The ACC had one of the wildest weeks possible, with upsets starting on Friday and sending shockwaves through the conference all week. It leaves us with a muddled mess to sort through, but that’s the task ahead, so let’s dive into the post-week 5 ACC Power Rankings!
TIER: ACC’s Expanding Lower Class
17. North Carolina (Prev 16): UNC is opened as 12-point underdogs to a 1-3 Clemson squad that may be the worst Tigers team in 20 years. This is a bad Tar Heels team that is 2-2 overall, but 0-2 against P4
opponents while getting walloped 82-23 in those two losses to TCU and UCF. They were mercifully off this week. They host Clemson at noon on Saturday.
16. Boston College (Prev 13): The Eagles lost to both Stanford and Cal after losing in double-OT to Michigan State. They aren’t getting blown out, but the close losses come against mediocre to bad opponents. They had a late lead this Saturday vs. Cal, but surrendered a long passing TD and then threw a red zone INT when they had a chance to win. They’re 1-3 (0-2) and will be underdogs in most of their remaining games. They travel to Pitt next week and then host Clemson.
15. Wake Forest (Prev 14): Wake Forest held a 17-3 halftime lead over Georgia Tech, but folded in the second half. They showed some competence in building that lead, though, so they don’t get penalized too much for an expected loss, even if it involved a blown lead. More on this when we get to Georgia Tech.
14. Stanford (Prev 12): With 78 seconds remaining, the Stanford Cardinals trailed San Jose State, but a late TD drive saved them from embarrassment and delivered a 30-29 win.
13. Pittsburgh (Prev 10): Pitt was last seen losing to West Virginia (who has since been blown out by Kansas and Utah). That’s why it was rather shocking that they built a 17-0 lead against Louisville. It was less surprising when they got outscored 34-10 over the final three quarters to lose 34-27. They host Boston College in a must-win game next weekend. They’re 2-2, and a loss to the Eagles could send the Panthers into a tailspin. I don’t have a good feel for this team, but I could see them ending at 5-7, leaving the powers that be to debate if Coach Narduzzi can revive the program that he led to an ACC Championship not too long ago.
12. California (Prev 15): After getting blown out by San Diego State last weekend, the Bears went to Massachusetts and edged Boston College. Nothing really makes sense this college football season! Cal is 4-1 with a road win at Boston College and a home win against Minnesota.
11. Clemson (Prev 11): How great is watching college football when you’re not left lugubrious from your own team losing? LSU and Syracuse both lost, while Georgia Tech probably should have lost to Wake Forest if not for a non-call on a potential offsides. Clemson may regroup over this open date, but they generally play some of their worst football in openers and following open dates, so the jury is still out. Luckily, nobody is more of a mess than UNC right now, and a road conference win is exactly what this team needs to find its footing.
10. NC State (Prev 8): The Wolfpack had a home night game and let Virginia Tech, the team previously ranked 17th in these power rankings, come in and average 7.8 YPC in their house? That’s soft! NC State still can’t run the ball — an ongoing problem under Coach Dave Doeren. They averaged 2.0 YPC in this contest, and even when you remove the negative QB yardage, it is still under 3.7. Much like Pittsburgh, NC State is going to have to decide if Dave Doeren, who at one point won eight or nine games in six of seven seasons, can get back to that level. If not, perhaps they should start over, or maybe moving money to Will Wade’s rapidly emerging basketball program and accepting fringe bowl teams in football makes sense.
9. Syracuse (Prev 6): The Orange got pummeled by Duke. Not having QB Steve Angeli, who tore his Achilles against Clemson, is certainly part of that, but I never expected the Orange to be very good, and I think their blowout over Clemson is more a commentary on the Tigers’ mental fragility than their skill level.
8. Virginia Tech (Prev 17): After beating Wofford last week, the Hokies move to 2-0 under Interim Head Coach Phillip Montgomery. Montgomery was in his first year in Blacksburg, serving as their OC, when, three games into his stint, he became the interim. They host Wake Forest next. If they win that, could they start to build some momentum towards a bowl season after it seemed all was lost? The schedule toughens at the end, but perhaps they can salvage something of this season.
TIER: ACC’s Shrinking Middle Class
7. SMU (Prev 7): SMU’s defense has been roasted by TCU and Baylor. They were off this week, and they host Syracuse at 3:30 pm next week. This offense is likely good, but the defense may be pretty paltry.
6. Florida State (Prev 2): Florida State went to Charlottesville and took their first loss to Virginia since 2005. QB Thomas Castellanos may be my favorite QB to watch in college football. He is so fast and gutsy, and he has a strong arm, but is also quite inaccurate and somewhat short in stature. He had some passes batted down, including one that turned into a wild INT. I still think this is a worthwhile team that will prove how quickly a program can bounce back from a 2-10 disaster of a season.
5. Virginia (Prev 9): Last week, I said, “They have a chance to make a national statement next week when they host Florida State.” Boy, did they ever. Tony Elliott secured his first major win of his UVA tenure with a win over FSU. Chandler Morris threw 3 INTs and yet somehow still looked impressive. He is the son of former Clemson OC Chad Morris. Former Clemson TE Sage Ennis scored a touchdown for the Cavs. I’m genuinely happy for them, but it reminds me of the late Jack Leggett days when former Clemson assistants at Florida and Vanderbilt were outperforming Clemson baseball. Virginia added 30 players from the portal in the least Clemson-y thing Coach Elliott could have done, but that’s what desperation called for. It will be fascinating to see if Clemson takes note this offseason.
4. Duke (Prev 5): The Blue Devils pummeled Syracuse, 38-3. They ran the ball at will and dominated defensively.
TIER: Playoff Contenders
3. Louisville (Prev 4): Louisville oddly couldn’t get much going on the ground and fell into a 17-0 hole, but QB Miller Moss and star WR Chris Bell dug them out. Moss threw for 339 while Bell finished with 135 receiving yards.
2. Georgia Tech (Prev 3): The Yellow Jackets didn’t exactly bathe themselves in glory, but they won. Haynes King missed some downfield throws, and Georgia Tech sleepwalked through the first half. Down 17-3 at the break, they were the better team throughout the second half. They leaned on King to convert with his legs, and he came through nearly every time. Kicker Aidan Birr knocked down a game-tying kick as the moving clock neared zero. Wake Forest went for two in the first overtime to secure the win while they had the chance but fell short. It was a good call given the game situation, but it didn’t work. Wake Forest may have won if QB Robby Ashford didn’t injure his knee. His speed was a factor that Georgia Tech, ironically, couldn’t stop. Still, the Yellow Jackets score a win and should be favored in their remaining ACC games. I don’t believe they’re great or much better than the teams below them, but they have guts and are winners. I have them penciled into the ACC Championship game.
TIER: National Championship Contenders
1. Miami (Prev 1): Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, there’s one team that I believe is head and shoulders above the rest of this conference. The 4-0 Hurricanes are excellent in the trenches, and as much as I hate to admit it, Carson Beck knows how to win. I’ll be surprised if they don’t win the ACC, and I could see them winning a playoff game.
