Miami stays dominant, Georgia Tech is not far behind, other teams are on the rise and the rest are starting to slip. The ACC has been nothing short of entertaining this year, so let’s check in on how it’s shaping out.
17. Boston College
The Eagles have found themselves ranked last with a disastrous loss to Stanford, a soul-crushing loss to California, and then getting steamrolled by Pittsburgh last week. It’s a lost season at the moment for Boston College, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier with Clemson,
Louisville, and Notre Dame being three of their next four opponents.
16. North Carolina
Like BC, things have not gone the Tar Heels way this year. One would think a Bill Belichick coached team would be ready to go and at least be competitive each week, yet here we are. It’s a team bereft of talent that is getting outclassed by worthy opponents. Is Belichick’s presence too much of a distraction that makes them prone to outside noise?
15. Stanford
The Cardinal had a bye week last week, and now have a date with SMU this weekend. They’re 1-1 in conference games this season and have been outscored 68-50 in them. While the gap could by far far worse, SMU has a clear talent advantage over them and will likely show this Saturday.
14. Syracuse
Steve Angelo’s injury is affecting this team more negatively than anticipated. Rickie Collins came in at QB and has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions. They have a bye this weekend, but a match-up with Pittsburgh next weekend doesn’t look promising, especially with how dominant the Panthers defense looked versus Boston College.
13. Virginia Tech
Brent Pry’s firing made it seem like the team was starting to put pieces together, but then a loss to Wake Forest stalled that momentum. VT has a long way to go before they can build serious consistency on both sides of the ball.
12. Clemson
Talk about a get right game. The Tigers cruised past North Carolina last weekend 38-10, and should look to get the ball rolling with a match-up versus Boston College next. If they can handle the Eagles easily, there might be some hope to get the season back on track for the Tigers.
11. Wake Forest
Wake Forest has played a lot better given their preseason projections. Jake Dickert has gotten the most out his players this year and will look to carry over their recent win with a good match-up versus Oregon State this weekend.
10. NC State
The Wolfpack are difficult to truly evaluate. They’ve defeated Virginia, but couldn’t secure victories over Duke or Virginia Tech. It’s not going to get much easier with Notre Dame awaiting them next.
9. California
The Golden Bears are cooling off given how strong they looked to start the year. A 45-21 blowout loss to Duke was a disappointing result, and they barely squeezed past Boston College before that. The bye week should give them time to rest and regroup.
8. SMU
SMU defeated Syracuse this past weekend 31-18. They’ve been steady for the most part, despite QB Kevin Jennings being a turnover machine. A match-up with Stanford next should be an easy one.
7. Pittsburgh
The Panthers took care of business and cruised past Boston College 48-7. QB Mason Heintschel threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns in his first career start, something that should not be overlooked. Can they pull off a win versus FSU this weekend? A win there would make them a dark horse moving forward.
6. Florida State
Like California, FSU started off strong, but now have cooled off with back-to-back losses. Tommy Castellanos is looking shaky as of late, and it’s worth questioning his performance against quality opponents. They face Pittsburgh next, so this game could be a serious factor in deciding how they’ll look moving forward.
5. Duke
Duke is playing very well of late with three conference wins in a row versus NC State, Syracuse, and California. Darian Mensah has looked strong, and the team’s offense can score at ease. It will be a huge test following their bye week versus Georgia Tech.
4. Louisville
An OT loss to Virginia put a damper on the Cardinals momentum. It’s not going to get easier with Miami looming on their schedule after this week’s bye. Can they bounce back from the tough loss and upset the ACC’s top dog?
3. Virginia
UVA is currently ranked 19th in the AP Poll, which is well-deserved given their recent performances. They’ve come up with two strong victories over FSU and Louisville, in large part due to their offense finding a steady flow. The Cavaliers face Washington State next.
2. Georgia Tech
Here is to hoping the bye week gave the Yellow Jackets the rest they needed following a 30-29 OT win versus Wake Forest. At 5-0, they’re easily the second-best team in the ACC and look to carry on their strong play versus Virginia Tech on Saturday.
1. Miami
What more can you say about the Hurricanes? Carson Beck played tremendously well in their recent 28-22 win versus Florida State, throwing for 241 yards and four passing touchdowns with a QBR of 89.1. The team is loaded with playmakers on both sides of the ball and are not only looking to dominate the ACC, but the rest of college football as well.
