It’s truly incredible how rough Rivalry Week was for the top of the ACC. Outside of Florida State beating Florida in an incredible Friday night game, not much else went right. The league went just 1-3 in its non-conference slate, and both of the teams set to take the field in the ACC Championship lost the final games of their regular season. That being said, still expect a close game in Charlotte, just maybe not the high-quality football we could have expected from the Tigers and Tar Heels even just two weeks ago. While it’s been a frustrating end to the year, the league was still a ton of fun this season, so let’s take one last look at this week in the ACC.

NC State 30, North Carolina 27 (2OT)

My worry for the Wolfpack coming into this game was that they wouldn’t be able to keep up offensively in a shootout, because presumably the Tar Heels offense wouldn’t have two bad games in a row. Well, I’ve now learned not to make assumptions, because NC State’s defense held Drake Maye and the North Carolina offense in check for basically the entire game. Maye struggled yet again, throwing for just 4.8 yards per attempt, while Ben Finley played a solid game for the Wolfpack, including a beautiful back-shoulder touchdown throw to take the lead in regulation. The overtimes were just as eventful, with North Carolina ultimately missing a field goal to tie the game, leading to a Wolfpack victory. Just two weeks after being ranked No. 13 and 9-1, the Tar Heels now have the opposite of momentum heading into their ACC Championship Game next week against Clemson.

Florida State 45, Florida 38

Well, all the comments about how the Seminoles’ defense had been utterly dominant for the last month went out the window within about five minutes of game time. In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, the Sunshine Showdown became a shootout, with Anthony Richardson throwing for three touchdowns in the first half despite a massive amount of skill players being out for the Gators. On the other side, Florida State ran the ball essentially at will, finishing with five touchdowns on the ground. Jordan Travis did his best Michael Vick impression multiple times in the red zone, but Florida was still able to come back to tie the game despite Richardson not completing a pass for what felt like years. Travis ultimately led the Seminoles to a go-ahead touchdown, sealing a wholly impressive nine-win season for Mike Norvell in Tallahassee.

Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 14

The Yellow Jackets were one of the surprises of the early slate on Saturday, taking an early lead against their rivals and actually leading at the end of the first quarter. Although the good times didn’t last — Georgia Tech wouldn’t find the end zone again until garbage time — the team fought valiantly in a game where no one gave them much of a chance. Georgia Tech forced the Bulldogs into uncharacteristic mistakes, and although the loss was inevitable by the middle of the second quarter, it was still impressive to see the fight shown against the top team in the country. Truly a shame that Georgia Tech didn’t have a better chance at a bowl game.

South Carolina 31, Clemson 30

This was a game far more notable in its mistakes than its spectacular plays. It seemed as if all of the Tigers’ issues throughout the season all popped up in one game. Clemson’s secondary had its moments — including a pick-six of Spencer Rattler and another interception in the end zone — but also struggled to cover South Carolina’s receivers. The running game was relatively strong, but DJ Uiagalelei completed just 28% of his passes. And when it mattered most, Antonio Williams fumbled a punt return to give South Carolina a chance to ice the game away, giving the Gamecocks their first win in nine years against Clemson. This officially ends any chances of the Tigers making the College Football Playoff, and all of a sudden their matchup with North Carolina next week is not nearly as exciting.

Kentucky 26, Louisville 13

Just one week after being somewhat surprisingly ranked in the CFP rankings, No. 25 Louisville looked to exorcize its demons in the Governor’s Cup, where the Cardinals had previously lost three straight. Unfortunately, Kentucky had different plans. Louisville couldn’t get anything going on offense, even when Malik Cunningham came in to try and fight through an injury. Jawhar Jordan ran the ball well for the Cardinals, but the Wildcats won the turnover battle and never trailed the entire game. For Louisville, finishing the season with a loss to its rival isn’t how anyone wants to end things, but for now Scott Satterfield’s seat is about the coldest it’s been.

Duke 34, Wake Forest 31

This game was quite entertaining in its own right, but I want to focus instead on the two programs’ seasons as a whole. Wake Forest finished 7-5, and 2022 may be considered to some Demon Deacons fans as a disappointment. But let’s be mindful here instead. In the seven years from 2009-2015, Wake Forest didn’t have a single winning record. 7-5 would be considered a great success. The level to which Dave Clawson has raised this program is remarkable. But enough about the loser of this game. What Mike Elko has done in year one at Duke, especially compared to other new ACC coaches, is incredible. Winning eight games at Duke is hard enough, even at the peak of a coach’s tenure. There is very little argument now that Elko should be ACC Coach of the Year, and this win against the Demon Deacons sealed that in my opinion.

Syracuse 32, Boston College 23

That exhale you just heard was a sigh of relief from all Syracuse fans, whose team avoided the unwanted distinction of starting 6-0 and finishing 0-6. The game wasn’t always pretty for the Orange, as they mustered just six points in the first three quarters, but a 26-point explosion  in the final frame allowed for a comeback victory on the road. On Boston College’s end, this is certainly a disappointing way to end what had been such a promising year for most of the offseason. After taking a 17-6 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles wouldn’t score again until the game was out of reach. It will certainly be interesting to test the vibes up in Chestnut Hill as Jeff Hafley enters his fourth season as coach.

Pitt 42, Miami 16

This game was over before it started, as the Hurricanes threw two straight interceptions to give the Panthers two short fields. Although Pittsburgh wasn’t able to take advantage on both occasions, the score was 28-0 by halftime, and it felt the game was clearly out of reach. The drubbing capped off an extremely disappointing first season in Coral Gables for Mario Cristobal, whose team didn’t seem to care about trying to make the bowl it could have been eligible for had it won this game. On the other side, Pitt finishes with eight wins, which is a step down from last season but still a successful year nonetheless. This blowout says more about the Hurricanes and the state of that program, though.