FSU Seminoles

Only three regular-season games remain. So what is every team in the ACC playing for down the stretch?

Let's take a look:

Atlantic Division

Boston College. The Eagles are going to end up with consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1997 and '98. At 2-7, the goal has to be avoiding their worst season since going 2-9 in 1989. That, and trying to save coach Frank Spaziani's job -- if they can.

Clemson. ACC title/BCS chances are at stake. If the Tigers win out, they will have broken their three-game losing streak to South Carolina AND will get a chance at securing an at-large berth in the BCS. If they win out AND Florida State loses to either Virginia Tech or Maryland, the Tigers are back in the ACC championship game.

Florida State. If the Seminoles win their last two ACC games, they are in the ACC title game. If they win out, they have their first 11-win season since 2000.

Maryland. Even though the Terps have been the unluckiest team in America, they still have a shot at bowl eligibility if they win two of their final three games. That is a big "if" with Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina left. But at least they doubled their win total from a year ago.

NC State. The Wolfpack have to end a two-game losing streak and finish strong -- they need only one more win to clinch their third straight bowl season.

Wake Forest. For a program that has seen its best players miss games because of injuries, being on the precipice of bowl eligibility is a huge accomplishment. The Deacs need one win over NC State, Notre Dame or Vanderbilt to go to consecutive bowl games for the first time since 2007 and '08.

Coastal Division

Duke. If the Blue Devils win out, they are in the ACC championship game for the first time.

Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets need two wins in their final three games to keep their 15-year bowl streak alive. They also have an outside shot at the Coastal Division.

Miami. If the Hurricanes win out, they are in the ACC championship game for the first time.

North Carolina. The Tar Heels do not have postseason hopes because they are ineligible, but finishing first in the Coastal Division has been a huge goal for this team. It is called playing for pride.

Virginia. The Hoos have not been mathematically eliminated from Coastal Division contention, but the more immediate goal is to win out to become bowl-eligible again.

Virginia Tech. The Hokies are having one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory. They still have an outside shot at the Coastal Division. But At 4-5, they must avoid finishing with their worst record since going 8-5 in 2003. The last time they had a losing record? Try 2-8-1 in 1992.

MIAMI -- Florida State overcame a sluggish start to beat Miami 33-20 on Saturday night. Here is a quick look at how it happened:

It was over when: Devonta Freeman scored from 3 yards out early in the fourth quarter to give FSU a 23-13 lead and put some distance between the Seminoles and Hurricanes. That seven-play drive featured a pretty 39-yard completion from EJ Manuel to Kelvin Benjamin to get the Noles down to the Miami 20. Freeman had 13 yards on the final three plays of the drive.

Game ball goes to: Dustin Hopkins. The Florida State kicker was as reliable as always, overcoming an early miss to make four field goals and provide a big chunk of the offense for the Noles. The last time he made four field goals in a game was against South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to end the 2010 season. (You can hold all your "wide right" references, too).

Stat of the game: 12 penalties for 121 yards for Florida State. There were several questionable calls that went against the Noles on Saturday night, including three offensive pass-interference penalties. We can sit here and debate the officiating all night, but the bottom line is that Florida State overcame plenty en route to its third consecutive victory over Miami.

Unsung hero: Freeman. The Seminoles lost starting running back Chris Thompson early in the game to a left knee injury, but Freeman came in and had an impressive performance, running for 70 yards and two touchdowns -- both scores coming in the fourth quarter to blow open the game.

What Miami learned: The Hurricanes showed signs of life on defense in the early going, but wore down in the second half. Stephen Morris showed gumption playing on a sprained ankle, but Florida State was simply the more talented team. Miami now has to set its sights on taking down Duke, which is leading the Coastal Division as we speak.

What Florida State learned: The Seminoles overcame mistakes, from fumbles to penalties, to put together a decisive win. They also have to be pleased with the depth they showed at running back after Thompson got hurt. Freeman and James Wilder Jr. had all three FSU touchdowns.

The first half of the season did not go perfectly. OK, that may be an understatement, but there is plenty to look forward to in the second half.

First and foremost is the real possibility that the ACC could land two teams in the BCS for a second straight year. National folks may lament the state of the ACC at this point, with only two ranked teams and a conference that is not as strong as the Big East in the latest set of power rankings.

But if Florida State and Clemson win out, the ACC will have the very real possibility of landing both in the marquee bowl spots: one as the conference champion and the other as an at-large selection. To get an at-large berth, a team must finish with at least nine wins and in the top 14 of the final BCS standings.

As it stands today, Florida State is ranked No. 14 and Clemson No. 19 in the BCS standings. But a whole lot will change between now and December. Last year, Virginia Tech finished 11-2 and No. 11 in the final BCS standings. Clemson, the ACC champ, was No. 15 at 10-3. Also keep in mind, the SEC can get only two teams into the BCS, so that should open spots up for other conferences looking to get a second team in.

If the ACC can get two into the BCS, things would look a whole lot rosier for this league than they do today. (Winning those BCS games is another issue for another day.)

Secondly, there are very real races happening in both the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions. That should make for a topsy-turvy, unpredictable and fun end to the season. Right now, Maryland, Florida State, NC State and Clemson all have designs on playing in the ACC championship game out of the Atlantic.

To make things simple: Maryland needs to win out to get there; NC State needs to win out to get there; Florida State needs to win out and have NC State lose; Clemson needs to win out and have Florida State lose.

Over in the Coastal, Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech -- yes Virginia Tech! -- have a shot at representing their division in the title game. In the simplest scenario, Miami and Virginia Tech can win out to get there; Duke needs to win out and have Virginia Tech lose again.

Given what we've seen to start this year and in seasons past, one thing that we can definitely look forward to in the second half: more unpredictability.

Bold prediction: Florida State will win out. The Seminoles have not won 11 games since 2000, but I think this is the year they can do it. Yes, I know what happened at NC State, but the Seminoles had a bad game. They are still the best team in the ACC and leave the state of Florida just twice in their final five games. Games at Miami and Virginia Tech will be tough, and so will the finale at home against Florida. But I still think this team is capable of running the table.

Looking forward to: Will the Hokies be the comeback kings of the ACC? Things have not gone well for Virginia Tech this season. Nobody predicted a 4-3 record at this point with losses to Pitt and Cincinnati. But Virginia Tech is 2-1 in ACC play and very much in the hunt for the Coastal Division crown. Its only loss is to North Carolina, ineligible for the postseason. Hurdles remain, with consecutive games at Clemson, at Miami and versus Florida State. That is the toughest stretch of any team in the ACC. How Virginia Tech handles that three-game set will determine what type of season the Hokies will have.

Top five games:

Virginia Tech at Miami, Nov. 1. This one should have an impact on the outcome of the Coastal Division. The road team is 1-4 in the past five meetings.

Florida State at Virginia Tech, Nov. 8. Both are going to need to win this game to keep their division hopes alive in this huge Thursday night game in Blacksburg. This will be the second straight Thursday night game for the Hokies.

NC State at Clemson, Nov. 17. This one could end up deciding the Atlantic Division. NC State needs to win out to play in the ACC title game. But the last time the Tigers lost two straight to NC State was 2002-2003.

Florida at Florida State, Nov. 24. This could very well be a matchup of two top-10 teams when this game rolls around. Florida State has won two straight and held the Gators to a combined 14 points in those games.

South Carolina at Clemson, Nov. 24. If the Tigers hold out hope of getting an at-large berth, beating the Gamecocks will be huge. South Carolina has won three straight in the series. Most looking forward to the barbs traded between Steve Spurrier and Dabo Swinney.

Last week was all out of whack. Virginia Tech restored some normalcy to the league with its win over Duke, and North Carolina did its part by humbling Miami in Sun Life Stadium. That’s not to say this pecking order isn’t still in flux. The Coastal Division race is wide open, and there are plenty of teams still jockeying for position in the division standings. Here’s a look at how the league shakes out at the midway point of the season:

1. Florida State (6-1, 3-1 ACC; LW: No. 1) -- The Seminoles bounced back from their deflating loss to NC State with a convincing 51-7 drubbing of Boston College. They’ll get more of a fight this week when they face rival Miami on the road, but on paper, this is another game the Noles should win.

2. Clemson (5-1, 2-1; LW: No. 2) -- The Tigers had a bye week, and they’re going to be catching Virginia Tech right when the Hokies might have turned the corner with an historic comeback win against Duke. Clemson owned the Hokies in two wins last year, including the ACC title game.

3. NC State (4-2, 1-1; LW: No. 5) -- The Wolfpack had a bye week to digest their upset of then-No. 3-ranked Florida State and turn their focus to Saturday’s trip to Maryland. Quarterback Mike Glennon made three fourth-down completions in the fourth quarter last week and will be looking for another important Atlantic Division win.

4. North Carolina (5-2, 2-1; LW: No. 6) -- The Tar Heels got their first road win of the season against Miami, but UNC committed 15 penalties for 140 yards in the 18-14 win over the Canes. It didn’t matter in the end because Miami had no answer for running back Giovani Bernard, who ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

5. Virginia Tech (4-3, 2-1; LW: No. 8) -- The Hokies scored 41 unanswered points in the final three quarters to beat Duke 41-20 on Saturday in the biggest comeback the program has seen under coach Frank Beamer. Virginia Tech avoided a second Coastal Division loss and has some momentum heading into Death Valley.

6. Maryland (4-2, 2-0; LW: No. 7) -- The Terps are the only ACC team still undefeated in league play, and they are leading the Atlantic Division standings. They’ll face much stiffer competition when NC State visits on Saturday, but Maryland’s defense has kept it in every game this season and is one of the best in the ACC.

7. Miami (4-3, 3-1; LW: No. 4) -- The Hurricanes’ rushing defense has been one of its weakest links this season, as Miami is allowing 253.71 rushing yards per game. UNC ran for 272 yards against the Canes, and Florida State has the capability to do the same this weekend.

8. Duke (5-2, 2-1; LW: No. 3) -- The Blue Devils probably wouldn’t have dropped so far in the rankings so fast had they played a more respectable final three quarters, but squandering a 20-point lead brought Duke crashing back to reality. The team had a chance at a marquee win for the program, but four turnovers put the bowl bid on hold for now.

9. Wake Forest (3-3, 1-3; LW: No. 10) -- The Deacs had a bye week, and they needed it after losing back-to-back conference games and suspending eight players in the past two weeks. Wake Forest travels to UVa this weekend in a game that will be critical to the Deacs’ bowl hopes.

10. Georgia Tech (2-4, 1-3; LW: No. 9) -- It’s been a tumultuous season for the Jackets, who fired former defensive coordinator Al Groh last week. Interim Charles Kelly at least had the bye week to make the transition in preparation of Saturday’s game against Boston College. The main game plan, coach Paul Johnson said last week, is to simplify things for the defense.

11. Virginia (2-5, 0-3; LW: No. 11) -- Not much has gone right for the Hoos, who have lost five straight games heading into Saturday’s matchup against Wake Forest. Virginia is No. 99 in the country in scoring defense, allowing 33 points per game, but has also struggled offensively with quarterbacks Michael Rocco and Phillip Sims.

12. Boston College (1-5, 0-3; LW: No. 12) -- The Eagles are still looking for their first conference win of the season, and have lost four straight as they head into their third straight road game. The Eagles haven’t been able to run the ball or stop the run this season, but the passing game has shown improvement under coordinator Doug Martin.

Sooo ... now what?

Florida State beat Clemson in what is likely to amount to the Atlantic Division championship game. Georgia Tech has all but played its way out of the Coastal Division race with two losses to division opponents.

Will the next nine Saturdays in the ACC really be as anticlimactic as they look right now?

Not in the ACC. Not possibly. Not in a league where a struggling, young Miami defense goes on the road and beats Georgia Tech. Not in a conference where a ranked Virginia Tech team loses to a pedestrian Pitt team. The ACC has developed a reputation for its unpredictability, and with a Coastal Division race that’s slowly unfolding and three teams that have yet to start conference play, there are still plenty of reasons to tune in.

The No. 1 reason is that Florida State’s season hasn’t ended yet and NC State’s is just beginning.

The Seminoles are hands-down the best team in the ACC this season. They’re also one of the best teams in the country. It’s a more mature, more focused group that is a legitimate national title contender with a Heisman-caliber quarterback in EJ Manuel. But FSU still travels to NC State, which is riding a three-game winning streak heading into its first conference game of the season. FSU still travels to rival Miami, which is 2-0 in conference play. And the Noles still travel to Blacksburg on a Thursday night. The rest of the Atlantic Division won't roll over for FSU. Expect the exact opposite: FSU will get everyone’s best shot.

Three ACC teams -- NC State, Maryland and Duke -- have yet to play a conference game. Three teams -- Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech -- have yet to lose a conference game. With only one league loss, Virginia is just as much in the mix as anyone else. And Duke is already halfway to a bowl game. (Yes, Duke.)

Another very real possibility at this point: the long-awaited matchup between Florida State and Miami in the ACC championship game.

Virginia Tech’s Thursday night game at Miami on Nov. 1 could turn out to be a season-defining game in the Coastal Division race. And college football fans still want to keep an eye on Clemson. Although the Tigers lost control of their own destiny in the Atlantic Division race Saturday and need Florida State to lose to get back in the conversation, a one-loss season could add up to another at-large BCS bid for the ACC.

Or, knowing Clemson, the Tigers might lose at BC this weekend.

Saturday felt like November in the ACC, but there is still plenty to play for and even more to lose.