Week 6 was the most exciting weekend of the year (so far). Three of the four contests were decided by a touchdown or less.
How did this abbreviated schedule impact this week’s standings? Here’s the latest installment of the ACC Power Rankings…
14. Georgia Tech
Last Week: 14
The Jackets remain in the cellar after losing to North Carolina. On a more positive note, Tech did outscore the Tar Heels in the second half.
13. Miami
Last Week: 11
I really didn’t want to put the Hurricanes here. Instead of giving up on Saturday, Miami rallied from 28 points down to put itself in position to win the game. Unfortunately, the ‘Canes missed the go-ahead PAT, and ended up losing on a last-minute TD. It’ll be interesting to see if Manny Diaz sticks with N’Kosi Perry after he torched the Hokies for 422 yards and an Al Bundy (4 touchdowns in one game).
12. Syracuse
Last Week: 12
The Orange did not play last weekend. They face NC State on Thursday evening.
11. Virginia Tech
Last Week: 13
When Miami erased a four-touchdown lead, I started to send Hokiesmash a Leslie Nielsen meme. However, Virginia Tech simply refused to lose this contest. Hendon Hooker made two clutch throws on the final drive to spark the Hokies to the victory. That’s good enough to move up two spot his week. If the Tech team that showed up in the first half returns, watch out for this team as a spoiler in the Coastal.
10. North Carolina State
Last Week: 10
The Pack looks to rebound on Thursday night against Syracuse.
9. Boston College
Last Week: 7
The Eagles probably deserve a better fate than the nine-spot. Every time that it looked like Louisville was going to pull away, BC stormed back to make it interesting. The 10/19 game with NC State will likely make-or-break the season.
8. Duke
Last Week: 9
Duke was this week’s “lucky loser” in that it moved up one spot even though it didn’t win last week. Of course, it nearly did get a “W” in the contest, rallying for 20 points in the fourth quarter to take the lead with just 1:29 remaining. Not a bad effort considering that the Devils turned the ball over six times.
7. Louisville
Last Week: 9
The Cardinals finally played with the type of explosiveness that they did when Lamar Jackson was under center, racking up 664 yards of total offense against Boston College. They will need that type of firepower against Wake Forest this weekend.
6. North Carolina
Last Week: 6
The ‘Heels throttled Georgia Tech in a contest that was more lopsided than the final score would indicate. Sam Howell continues to impress, throwing for a career-high 376 yards and 4 touchdowns. UNC still controls its own destiny in the Coastal, so keep an eye on this team as the season progresses.
5. Florida State
Last week: 5
The ‘Noles did not play last week. They’ll travel to Death Valley this weekend to face Clemson.
4. Pittsburgh
Last Week: 4
Stop me if you heard this one before: Pittsburgh rallied to win a close game in the fourth quarter. Although the Panthers led this contest 26-3, it actually trailed 30-26 with under two minutes to play. Rather than panic, Pittsburgh marched 82 yards on four players to earn another come-from-behind victory. This is a dangerous team that’s capable of running the table.
3. Wake Forest
Last week: 3
The Demon Deacons did not play last weekend. This begs the question — just how good is Wake Forest? Saturday’s contest with Louisville should provide us with plenty of answers.
2. Virginia
Last Week: 2
In his tennis book “Winning Ugly”, Brad Gilbert reminds us to “Beware of the Wounded Bear”. He argues that a player that loses the first set is more dangerous in the second set. I think this will be the case with the ‘Hoos this weekend at Miami, especially since they’ve had a week to think about it. Expect Virginia to play its best game of the season on Saturday.
1. Clemson
Last Week: 1
No surprise here. Clemson is still the best team in the country, regardless of what the media tells you.
Terry Johnson is a Contributor to the All Sports Discussion. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TerryPJohnson
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