ACC Power Rankings updated after Week 2 of college football
It was a wild weekend of college football in the ACC in Week 2. There were several impressive performances by teams in the league, including Miami blasting Texas A&M and Wake Forest handling Vanderbilt.
However, there were also some ACC teams that struggled as Virginia Tech lost at home to Purdue, Pitt was upset at home by Cincinnati and Boston College nearly blew a late lead to Holy Cross.
With Week 2 complete, On3 has released its ACC Power Rankings. Here is a breakdown of the rankings, from No. 1 to No. 14:
1. Florida State Seminoles (2-0) (-)
It’s no surprise that Florida State remains at the top of the ACC Power Rankings. The Seminoles did exactly what they were supposed to against Southern Miss, blasting the Golden Eagles 66-13.
There was no hangover for FSU after its blowout win over LSU as Jordan Travis, Keon Coleman and company played well. Up next, Florida State will open ACC play at Boston College on Saturday.
2. Miami Hurricanes (2-0) (+3)
Miami moved up three spots in the rankings after handling a top 25 Texas A&M team at home. Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was incredibly impressive in the win, passing for 374 yards and five touchdowns.
Mario Cristobal believed his program was ready to take a big step forward in Year 2. So far it looks like he is right. Up next, Miami will host Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) (-1)
For the second consecutive season, North Carolina got all it wanted from Appalachian State. And for the second straight year, UNC eventually came out on top.
Star quarterback Drake Maye didn’t put up eye-popping stats against the Mountaineers, but North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton had a huge game. The sophomore rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns. UNC continues non-conference play this weekend when it hosts Minnesota.
4. Duke Blue Devils (2-0) (-1)
Duke followed up its impressive win over Clemson with another strong performance this past weekend. Riley Leonard continues to play at an elite level for the Blue Devils as he completed all 12 passes he attempted in a win over Lafayette.
Up next, Duke hosts Northwestern, before playing at UConn. The Blue Devils very well could be 4-0 when Notre Dame comes to town on Sept. 30 for what is in line to be a top 20 game.
5. Clemson Tigers (1-1) (-1)
Clemson followed up its ugly opener against Duke with a rough first half on Saturday against Charleston Southern. The Tigers trailed the FCS program 14-7 late in the first quarter and led only 24-17 at the half, before dominating the second half.
It’s clear that Clemson has talent, but it’s also clear that the offense isn’t clicking right now. The Tigers have plenty of work to do if they want to be contenders in the ACC.
6. Louisville Cardinals (2-0) (-)
Jeff Brohm is off to a quick start at Louisville as the Cardinals are 2-0 after pounding Murray State over the weekend. It was a rough first half of the season for Louisville against Georgia Tech, but since then the Cardinals have been dominant.
Up next, Louisville faces rival Indiana. Brohm has a history against the Hoosiers after spending the previous six seasons at Purdue.
7. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0) (+3)
Even with Sam Hartman and several talented playmakers from last year’s team gone, Wake Forest continues to win games. The Demon Deacons improved to 2-0 on the season with a 16-point win over a previously unbeaten Vanderbilt team.
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson continues to maximize his talent. The Commodores had nearly 500 yards of offense against Vandy.
8. Syracuse Orange (2-0) (+3)
Dino Babers‘ club is piling up points early on this season. After scoring 65 in its opener against Colgate, the Orange scored 48 in a dominant win over Western Michigan this past weekend.
The schedule gets tougher beginning Saturday as Syracuse faces Purdue on the road. But it’s been an impressive early start to the season for the Orange.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies (1-1) (-2)
It has been an up-and-down start to the season for Brent Pry and the Hokies in his second year in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech looked good in a 19-point win over Old Dominion to open the season, before dropping a tough game with Purdue on Saturday.
The Hokies added some impact players from the transfer portal, but they still aren’t ready to be competitors in the ACC. Up next are back-to-back road games at Rutgers and Marshall.
10. NC State Wolfpack (1-1) (-2)
NC State gave Notre Dame trouble for a while, until the Irish pulled away late. The Wolfpack had their chances but didn’t make enough plays in the second half as a seven-point game entering the fourth quarter quickly turned into a 45-17 Notre Dame beatdown.
Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack should roll this weekend against VMI. But the second half of the schedule is brutal for NC State.
11. Pitt Panthers (1-1) (-2)
Pitt was a team many thought could be dangerous in the ACC during the preseason, but Saturday’s performance is sure to lower expectations for league play. Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec struggled mightily in a loss to Cincinnati, completing only 10 of his 32 passes.
The Bearcats led 27-7 entering the fourth quarter and held on for a 27-21 win. Pitt plays 10 Power 5 programs the rest of the way, meaning the Panthers will need to improve in a hurry.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-1) (-)
Georgia Tech is a second-half collapse against Louisville away from being 2-0 in Brent Key‘s first full season. Texas A&M transfer Haynes King is averaging more than 300 yards passing per game and already has seven passing touchdowns on the year.
King will see a familiar opponent this weekend in Ole Miss. The Aggies faced the Rebels each of the last two seasons he was there.
13. Boston College Eagles (1-1) (+1)
The good news for Boston College is that it got a win. The bad news is it had to hold on for a 31-28 victory to keep from losing to Holy Cross.
After opening the season with a loss to Northern Illinois, the Eagles nearly fell to 0-2 before escaping with a close win. Now BC welcomes in the hottest team in the ACC, if not the country, in Florida State.
14. Virginia Cavaliers (0-2) (-1)
It has been a tough start to the season for Virginia as the Cavaliers dropped to 0-2 with a heartbreaking loss to James Madison. Virginia is clearly making progress under Tony Elliott, but getting outscored 12-0 in the final quarter cost UVA its first win of the season.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Virginia as it plays at Maryland on Saturday, before hosting NC State. Tony Elliott and Virginia close out September with a game at Boston College, which should be winnable.
There has already been plenty of movement in the ACC Power Rankings since the start of the season and there will be plenty of more movement as the season goes along. There are no conference games this week in the ACC, but plenty of teams have a chance to make a statement outside of league play.