ACC Power Rankings: Where is Virginia Tech after its 35-26 win over Maryland?

Where do the Hokies sit after their 3-0 start?

Virginia Tech Athletics

In week three, the ACC went 9-8 overall, finishing with a 4-3 record in non-conference games and 5-5 in head-to-head conference matchups. There have been several shake-ups since my installation last week, here is where each ACC team sits following three weeks of college football action:

17. Boston College (2-1)

Boston College is back in the cellar after barely avoiding an embarrassing loss against Maine (FCS). In the Eagles' narrow 22-16 win, quarterback Mason McKenzie threw for 173 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions, bringing his season totals to 648 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions, with an unimpressive 38.1 QB rating.

16. Stanford (1-2, 0-2 ACC)

Stanford escapes the bottom spot despite a 35-7 beatdown loss to Duke. The Cardinal were only able to amass 237 total yards on a mere 4.1 yards per play. The schedule isn't going to get any easier for Stanford, as they have Georgia Tech and Wake Forest before traveling to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish.

15. Syracuse (1-2, 0-2 ACC)

Syracuse remains at 15 following its second consecutive conference loss, this time to Pitt 27-13. Quarterback Steve Angeli had another less-than-appealing start for the Orange, passing for 161 yards and two interceptions before being benched in the fourth quarter for Kennesaw State transfer Amari Odom. Syracuse has a bye week to decide on its starting quarterback before traveling to UConn on Oct. 3 for a non-conference must-win matchup.

14. NC State (1-2, 0-1 ACC)

NC State snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Vanderbilt in an unlikely fashion. With just six seconds remaining and the Wolfpack holding a three-point lead, quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled in the end zone; Vanderbilt recovered, giving the Commodores a 35-31 victory. To put the play in perspective, over the past twenty years, teams leading with the ball in the final 10 seconds had been just 1,046-1 before NC State's meltdown, with the lone victory coming in the infamous "trouble with the snap" play in the Michigan vs. Michigan State game in 2015. The Wolfpack will look to get back on track against in-state foe Appalachian State before hosting Louisville in week five.

13. Georgia Tech (1-2)

Georgia Tech got in the win column after beating Mercer (FCS) 44-11 in week three. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza turned in his best game with the Yellow Jackets, with a stat line of 249 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Justice Haynes also had a monstrous game, rushing for 141 yards on 6.4 yards per carry with two touchdowns.

12. Florida State (1-2, 0-1 ACC)

I mentioned in my last installation, "Will lightning strike twice?" in reference to Florida State upsetting Alabama for the second consecutive season. Depending on how you interpret my question, you could argue that lightning did strike, even though the Seminoles fell to the Crimson Tide, 50-36.

The game faced two separate lightning delays — a pregame delay and an in-game delay that occurred in the final three minutes of the second quarter, with Florida State leading 21-13. Following that second delay, Alabama would score on six consecutive drives, giving them the decisive victory. Turnovers would be the breaking point for the Seminoles, as despite totaling 471 yards on 7.4 yards per play, Ashton Daniels' three interceptions gave Alabama enough breathing room to build a lead.

11. California (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

California dominated Wagner (FCS) to the tune of a 49-7 home victory. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had a much-needed bounce-back game, totaling 413 passing yards on an impressive 81% completion percentage (27-for-33), with three touchdowns. The Golden Bears have a good opportunity to grab a major conference win with Clemson coming to Berkley Friday.

10. North Carolina (2-1, 0-1)

North Carolina let a win against Clemson slip right out of their reach after taking an early lead and holding it for roughly 51 minutes of game time before a Gideon Davidson touchdown run gave the Tigers a lead with about five minutes left in the game. In the 28-20 loss, junior running back Benjamin Hall totaled 130 yards on the ground, while quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. struggled to get the pass game going, amassing a mere 135 yards on a 43% completion percentage. North Carolina has a bye week before hosting No. 3 Notre Dame on Oct. 3.

9. Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

Clemson squeaked by with a 28-20 win against North Carolina, with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds still leading the offense. A big win for this Clemson team under Dabo Swinney, but so many question marks surround a program that was a consensus top-5 ACC preseason team.

8. Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1 ACC)

Wake Forest unfortunately had the displeasure of hosting ACC leading No. 6 Miami this past week, and it went about as well as it could have for the Demon Deacons. After the first quarter of action, it was even at seven, before the Hurricanes rolled off 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. From there, Miami held on to its lead, despite allowing 13 points from Wake Forest in the second half for a final score of 33-20.

Quarterback Gio Lopez held his own against Heisman hopeful Darian Mensah, but in the end it wasn't enough. The Demon Deacons can't sit on the loss long as a weekend trip to Louisville looms.

7. Virginia (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

In the biggest drop of the week, Virginia falls five spots from number two all the way to number seven following its 38-27 loss to West Virginia in the Duke's Mayo Classic. Playing in Charlotte appears to be the Cavaliers' kryptonite. In their last seven games, including their loss against Duke in last season's ACC Championship, they are 0-2 at Bank of America Stadium and 5-0 everywhere else.

The Virginia defense was less than efficient in containing Mountaineers' quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., as he totaled 313 yards, with five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing).

6. Pitt (3-0, 1-0 ACC)

Pitt took care of business at home against Syracuse with a 27-13 victory, despite quarterback Mason Heintschel having his worst game of the season. Heintschel was only able to complete 10 of his 23 attempts, while having just 123 yards and an interception. The Panthers host Bucknell (FCS) this week, before visiting Blacksburg for a possible undefeated matchup against Virginia Tech on Oct. 2.

5. SMU (2-1, 1-1 ACC)

SMU dropped a highly anticipated ACC matchup against Louisville 41-31, after allowing 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Running back Kendrick Raphael had video-game numbers in the loss, as he rushed for 197 yards on a remarkable 8.2 yards per carry, with three touchdowns. The Mustangs have a favorable schedule from here on out, with the only true test coming in week 12 on the road against Notre Dame.

4. Duke (3-0, 1-0 ACC)

The reigning ACC champions, Duke, remain undefeated following a shutdown 35-7 victory over Stanford. The Blue Devils outgained the Cardinal 470-237, including a lopsided 268-73 on the ground. Running back Nate Sheppard continued his All-ACC push with another great performance on the ground, rushing for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

3. Virginia Tech (3-0)

Virginia Tech took care of business against Maryland, earning its first Power Four non-conference win since 2017, and ending a 20-game win streak for the Terrapins against non-conference opponents. In the 35-26 win, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer led the charge, throwing for 314 yards, three touchdowns and another touchdown on the ground. In the loss, however, Maryland quarterback Malik Washington highlighted weak spots in the Hokies' secondary as he passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns of his own. Virginia Tech will head to Boston College to kick off its conference play in week four.

2. Louisville (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

Louisville picked up a big conference win against SMU, putting them in a great position for the season. In the win, the Cardinals' rushing attack was too much for the Mustangs to handle as Louisville combined to rush for 265 yards on 7.2 yards per carry, led by Keyjuan Brown, who rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. With the Cardinals' two biggest tests — SMU and Ole Miss — already behind them, they appear primed to be in contention to play in Charlotte come December.

1. Miami (3-0, 2-0 ACC)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miami remains atop the ACC. Having two Heisman contenders in Darian Mensah and Malachi leading your offense should be enough firepower to keep the Hurricanes near or at the top of the conference. The duo shined once again against Wake Forest this past week, as Mensah completed 30 of his 34 passes, adding 220 yards and three touchdowns, while Toney put up another 100-plus-yard receiving game and also scored a touchdown. Miami hosts Central Michigan in week four on Saturday, its first Saturday game this college football season.