Week 3 ACC Power Rankings

We’re rolling now and while it’s clear who is the best and who is the worst in the conference, there’s a bunch of teams crowding up the middle.

The league went 10-4 last week as a whole and was .500 (2-2) against Power 5 opponents. Here’s a look at how everyone else shook out after week two of the college football season.

1. #2 Clemson (2-0 Overall)

Kelly Bryant threw for 205 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to help Clemson narrowly escape Texas A&M last week, 28-26. The Aggies scored on a long pass to Kendrick Rogers with 46 seconds left, but an interception on their two-point attempt slammed the door on their shot to send the game to overtime. Four sacks and 10 tackles for loss from their defensive line still couldn’t outweigh a secondary that allowed over 400 yards and ceded the final 13 points of the game, but Clemson remains unscathed.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 vs. Georgia Southern (2-0) at Noon on ESPN2

2. Virginia Tech (2-0 Overall, 1-0 Conference)

The Hokies destroyed FCS opponent William & Mary 62-17 following their season-opening win against Florida State. Their cupcake matchup against ECU has been cancelled due to Hurricane Florence, so no real change expected here between this week and next.

Up next: vs. ECU (1-1) *Canceled*

3. #21 Miami (1-1 Overall)

Miami snapped a four-game losing skid in the process of dismantling Savannah State, 77-0. Nine players saw the end zone for the Canes and their 77-point spread was the biggest margin of victory in school history.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 at Toledo (1-0) at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2

4. NC State (2-0 Overall)

Ryan Finley went 31-for-38 for 370 yards and 2 TDs as the Wolfpack took down Georgia State, 41-7. Finley currently leads the conference in passing yards with 672 through two games. His chance to shoot it out with Heisman candidate Will Grier is on hold as Hurricane Florence has cancelled this week’s game against No. 14 West Virginia.

Up next: vs. #14 WVU (2-0) *Canceled*

5. Boston College (2-0 Overall)

AJ Dillon only ran the ball six times in BC’s 62-14 thrashing of Holy Cross, but he was still able to rack up 149 yards and 3 TDs on the day. The Eagles begin conference-play tomorrow night against Wake Forest.

Up next: Thursday 9/13 at Wake Forest (2-0) at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN

6. Duke (2-0 Overall)

Duke vs. Northwestern was exactly the kind of matchup you’d expect to see in a meaningless bowl game between two middle-of-the-road teams. They did win, however, 21-7. Duke’s quarterback and star cornerback both were lost to serious injury, so expect a significant drop in the Blue Devils’ near future.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 at Baylor (2-0) at 3:30 p.m. on FS1

7. Louisville (1-1 Overall)

The Cards went undefeated last week against the rain and Indiana State, beating the Sycamores 31-7 and battling through three weather delays to do so. Coach Petrino is downplaying a potential quarterback controversy, so all eyes on Puma Pass this week against in-state opponent WKU.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 vs. Western Kentucky (0-2) at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network

8. Wake Forest (2-0 Overall)

Wake Forest is lucky they’ve got Greg Dortch; his three touchdowns included punt returns of 60 and 70 yards, plus an 8-yard grab as the Demon Deacons slid past Towson, 51-20.

Up next: Thursday 9/13 vs. Boston College (2-0) at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN

9. Syracuse (2-0 Overall)

I didn’t even know that Wagner was a real team in college football until I saw that Syracuse beat them 62-10. Wait, does that make them a real team? I don’t know. But I do know that if the Orange beat Florida State this week, questions will be swirling around Willie Taggart.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 vs. Florida State (1-1) at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN

10. Florida State (1-1 Overall, 0-1 Conference)

The Seminoles trailed the Samford Bulldogs AT HOME until there were four minutes left in the game and a Deondre Francois touchdown pass saved them from a second straight week of humiliation. Their surprising thumping by Virginia Tech in week one has the ‘Noles scraping the bottom of the conference.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 at Syracuse (2-0) at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN

11. Georgia Tech (1-1 Overall)

USF’s Terence Horne returned back-to-back kickoffs for touchdowns from 98 and 97 yards, respectfully, as the Bulls came back late to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 49-38. Georgia Tech opens their conference schedule against Pitt this weekend.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 at Pitt (1-1) at 12:30 p.m. on ACC Network

12. Virginia (1-1 Overall)

Quarterback Bryce Perkins rushed for 100 yards for the second week in a row, but Virginia’s bid to upset Indiana fell short, 20-16.

Up next: Saturday 9/15 vs. Ohio (1-0) at 4:30 p.m. on ACC Network

13. Pittsburgh (1-1 Overall)

I’m sure a 51-6 loss to rival No. 13 Penn State was not what the Panthers envisioned for themselves, but it happened. Anyone surprised?

Up next: Saturday 9/15 vs. Georgia Tech (1-1) at 12:30 p.m. on ACC Network

14. North Carolina (0-2 Overall)

The Tar Heels got smacked by East Carolina last week after East Carolina got smacked by North Carolina A&T in week one. Their game against No. 18 UCF this week has been cancelled due to Hurricane Florence… I wonder how many people will notice.

Up next: vs. #18 UCF (2-0) *Canceled*