UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 has been a particularly secure position during the College Football Playoff era. The last time No. 1 was beaten twice in a regular season was 2012, which was also the last time No. 1 went down in consecutive weeks. That November, Texas A&M and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel went to top-ranked Alabama and beat the Tide. The next week Stanford knocked off No. 1 Oregon in overtime. The Aggies have set the stage again with a victory against Alabama. No. 11 Kentucky will try to play the role of Stanford to Georgia’s Oregon on Saturday. Wildcats-Bulldogs is one of two games matching ranked teams in Week 7.

UNDATED (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference can potentially take a step toward clarity in the Coastal Division when Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech this weekend. They are the only teams on that side of the league still unbeaten in ACC play. The winner Saturday gets a clear upper hand in the race for the division title. The Panthers are coming off a bye and lead the nation in scoring (52.4 ppg), are third in total offense (554.4 ypg) and fourth in passing offense (389 ypg). The Hokies are coming off a 32-29 loss to No. 14 Notre Dame and begin a stretch of seven consecutive weeks facing league opponents.

BOSTON (AP) — No. 22 North Carolina State has a clear path ahead of it to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. But it’s a long path. The Wolfpack have only played one league game so far, but it was a big one. They beat preseason No. 3 Clemson in double overtime. They can win the ACC’s Atlantic Division if they win out. That starts with Saturday night’s game against Boston College. The trip to Chestnut Hill starts a stretch with four of five on the road, all in the league.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Having tripled last season’s win total halfway through 2021, the Syracuse Orange have helped their fans largely forget the noncompetitive squad from the pandemic-plagued 2020 campaign. Syracuse is even at 3-3 but has lost its first two in the Atlantic Coast Conference, part of a three-game stretch in which every game was decided on the final play. The Orange host Clemson on Friday night. The game offers a chance for a signature victory for the Orange, even though the Tigers have struggled and dropped out of the AP Top 25. Syracuse is a 13.5-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

UNDATED (AP) — The road has been good to Virginia with football victories at Miami and Louisville following blowout losses against North Carolina and No. 16 Wake Forest. The Cavaliers hope a return to their home stadium will keep the momentum alive. Virginia on Saturday faces Duke, a team it has beaten six straight times. The Cavaliers view themselves as defending Coastal champs, having won the division in 2019 before the pandemic forced a one-division league last year. With two losses in league play, though, they can ill afford another. The Blue Devils have a much steeper hill to climb they are winless in league play. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh team coming to Virginia Tech this weekend looks nothing like the one that was blanked 28-0 in its last visit two seasons ago. These Panthers are leading the nation in scoring at better than 52 points per game. The Panthers and Hokies are the last teams that have yet to lose in an Atlantic Coast Conference game. In a wide open Coastal Division, this is a pivotal contest. The Panthers are led by quarterback Kenny Pickett. He’s thrown at least four TD passes in his last three games and had 19 for the season against just one interception.

UNDATED (AP) — North Carolina hosts Miami in a matchup this weekend of struggling favorites in their Atlantic Coast Conference division. The Tar Heels opened the year ranked No. 10 and as the preseason Coastal Division favorite. But they have struggled to protect quarterback Sam Howell and replace departed NFL skill-position talent. UNC already has three league losses. The Hurricanes started the year at No. 14 and was picked as the Tar Heels’ top challenger. They’re playing their first game since the announcement that top quarterback D’Eriq King will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery.

UNDATED (AP) — Some of the questions on whether to expand the College Football Playoff come down to the calendar in December. The current playoff has four teams. There is discussion about expanding it to eight or 12 teams. When to start the playoff is one of the sticking points. Starting the second weekend of December could create an advantage for teams that don’t play conference championship games the previous week. It would also bump into the traditional date for the Army-Navy game. The third weekend of December could put playoff games up against the NFL when it comes to TV viewers.

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