Biko Paris/msg.comBy Paul Seaver (TheArenaPulse) This is the sixth installment of The Arena Pulse's ACC Rankings, a power ranking that will be on-going throughout the season.
Duke survived Sunday night's scare and Boston College dispatched Georgia Tech to set the tone atop of the ACC Conference.
As another week of conference match-ups is set to begin, the middle of the pack remains wide open as teams like UNC, North Carolina State, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and others look to solidify their spots within the conference.
Duke will travel to Florida State, while Boston College will host NC State. Can the top two teams keep their pace going early on in the ACC? Or will others take advantage of opportunities to improve?
Let's take a look at the ACC Power Rankings as of January 10th:
No. 1- Duke (15-0, 2-0): The Blue Devils were tested and pushed to the edge when Maryland came to Durham on Sunday night. They survived the tough test and advanced to 15-0 overall, 2-0 in the ACC. Moving forward, Duke will likely be tested again on a Wednesday night visit to Florida State.
No. 2- Boston College (12-4, 2-0): BC takes over the number two spot after a victory on Saturday over Georgia Tech. Despite the non-conference losses to URI, Harvard, and Yale, the Eagles remain poised and will have a shot at a 3-0 conference start when they host NC State on Tuesday.
No. 3- North Carolina (11-4, 1-0): Their come-from-behind victory on the road at Virginia was a big boost for this UNC team. Tyler Zeller led the way offensively, but it was the Tar Heels' second half defense which ultimately won the game. UNC will host Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
No. 4- Florida State (11-5, 1-1): They lost on the road to Virgina Tech over the weekend and the turnaround must be quick for Leonard Hamilton's squad as Duke comes to town on Wednesday. Chris Singleton is the lone offensive player averaging double figures for this FSU group.
No. 5- North Carolina State (11-4, 1-0): They still lack a quality win on the season, but the Wolfpack have won five games in a row overall. They took care of Wake Forest in their ACC opener, but its now time for a two-game road trip at Boston College and at Florida State. 
No. 6- Virginia Tech (10-4, 1-1): They got a needed victory over the weekend over Florida State. Now the Hokies must focus on a road game in Chapel Hill. Can they break into the upper half of the conference with a Thursday night victory?
No. 7- Clemson (12-4, 1-1): The Tigers have won seven games in a row, taking care of Miami (FL) over the weekend handed this group their first conference victory on the season. ACC play will determine just how good this squad really is and it continues on Tuesday night when Georgia Tech comes to town.
No. 8- Maryland (10-5, 0-2): Despite an 0-2 start in conference play, Maryland hung tough with Duke, nearly pulling off a major upset. The Terps need to right their ship soon with road games at Wake Forest and Villanova approaching in the coming week.
No. 9- Virginia (10-6, 1-1): UVA would be higher had they held on for a victory against UNC this past weekend. This loss is their sixth overall and first in the conference, but their is no time to fret. Trips to Duke and Boston College are up next for the Cavaliers.
No. 10- Miami (FL) (11-5, 0-2): They have a few days off before hosting Boston College (1/15) and Florida State (1/19). Miami is 0-2 in ACC play and have a couple of opportunities at home to get back into the thick of things.
No. 11- Georgia Tech (7-7, 0-1): The Yellow Jackets fell on the road to Boston College over the weekend in their first conference game of the season. Georgia Tech must now prepare for a trip to Clemson on Tuesday night.
No. 12- Wake Forest (7-9, 0-1): The Demon Deacons may likely be the pushover in the conference this season and a 21-point defeat at the hands of North Carolina State over the weekend helped prove that. They host Maryland on Wednesday before trips to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.*Photo: Biko Paris *Credit: msg.com
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