech in its 34-11 loss to Pitt keeps the Yellow Jackets in the bottom spot. Georgia Tech could once again not stop the run and has gave up 680 rushing yards (399 allowed vs. Boston College, 281 vs. Georgia Tech) across its last two outings. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza was also benched for the second straight game after only throwing for 81 yards and fumbling four times (one lost).

16. California (3-6, 2-4 ACC)

Cal went on the road with a chance to upset NC State, which had just fired its head coach, Dave Doeren, a week prior. That was quickly shut down as NC State stormed to the tune of a 31-10 win. That is now three straight losses for the Golden Bears following their win over Virginia Tech.

15. Stanford (4-5, 2-4 ACC)

Stanford played Louisville tough in the first half, but then allowed 28 unanswered points in the second half. The Stanford defense simply had no answer for Louisville's offense, as they allowed nearly 550 total yards on 8.8 yards per play.

14. Virginia (4-5, 2-4 ACC)

Virginia picked up its third consecutive loss in rather embarrassing fashion — a 51-7 beatdown at the hands of Wake Forest. The Cavaliers mustered only 16 rushing yards in the loss, and quarterback Beau Pribula once again struggled to get any offense going. A year removed from being in the ACC Championship Game, this Virginia team looks dysfunctional.

13. NC State (4-4, 2-3 ACC)

I mentioned in last week's edition that NC State may be going into quit mode after firing longtime head coach Dave Doeren, and I will give the Wolfpack credit for beating Cal at home following the turmoil. Frankly, the Golden Bears are a team NC State should decisively handle, and they did exactly that. Can the Wolfpack find a way to win two of their remaining three games to become bowl-eligibile?

12. Boston College (4-4, 2-3 ACC)

Boston College had won two in a row and had been playing complimentary football until Duke, where they got completely thrashed 47-2. The Eagles were only able to amass 219 total yards, allowed six sacks, and committed an abnormal 15 penalties.

11. Florida State (3-5, 1-4 ACC)

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was fired following the Seminoles' 36-24 loss to Clemson. The firing comes following three consecutive disappointing seasons form Florida State. In the loss to the Tigers, the Seminoles actually outgained Clemson on offense, but they turned it over four times (all by quarterback Ashton Daniels).

10. North Carolina (4-4, 2-3 ACC)

North Carolina had the number one team in the country on the ropes, and even recovered two onside kicks with a little over a minute remaining, but they both got negated due to penalties. In the 38-35 loss, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. had a career outing with four touchdowns. Head coach Bill Belichick appears to have the Tar Heels headed in the right direction, but the big win seems to keep slipping out of reach.

9. Syracuse (4-4, 2-4 ACC)

Weird things happen at The Dome. Syracuse knocked off SMU a week after its upset over North Carolina. The Orange found a way to do just enough to knock off the previous No. 19 team in the country with a go-ahead touchdown with 17 seconds remaining. Don't look now, but Syracuse is picking up momentum and is two wins away from gaining bowl eligibility.

8. Pitt (6-3, 3-3 ACC)

Pitt picked up its first win since the injury to quarterback Mason Heintschel with a 34-11 win over Georgia Tech. The Panthers put up 461 total yards, including 281 on the ground, to secure a bowl game.

7. Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC)

Clemson put together its most complete game of the season with a 36-24 win over Florida State. Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds had his best performance of the year, as he put up 189 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also adding 85 rushing yards and another touchdown. The win should give Tigers fans hope with four games to play.

6. SMU (6-2, 4-2 ACC)

SMU once again struggled, and this time it lead to a loss. The Mustangs had ACC Championship Game aspirations or even potentially CFP hopes, but now both look to be far out of reach following its loss to Syracuse. A big game with major ACC implication looms as Virginia Tech heads to Dallas this Friday.

5. Louisville (5-3, 4-2 ACC)

Lousiville looked to be in minor trouble against Stanford in the first half, before turning on the jets and storming off to a 52-24 win. Running back Isaac Brown had an impressive performance for the Cardinals, as he put up 139 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, while adding another score through the air.

4. Duke (6-2, 3-2 ACC)

After two consecutive losses, Duke is going bowling in dominating fashion — a 47-2 beatdown of Boston College. In the win, running back Nate Sheppard further solidified his case for All-ACC back, as he put up 129 total yards and a single-game program record five touchdowns.

3. Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC)

Virginia Tech had an open week and has its sights set on Friday night as they travel to Dallas to take on SMU. A win for the Hokies could propel them into the national spotlight and, although it is a long shot, put them one step closer to an ACC Championship appearance.

2. Wake Forest (7-1, 5-1 ACC)

Wake Forest is establishing itself as a clear contender, not just in the ACC, but on a national level. Conference wins in dominating fashion seem to just be an every-week occurrence in Winston-Salem, and this team has a favorable schedule remaining, with an important game against SMU set for Nov. 14.

1. Miami (8-0, 6-0 ACC)

Miami escaped in Chapel Hill. Although this Hurricanes team has shown some flaws in the past three weeks, I still see them as the clear frontrunner in the ACC, as well as the country. Quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney are still well in the Heisman hopeful category, and this team looks destined to make a run. A big-time matchup between the nation's number one and number four team looms as Miami travels to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.