The second edition of Armchair’s ACC Football Power Rankings.
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 52-8 over Charleston Southern
Next Week: @ Louisville
Change: Up 1
I know it’s early, but it’s getting a little hard to tell if I’m watching Deondre Francois or a young Jameis Winston. This kid is something special and this team is playing great football. They get the number 1 spot because their Atlantic Division powerhouse counterpart has had two rough weeks in a row. Next week is going to be a HUGE indicator of how good they are.
2. Clemson
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 30-24 over Troy
Next Week: vs. South Carolina State
Change: Down 1
Unimpressive wins. That’s the best summary I can give of the first two weeks for the Tigers. Although this next week won’t be much of a challenge, it would be nice to see more explosiveness out of this offense that should still be as excellent as last year.
3. Louisville
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 62-28 over Syracuse
Next Week: vs. Florida State
Change: N/C
Lamar Jackson, 13 TD’s in two games. Home game vs. Florida State this coming week. Need I say more?
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 48-23 over Illinois
Next Week: vs. James Madison
Change: Up 2
The Heels finally showed up in week two and it was fun when they did. After going down 14-7 early, they answered with a TON of offense. Junior QB Mitch Trubisky had 4 total TD’s, which was a great comeback after an abysmal opening game. It’s looking like Tar Heel fans could have a repeat of last regular season, and I don’t think anyone is really complaining.
5. Miami
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 38-10 over Florida Atlantic
Next Week: @ App State
Change: Down 1
They moved into the Associated Press Poll, but they’ve been moved down in the power rankings for sake of the Tar Heels. Miami has looked good to start this season, but their first test is yet to come. App State should be a tough game for the Hurricanes, so it should be an interesting week.
6. Pittsburgh
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 42-39 over Penn State
Next Week: @ Oklahoma State
Change: Down 1
After a big win over the Nittany Lions, Pitt is going to have an even tougher challenge against a broken Oklahoma State team. James Conner is currently killing it, so things should be very exciting.
7. Georgia Tech
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 35-10 over Mercer
Next Week: vs. Vanderbilt
Change: Up 4
The Yellow Jackets had a solid week against easy competition last week, but this coming weekend should be more challenging. They move up four spots in this week’s rankings because, frankly, they’re still 2-0.
8. Wake Forest
Record: 2-0
Last Week: 24-14 over Duke
Next Week: vs. Delaware
Change: Up 4
Admittedly, last week’s win over Duke was very surprising. The Demon Deacons had a solid game and should look to continue improving off of it. Delaware will be a great opponent to work on things against.
9. NC State
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 33-30 loss to ECU
Next Week: vs. Old Dominion
Change: Down 1
Although they did lose to the Pirates, it was a well-fought game with some tough breaks. QB Ryan Finley looked solid throughout and they can definitely improve, despite this loss. This week should be an easy time to work things out.
10. Virginia Tech
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 45-24 loss to Tennessee
Next Week: vs. Boston College
Change: Down 1
Tennessee is a tough pill to swallow for Hokies fans, but it’s just going to have to be a learning lesson. This Va Tech team may not be quite good enough to hold up against a tough ranked squad, but they may have an upset factor in the future against ACC opponents.
11. Duke
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 24-14 loss to Wake Forest
Next Week: @ Northwestern
Change: Down 4
The Blue Devils disappointed last week and HAVE to have a good game at Northwestern this week or else this season will go down fast.
12. Syracuse
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 62-28 loss to Louisville
Next Week: vs. South Florida
Change: Down 2
They faced Lamar Jackson and the rest of the Cardinals, so you can’t expect much, but this coming week should be solid for them. They definitely have a lot of work to do.
13. Boston College
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 26-7 over UMass
Next Week: @ Va Tech
Change: Up 1
They finally got a win over UMass, but it’s not an ACC win, so no one get excited yet. They still have a ton of work to do, but things are looking up for the Eagles.
14. Virginia
Record: 0-2
Last Week: 44-26 loss to Oregon
Next Week: @ Connecticut
Change: Down 1
It’s been one heck of a rough start to the season for the Cavaliers. At this point, it’s debatable whether they’ll put up any sort of fight at Connecticut this week. Don’t put it past them to be the 2016 version of the 2015 Boston College story.
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