Clemson and Georgia Tech were supposed to enter this weekend's ACC championship game in Tampa, Fla., as two of the hottest teams in the country.

But after each was upset by its biggest in-state rival over the weekend, that's not the case. The Tigers (8-4, 6-2 ACC) saw their six-game winning streak end with a 34-17 loss at South Carolina, and the Yellow Jackets (10-2, 7-1) watched their eight-game winning streak end with a 30-24 home loss to Georgia.

Those defeats no doubt robbed the game of some national buzz — critics will argue that it's difficult to get excited about a game featuring teams that didn't beat middle-of-the-road SEC squads — but there's still plenty at stake. The winner will end a long conference-championship drought — Clemson last won the ACC in 1991, and Georgia Tech's last outright ACC title came in 1990 — and receive the opportunity to play in the Orange Bowl.

The game is a rematch from a Thursday night in Week 2, when the Yellow Jackets defeated the Tigers, 30-27 in Atlanta. Georgia Tech led that game 24-0, benefiting from a punt return for a touchdown and a touchdown pass by kicker Scott Blair on a trick play, before Clemson responded with 27 unanswered points. The Yellow Jackets prevailed after a pair of field goals by Blair in the game's final six minutes.

The sequel could be just as entertaining. Each team features one of the ACC's best running backs and wide receivers, with Clemson having C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford and Georgia Tech countering with Jonathan Dwyer and Demaryius Thomas.

Given how the Yellow Jackets struggled against the run in their loss Saturday — Georgia tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King combined for 349 yards on 38 carries — Spiller has to be excited. Spiller felt sick to his stomach and tweaked his groin against South Carolina, but he figures to be near 100-percent healthy against the Yellow Jackets.

The key for the Tigers is to contain Dwyer, who rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries in the teams' first meeting, and make the Yellow Jackets throw more passes than they want. Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt has made big strides since he completed just 3 of 14 throws with a pair of interceptions against Clemson back in September, but he is not a polished pocket passer.

Scoreboard

Boston College 19, Maryland 17
Florida 37, Florida State 10
Georgia 30, Georgia Tech 24
Miami 31, South Florida 10
NC State 28, North Carolina 27
South Carolina 34, Clemson 17
Virginia Tech 42, Virginia 13
Wake Forest 45, Duke 34

Hardware heroes

Here's one opinion on how some of the ACC's individual awards should be distributed:

Offensive player of the year: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
There is no more dangerous weapon in the country than Spiller, who is the only player in the nation to score at least one touchdown in each of his team's games this season. Spiller broke the ACC record for all-purpose yardage in a season, becoming just the fifth player in NCAA history to amass 7,000 all-purpose yards. He ranks fourth in the league in rushing (76.0 yards per game) while leading the conference in all-purpose yardage (183.9 ypg).

Defensive player of the year: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
North Carolina's Robert Quinn has similar statistics, but Morgan has enjoyed more team success while putting up his numbers with less help around him. Morgan leads the ACC in sacks (12.5) and ranks second in tackles for loss (17.0) — all while being the main focus of every opposing offense the Yellow Jackets encounter.

Freshman of the year: Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
Apologies to Boston College's Luke Kuechly, who leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in tackles (11.8 per game), but Williams has been spectacular. An unknown talent entering the season as he replaced the injured Darren Evans in Virginia Tech's backfield, Williams has burst onto the scene with 1,538 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns. He leads the ACC in rushing (128.2 yards per game), has tied a school record with nine 100-yard rushing games and has broken the league record for touchdowns by a freshman.

Coach of the year: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is the only ACC team with 10 wins overall and seven wins in conference play. The Yellow Jackets reached those numbers despite playing in the Coastal Division, by far the tougher of the ACC's two divisions this season. Johnson's spread option attack leads the ACC in total offense (440.5 yards per game), relying on a productive ground game. The Yellow Jackets lead the ACC and rank second nationally in rushing (305.0 yards per game), and they have set single-season ACC records for rushing yards (3,660) and rushing touchdowns (43).

ACC says goodbye to at least a couple of head coaches

The 2009 season isn't over yet for many teams, but we already know that major changes will be in store for the ACC in 2010. Virginia fired Al Groh as head coach after his seventh consecutive loss to Virginia Tech wrapped up a 3-9 season, and Bobby Bowden reportedly is retiring from his post at Florida State after being offered a chance to return next season in a reduced role.

The situation at Florida State is a sad one, with the 80-year-old Bowden wanting to coach one more season at the program he established among college football's elite. But he wasn't afforded that opportunity after presiding over a six-loss team in three of the last four years. The Seminoles have a bright offensive mind in Jimbo Fisher in line to replace Bowden as head coach, but they need bring in a top defensive coordinator to help a unit that allowed a school-record 30.8 points per game while ranking last in the ACC in total yards allowed.

Questions surround a couple of other ACC programs, too. Ralph Friedgen is hoping to return for a 10th season at Maryland after the Terrapins suffered a school-record 10 defeats this season, and North Carolina coach Butch Davis is going to be mentioned as a candidate for the Notre Dame opening unless/until he says he isn't interested in the job.

Skinner, Deacs finish strong

It was a tough season for Wake Forest, which missed out on bowl eligibility after suffering five losses by a field goal or less, but senior quarterback Riley Skinner was all smiles as he walked toward the team bus after the final game of his college career.

Skinner had just completed 28 of 38 passes for a career-high 372 yards, a school-record five touchdowns and no interceptions as the Demon Deacons (5-7, 3-5) defeated Duke to snap a five-game losing streak. In the process, he moved up to fourth place on the ACC's all-time list for passing yards (9,762) while helping his class become the winningest senior group in school history.

Wake Forest's 2009 seniors finished with a 33-19 mark, breaking the old record of 32-19 set by the 2008 senior class.

"We've wanted that for six games now," Skinner said. "Unfortunately we had to wait this long for it, but it's worth it. To have that record and have that said about you as a class is pretty neat."

Spiller's Heisman hopes take hit

C.J. Spiller's Heisman Trophy campaign had been picking up some momentum in recent weeks, but that forward motion came to a screeching halt against South Carolina. Yes, Spiller returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown to set a new NCAA career record for kickoff returns for a score (seven), but that play provided the only open field he saw all day.

Spiller rushed for 18 yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 19 yards. He has had a good enough senior season to crack the top five on many Heisman ballots, but the disappointing performance he and his teammates delivered against the Gamecocks lessened his already-small chances of winning the award.

Happy ending for Wolfpack

NC State's season started out poorly when its best defensive player, linebacker Nate Irving, was lost for the year after an offseason auto accident. Things only got worse from there, with offensive coordinator Dana Bible being diagnosed with leukemia before the team's final game.

The Wolfpack (5-7, 2-6), thought to be a contender to win the watered-down Atlantic Division before a four-game losing streak in October, finally had a reason to celebrate after beating North Carolina for the third year in a row.

NC State won despite being outgained 481-335, forcing two North Carolina turnovers while committing none of its own against the ACC's top defense. Quarterback Russell Wilson was stellar, completing 20 of 27 passes for 259 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, and Alan-Michael Cash blocked UNC's potential game-winning field-goal try with about five minutes remaining.

That blocked kick helped NC State end its streak of allowing at least 30 points in a school-record eight consecutive games. More importantly, it gave the team a good feeling at the end of a trying season in which injuries depleted the depth chart almost beyond recognition.

"Thank God it's over," said NC State coach Tom O'Brien, who improved to 3-0 against North Carolina coach Butch Davis in the rivalry at their current schools. "I don't think we could go play in a bowl game if we had to. As disappointing as this season has been, we are going to look back and say things have turned around."

Quick slants

• Boston College senior Steve Aponavicius enjoyed a bittersweet day in his team's victory over Maryland. Aponavicius kicked a career-high four field goals, connecting from 18, 36, 23 and 42 yards, but he also suffered his first miss of the season. He had been the last perfect kicker in the Football Bowl Subdivision before misfiring on a 31-yard field-goal try in the third quarter. "It felt like losing a no-hitter in the ninth inning," said Aponavicius, who is 12-for-13 on field goals and 37-for-37 on extra points this season. "There's just nothing you can do about it."

• Duke's loss to Wake Forest meant a 15th consecutive losing season for the Blue Devils (5-7, 3-5), but they reached some milestones in the game. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis became the 60th player in FBS history to reach 10,000 career passing yards, and wide receiver Donovan Varner became the third 1,000-yard receiver in school history. Varner got there after posting career highs of 11 catches, 174 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Demon Deacons.

• Georgia Tech lost more than its game to Georgia over the weekend. Assistant coach Jeff Monken, who coaches the team's slot backs and coordinates special teams, has accepted the head-coaching position at Georgia Southern. Monken will continue working for the Yellow Jackets through the ACC championship game before beginning work on his new job.

• NC State wide receiver Owen Spencer has received criticism all season for his propensity to drop passes, but he made the most of the ones he caught. Spencer, who had four receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the Wolfpack's win over North Carolina, broke his own single-season school record for yards per catch. Spencer leads the nation in that category with 25.5 yards per grab, just ahead of Georgia Tech's Demaryius Thomas (24.5 yards per catch).

• Virginia Tech wide receiver Danny Coale matched his career high with six catches and set a new career high with 135 receiving yards against Virginia. Coale's brother played lacrosse for the Cavaliers, but Coale never received a scholarship offer from Virginia.

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