Week 2 was a chaotic week for the middle- and lower-tier programs in the ACC, with several picking up quality wins, while others suffered tough losses.
The Miami Hurricanes, SMU Mustangs, and Louisville Cardinals
all took care of business, cruising past overmatched opponents as the conference's top teams should. The Duke Blue Devils, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Boston College Eagles picked up wins over Big Ten opponents, showing how dangerous they can be.It wasn't all good, though; the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were crushed by the Tennessee Volunteers and are now 0-2. Tush Lupoi and the California Golden Bears also got their first win of the season, traveling across the country to do so.
Our ACC Power Rankings did not have any changes at
the top after Week 2, but there were plenty of changes in the middle after an informative week of football. Here are our updated ACC Power Rankings.
17 - Stanford Cardinal
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 2 Result: Bye
Record: 1-1
Analysis: Stanford was on a bye as they prepare to face Duke in Week 3.
16 - FSU Seminoles
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 2 Result: Bye
Record: 1-1
Analysis: The Seminoles were on a bye as they prepare for their showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 3.
15 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 2 Result: Lost to Tennessee 45-24
Record: 0-2
Analysis: Georgia Tech has serious issues on both sides of the ball. They were once again unable to run the ball, and this time they struggled to stop the run. Brent Key is going to have to work some magic for them to get going.
14 - Syracuse Orange
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 2 Result: Lost to Cal 21-18
Record: 0-2
Analysis: Steve Angeli showed his rust in the loss, throwing for over 300 yards, but also three interceptions. If he can clean that up, they will be able to get some quality wins this season.
13 - Clemson Tigers
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 2 Result: Beat Georgia Southern 22-7
Record: 1-1
Analysis: Clemson got the win over Georgia Southern, but it was closer than it should have been. Tait Reynolds served as the primary quarterback with starter Christopher Vizzina getting injured. They still have issues in Death Valley, but they got the win.
12 - NC State Wolfpack
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 2 Result: Beat Richmond 73-0
Record: 1-1
Analysis: NC State needed to get some things going against Richmond, and they did just that. The Wolfpack will have a chance to get their season back on track next week against Vanderbilt, and they need to take it.
11 - Boston College Eagles
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 2 Result: Beat Rutgers 28-21
Record: 1-1
Analysis: Is Boston College the 11th best team in the ACC? No. However, they desperately needed a win over Rutgers, and they got it done, going up 20-77 at halftime before Rutgers made a second-half comeback. Power conference wins will likely be tough for the Eagles to find the rest of the year.
10 - North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 2 Result: Beat ETSU 35-2
Record: 2-0
Analysis: It was against weak competetion, but North Carolina is 2-0 ahead of their ACC opener against Clemson, and will have a chance to pull off the upset against a struggling Tigers team.
9 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 2 Result: Beat Purdue 38-36
Record: 2-0
Analysis: They needed double overtime to get it done, but Wake Forest was able to get the win over Purdue. Gio Lopez had another good day at quarterback, throwing for 225 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and running for two more scores as their leading rusher.
8 - California Golden Bears
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 2 Result: Beat Syracuse 21-18
Record: 1-1
Analysis: Tosh Lupoi has his first win as a head coach, with the Golden Bears turning two interceptions into 14 points before a third ended the game. Syracuse is not among the best teams in the ACC, but this was a solid win across the country.
7 - Pitt Panthers
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 2 Result: Beat UCF 12-7
Record: 2-0
Analysis: It wasn't pretty, but the Panthers got the win over UCF, and that is the most important part. On a day when the offense averaged 2.4 yards per carry and Mason Heintschel struggled to get anything going through the air, the defense stepped up and held the Knights to 206 yards of offense.
6 - Virginia Tech Hokies
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 2 Result: 2-0
Record: Beat Old Dominion 44-21
Analysis: James Franklin and Co. made sure Old Dominion could not pull off the upset this time around, taking a 34-6 lead into halftime before a pair of late touchdowns made it look closer than it was. The Hokies will play their first Power Conference opponent next week when they face the Maryland Terrapins, the first true test of Franklin.
5 - Duke Blue Devils
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 2 Result: Beat Illinois 31-27
Record: 2-0
Analysis: The Blue Devils have a star at running back in Nate Sheppard, and he was the difference against Illinois. He finished the game with 188 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 29 touches. Manny Diaz has Duke humming, and they look dangerous.
4 - Virginia Cavaliers
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 2 Result: Beat Norfolk State 59-3
Record: 2-0
Analysis: The Cavaliers played on Friday night and cruised past Norfolk State. They once again have one of the best offenses in the country, outscoring their opponents 93-11 to start the season.
3 - Louisville Cardinals
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 2 Result: Beat Villanova 59-13
Record: 1-1
Analysis: The Cardinals got their first win of the season in dominant fashion, beating up on Villanova in their home opener. Lincoln Kienholz has added a spark to their offense with his ability to throw and run.
2 - SMU Mustangs
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 2 Result: Beat UC Davis 56-10
Record: 2-0
Analysis: The Mustangs played sloppy football in Week 1 and scraped out a close win over the FSU Seminoles, that was not the case in their home opener. They dominated UC Davis from the start and looked more like the team they want to be.
1 - Miami Hurricanes
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 2 Result: Beat FAMU 77-7
Record: 2-0
Analysis: Miami has yet to be tested this season, crushing FAMU on Thursday. They have done what a good team should against weak competetion and are clearly the class of the ACC. Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah are arguably the top offensive pairing in the country, and will make them tough to slow down.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: ACC power rankings after Week 2: Miami reigns supreme
