As Steve McCroskey said in the movie Airplane!, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking“.
That sentiment summarizes how things went for the conference last week. Thanks to a handful of upsets, the league only has one team in this week’s AP Top 25.
How does that impact our rankings? Here’s the latest install of our ACC Power Rankings.
14. Georgia Tech
Last Week: 14
Make no mistake about it: the Jackets are the worst team in the ACC right now. However, the team actually is getting better regardless of what some in the media are saying.
13. Syracuse
Last Week: 13
The Orange drop to No. 13 after falling 16-10 to NC State on Thursday. Unless ‘Cuse does a better job protecting the QB — it ranks 127th nationally in sacks allowed — its hard to see it making a bowl game this season.
12. Virginia Tech
Last Week: 11
Although it wasn’t as lopsided as many expected, Virginia Tech had no trouble with Rhode Island last weekend. Saturday’s matchup with North Carolina will tell us whether the Hokies are contenders or pretenders in the Coastal Division.
11. Duke
Last Week: 8
Even though the Duke destroyed Georgia Tech, it moved down three spots this week. That’s no a knock on the Devils; it’s simply rewarding other teams for solid victories. You know, exactly what the AP and Coaches *don’t* do for the conference.
10. Boston College
Last Week: 8
The Eagles did not play last weekend. They’ll face NC State in a crucial Atlantic Division showdown on Saturday.
9. North Carolina State
Last Week: 10
The Pack made a statement on Thursday evening, defeating Syracuse 16-10. As long as the pass rush continues to thrive, there’s no reason to think that this team can’t win 10 games this season.
While I typed that, State sacked Tommy DeVito again.
8. Miami
Last Week: 13
It wasn’t necessarily pretty at times, but the Hurricanes made just enough plays to upset Virginia 17-9. Shockingly, the defense that couldn’t keep Virginia Tech out of the end zone, managed to hold UVA without a touchdown. Don’t count this team out as potential darkhorse in the Coastal Division. Cue the #4and4ForAll tweets.
7. Wake Forest
Last week: 3
We’ve asked all season long: just how good is Wake Forest? On Saturday, we found our answer: not quite good enough to contend in the Atlantic Division. The Deacon D allowed over 500 yards for the third time this season, giving up over 7.54 yards per play. It’ll have to improve on that number this week if it’s going to beat Florida State
6. Louisville
Last Week: 9
Scott Satterfield inherited one of the worst teams in ACC history…. HISTORY. They are 4-2 now. Incredible.
— Jeff or Jeffrey Fann (@TalkinACCSports) October 13, 2019
As he always does, Jeff hits the nail on the head. Under Satterfield’s leadership, the Cardinals are much better than they were a year ago. They’re one of the more pleasant surprises in college football, ranking 16th nationally in total offense, averaging 489 yards per game. This is a dangerous team that’s capable of beating anyone (even Clemson).
5. North Carolina
Last Week: 6
The ‘Heels were off last weekend. They play Virginia Tech in a critical Coastal Division battle on Saturday.
4. Florida State
Last week: 5
I’m certain this ranking will raise a few eyebrows. However, there’s no shame in getting throttled by Clemson. Just ask Nick Saban.
3. Pittsburgh
Last Week: 3
The Panthers did not play last week because they have a Friday night contest with Syracuse. If college football were smart, it would mandate that teams that play weekday games have a bye leading up to it. Since that makes sense, it will never catch on.
2. Virginia
Last Week: 2
Yes, I realize that the ‘Hoos lost to Miami. However, I still think they’re the second-best team in the conference for the time being. Saturday’s contest with Duke will tell me whether I’m right or wrong.
1. Clemson
Last Week: 1
This is a no-brainer. Clemson throttled a very good Florida State team. Yet, for the second time in the past three weeks, the AP poll moved an SEC team in front of it. It’s almost as though the voters forgot that an ACC team rallied back to beat South Carolina. whereas top 10 Georgia did not.
Or — Georgia decided to hide the loss from the College Football Playoff.
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