ACC Power Rankings: Week Three

Week two in the ACC saw some teams open their conference slate, others pick up solid non-conference wins, and some just not get to play due to Hurricane Irma. It wasn’t quite the disappointment that week one was for the conference as a whole, so let’s judge how the conference is stacking up after week two.

1. Clemson (2-0)

The Tigers’ offense took some time to get going, but they did enough to win against Auburn. That was thanks to the Clemson defense completely sucking the life out of Auburn’s offense. Clemson held the other Tigers to just 117 total yards and less than a yard per rush, as well as sacking Jarrett Stidham 11 times. Their offense wasn’t great, but they won’t be facing many other defenses as tough as Auburn this season. Clemson looks like they’ll be in the running for another playoff bid.

Next: 9/16 @ Louisville

2. Louisville (2-0, 1-0 ACC)

UNC got a front row view of what Louisville is capable of last Saturday in Chapel Hill. Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals lit the Tar Heel defense on fire, with Jackson out-gaining UNC on his own. It just so happens that the top two teams meet this Saturday, so something will have to give between Louisville’s offense and Clemson’s defense.

Next: 9/16 vs. Clemson

3. Miami (1-0)

Next: 9/23 vs. Toledo

4. Florida State (0-1)

The Miami and FSU game in Tallahassee was postponed last weekend due to Hurricane Irma. The matchup has been pushed back to October.

Next: 9/23 vs. NC State

5. Virginia Tech (2-0)

After a big season-opening win against West Virginia, the Hokies cruised past Delaware in week two. The defending Coastal Division champions have another winnable game this week against East Carolina, who were rolled by the WVU team that Tech beat.

Next: 9/23 @ East Carolina

6. Duke (2-0)

Moving on.

Next: 9/16 vs. Baylor

7. Georgia Tech (1-1)

The Yellow Jackets bounced back from a crushing season-opening loss by beating top 25 FCS team Jacksonville State by 27. Georgia Tech is another team affected by Irma with their trip to Orlando to play UCF cancelled. When they take the field next, they get three games against fellow Coastal teams, which could go a long way toward determining where they stand in the division.

Next: 9/23 vs. Pitt

8. Wake Forest (2-0, 1-0 ACC)

The Demon Deacons won both opening games by over 20 points, but haven’t faced the stiffest competition. After beating FCS Presbyterian in their opener, they forced four Boston College turnovers in week two. BC may has well be an FCS team too, though.

Next: 9/16 vs. Utah State

9. NC State (1-1)

State lost their first game, and then started slow against Marshall, but did end up winning the game comfortably. They’re not a playoff team, but they’ll probably end up higher in the ACC Power Ranking by the end of the season.

Next: 9/16 vs. Furman

10. Syracuse (1-1)

Losing to Middle Tennessee sounds bad on paper, but the Blue Raiders are a pretty solid team. However, the loss does make their game against Central Michigan a lot bigger, especially with a matchup against LSU on the horizon.

Next: 9/16 vs. Central Michigan

11. Pitt (1-1)

In their loss to Penn State, Pitt actually out-gained the Nittany Lions by 30 yards. They also held the ball for nearly 17 more minutes, and still lost by 19. Pitt’s offensive output on the day included a 15-play, 31-yard, 8-minute long drive that ended in a punt. The strategy of walking down a busy city sidewalk slowly didn’t exactly work. The good news is they get another chance to try it against Oklahoma State, who also likes to try and score many points.

Next: 9/16 vs. Oklahoma State

12. North Carolina (0-2, 0-1 ACC)

These last three teams can probably go in any order, but we’ll give a homer-ish bump to the Tar Heels. The good news is they don’t have to play Lamar Jackson again this season.

Next: 9/16 @ Old Dominion

13. Boston College (1-1, 0-1 ACC)

The Eagles’ win being better than Virginia’s gives the Eagles a slight bump ahead of #14.

Next: 9/16 vs. Notre Dame

14. Virginia (1-1)

Losing to Indiana isn’t a completely terrible result. It’s just tough to give UVA any benefit of the doubt after what they’ve done over the last couple seasons.

Next: 9/16 vs. UConn