As we head into another week of ACC football, the conference is heading into the week after finally getting a signature victory when Clemson beat Notre Dame.
We saw North Carolina look impressive and to a degree so did the Pitt Panthers. Overall though it was a week filled with disappointing performances for most of the team in the conference.
How did that effect this week’s rankings?
Let’s take a look.
1. Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC, defeated Notre Dame 24-22, Last Week- No. 1)
The ACC needed a signature win and the Tigers delivered. Now the question becomes if Clemson can go undefeated through the regular season. They have Florida State at home and could realistically head into the ACC title game at 12-0. But there’s a lot of football between now and then. Up Next: Saturday vs. Georgia Tech
2. Florida State (4-0, 2-0, defeated Wake Forest 24-16, LW-2)
Speaking of Florida State, the Seminoles haven’t looked great and have had an easy schedule, but they sit at 4-0 so they stay in the No. 2 spot. Up Next: Saturday vs. Miami
3. Duke (4-1, 2-0, defeated Boston College 9-7, LW-4)
The Blue Devils offense has been very inconsistent. Last week they didn’t score a touchdown, averaged 0.9 yards per carry in this game and mustered only 228 yards of offense. But it looks like Duke is going to have a very good defense all season. Led by Jeremy Cash, the Duke defense should keep them in every game. Up Next: Saturday at Army
4. North Carolina (4-1, 1-0, defeated Georgia Tech 38-31, LW- 6)
The Tar Heels continue to impress. Marquise Williams, a week after getting benched, led UNC back from down three touchdowns against Georgia Tech. That is a game the Heels usually lose. Instead North Carolina won in Atlanta for the first time in over 20 years. Up Next: IDLE
5. Pitt (3-1, 1-0, defeated Virginia Tech 17-13, LW-9)
The Panthers defense may have been the most impressive unit in the conference last week, completing dominating Virginia Tech. The good part is that under Pat Narduzzi, this Pitt defense will continue to get better. The bad part is that Pitt is going to need to get more from its offense, especially the quarterback position and I don’t know if that is possible. Up Next: Saturday vs. Virginia
6. Louisville (2-3, 1-1, defeated North Carolina State 20-13, LW-12)
After a terrible start Louisville has won two in a row and has gotten decent play form quarterback Lamar Jackson. There is still a hill to climb, but don’t write off Bobby Petrino’s team just yet. Up Next: Idle
7. Miami (3-1, 0-0, lost to Cincinnati 34-23, LW-3)
After a 3-0 start to the season, the Canes laid an egg Thursday night against the Bearcats. With Florida State up next, Al Golden’s seat could be on fire by the end of Saturday night. Up Next at Florida State
8. Syracuse (3-1, 1-0, Idle, LW-10)
The Orange were off last week but move up because the rest of the conference is pretty bad. Up Next: Saturday at South Florida
9. North Carolina State (4-1, 0-1, lost to Louisville, 20-13, LW- 5)
Well that’s what the Wolfpack gets for playing a creampuff schedule. The offense isn’t nearly as good as it looked in non-conference games. Now that NC State has to play a team with as much talent as they have they showed one thing and that is they are not ready for primetime. Up Next: Friday at Virginia Tech
10. Boston College (3-2, 0-2, lost to Duke 9-7, LW-8)
No team in the conference has had to deal with injuries like the Eagles have. Their defense is good and will keep them in games, but realistically BC doesn’t have the offense to compete. Up Next: Saturday vs. Wake Forest
11. Georgia Tech (2-3, 0-2, lost to North Carolina 38-31, LW-7)
Is there a more disappointing team in the country? The Yellow Jackets blew a 21-0 lead at home on Saturday and could only manage ten points in final three quarters. The result is a third consecutive loss. Up Next: Saturday at No. 6 Clemson
12. Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2, lost to Florida State 24-16, LW-13)
The Deamon Deacons have been competitive. They have a decent defense and Kendall Hinton has turned into a playmaker on offense. Eventually the wins will start coming. Up Next: Saturday at Boston College
13. Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1, lost to Pitt 17-13, LW-11)
Frank Beamer’s team is a total mess. Up Next: Friday vs. North Carolina State
14. Virginia (1-3, 0-0, Idle, LW-14)
The good news for Mike London is his team had the week off. The bad news is they have to start playing games again this week. Up Next: Saturday at Pitt
Photo Credit: Getty Images
