ACC Power Rankings: Miami stumbles, Florida State stays unbeaten
We’re now firmly into the groove of the 2022 season, with some programs beginning to check off conference games from their schedules. The contenders and pretenders continue to separate themselves, providing us more clarity in the ACC Power Rankings for Week 3.
A handful of non-conference games could have provided a real boost to the ACC’s profile but were left wanting.
No. 13 Miami falling on the road at No. 24 Texas A&M was the big one, but No. 19 Wake Forest also struggled to put away Liberty and Georgia Tech was smoked by No. 20 Ole Miss. That said, No. 16 NC State did score a win over previously unbeaten Texas Tech.
How much movement is there at the top this week? Let’s dig in.
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Today we reorder the ACC Power Rankings following Week 3 games.
2022 ACC Power Rankings – Week 3
It wasn’t the cleanest game for the Tigers in a 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech, but Clemson keeps cruising. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was better again, though the Tigers struggled to pull away early. However, some defensive stops and quick swings in momentum in the second half led to a 21-0 third quarter for Clemson. A road trip to unbeaten No. 21 Wake Forest this week is one of our first major conference games of the season.
- NC State (+1)
NC State continues to get a little more distance from that Week 1 scare on the road at East Carolina. The Wolfpack recorded a solid non-conference win over previously unbeaten Texas Tech on Saturday, 27-14. Like we said last week, the defense is the reason for NC State ranking this high, and it did not disappoint in helping secure the win over the Red Raiders. The Wolfpack had four sacks and forced four turnovers in the win.
- Florida State (+1)
FSU is no stranger to the close win at this point, and Friday night’s fun one at Louisville was no exception. The Seminoles didn’t seal it until the final drive for the Cardinals ended with an interception. But the 35-31 road win was costly for Florida State. Quarterback Jordan Travis left the game injured, as did star pass-rushing transfer Jared Verse. FSU’s upside going forward will be closely linked to their availability.
- Miami (-2)
The Hurricanes had the toughest test of the week, on the road at No. 24 Texas A&M. However, without receiver Xaxier Restrepo — he’s expected to miss at least six weeks with a foot injury — the offense struggled to finish drives. Running back Henry Parrish Jr. was once again outstanding, but the Aggies managed to get tough in the red zone in preserving a 17-9 win.
The Demon Deacons managed to survive a close one against a quality Hugh Freeze Liberty squad. The Flames had a chance to potentially win it, opting to go for two trailing 37-36 late in the fourth quarter, but the Demon Deacons held on for the stop and the win. Quarterback Sam Hartman battled, with three touchdowns. But Wake Forest rushed for just 21 yards in the game and Clemson’s fairly stout defense looms.
Last week’s trip to Knoxville came at an even heftier price than just the overtime loss, as the Panthers had to resort to starting their third-string quarterback with Kedon Slovis and his backup Nick Patti both hurt. The Panthers relied on the ground game and a defense that forced three interceptions to pull away from Western Michigan in the fourth quarter in a 34-13 win.
The Tar Heels were off this week after back-to-back road trips followed a Week 0 start to the season. At 3-0, North Carolina now hosts a Notre Dame team that just eked out its first win of the season this weekend. It’s a prove-it game for coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels, because the Fighting Irish are quite beatable.
The Orange continue to win football games. That simple. After a defensive struggle for three quarters, Syracuse and Purdue both exploded in a wacky fourth quarter offensively. Syracuse came out on top after Purdue made life easy with some seriously ill-advised penalties following a fourth-quarter touchdown and on the ensuing Syracuse drive. The Orange scored late to win 32-29.
Bit of a ho-hum game against Wofford this week for Virginia Tech, securing a 27-7 win before an absolutely brutal five-game stretch begins. The Hokies will almost certainly be our most active team in the ACC Power Rankings over the next few weeks, with a stretch that begins against West Virginia on Thursday and then includes road trips to North Carolina and Pitt, a home game against Miami and a road trip to NC State.
- Duke (+1)
Another week, another win for Duke. The Blue Devils took down North Carolina A&T 49-20 on Saturday, with quarterback Riley Leonard going 11-of-12 passing for 155 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Duke rushed for 222 yards and four scores on the ground in an effort that saw four different players top 50 yards rushing. Next up is a road trip to a Kansas team that has been the surprise of the Big 12.
Malik Cunningham is a really, really good playmaker but you start to get the feel that he can only do so much for this Louisville team. The Cardinals had some chances to win but Florida State was ultimately the team that made the winning plays down the stretch as Cunningham was picked off on the final drive for Louisville. The next three weeks include some winnable games but five of the final six this season come against teams who are currently ranked. Good luck, Scott Satterfield.
Virginia avoided the embarrassment rival Virginia Tech suffered earlier this year with a loss to Old Dominion, rallying with a 26-yard field goal as time expired to survive. Turnovers kept the game closer than it should have been, with the Cavaliers fumbling twice inside the 5-yard line going in to score. The Cavaliers now take on a pair of surprising unbeatens on the road the next two weeks: Syracuse and Duke.
Boston College will go as far as it allows quarterback Phil Jurkovec to carry it. Meaning it’s up to a super green offensive line to keep him alive. They did that Saturday in a 38-17 win over Maine in which Jurkovec went 25-of-37 passing for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns without an interception. A road trip to Tallahassee to take on a banged-up Florida State squad is on tap now.
The Yellow Jackets have been stuck in the cellar in the ACC Power Rankings so far in 2022, with few signs they’ll be able to climb out any time soon. Ole Miss waxed Georgia Tech on Saturday to the tune of a 42-0 beatdown and it simply feels like a matter of when, not if, coach Geoff Collins gets a fateful call from his athletics director.
Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 2 ACC Power Rankings here!