ACC Power Rankings after Week 2: Florida State falls again while Miami tops the list
An 0-2 start for Florida State is perhaps the best evidence that the ACC is a mess. Several of the expected top teams have struggled, while there are some surprise 2-0 squads sprinkled around the league. As things stand, here are the ACC Power Rankings coming out of Week 2.
ACC Power Rankings after Week 2
17. Stanford (1-1)
The Cardinal got a win but had a 7-7 battle with Cal Poly with a minute to go in the first half. The Stanford passing attack was solid (26 for 30 and 318 yards), but it remains to be seen if it will continue against better opposition.
16. Wake Forest (1-1)
Wake lost at home to Virginia despite leading by 13 points with 11 minutes to play. Big plays in the passing game hurt the Wake defense, as UVA threw for 357 yards.
15. NC State (1-1)
After struggling to beat an FCS foe in Week 1, NC State's humiliation at the hands of Tennessee has dropped them even below Florida State. 143 yards of total offense is embarrassing and begs the question of where the Wolfpack can go from here.
14. Virginia (2-0)
The Hoos are 2-0 but trailed by 13 points in the final quarter on Saturday. Even in the win, Virginia allowed 544 yards including 403 passing yards. The gritty victory was good, but the long-term situation for the defense is concerning.
13. Florida State (0-2)
Not playing might be the best path for FSU for the moment. Surely, they can't stay this bad.
12. Virginia Tech (1-1)
The Hokies got a win over Marshall 31-14, but it was a 10-7 game at halftime. Tech's offense has been underwhelming so far, although 120 yards from Bhayshul Tuten was a good sign.
11. Georgia Tech (2-1)
Tech's good work in a 2-0 start took a hit here. Florida State isn't a juggernaut but surrendering 515 yards of offense to Syracuse calls the Yellowjacket defense into question.
10. Duke (2-0)
The Blue Devils made it work, they hung around and then bested Northwestern in double overtime. Duke earned its place in the middle of the ACC pack with the win.
9. Pittsburgh (2-0)
The good news is that the Panthers won and moved to 2-0. The bad news is almost everything else. A poor Cincinnati squad had a 27-6 lead over Pitt in the last minute of the third quarter. The Pitt defense doesn't seem very good.
8. SMU (2-1)
A humbling loss to BYU knocks the Mustangs back a good way. SMU had just 261 total yards of offense and only scored points via field goals. Not a great look.
7. Syracuse (2-0)
Kyle McCord (381 yards, 4 TDs) and the Orange are one of the ACC's feel-good stories so far. Their 31-28 win over Georgia Tech flip-flopped the two teams' positions in the ACC.
6. North Carolina (2-0)
The post-Max Johnson era opened with an adequate 38-20 win over Charlotte. It is worth wondering how high the ceiling is for UNC without their injured starting QB.
5. California (2-0)
Fernando Mendoza was incredibly efficient in engineering a 21-14 upset at Auburn. The ground game could still use some work but Teddye Buchanan was outstanding for the Cal defense.
4. Boston College (2-0)
An easy win and one that doesn't show much. Boston College dominated Duquesne as much as the 56-0 score would suggest. The Eagles had no emotional hangover from beating Florida State.
3. Louisville (2-0)
The Cardinals didn't have to show much in besting Jacksonville State 49-14. The passing game with Tyler Shough is developing, but Louisville is clearly one of the best teams in the ACC.
2. Clemson (1-1)
Everyone thought Clemson was awful after Week 1. It could be that Clemson is quite good, but there is a chasm that big between Georgia and the lower half of the top 10 Clemson team. Watching Clemson put up 56 first-half points against Appalachian State made that seem pretty plausible.
1. Miami (2-0)
The Hurricanes blasted Florida A&M and continue to show a wealth of talent. Cam Ward and the offense will deservingly get plenty of love but don't sleep on Tyler Baron's four sacks in the first two games.
Which teams do you expect to see climb or drop in our ACC Power Rankings? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!