Week Five ACC Power Rankings: Georgia Tech falls to the bottom after loss to Stanford

That was certainly a week in the ACC.

Just when it looked like things were starting to be figured out, suddenly nothing was. Louisville looked like it had a clear path to Charlotte after beating SMU last week, but their defense fell apart against Wake Forest and the Demon Deacons got another huge win under Jake Dickert and move to 3-1.

Elsewhere, SMU struggled to beat Missouri State, Virginia Tech overcame a late deficit to beat Boston College in a monsoon, and Miami dominated once again.

So how do the power rankings look this week?

17. Georgia Tech (1-3, 0-1). Last week: 13

After their best season in nearly a decade, Georgia Tech might be the worst team in the power four.

After leading Stanford 20-10 at halftime, the Yellow Jackets were outscored 24-7 in the second half and are now at 1-3. It has been a disaster season for Georgia Tech so far and it might not be getting better any time soon.

16. Boston College (2-2, 0-1). Last week: 16

Credit to Boston College for coming out and fighting against Virginia Tech in what was a very weather-effected football game. The Eagles may have found something with their QB run game, but they still have a lot to figure out heading into a week five game against SMU.

15. Stanford (2-2, 1-2). Last week: 17

Stanford's offense had scored 13 points combined in their first two ACC games of the season, but responded with 34 in their win over Georgia Tech. Quarterback Davis Warren had perhaps the best game of his career and head coach Tavita Pritchard got his first ACC win. The Cardinal have a huge test next week on the road against Wake Forest.

14. NC State (2-2, 0-1). Last week: 15

It was not always pretty, but NC State bounced back from their loss to Vanderbilt and got a win against feisty App State squad that has had a good start to the season. There are still plenty of questions about this team though heading into next week's game against Louisville in Raleigh.

13. Syracuse (1-2, 0-2). Last week: 14

Syracuse was off this weekend and they will resume play in week five against UConn.

12. California (2-2, 1-1). Last week: 9

It has not been the start to the season that Cal wanted. The Golden Bears offense looks completely lost right now despite having plenty of talent and their defense could not stop the Clemson ground game. Cal travels to UNLV next weekend seeking their third win of the season.

11. Florida State (2-2, 0-1). Last week: 12

Was it pretty? It hardly is with Florida State, but the Seminoles defeated Central Arkansas 34-7 and got their second win of the season. FSU needs a win against UVA next week to try and inject some life into this program or things could continue to go down hill.

10. North Carolina (2-2, 0-1). Last week: 11

North Carolina was off this week and will resume play next Saturday at home against Notre Dame.

9. Clemson (3-1, 2-0). Last week: 10

The Tigers played stingy defense and had a solid ground game against Cal on Friday night and got a win to move to 2-0 in ACC play. Given how the rest of the league looks, the Tigers still have a chance to make it to Charlotte, but we will see how they stack up next week when Miami comes to town.

8. SMU (3-1, 1-1), Last week: 4

SMU looked like it was sleep-walking all game against Missouri State and was only able to pull away in the 4th quarter. Was it a hangover from the loss to Louisville or a sign of things to come? If they repeat that performance next week against Boston College, it might be time to worry.

7. Virginia (3-1, 1-0). Last week: 7

Credit Virginia for bouncing back from their loss to West Virginia to get a win over Delaware without really breaking a sweat. The Cavaliers head back into ACC play next weekend against Florida State.

6. Louisville (2-2, 1-1 ACC). Last week: 2

After beating SMU last week, Louisville was talked about as a darkhorse playoff contender and the Cardinals were going to be favored in every game the rest of the way. The defense continues to allow chunk plays and while they still have a path to get to the ACC Championship game, their margin for error has shrunk. Will they be able to bounce back on the road against NC State next week?

5. Pittsburgh (4-0, 1-0). Last week: 6

The Panthers barely broke a sweat against Bucknell on Saturday and they remain undefeated heading into October. The biggest test of the season awaits Pitt next Friday night against Virginia Tech.

4. Wake Forest (3-1, 1-1). Last week: 8

Wake Forest played Miami tougher than anyone thought last weekend and they followed that up with a big win on the road against Louisville. Can the Demon Deacons make a run at Charlotte to get a rematch with the Hurricanes? They need to avoid the letdown next weekend when they host Stanford.

3. Virginia Tech (4-0, 1-0). Last week: 3

Virginia Tech survived some horrible weather condidtions to eek out a 21-14 road win against Boston College in James Franklin's first ACC game as head coach. A massive test awaits next weekend against Pittsburgh.

2. Duke (4-0, 1-0). Last week: 5

I continue to be more and more impressed by Duke as the season goes along. They were only facing William & Mary, but the Blue Devils won with ease and look like a real threat in the conference. Duke is off next weekend before heading to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech in week six.

1. Miami (4-0, 2-0)

The Hurricanes still look like the class of the ACC through the first month of the season. Miami dispatched of Central Michigan quickly on Saturday and will head back on the road next weekend to face Clemson.

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