Each week, we will review Saturday’s action on the gridiron and attempt to rank the teams from 14 to 1.
Please note that these power rankings measure where a team is right now – as opposed to where I think it will finish the season – so they will change throughout the course of the season.
Here’s where things stand after Week 2:
14. Florida State
The current state of Florida State football summed up in one picture. pic.twitter.com/7fLROn1kBB
— George Wrighster III (@georgewrighster) September 8, 2019
Last Week: 11
This tweet hits the nail on the head. Sure, the ‘Noles have talent, but things are clearly headed in the wrong direction. Wille Taggart’s squad nearly hit rock-bottom on Saturday evening as Louisiana-Monroe took FSU to overtime. Had the Warhawks gone for the win instead of playing for another OT, the Seminoles might be 0-2 against G5 opponents this season. If that doesn’t justify putting Florida State in the bottom spot this week, I don’t know what does.
13. Georgia Tech
Last Week: 14
As I noted in last week’s article, the Yellow Jackets aren’t the same team that they were last year. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While Paul Johnson’s squad didn’t always field a stellar defense, it’s clear that the Geoff Collins-coached edition will. The Tech D was actually the difference against South Florida, holding a potent Bulls offense to just 262 yards. More impressively, it came up with a huge turnover on third-and-goal from the Tech 1 in the fourth quarter, which prevented USF from retaking the lead.
12. Duke
Last Week: 13
Although it wasn’t as big of a blowout as some thought it would be, the Devils throttled North Carolina A&T 45-13. QB Quentin Harris stole the show, throwing for 345 yards and an Al Bundy (4 TD’s in one game), while adding 83 yards and another TD on the ground.
11. Virginia Tech
Last Week: 12
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Hokies defeated Old Dominion by two touchdowns. That’s not too terrible considering that Tech was -2 in turnovers in this contest. If the Hokies are going to compete for the Coastal Division crown – a race in which they still control their own destiny – they must do a better job of protecting the football.
10. Pittsburgh
Last Week: 11
The Panthers’ win over Ohio seemed a lot more lopsided than the final score would indicate. The Bobcats had absolutely no answers for QB Kenny Pickett, who completed 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh shot itself in the foot, committing 10 penalties for 75 yards. Since the Panthers rank 92nd in penalties per game, I’m keeping them at No. 10.
9. Louisville
Last Week: 9
The Cardinals destroyed Eastern Kentucky 42-0, outgaining the Colonels 542-172. Unfortunately, Louisville won’t face another stiff test for a few weeks, so it’s tough to justify moving it up.
8. Miami
Last Week: 8
I’m not moving the Hurricanes down this week. Miami actually played a solid game against UNC. Unfortunately, the ‘Heels made a few more plays than UM did, with none looming larger than fourth-and-17 in the fourth quarter.
7. Wake Forest
Last Week: 7
For the second straight week, the Demon Deacons were in a tight contest early with a weaker opponent. This time, Wake broke the game wide open, racking up 513 yards along the way. Although some will say, “big deal, it’s only Rice”, remember that the Owls held Army to 14 points – which is less than Michigan did.
6. Syracuse
Last Week: 2
I’m probably in the minority with this take, but I believe that the Orange aren’t really as bad as the final score against Maryland would indicate. Sure, the Terps destroyed the Syracuse D, but all that really tells us is that Mike Locksley’s offense is in mid-season form right now. Assuming that Maryland remains healthy – something it hasn’t done over the past two seasons – it will continue scoring points in bunches. It’s hard to penalize Syracuse too harshly for that. Now, if it were to happen again this weekend….
5. Boston College
Last week: 5
The Eagles remain in the five slot after a lopsided win over Richmond. Expect more of the same this week, as BC hosts Kansas on Friday night.
4. North Carolina
Last Week: 6
Coach Mack is back, and it shows. The Tar Heels now stand at 2-0 after an impressive win against Miami. Under Brown’s leadership, UNC is a much different team than it was a year ago. Every time it looked like the Hurricanes were going to pull away, the ‘Heels responded with a big play of their own, highlighted by a blocked PAT that prevented UM from tying the game in third quarter. Although the ‘Canes would briefly take the lead late in the contest, QB Sam Howell made several clutch throws in the closing minutes to lead Carolina to victory. Keep an eye on this team moving forward…
3. Virginia
Last week: 4
The ‘Hoos turned in the most complete performance of the weekend, scoring TD’s on offense, defense, and special teams. The only mistake Virginia made in the first half was a muffed punt. But the Cavaliers turned that negative into something positive, holding the Tribe to -10 yards on that drive, limiting them to a field goal, and then returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. As a result of this dominant showing, UVA cracked the top 25 in the AP Poll this week.
2. NC State
Last Week: 3
The Wolfpack took care of business last weekend, demolishing Western Carolina 41-0. While it’s tough to know how good the NC State defense really is, it currently ranks fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 3.13 yards per play. That’s enough for the No. 2 spot… this week.
1. Clemson
Last Week: 1
Even though the Tigers didn’t play a perfect game, they still managed to hold Texas A&M to its lowest output since 2017. The Aggies could only muster 289 yards of total offense with a paltry 4.19 yards per play. With numbers like that, it’s hard to argue that Clemson is not the top team in the country again this season.
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