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It was a fun week of football in the ACC. Both conference games went down to the wire, with Syracuse edging No. 23 Georgia Tech and Virginia narrowly escaping Wake Forest on the road.
There were also key non conference victories, which helped elevate the league’s reputation. First it was Duke taking down Northwestern on the road in a Friday night affair. Then we had Pittsburgh stun Cincinnati by scoring 15 fourth quarter points to steal a victory, along with Cal holding Auburn to just 14 points in a season-defining win.
Clemson, Miami, and Boston College obliterated Appalachian State, Florida A&M, and Duquesne, respectively, and Louisville, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina took care of business as well.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, however, as NC State was crushed by No. 14 Tennessee, losing 51-10 in a horrendous performance.
How does this all impact the power rankings? Is Miami still at the top, or did Clemson do enough to take over? Where does Florida State settle after having the week off?
Those questions and more are answered in this week’s rankings:
1
Miami Hurricanes (Last Week: 1)
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Record: 2-0 (56-9 win over Florida A&M)
Next Opponent: Ball State (September 14 at 3:30 PM ET)
Mario Cristobal’s club has scored 97 points in their first two games of the season, giving up just 26 on the other end. Cam Ward’s Heisman campaign continued with four total touchdowns against Florida A&M, three in the air and one on the ground. The ‘Canes get NC State next week.
2
Clemson Tigers (Last Week: 4)
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 2-0 (66-20 win over Appalachian State)
Next Opponent: NC State (September 21)
Clemson was held to three points against No. 1 Georgia in Week 1, but the offense exploded for 66 against Appalachian State thanks to five touchdown passes in the air and another two on the ground from quarterback Cade Klubnik.
If Dabo Swinney’s club can score like this they will be a CFP team. They host NC State and Stanford to close out the month before a road trip to take on Florida State on October 5.
3
Louisville Cardinals (Last Week: 3)
Syndication: The Courier-Journal
Record: 2-0 (49-14 win over Jacksonville State)
Next Opponent: Georgia Tech (September 21)
97 points from Miami through two games is pretty good, but Louisville can top it. After smoking Austin Peay 62-0 in the opener, Jeff Brohm’s team took down Jacksonville State 49-14 for a whopping 111 points through Week 2.
Things immediately get tougher for the Cardinals, who host Georgia Tech in two weeks and then head to South Bend to take on Notre Dame at the end of the month. Of course, both those teams lost on Saturday, and Tyler Shough is off to an excellent start, so perhaps Louisville will establish themselves as a real threat for a CFP spot.
4
Boston College Eagles (Last Week: 6)
(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Record: 2-0 (56-0 win over Duquesne)
Next Opponent: At Missouri (September 14 at 12:45 PM ET)
At this point we aren’t quite sure what Florida State is, and we know Duquesne is a pedestrian FCS opponent, but we can’t ignore Boston College securing a 15 point road win over the ‘Noles and then thrashing the Dukes 56-0.
Thomas Castellanos threw four touchdowns in the first half before coach Bill O’Brien went to the reserves, coasting to an easy victory and a nice 2-0 start. Fans will get a much clearer picture of this Eagles team in Week 3 when they go on the road to face top ten opponent Missouri.
5
Syracuse Orange (Last Week: 11)
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Record: 2-0 (31-28 win over Georgia Tech)
Next Opponent: Stanford (September 20 at 7:30 ET)
Syracuse came into the season as a big unknown with new coach Fran Brown and new quarterback Kyle McCord, transferring over from Ohio State. So far so good, as McCord threw four touchdown passes for the second week in a row. The senior gunslinger also tossed for over 350 yards in each of his first two games, and as long as the Orange are piling on the points they will be a player in this league, although the defense could use some work.
Stanford and Holy Cross are next up, but October brings a trio of road games at UNLV, NC State, and Pitt, part of one of the tougher schedules in all the power conferences.
6
California Golden Bears (Last Week: 12)
Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser
Record: 2-0 (21-14 win over Auburn)
Next Opponent: San Diego State (September 14 at 10:30 PM ET)
Fernando Mendoza was a wizard for Cal in this one, completing 19-of-21 passes in the first half and rallying in the fourth to help this team secure a stunning victory over SEC foe Auburn.
The defense and physicality of Cal should play up nicely in the ACC, and they are a team to keep a close eye on. After San Diego State in Week 3 this team plays at Florida State, Miami, at Pitt, and NC State – so there are plenty of big tests still to come. So far so good though.
7
Pitt Panthers (Last Week: 13)
Syndication: The Enquirer
Record: 2-0 (28-27 win over Cincinnati)
Next Opponent: West Virginia (September 14 at 3:30 ET)
Pitt scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to come back from a 17-6 halftime deficit and take down Cincinnati on the road in the River Rivalry.
Eli Holstein threw touchdowns on three straight drives, and while it wasn’t the prettiest win it was a big one for Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers, who get West Virginia at home next.
8
NC State Wolfpack (Last Week: 2)
Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Record: 1-1 (51-10 loss to Tennessee)
Next Opponent: Louisiana Tech (September 14 at 12:00 PM ET)
NC State didn’t look like they belonged on the field on Saturday against Tennessee, a tough thing to see for any power team but even worse for a team that was only ranked ten spots below them in the AP poll coming into the contest.
Grayson McCall failed to throw a touchdown and had one interception and just 104 passing yards as the Vols suffocated the Wolfpack all game long. NC State will look to rebound from this wreck in Week against Louisiana Tech, with a road game against Clemson awaiting them after that.
9
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Last Week: 5)
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Record: 2-1 (31-28 loss to Syracuse)
Next Opponent: VMI (September 14 at 3:30 PM ET)
It was a hard fought and extremely fun ACC matchup on Saturday between the Yellow Jackets and Orange, but ultimately Kyle McCord’s play was enough for Syracuse to secure a victory and assuredly knock Georgia Tech out of the top 25.
Still, GT looks like they have the juice to hang around with anyone in the league, and should pick up a big in in Week 3 over VMI before going on the road to face Louisville on September 21st.
10
North Carolina Tar Heels (Last Week: 9)
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Record: 2-0 (38-20 win over Charlotte)
Next Opponent: NC Central (September 14 at 6:00 PM ET)
Conner Harrell did enough to secure a win in his second career start under center, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another in North Carolina’s 38-20 win over Charlotte. Harrell did throw a pick, and his 219 yards is a bit underwhelming, but Carolina didn’t need more from him.
The big story is the health for running back Omarion Hampton, who did not play in the second half. UNC may not need him against NC Central or James Madison, the team’s next two opponents, but they’ll want him back in time for a road game against Duke at the end of the month.
11
Virginia Tech Hokies (Last Week: 8)
Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Record: 1-1 (31-14 win over Marshall)
Next Opponent: At Old Dominion (September 14)
The Hokies fell to Vanderbilt in Week 1 and looked on the verge of disaster against Marshall in Week 2, clinging to a 10-7 halftime lead before outscoring the Thundering Herd 21-7 in the second half.
A road trip against an 0-2 Old Dominion team could give V Tech a chance to right the ship, but they’ll take on Rutgers and Miami after that, with the latter on the road.
12
Duke Blue Devils (Last Week: 14)
David Banks-Imagn Images
Record: 2-0 (26-20 win over Northwestern)
Next Opponent: UConn (September 14 at 6:00 PM ET)
Duke has scored 26 points in each of its first two games, holding Elon to just three points and Northwestern to 20 in a road victory.
Beating a Big Ten team on the road is always a great result, and the Blue Devils have a great chance to move to 3-0 facing the UConn Huskies in a matchup that, frankly, would be a lot more fun on the hardwood.
13
Florida State Seminoles (Last Week: 10)
Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 0-2 (Did Not Play)
Next Opponent: Memphis (Saturday, September 14 at 12:00 PM ET)
Did Mike Norvell and Florida State make drastic changes during the off week? We’ll find out against a very good Memphis team on Saturday, which will go a long way in determining if this team can climb back into the picture in the ACC.
14
SMU Mustangs (Last Week: 7)
(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Record: 2-1 (18-15 loss to BYU)
Next Opponent: TCU (September 21 at 5:00 PM ET)
After dropping 59 points against Houston Christian, SMU’s offense was completely non-existent at home against BYU on Friday. The narrow road win over Nevada wasn’t exactly confidence inspiring either, and unless this team can improve dramatically in the trenches it could be a tough transition year in the ACC.
They get TCU next, followed by Florida State and Louisville.
15
Stanford Cardinal (Last Week: 16)
Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Record: 1-1 (41-7 win over Cal Poly)
Next Opponent: At Syracuse (September 20 at 7:30 PM ET)
The Cardinal got off to a slow start against FCS opponent Cal Poly, but a 90-yard punt return touchdown by Tiger Bachmeier in the third quarter sparked the team to an easy 41-7 victory. A road trip to Syracuse will be a big test for this young team in Week 3.
16
Virginia Cavaliers (Last Week: 17)
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 2-0 (31-30 win over Wake Forest)
Next Opponent: Maryland (September 14 at 8:00 PM ET)
Virginia went on the road and scored 14 points in the final quarter to shock Wake Forest and move to 2-0 on the year, and up one spot in the power rankings. They’ll host Maryland next weekend.
17
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Last Week: 15)
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 1-1 (31-30 loss to Virginia)
Next Opponent: Ole Miss (September 14 at 6:30 PM ET)
Losing to last week’s 17th ranked team in the power rankings is a recipe to end up here, especially if you give up 14 points in the fourth quarter and lose at home. It doesn’t get easier for the Demon Deacons, who host Ole Miss in Week 3 and then take on NC State and Clemson in October.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/acc-week-3-power-rankings-clemson-miami/