Last week the word it the ACC was survival. This week it was dominance. Of the eight games played this weekend, only one was really close and if not for some late scoring by both Florida State and Syracuse (19 and 15 respectively in the fourth quarter to make their game seem closer than they were), six of those seven would’ve been decided by at least 20 points (even with Syracuse’s late barrage they still lost by double digits on the road).
The only good thing about dominance is that it helps further
shape the conference’s hierarchy. So without further ado, here are this week’s ACC power rankings.
The Contenders
1. Miami Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0)
Last Week: Beat Florida State 28-22
Carson Beck continued his Heisman campaign this season going for 241 yards and four touchdowns while completing 74.1 percent of his passes against the Seminoles. The Hurricanes quarterback now has wins against a FSU team that beat SEC favorite Alabama and a Florida squad that just stymied a top defense in Texas. The last time Beck looked this good, the Georgia Bulldogs went 13-1 and missed the college football playoffs by a field goal.
This Week: Bye
2. Virginia Cavaliers (5-1, 3-0)
Last Week: Beat Louisville 30-27 in OT
The Cavaliers continue their surprise run up the ACC ladder with their second straight conference overtime win over a previously unbeaten ACC squad. This continues to be a huge season for Virginia, that is finally showing promise under coach Tony Elliot after his first season ended in tragedy. With their win over the Cardinals, the Cavaliers remain in the best shape of any team left on this list with only game remaining against a team ranked in the top half of these rankings.
This Week: Bye
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-0, 2-0)
Last Week: Bye
The Yellow Jackets were bye on this week yet still found themselves slip a spot in these rankings. Why the drop? One the Clemson win continues to look less impressive (more on the Tigers below) and two Virginia’s last two wins are just better than anything Georgia Tech has done thus far. They do however remain as one of only two unbeaten ACC squads and if they were to miss the ACC Championship due to tiebreakers while also getting a win over Georgia (and remaining unbeaten), the Yellow Jackets would have as good of an at large case as any other school in the ACC.
This Week: vs Virginia Tech
4. Duke Blue Devils (4-2, 3-0)
Last Week: Beat California 45-21
The Blue Devils reminded teams not to forget about them this season as they continued to dominate in ACC play. With their win over the Golden Bears, Duke has now scored at least 38 points in three consecutive games. Manny Diaz’s team also has a chance to really take control of this season as they avoid Miami and will have their chance to take out the two teams ahead of them in these rankings while potentially adding valuable ranked wins to their resume.
This Week: Bye
5. SMU Mustangs (3-2, 1-0)
Last Week: Beat Syracuse 31-18
The Mustangs won their ninth straight regular season game in the ACC with their victory over the Orange. The early losses to Baylor and TCU (games the Mustangs could’ve won) probably knocked SMU under the radar a smidge, but they are the reigning ACC regular season champs and until otherwise noted should be take seriously. They will look to make it ten straight (with zero losses btw) in ACC regular season play when they host a hapless Stanford team this week.
This Week: vs Stanford
Why Not Us?
6. Louisville Cardinals (4-1, 1-1)
Last Week: Lost 30-27 to Virginia in OT
For the second straight week, the Cardinals overcame a ten-point deficit. However, unlike their game against Pitt, this one did not end in a win. After tying the game at 24 with a field goal late in regulation, Louisville settled for another field goal in OT and watched Virginia’s J’Mari Taylor run it in from two yards out to give the Cavaliers the three point victory. Things don’t get easier for Cardinals who follow a bye week with a game at Miami.
This Week: Bye
7. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-2, 1-1)
Last Week: Beat Boston College 48-7
The Panthers ended their skid of frustrating losses by absolutely crushing the Eagles. Led by Freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh’s offense totaled over 500 yards as the young passer torched Boston College for 323 yards and four touchdowns in his first career start. The Panthers will hope to keep that momentum going as they travel to take on a Florida State team on the edge of imploding.
This Week: at Florida State
8. Florida State Seminoles (3-2, 0-2)
Last Week: Lost 28-22 to Miami
The final score of this game is very misleading. The Seminoles got 19 of their 22 points and 203 of their 404 yards in the fourth quarter. Before that late barrage, Florida State was getting trounced 28-3 with three turnovers and four punts on eight drives in the first three quarters. The only reason the team from Tallahassee is still this high is their opening win against an SEC favorite in Alabama which if Florida State were to run the table, would give them a very valuable at large chip few other squads currently possess. The Seminoles return home this week where they are 3-0 where they hope to turn things around, otherwise this may be another wasted season after such a promising start.
This Week: vs Pittsburgh
9. California Golden Bears (4-2, 1-1)
Last Week: Lost 45-21 to Duke
The Golden Bear downward spiral continues with their latest lost. Over the past three games Cal, who is lucky to be 1-2 in those three games, has been shutout in seven of the twelve quarters. Freshman quarterback Jaron Sagapolutele has thrown six interceptions and just three touchdowns while also taking eight sacks during that stretch (in his first three games he had 6 touchdowns and just one interception while being sacked just four times). Luckily for the Golden Bears they get a bye and then another bye (UNC comes to town the following week) to try to get things back on track.
This Week: Bye
Preparing for Next Season
10. NC State Wolfpack (4-2, 1-2)
Last Week: Beat Campbell 56-10
The Wolfpack end their latest skid by crushing the one win Camels in at home. After two straight losses, including a humilitating defeat to Virginia Tech, NC State can celebrate their fourth win of season. It also may be their last win until the final game of the season as their schedule gets much tougher with four ranked opponents and a road game to Pitt before hosting the Tar Heels to end the year.
This Week: at Notre Dame
11. Syracuse Orange (3-3, 1-2)
Last Week: Lost 31-18 to SMU
The Orange continue to topple down the standings with their second straight loss, since the decisive win against Clemson. Much like the FSU/Miami game, the score was not nearly as close as the final tally would suggest. Syracuse scored 15 points (including a safety) in the final ten minutes of play to avoid their second straight game with just three points. Like Cal, they will also have a bye week to try to get back on track and find a way to win half their remaining games (they do play both Boston College and UNC) and become bowl eligible for the fourth straight season.
This Week: Bye
12. Clemson Tigers (2-3, 1-2)
Last Week: Beat North Carolina 38-10
What Clemson only climbs one spot this week after their dominating win over UNC? Aren’t the Tigers back? That’s probably what the media and Dabo Swinney want you to believe and Clemson did do their best to prove as much scoring a season high in points in the first quarter against the Tar Heels before coasting for an easy four score win. However, nothing about that win seems to suggest the Tigers can win a game against a quality opponent. Of course, their next game is against an equally struggling Eagles squad so the watch out for Clemson banners will probably last at least a week longer.
This Week: at Boston College
13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-2, 1-2)
Last Week: Beat Virginia Tech 30-23
The Demon Deacons end their recent two game skid by holding on to a second half lead for the first time in conference play. Despite being outscored in the second half for the third straight game, Wake ended the Hokies come back try by forcing a fourth down incompletion with just under two minutes left in the game. The Demon Deacons will look to make it four wins this season as they travel to Corvallis to take on a winless but spunky (their last two losses have come by a combined seven points) Beavers squad.
This Week: at Oregon State
14. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-4, 1-1)
Last Week: Lost 30-23 to Wake Forest
Despite outscoring Wake 9-6 in the second half, the Hokies just couldn’t make it three wins in a row. Quarterback Kyron Drones averaged just under 4 yards per attempt (111 yards total) and an interception just a week after leading his team to a big win at NC State. The Hokies will attempt to get back to their upsetting ways as they travel to face a well-rested and undefeated Yellow Jackets squad in Atlanta.
This Week: at Georgia Tech
15. Stanford Cardinal (2-3, 1-1)
Last Week: Bye
The Cardinal were on bye this week and accordingly see no movement in this week’s rankings. Additionally, their win against San Jose State looks better after the Spartans beat New Mexico this past weekend. Stanford next will look to be the first to beat SMU in the regular season since the Mustangs joined the ACC last season.
This Week: at SMU
The Kitchen is on fire, but everything is fine
16. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1)
Last Week: Lost 38-10 to Clemson
In 2014 a comic strip clip went viral on Reddit. In it a dog is sitting in a kitchen smiling, saying “This is Fine” while everything around it is on fire. This is the image that comes to mind when Bill Belichick says to stay the course and Michael Lombardi asks the university to trust the process. What transpired on Saturday against what may not be a very good Clemson team coming out of a bye game was a joke. The fact that the team seems to be digressing while nothing is being done to fix it (like giving one of the freshman quarterbacks any snaps against the Tigers, especially once the game was out of reach, i.e. the first quarter) is even worst. On a positive note, the offense didn’t turn the ball over and had their most first downs (19 just one shy of the 20 combined they had against TCU and UCF), total yards, and passing yards against a power four team this season. They also get another bye week to get things “back on track”.
This Week: Bye
17. Boston College Eagles (1-4, 0-3)
Last Week: Lost 48-7 to Pittsburgh
Just as UNC was locking up their spot in a blowout loss to Clemson, Baldwin the Eagle looked at Ramsey and said “Hold my beer”. Boston College claims this spot by somehow looking worst than the Tar Heels did this past weekend. The Eagles finished their loss with 11 first downs and 216 total yards. Boston College turned the ball over three times, needed three quarterbacks to reach 189 yards passing (24 yards fewer than Max Johnson) and didn’t score until there was less than two minutes remaining. It’s a shame that the Eagles and Tar Heels don’t play each other this season as it might be the only chance either squad would have to win a conference game.
This Week: vs Clemson
