NC State : A+
I would have liked to see the Wolfpack play West Virginia, but NC State has done everything that’s been asked of them to this point at 5-0. They play Saturday against Clemson for a chance to make a national splash. QB Ryan Finley is playing at an extremely high level. Dave Doeren hasn’t allowed NC State to backup.
Clemson : A+
Clemson’s win at Texas A&M is looking better and better with each passing week. Dabo Swinney navigated a potentially tricky QB situation with Kelly Bryant’s departure, and the Tigers are 6-0 and squarely in the playoff chase. Clemson is still Clemson.
Duke : A
At 5-1, Duke has the just 1 hiccup loss at home to Virginia Tech. They have wins at Baylor, Northwestern, and Georgia Tech. David Cutcliffe successfully managed a number of injuries early in the season to have the Blue Devils in position to contend in the Coastal Division during the 2nd half of the year.
Virginia : A-
Virginia’s win over Miami gives them an A grade at the mid-point of the season. At 4-2 the Hoos are in great position to reach a bowl game. Bronco Mendenhall’s team is going to be tough out. They are a physical bunch, and QB Bryce Perkins continues to develop.
Syracuse : B+
Syracuse was close to getting an A, but they have lost their last two games. The loss to Pitt was a bit of surprise. They are still 4-2, and putting up a lot of points.
Virginia Tech : B-
If feels like Virginia Tech should be worse than a B-. There’s the catastrophic loss to Old Dominion, and the ugly 2nd half against Notre Dame. Defensive issues are showing up too. Through it all though the Hokies are 3-0 and the leading the Coastal. Charlotte is still in site.
Boston College : B-
That loss at Purdue was messy, but there’s no shame losing to NC State. BC is 5-2, and could have still have real strong season. AJ Dillon has had some injury problems, but this is still a dangerous team.
Pittsburgh : C
Pittsburgh has been routed a couple of times, and has a very ugly loss to UNC. They also sit 2-1 in the Coastal and nearly beat Notre Dame. That’s the epitome of an average team with equal parts highs and lows.
Miami : C-
Miami has a solid 5-2 record, but let’s not kid ourselves the Canes have been a big disappointment. They got blown out by LSU in their opening game, and just lost to Virginia in a poorly coached game. They now have a QB controversy that didn’t need to be there.
Wake Forest : D
Wake Forest is sinking fast. At home against Clemson they lost 63-3. They have yet to win a conference game, and defensively they are a disaster.
Florida State : D
Early in the season FSU had an F for their play, but in the last couple of weeks there have been some signs of life. If FSU had held on to beat Miami, I could have given them a C.
Georgia Tech : D
For just a moment following a 66-31 win at Louisville, we thought the Jackets could earn a passing mid-season grade. Then they fumbled their way to loss against Duke. There have been glimpses of a competent team, but the Jackets have been too sloppy sustain anything.
North Carolina : F
The Tar Heels have won just 1 game so far this year. They lost to a bad ECU team early in the year, then blew an upset of Virginia Tech with a goal-line fumble. UNC has just found different ways to lose.
Louisville: F
Louisville is the only ACC team without a conference win along with Wake Forest. They lost at home by 35 points to a mediocre Georgia Tech team. They are not good on offense and they are not good on defense. The Cardinals don’t do anything well, and may not win more than 1 game the rest of the season.
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