Wake Forest climbs to No. 13 in CFP rankings after rout of UVA

Wake Forest jumped three spots to No. 13 in the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee's second rankings, released Tuesday, Nov. 10. The Demon Deacons are 8-1 and sit alone in second place in the ACC standings.

The ranking matters for Virginia football fans. Wake Forest built its resume partly by steamrolling the state's two ACC programs. The Deacons beat Virginia 51-7 and topped Virginia Tech's recent opponent SMU, which routed the Hokies 51-28. Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-3 ACC) and Virginia (4-5, 2-4 ACC) are both unranked.

One Vienna name sits on the other side of that 51-7 score. Kevin Chadwick Jr., a James Madison High School graduate who was named Northern Virginia Hall of Fame High School Player of the Year, plays for UVA, according to the Virginia sports roster. Chadwick was a two-time state runner-up at Madison, where his teams went 32-7 over his final three seasons.

Georgia took over the No. 1 spot from Miami, which fell six places to No. 7 after losing to Notre Dame, according to the official CFP release. Utah held at No. 2 with a 9-0 record. Alabama climbed to No. 3 despite two losses, and UCLA, also 9-0, vaulted four spots to No. 4.

Notre Dame made the biggest leap inside the top 10, jumping from No. 11 to No. 5. CFP chair Hunter Yurachek said the committee had been waiting for a signature win from the Fighting Irish, CBS Sports reported.

Wake Forest's path forward

Wake Forest's playoff case hinges on what happens next. The committee noted the Deacons have just one victory over an opponent with a record above .500, according to CBS Sports. Head coach Jake Dickert's squad travels to SMU (7-2, 5-2 ACC) on Saturday, Nov. 14, at noon on ESPN, NC Football News reported.

That game carries ACC championship weight. A win would hand SMU a third conference loss and give Wake Forest tiebreakers over both SMU and Louisville, according to Yahoo Sports. A loss would tie the Deacons with four other teams in the conference standings and give SMU the head-to-head edge.

Quarterback Gio Lopez, who has thrown 18 touchdowns against one interception, sat out a 77-0 win over Merrimack because of a lower-body injury. His official status for the SMU game had not been released as of Nov. 10, though NC Football News reported optimism that he would return.

The ACC is eliminating its annual football championship game after this season. Wake Forest has a chance to play in the final edition, scheduled for Dec. 5 in Charlotte.

Virginia and Virginia Tech outlook

Virginia (4-5) needs two wins in its final three games to reach bowl eligibility. The Cavaliers host California next, according to Yahoo Sports' ACC rankings. Virginia Tech (6-3) faces Stanford after its loss to SMU.

Full CFP top 25 (released Nov. 10)

Dropped out: Florida (previously No. 24). Others receiving votes: Missouri 50, Duke 49, Oklahoma State 21, Liberty 14, Louisville 10, North Texas 2.

The committee's third rankings will be released Tuesday, Nov. 17, at approximately 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.