ACC Power Rankings updated ahead of Week 7 of college football

On3 imageby:Ashton Pollard•10/15/21•

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To say the ACC has had a disappointing season to date would be a gross understatement. 

The king of conference, Clemson, suffered two losses in the first four weeks of college football, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention. Miami and UNC, the two teams predicted to be in the running to challenge the Tigers, each have three losses. The only remaining undefeated team in the conference is Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons are the highest ranked member of the conference in the AP Poll, sitting at No. 16. 

All that being said, Clemson remains the favorite to win the conference. They also sit atop the power rankings for one of the more unpredictable conferences in the nation this year.

ACC power rankings entering Week 7

  1. Clemson Tigers: It is difficult to find a team having a more shocking season than Clemson. They are last in the ACC in scoring offense, posting just 21.2 points per game. They have been plagued by injuries, a subpar offensive line and a quarterback in D.J. Uiagalelei who has not panned out like the other recent Clemson quarterbacks. A New Year’s Six Bowl is certainly not out of reach, but for a team accustomed to having a shot at winning it all, 2021 will always be remembered as a shockingly bad year for the Tigers.
  1. Pittsburgh Panthers: Perhaps the biggest positive surprise in the ACC can be found in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is currently the nation’s top scoring offense, posting 52.7 points per game. For context, Pat Narduzzi’s team has not averaged more than 30 points per game since 2016. Led by quarterback and now-Heisman contender Kenny Pickett, the Panthers currently have a 7.6% chance to make the College Football Playoff according to the FPI rankings.
  1. NC State Wolfpack: One of the most veteran teams in the country has already played spoiler this season after knocking off Clemson at home a few weeks ago. The Wolfpack have just one loss to Mississippi State, and it remains to be determined how good the Bulldogs are. Regardless, once again, head coach Dave Doeren has a quality team in Raleigh which could be a dark horse to win the ACC.
  1. North Carolina Tar Heels: UNC’s season has been a rollercoaster. At times they can’t stop scoring while other times their ineffective offensive line leads to massive troubles. The Tar Heels have allowed 23 sacks this season, which is 124th in the country. Over a three-week stretch beginning Oct. 30, UNC plays at Notre Dame and Pittsburgh and hosts Wake Forest. Those teams have a combined 15-2 record, and the teams UNC has played thus far are a combined 17-18.
  1. Miami Hurricanes: Miami just lost quarterback D’Eriq King to season-ending shoulder surgery, and the ‘Canes lost a dramatic 2-point game at home against UVA the last time they saw the field. Excluding a dominant win over Central Connecticut State, Miami is three points away from being 1-4. They do not have a Power Five win. After a much-needed bye week, Miami will look to take down UNC this weekend. 
  1. Wake Forest Demon Deacons: It’s somewhat shocking the ACC’s only undefeated team is sixth in the power rankings, but that’s the 2021 ACC for you. The Demon Deacons‘ hardest games are in front of them with Army in two weeks plus NC State and Clemson in November, but if they continue to sneak by like they did against Syracuse last weekend, they will be, at the very least, a national talking point. 
  1. Boston College Eagles: Jeff Hafley has the Eagles program trending up in his second season, but an unfortunate injury at quarterback and a close loss at Clemson have been the more recent, dominant storylines. Boston College‘s defense is humming, giving up just 16.8 points per game and allowing an ACC-best 193.8 passing yards per game. A win against ranked NC State this weekend would be a big victory for the program looking to get over the hump.
  1. Virginia Cavaliers (4-2): If someone asked you in August which quarterback would lead college football in passing yardage through the middle of the season, Cavaliers quarterback Brennan Armstrong probably would not have been at the top of the list. With 2,460 yards and four games with over 400 passing yards, Armstrong is carrying a 4-2 squad which has won its last two games by a total of three points. Unfortunately for UVA fans, the defense has been abysmal, giving up an ACC-worst 201.2 rushing yards per contest.
  1. Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Fighting Irish last weekend. Their defense is relatively stout, but their scoring offense is the second worst in the conference. Head coach Justin Feunte has one of the hottest seats in the country, and the Hokie faithful are growing impatient. A middle-of-the-pack finish in the ACC likely won’t cut it.
  1. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: After an embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois to start the year, Georgia Tech has yet to win consecutive games. They notched a narrow win over Duke last weekend, but they will need to improve drastically if they want to have a shot to beat Notre Dame or Georgia, their final two games of the season.
  1. Louisville Cardinals: The Cardinals are one of just two teams to fall down a spot in this week’s power rankings after they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead to UVA last weekend. Louisville still has a greater than 50% chance to become bowl eligible, but they have two remaining ranked opponents on their calendar plus Clemson.
  1. Florida State Seminoles: Florida State has won two consecutive games after starting 0-4, but they still have the lowest chance of making a bowl game in the ACC, just 5.7%. They’re off this week and face UMass the following week, but their final five games are Clemson, No. 22 NC State, Miami, Boston College and No. 20 Florida. It’s difficult to find more than two, if that, additional wins this season for Mike Norvell’s team. 
  1. Syracuse Orange: After starting 3-1 including a win over a solid Liberty program, Syracuse has lost back-to-back heartbreakers by a total of six points. Surprisingly, the Orange have the best run game in the ACC led by Sean Tucker. They have the chance to knock off Clemson, a team they have challenged in recent years, on Friday night at the Carrier Dome.
  2. Duke Blue Devils: Head coach David Cutcliffe is tied as the longest tenured coach in the ACC at 14 years and has at times provided the Duke program with some memorable years. 2021 is a season they will want to forget. Duke has just a 10.9% chance of making a bowl game at this point. They travel to UVA this weekend, a conference opponent that has beaten them four consecutive times.