ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Seven

How do the ACC Power Rankings look heading into week seven?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Oct 8, 2023 2:14 PM EDT

In this story:

What a wild week in the ACC.

Through the mid-day games, it looked like a relatively normal Saturday in the conference, but that went sideways once the sun went down.

Miami did not play well against Georgia Tech but appeared to have avoided a big upset. Instead of taking a knee, Miami elected to try and run the ball and a fumble occurred. Georgia Tech scored with one-second remaining and pulled off one of the wildest wins you will ever see.

Up north, Louisville got its biggest win in years by defeating Notre Dame and announcing themselves as a serious contender in the ACC.

So how did yesterday's results shape the ACC power rankings ahead of week seven?

14. Virginia (1-5). Last week's ranking: 14

Yes, Virginia is no longer winless, but I still think they are the worst team in the ACC. The Cavaliers had to scratch and claw their way to a win over William and Mary and after a slow start, the offense was able to get going and get UVA its first win of the year.

Next week, Virginia is off, and then will have a big challenge against North Carolina.

13. Pitt (1-4). Last week's ranking: 12

Pitt was off this week and returns to the field this week against Louisville.

12. Virginia Tech (2-4). Last week's ranking: 10

The Hokies fought hard and hung tight for a period of time against Florida State yesterday, but were unable to make a serious push at an upset and are now 2-4. The defense allowed FSU running back Trey Benson to run for 200 yards and quarterback Kyron Drones could not replicate what he did against Pitt the week before. The Hokies have a winnable game next week against Wake Forest.

11. Boston College (3-3). Last week's ranking: 11

Boston College survived a test from Army yesterday and the Eagles are now 3-3 heading into their bye week before they head to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. It was a great day running the football for quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who has given this offense a shot in the arm and he seems to be getting better each week.

10. Wake Forest (3-2). Last week's ranking: 8

Wake Forest came close to beating Clemson yesterday, but Dave Clawson's team came up short against the Tigers. The offense managed to only score 12 points yesterday, but it was a really solid effort from the Demon Deacons on the other side of the football, holding Clemson to only 17. Wake is 0-2 in ACC play heading into their game against Virginia Tech.

9. Syracuse (4-2). Last week's ranking: 7

It is not all their fault, but I think the 4-0 start for Syracuse was more due to their schedule and not because Syracuse is a good team. The Orange have a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but their defense just got picked apart by Drake Maye and North Carolina. It is not going to get any easier for Dino Babers's team this week against Florida State.

8. Georgia Tech (3-3). Last week's ranking: 13

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King
Nathaniel Caudell

Georgia Tech appeared to be falling to 2-4 after a hard-fought game against Miami, but thanks to some poor decision-making by Mario Cristobal, the Yellow Jackets scored with one second left and escaped Miami with one of the most improbable wins in college football history. It says a lot about Brent Key and his team that they were able to move past the loss to Bowling Green and pull a big upset on the road. The Yellow Jackets have a bye week before facing Boston College at home.

7. NC State (4-2). Last week's ranking: 9

A win is a win I guess, but giving up 41 points to Marshall has to be disappointing for the Wolfpack, who have been an excellent defense this season. Quarterback M.J. Morris got a start for the first time this season and it was a mixed bag for him. He looked better than Brennan Armstrong but had a problem with turnovers. NC State travels to Duke to face a Blue Devils team that might be without quarterback Riley Leonard.

6. Miami (4-1). Last week's ranking: 2

What a disaster that was for the Hurricanes against Georgia Tech. Besides the final sequence, it was a sloppy effort for Miami against the Yellow Jackets. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw three interceptions and the offense could not score touchdowns in the red zone. The defense played well until the final drive, but still allowed Georgia Tech to march down with no timeouts and barely any time and score a touchdown . The Hurricanes are talented ,but they have a lot to figure out after that debacle.

5. Clemson (4-2). Last week's ranking: 6

It was not pretty against Wake Forest, but the Tigers got their second consecutive conference win. The offense still looked uneven and like it had things to figure out, but the defense has remained excellent. Clemson is off this week before a road game against Miami.

4. Duke (4-1). Last week's ranking: 4

Duke was off this weekend and will be back this Saturday against NC State at home.

3. North Carolina (5-0). Last week's ranking: 3

I strongly considered moving North Carolina up to No. 2 after they destroyed Syracuse on Saturday, but another team made a strong enough statement to move up there. Drake Maye was phenomenal, throwing for nearly 450 yards and looking like a future top-five NFL Draft pick. The Tar Heels have a prime time matchup with Miami next weekend.

2. Louisville (6-0). Last week's ranking: 5

I have to hand it to Louisville, I did not think they would be very competitive vs Notre Dame on Saturday night, but Jeff Brohm proved why he is one of the best coaches in the sport. The Cardinal's defense shut down the Notre Dame offense and running back Jawhar Jordan had a fantastic game. Louisville has a very favorable schedule ahead and could be a dark horse to make the college football playoff if they handle their business.

1. Florida State (5-0). Last week's ranking: 1

Florida State handled their business on Saturday and got a win over Virginia Tech to move to 5-0. The Seminoles ran the ball very well and the defense did not let Virginia Tech get going. Up next is a game against a reeling Syracuse team that has been blown out two straight weeks.

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