Week 3 of ACC football featured a number of games where FCS and smaller conference opponents were on the docket. With only one team, Virginia facing a ranked opponent, ACC teams mostly had strong opportunities to add wins before the conference schedule gets into full swing.
Let’s look how the teams fared, and update the rankings.
1. Georgia Tech (2-0, 0-0 ACC, defeated Tulane 65-10, Last week No. 1)
Georgia Tech holds its spot at the top for second consecutive week. Paul Johnson has the Rambling Wreck on course to win the Atlantic Division. After cruising to another dominating win against a cupcake in Tulane, the question now becomes are they ready to handle a top-10 opponent when they travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame? This one will tell us a lot about how good they are. Up Next: at No. 8 Notre Dame
2. Clemson (2-0, 0-0, defeated Appalachian State 41-10, LW No.2)
Much like GT, we still don’t know exactly how good No. 11 Clemson really is. Traveling to Louisville this Saturday to open against a battered and bruised Cardinals team should be a big test, and Clemson should be put on upset alert. Up Next: Thursday at Louisville
3. Florida State (2-0, 0-0, defeated South Florida 34-10, LW No.3)
Last we checked, Dalvin Cook is still running. After rushing for 266 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns, Cook might need a little rest. Cook’s record-setting performance help turn a 7-7 halftime deadlock into an easy victory over in state opponent South Florida. With Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson under center, the Seminoles might be sneaky good in 2015. An interesting trip to Chestnut Hill awaits FSU, and it could be a challenge. Up Next: Friday at Boston College
4. Miami (2-0, 0-0, defeated FAU 44-20, LW No. 8)
OK, I’ll admit that I am on a one-week fill in for Pitt writer Matt Shetler, but I am pushing the Hurricanes up to four. One of the reasons is though Florida Atlantic is by no means a great team, they are decent compared to some of the dregs of college football other ACC teams faced this week, and they won on the road in a Friday night game that was sold out. Tell me if you’ve heard this one before; the talent is there at Miami, but can they put it together consistently on the field? Up Next: Saturday vs. Nebraska
5. Duke (2-0, 0-0, defeated NC Central 55-0, LW No. 6)
It’s pretty razor thin between spots four and 12, and I don’t love putting Duke here, but they get it in no small part because I like that David Cutcliffe offense and they play in the Coastal. Beating NC Central is not exactly impressive, regardless of score. We will find out if the Blue Devils are for real when they host an upstart Northwestern team that looks like they are for real. Up Next: Saturday vs No. 23 Northwestern
6. Virginia Tech (1-1, 0-0, defeated Furman 42-3, LW No. 7)
The loss of starting quarterback Michael Brewer is huge, but Virginia Tech is still a talented team capable of making noise in the ACC. Among the teams I have them ranked ahead of, how many could you honestly say are better with so little football played and few tough match ups for most of the teams? Sure, Brewer is out and the wheels fell off in the second half at Ohio State, but I still think they are in the mix. Up Next: Saturday vs. East Carolina
7. Virginia (0-2, 0-0, lost to No. 9 Notre Dame 34-27, LW No. 12)
I’m going to take some flak for this one I’m sure, but outside of the head coach, I really like this team. Mike London can certainly recruit talent to Charlottesville, and that talent was a hail mary bombshell away from upsetting Notre Dame last Saturday. They also played relatively well at UCLA, a very good Pac-12 team. See where I am going with this? Yep, UVA gets rewarded for playing actual opponents, not the dregs of the FCS. Oops, spoke too soon. Is that the College of William and Mary I see? Up next: Saturday vs. William and Mary
8. NC State (2-0, 0-0, defeated Eastern Kentucky 35-0, LW No. 5)
Paint me unimpressed with NC State. Absolute garbage schedule and to this point, little to prove they deserve to be even this high. Won’t learn much this week either, as they travel to FCS opponent Old Dominion this week. ODU is not very good, and lost two defensive starters for this contest. Crazier things have happened though, and if they lose to this cream puff, they should drop even further. Up Next: Saturday at Old Dominion
9. Louisville (0-2, 0-0, lost to Houston 34-31, LW No. 4)
Who loses to a team like Houston? OK, sorry Pitt fans, it happens. Much like that Pitt loss, Louisville let this one slip away in the fourth quarter, and couple that with the week one loss to an Auburn team that might not be quite as good as thought, Louisville slips badly in the rankings. Can Bobby Petrino fix this mess? It gets no easier this week. Up Next: Thursday vs. No. 11 Clemson
10. Pittsburgh (2-0, 0-0, defeated Akron 24-7, LW No. 9)
Pitt was able to avenge last year’s embarrassing home loss to Akron on Saturday and though few style points were won, they are off to a 2-0 start with a tough road test at Iowa Saturday night. Pat Narduzzi made it clear the Panthers are not set at quarterback, never good when you are supposedly a dark horse to challenge for a Coastal division title. Up Next: Saturday at Iowa
11. Boston College (2-0, 0-0, defeated Howard 76-0, LW No. 11)
76-0? Wow. BC will not have such an easy time when Florida State visits Friday night. I tell you what, don’t be the least bit surprised if the Eagles make this a game. Not calling for an upset, but it will be closer than many think. Up Next: Friday vs. No. 9 Florida State
12. North Carolina (1-1, 0-0, defeated North Carolina A&T 53-14, LW No. 10)
North Carolina is better than this ranking, and I could argue they should be several spots higher after putting a strong performance together against South Carolina to open the season. Don’t be shocked if they go up several spots next week if they are able to handle Illinois at home, something they should be able to do if they are worthy of a higher ranking. Up Next: Saturday vs. Illinois
13. Syracuse (2-0, 1-0, defeated Wake Forest 30-17, LW No. 14)
Break up Syracuse football. OK, not really, but it got off to a 1-0 start beating Wake Forest this past Saturday. This team still stinks and has a long road ahead to challenge in the ACC. Up Next: Saturday vs. Central Michigan
14. Wake Forest (1-1, 0-1, lost to Syracuse 30-17, LW No. 13)
Last week could very well be the final time the Deamon Deacons did not occupy the basement of the power rankings. Don’t fret though in Winston-Salem, Danny Manning is bringing the basketball program back to respectability. Up Next: Idle
