Ordinarily, I’d open up the week with a “5 Things We Learned About ACC Football” piece to discuss what transpired on the gridiron over the weekend. However, last week’s results showed that the league is one of the deepest in college football. Unlike some other conferences, there’s no such thing as an off week in the ACC. You either bring your “A” game, or you go home with a loss.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to skip the “Lessons Learned” piece for the next few weeks, in favor of power rankings. Each week, I’ll re-rank the teams from 1 to 14 based on how they played over the weekend. Please note that these rankings are fluid, and will change from week-to-week as the teams sort things out on the gridiron.
Here’s the initial installment of the ACC Power Rankings:
14. Boston College
This probably doesn’t surprise anyone. Sure, the Eagles played Georgia Tech close in the season opener, but got demolished against both Virginia Tech (49-0) and Clemson (56-10). Until BC picks up a win in conference play, it will remain at the bottom of the list.
13. Duke
The Devils are the only other winless team in conference play, which is why they’re currently at 13. However, considering how well Duke played against Louisville on Friday night, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it move up in the next couple of weeks.
12. Virginia
I almost placed the Cavaliers at No. 13 since Richmond whipped them in the season opener. Yet, Virginia beat Duke, which is just enough to put it front of the Devils for now. The ‘Hoos have an excellent opportunity to move up in the next two weeks with games against North Carolina and Louisville.
11. Georgia Tech
The Jackets aren’t as bad as their conference record would suggest. Yes, Tech has lost three ACC games, but they played Clemson close, and actually led Pittsburgh with five minutes to play before falling to the Panthers on a last-second field goal. Still, the Jackets only have one win in league play, which came against last-place Boston College. That’s not enough to warrant a spot in the top 10 in this week’s power rankings.
10. Syracuse
After defeating Virginia Tech by two touchdowns, you could argue that the Orange deserve a higher ranking. However, Syracuse already has four losses this season, and all of them were by more than 17 points. These lopsided losses have Dino Babers’ squad just below the others… for now.
9. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons probably deserve a better fate than this. After all, Wake is 5-2, and owns an impressive road win over Indiana in non-conference play. Unfortunately, the Deacons lost to both North Carolina State and Florida State by double digits. While there’s no shame in that, it’s just enough to list them behind the other teams for the time being.
8. Miami
I had trouble figuring out where to put the Hurricanes. Yes, they’re 1-2 in conference play, but the two losses were against Florida State and North Carolina. Ultimately, I decided to place Miami lower in the standings this week because it played a soft non-conference schedule. The ‘Canes can make me regret this decision on Thursday night if they can defeat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
7. Pittsburgh
It’s really tough to place the Panthers at No. 7. Pittsburgh did well in the non-conference portion of the schedule, picking up a win over Penn State. In addition, the Panthers’ lone loss in league play was against North Carolina, where the Tar Heels literally won the game in the closing seconds. Yet, Pittsburgh’s two conference wins were against Georgia Tech and Virginia. Until they pick up a win over one of the big boys, the Panthers will remain in the middle of the pack.
6. Florida State
The Seminoles are another tough one to figure out. They’ve posted one of the most impressive non-conference victories to date, by rallying to defeat Ole Miss in the season opener. On the other hand, FSU is just 2-2 in conference play, with losses to Louisville and North Carolina. By virtue of the head-to-head loss to the ‘Heels, I decided to place the ‘Noles at No. 6 this week. They can move into the top three with victories over Clemson and NC State in their next two contests.
5. North Carolina
The Tar Heels have put together an impressive body of work so far. Sure, they didn’t get the marquee victory they wanted over Georgia in the season opener, but they do own wins over Florida State, Pittsburgh, and Miami. However, North Carolina did lose to Virginia Tech, which means that it doesn’t control its own destiny in the Coastal Division race. As a result, it’s behind Virginia Tech in the rankings.
4. Virginia Tech
I realize that some people will question my decision to place the Hokies at No. 4, especially after they lost to Syracuse this weekend. While the loss to the Orange certainly stings, it didn’t hurt Virginia Tech’s chances of winning the division. As long as the Hokies win out, they’ll represent the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship game.
3. North Carolina State
No, this isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to last week’s game. The Wolfpack clearly belong here. After all, defense wins championships, and NC State has one of the best in the country, ranking 16th nationally in total defense, 16th in red zone touchdown percentage, 17th in yards per play, and 5th in rushing defense. As result of this smothering D, the Wolfpack nearly beat Clemson in Death Valley. That’s certainly deserving of a No. 3 ranking.
2. Louisville
Even though the Cardinals came out flat against Duke, they’re clearly the second-best team in the conference right now. Louisville owns the most impressive win in ACC play, demolishing Florida State 63-20. It also has the most explosive player in college football in Lamar Jackson, who is responsible for 30 touchdowns and averages 8.54 yards per play. If the Cardinals should win out, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them end up in the College Football Playoff.
1. Clemson
It doesn’t really matter if the Tigers were lucky against NC State; the bottom line is that they won the game. Since Clemson defeated both Louisville and NC State, it has a de facto two-game lead over the rest of the Atlantic division. That’s more than enough to justify their position at the top of the rankings.
