Now that every team in the ACC has concluded at least one game, we have some actual evidence to deploy as we update our power rankings.
At this early juncture there’s still quite a bit of speculation going into the exercise, but hey, that’s why we reassess on a weekly basis.
1. Miami (Fla.) (1-0)
Last week: 1.
This week: Florida A&M.
What to know: Stanford is by no means a contender in the conference, but the Hurricanes certainly looked the part of the league favorite despite the long road trip. A lot of reserves should see action Thursday night.
2. SMU (1-0)
Last week: 2.
This week: UC-Davis.
What to know: We’ll leave the Mustangs here as credit for picking up a conference victory on the road, though they tried their hardest to give it away. They’ll use this tuneup to iron out their red-zone
issues.
3. Virginia (1-0)
Last week: 3.
This week: Norfolk State.
What to know: The Cavaliers don’t return to conference play until October, so these next three weeks will be all about staying sharp and staying healthy. Needless to say, next week’s date with West Virginia should be a lot more interesting.
4. Louisville (0-1)
Last week: 4.
This week: Villanova.
What to know: The Cardinals missed an opportunity for a signature win against Ole Miss, but if they can shake off that disappointing result they should be in the league’s upper echelon all season. Expect play-clock management and special-teams execution to be points of emphasis for this week’s tuneup.
5. Pittsburgh (1-0)
Last week: 10.
This week: Central Florida.
What to know: Given that not everyone around the country handled Mid-American Conference competition nearly as well, the Panthers’ dominance of one of the MAC’s stronger teams earns them a jump in the rankings. Mason Heintschel distributed touchdown passes to seven different receivers against Miami (Ohio).
6. Virginia Tech (1-0)
Last week: 7.
This week: Old Dominion.
What to know: The degree of difficulty ramps up a bit for the Hokies this week. They aren’t likely to duplicate the feat of scoring six rushing TDs, but the offensive balance was encouraging.
7. Wake Forest (1-0)
Last week: 9.
This week: at Purdue.
What to know: See above regarding credit for handling a MAC opponent, but penalties were a problem for the Demon Deacons against Akron. A win here on the road would enhance Wake’s bowl prospects.
8. Duke (1-0)
Last week: 12.
This week: at Illinois.
What to know: One side of the ball was happy with its performance against Tulane. The Blue Devils limited the Green Wave to just 10 first downs, but the offense will have to do more against the Fighting Illini
9. North Carolina (1-0)
Last week: 13.
This week: East Tennessee State.
What to know: The Tar Heels can’t seem to stay out of the news because of off-field issues, but the team itself should at least be well rested from its trip to Ireland. Next week’s date at Clemson could serve as a yardstick game for both embattled squads.
10. California (0-1)
Last week: 9.
This week: at Syracuse.
What to know: A couple late turnovers against UCLA made the final score look worse than it actually was for the Golden Bears. The concern moving forward is keeping Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from absorbing excessive punishment.
11. Florida State (1-1)
Last week: 14.
This week: Open date.
What to know: Stadium logistics issues aside, Monday night made a lot of Seminoles’ fans cranky. There’s talent on the roster, but probably not enough to hang with Alabama on the road next week, notwithstanding last season’s surprising result against the Crimson Tide.
12. Clemson (0-1)
Last week: 5.
This week: Georgia Southern.
What to know: Even if one accepts that LSU is in fact a top-10 team, Clemson’s decline is undeniable. If the Tigers struggle at all to get past Georgia Southern, Death Valley will be at Defcon 1.
13. Georgia Tech (0-1)
Last week: 6.
This week: Tennessee.
What to know: The Yellow Jackets deserve a nod for at least giving themselves a chance to win, but their offensive struggles against Colorado strongly indicate they aren’t the team we thought they were. The Volunteers might be about to drive that point home with even more force.
14. North Carolina State (0-1)
Last week: 11.
This week: Richmond.
What to know: The Wolfpack have been stewing over their unexpectedly flat performance against Virginia for a week. The Spiders are annually among the stronger FCS teams, but anything short of a romp will have State fans grumbling.
15. Syracuse (1-0)
Last week: 15.
This week: California.
What to know: Steve Angeli’s solid return against an admittedly overmatched opponent has brought hope back to the faithful in the Dome. A conference win Saturday would earn the Orange a major promotion in these rankings.
16. Stanford (1-1)
Last week: 16.
This week: Open date.
What to know: The coverage issues for the Cardinal against Hawaii eerily foreshadowed their extremely long night against Miami. Unfortunately, there aren’t many opportunities for wins on Stanford’s upcoming slate.
17. Boston College (0-1)
Last week: 17.
This week: Rutgers.
What to know: If Eagles’ fans were looking for signs of progress at Cincinnati, the 254 rushing yards surrendered didn’t spark joy. This date against equally hapless Rutgers is a must win if BC is to improve on last year’s 2-10 mark.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami, SMU lead ACC college football power rankings after Week 1
