Georgia Tech is off to its best start to the season in 60 years, they’re ranked the No. 7 team in the country and probably the best team in the ACC at this point in the year. There’s a real possibility the Yellow Jackets get into the College Football Playoff and win the ACC the way this season is going.
The old Georgia Tech probably would have folded against Duke, but this new team simply knows how to step up when they need it. After Miami lost to Louisville, it makes you wonder, is Georgia Tech actually good enough to win the ACC? I think they’re odds are high and the ACC and the parity within the conference makes it too hard to tell, though.
With Miami losing not only does it affect their chances of running the ACC, but also affects Carson Beck’s Heisman Trophy campaign. As for Louisville, who beat Miami, are they real contenders or are they just fortunate enough to get a big win at the right time? Let’s dive into everything ACC as the conference is still very much wide open.
Georgia Tech becomes new favorite to win ACC as Miami falls to unranked Louisville
Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets are the best team in the ACC at this point and I won’t hear otherwise. They may not be the best on paper, but they’re consistent. They’re usually a team that will get hot and then play themselves out of contention for anything but it’s clear this year is different. The Yellow Jackets have the perfect path to ACC dominance and the CFP, but it means they can’t pull a Miami.
The ACC has been an odd conference this year with Clemson being bad, Florida State going from top 10 to now losing four-straight games and Miami looking like a national championship contender before losing to an unranked Louisville. If there are any good teams left in the conference, Georgia Tech might be in a tier of its own.
Louisville makes their 2025 debut in the AP top 25 poll this week at No. 17 and it’s clear Miller Moss has injected life into a team that needed it. With their win, they also become instant contenders in the ACC; that’s how bad this conference is. Thanks to Miami’s loss, that opens the door for SMU and Virginia to sneak in.
Virginia has managed to turn things around in one year and are not only ranked, but now have a clear shot at competing for a conference championship. SMU is the other undefeated team in the conference, so there’s a chance the Mustangs can get back to the title game for the second straight year with a late-season surge.
Carson Beck ruins Heisman Trophy campaign for second straight season with disaster-class against Louisville
Carson Beck tossed four interceptions in Friday’s loss to Louisville and it probably is bringing back nightmares from last season at Georgia. Like last year, he was a favorite to win the award at the start of the season and for five games, looked reformed from his 2024 self. And then Louisville brought out the inconsistent side that forced him to come back to school and forego the NFL Draft.
With it, Fernando Mendoza should be the new favorite for the award with Ty Simpson, Julian Sayin and Marcel Reed all on his tail. All four of these players stepped up this past week. I think Beck could have been in contention still after a loss, but after throwing four interceptions, there’s no way he’s able to resurrect his Heisman campaign.
The same issues that hindered Beck last year are coming back to haunt him and for now, it’s costing him a Heisman. If he continues to play poorly, it will also cost him his draft stock. For now, Beck not only cost Miami a clear path to the ACC title game and CFP, he cost himself one of the top awards in college football.