It was a tough week for the ACC. The league suffered a handful of embarrassing losses, which prompted one publication to say that it should be relegated to Group of Five status. While I think that’s a bit of an overreaction, it’s clear that the league isn’t as deep as it usually is.
Here are the power rankings after Week 3.
14. Georgia Tech
Last Week: 14
The Yellow Jackets lost in overtime to The Citadel 27-24. As Forrest Gump would say, “that’s all I have to say about that”.
13. Virginia Tech
Last Week: 11
Don’t feel bad Georgia Tech fans: you were not the only school to struggle against a Southern Conference opponent this weekend. The Hokies actually trailed Furman 14-3 before taking over the contest in the second half.
12. Duke
Last Week: 12
The Devils played a near-perfect game on offense against the Blue Raiders. Duke completed 24 of 27 passes for 237 yards, while rushing for 226 yards on 45 carries (5.0 ypc). If the defense continues to improve, this team could finish in the upper half of the Coastal Division.
11. Syracuse
Last Week: 6
In just two weeks, the Orange dropped from No. 2 all the way to No. 11. The loss to Maryland looks a lot worse after Temple defeated the Terps 20-17. Fortunately, ‘Cuse has two tune-up games to get ready for a crucial Atlantic Division showdown with NC State.
10. Pittsburgh
Last Week: 10
Yes, I know that the Panthers lost to Penn State. However, I felt they were the better team, which is why I don’t understand why Pat Narduzzi opted for a field goal late in the game rather than punching it in from the 1-yard line. Had Pittsburgh gone for it, I have no doubt that it would have defeated the Nittany Lions for the third time in the last four meetings. This one will sting.
9. Louisville
Last Week: 9
No Jawon, no problem. The Cardinal offense continues to thrive under Scott Satterfield, racing out to a 31-7 lead before easing off the gas in the second half. It will be interesting to see what they can do against Florida State on Saturday.
8. Miami
Last Week: 8
The Hurricanes demolished Bethune-Cookman to earn their first “W” of the year. We won’t know if UM belongs higher or lower in these rankings until it hosts Virginia Tech on 10/5.
7. Boston College
Last Week: 5
Unlike the rest of the media, I won’t condemn the Eagles for losing to Kansas. Under Les Miles, the Jayhawks are a much better team than people realize. It’s also hard for me to penalize BC for playing on less than a week’s rest. Let’s see if the Eagles rebound against Rutgers this weekend.
6. North Carolina State
Last Week: 2
The ‘Pack fall four spots this week after a tough loss to West Virginia. NC State’s defense – which entered the contest allowing just 3.13 yards per play – gave up 445 yards and a whopping 6.54 ypp. That’s not going to get the job done against the high-octane offenses of the ACC.
5. Florida State
Last week: 14
Yes, the ‘Noles are 1-2. Yet, they nearly came back to beat Virginia – a team that’s playing as well as anyone in the country right now. Willie Taggart’s head-scratching decision t0 not to spike the ball aside, FSU showed on Saturday that it can compete with the top teams in the league. Since I think they have enough talent to beat anyone else in the conference, I moved them into the top five.
4. North Carolina
Last Week: 4
Over the weekend, at least a dozen people asked me why adding another second to the clock mattered in the North Carolina – Wake game. Simply put: this Tar Heel team is never done. With Sam Howell at the controls, UNC always has a chance to win. The silver lining in Friday’s loss is that this contest was actually a non-conference game, which keeps Mack Brown’s team undefeated in ACC play.
3. Wake Forest
Last week: 7
After Wake struggled at times against lesser opponents, many questioned how the team would fare against quality competition. The Demon Deacons made believers out of a lot of fans with the their performance against North Carolina. This team will have a perfect 5-0 record when it faces Louisville on 10/12.
2. Virginia
Last Week: 3
The ‘Hoos move into the second spot after holding off a better-than-it-looks-on-paper Florida State team. Even after penalties continued to keep the Seminoles’ final drive alive, Virginia’s defense rose to the occasion and came up with the stop. It’s tough to argue with those results.
1. Clemson
Last Week: 1
No surprise here. The Tigers went into the Carrier Dome – a very difficult place to get a “W” – and stomped Syracuse 41-6. This is the best team in the country right now… and it is improving each week.
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
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply