ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Two

How did the ACC Football power rankings shake up after a crazy week one slate?

Week one is officially in the books and the ACC is facing a lot of questions after the first set of games of the year. 

Clemson was the media's pick to win the league again this year, but the Tiger's offense remains a cause of concern after an unimpressive showing against Georgia Tech. NC State and North Carolina survived tough road tests and Florida State got their best win of the Mike Norvell era by beating LSU on a blocked extra point in New Orleans. 

Check out last week's rankings here.  

So who moved up and who moved down this week's power rankings in the ACC? Let's break it down below. The record and last week's result is in parentheses. 

14. Duke (1-0, W vs Temple 30-0)- Last week: 14

Duke was impressive in their week one win over Temple, but the Owls might be a bottom-five team in the country, so the Blue Devils remain last. 

Up next for Duke: At Northwestern

13. Georgia Tech (0-1, L vs Clemson 10-41)- Last week: 13

Georgia Tech vs Clemson
Georgia Tech faced a tough test against Clemson in week one / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

No other ACC team faced a tougher test than Georgia Tech, who opened against fourth-ranked Clemson. The Yellow Jackets gave Clemson a good game early, but the Tiger's depth took over in the end. 

Up next for Georgia Tech: vs Western Carolina

12. Virginia Tech (0-1, L vs Old Dominion 20-17)- Last week: 10

Virginia Tech suffered the most embarrassing loss in the ACC by losing to Old Dominion yet again. It was a tough debut for head coach Brent Pry and it could be tough for the Hokies to make a bowl game. 

Up next for Virginia Tech: vs Boston College

11. Boston College (0-1, L vs Rutgers 22-21)- Last week: 9

Boston College looked like they were going to escape with a win vs Rutgers, but fell short due to three turnovers from star quarterback Phil Jurkovec. 

Up next for Boston College: At Virginia Tech

10. Virginia (1-0, W vs Richmond 34-17)- Last week: 10

Virginia Quarterback Brennan Armstrong
Brennan Armstrong and Virginia got a win over Richmond in week one / Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia got a simple win over Virginia and quarterback Brennan Armstrong and it was a nice start to the Tony Elliott era in Charlottesville. 

Up next: At Illinois

9. Louisville (0-1, L vs Syracuse 7-31)- Last week: 5

There was no ACC team more disappointing than Louisville in week one. The Cardinals went on the road to face Syracuse and did not look good at all. 

Louisville was expected to have one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC but looked pedestrian against a solid Syracuse defense. Head coach Scott Satterfield could be on the hot seat with more performances like this. 

Up next: At UCF (Friday)

8. Syracuse (1-0, W vs Louisville 31-7)- Last week: 12

The Orange looked really good Saturday night against Louisville and could be much better than originally thought. Quarterback Garrett Shrader looked good and the defense bottled up Louisville's offense. 

This is a big season for head coach Dino Babers and he is off to a great start in 2022. 

Up next: At UConn

7. North Carolina (2-0, W vs App State 63-61)- Last week: 7

One team that did not move up or down in this week's rankings was North Carolina. Quarterback Drake Maye looks like a superstar, but the defense looks worse than it did last year. 

If the Tarheels can't get it together on defense than another six-win season is in the cards. 

Up Next: At Georgia State 

6. Wake Forest (1-0, W vs VMI 44-10)- Last week: 6

Wake Forest Quarterback Sam Hartman
Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman returns to action this  :: Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK

The best news that could have possibly happened for Wake Forest came when star quarterback Sam Hartman announced he would be returning this week for the game against Vanderbilt. Hartman is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and Wake Forest hopes to compete for an ACC title with him at the helm. 

Up Next: At Vanderbilt

5. NC State (1-0, W vs East Carolina 21-20)- Last week: 3

NC State survived an upset scare on the road against the Pirates and the Wolfpack will be hoping that it was just an off week going ahead. If not for some special teams miscues from East Carolina, NC State might be 0-1. 

The defense for NC State looked good, but the offense is going to have to be much better in the coming weeks. Devin Leary is a very talented player, but he did not play his best last week. 

Up next: vs Charleston Southern

4. Pittsburgh (1-0, W vs West Virginia 38-31)- Last week: 4

Pitt got one of the best wins of the opening week when they beat West Virginia in the backyard brawl and now, they will have a huge home game against Tennessee. 

The Panthers got a big win over the Volunteers last year but will be an underdog at home on Saturday. This would be a big win for both Pitt and the ACC. 

3. Florida State (1-0, W vs LSU 24-23)- Last week: 8

Florida State got their biggest win in quite some time when they took down LSU in New Orleans on Sunday. The Seminoles were in control for most of that game and looked like they have taken a step forward under Mike Norvell in year three. 

Florida State is off this week and will return to action next Friday vs Louisville. 

2. Clemson (1-0, W vs Georgia Tech 41-10)- Last week: 2

Georgia Tech Special Teams
Clemson's special teams were the deciding factor against Georgia Tech :: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Tigers may have won on Monday night against Georgia Tech, but the offense looks exactly like it did last year, which is a huge problem. Clemson is going to be more vulnerable with the offense playing like this even though they may have the best defense in the country. 

If Clemson's offense remains this stagnant, it might be time for true freshman Cade Klubnik. Klubnik threw a touchdown on Monday (against backups) and should see some more playing time this week. 

Up Next: vs Furman

1. Miami (1-0, W 70-13 vs Bethune Cookman)- Last week: 1

Miami remains at number one after crushing Bethune Cookman last week. There was nothing to really learn from this game, but no other ACC team looked good to pass the Hurricanes this week. The running game looked good, with Henry Parrish and Thaddeus Franklin having nice days on the ground. 

Up next: vs Southern Miss

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Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell