ACC Power Rankings updated after Week 1

There was no conference that likely drew as many eyeballs over the first weekend of the season as the ACC. For three straight nights, the conference had one of its teams playing in primetime on ABC or ESPN.

One of those games was a conference matchup but the other two were non-conference games versus SEC foes. Both times the ACC team came out victorious — despite entering as underdogs — and both wins were emphatic statement wins.

But it wasn’t just the top of the conference putting on a show in Week 1. The conference as a whole went 10-4 with two of the losses coming to ACC opponents and one loss coming to a borderline top-10 team.

1. Florida State Seminoles (1-0)

The biggest game of the weekend, Sunday’s showdown between Florida State and LSU, turned into a Seminoles statement by the middle of the fourth quarter. Florida State had entered as underdogs and used a second-half stomping to pick up its biggest victory in years.

The College Football Playoff is a real possibility for this Seminoles team after the win. They are the clear No. 1 team in the ACC.

2. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0)

North Carolina entered their Saturday primetime matchup as underdogs to rival South Carolina. But the Tar Heels pulled out a statement victory of their own to put themselves in contention to be a major factor this season.

They did it without star quarterback Drake Maye having his best game, too. Maye threw for only 269 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. If North Carolina can win big games even Maye doesn’t have an A game, it raises the ceiling for this team.

3. Duke Blue Devils (1-0)

The superlatives about Duke‘s victory over Clemson sum up how big of a game Monday night was for the resurgent program. The Blue Devils had lost 28 straight to top-10 team. It was Duke’s first top-10 victory since 1989. It was is the team’s largest win over the Tigers since 1936.

But it was far from a fluky win either. Mike Elko has revamped the program into one that can be an ACC contender. Riley Leonard is a rising star at quarterback, and the Blue Devils could find themselves knocking down double-digit wins come the end of the season.

4. Clemson Tigers (0-1)

Is the Clemson dynasty over? Its the biggest question in college football since the Tigers loss to Duke. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t.

But the answer to that question doesn’t mean that Clemson isn’t a winning football team anymore. There is still talent on the roster, even if it is lacking compared to other years, and Dabo Swinney is still a two-time national championship winning coach. Maybe the College Football Playoff is out of the picture. But there are still 11 games left to play.

5. Miami Hurricanes (1-0)

Miami opened the season with a convincing victory over Miami (Ohio). The team’s rushing attack, led by Henry Parrish Jr. and Mark Fletcher, looked particularly potent against the RedHawks.

The real early-season challenge for Miami comes this week versus Texas A&M. They were two of the most disappointing teams in the country last season. If the Hurricanes are able to pull off a win, it would be a sign of improvements occurring within Mario Cristobal‘s program.

6. Louisville Cardinals (1-0)

Louisville had a difficult matchup in Week 1 with in-conference opponent Georgia Tech. The Cardinals found themselves down 15 points at the half.

But they rallied in the third quarter to flip the game on its head and come out with a 39-34 victory in Atlanta. It was a great way for the Jeff Brohm era to start and show that he has already made inroads with the team.

7. Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0)

Grant Wells led the charge for Virginia Tech with 253 yards passing and three touchdowns as the Hokies used a big second half to take down Old Dominion. The Monarchs are a tricky opponent, and were down only 16-10 at the half.

The Hokies have two interesting Big Ten matchup coming their way the next two weeks in Purdue and Rutgers. The Boilermakers lost their Week 1 game while the Scarlet Knights dominated Northwestern at home. Virginia Tech hosts Purdue but will play in New Jersey versus Rutgers.

8. NC State Wolfpack (1-0)

NC State opened up against UConn in a game that will be forgotten in a few weeks. It wasn’t a pretty win for the team but it also wasn’t a dominating victory.

The major note to take away from the game was the play of Brennan Armstrong. He was solid in his first game with the team, completing 17 of 26 passes for 155 yards. But for the Wolfpack to go far this season, he needs to be playing at a peak level.

9. Pitt Panthers (1-0)

Pitt took care of business in the first week of the season with an easy 45-7 victory over Wofford. The Terriers only got on the board in the final minute-plus of the game on a 75-yard touchdown pass.

The Panthers now have a major matchup ahead of them in the form of Cincinnati. Its the first of two straight weeks versus non-conference foes as they take on West Virginia the next week.

10. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-0)

It wasn’t as close as the final score would make it seem but Wake Forest‘s 37-17 victory over Elon was also far from a blowout. The team had a 24-0 lead at the half before giving up 14 straight points in the third quarter.

It was a memorable win for Dave Clawson, who won his 60th game with the Demon Deacons and 150th game overall. He is 15th among active head coaches in wins.

11. Syracuse Orange (1-0)

Syracuse had no trouble at all with Colgate in a record-setting 65-0 victory this past weekend. The team set a school record with 677 yards on offense. It was also the Orange’s most points since Nov. 28, 1998.

There’s not much to take away from a game against a team like the Raiders but the Syracuse defense also played very well. They allowed only 106 yards of offense.

12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0-1)

There was plenty of good to take away from Georgia Tech‘s 39-34 loss to Louisville in the season opener even if the end result wasn’t ideal. Haynes King threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns in his first start. The Yellow Jackets had only two penalties all game.

But Gavin Stewart missed two field goals. The team couldn’t hold onto a 28-13 lead. A late fourth-quarter possession down eight started at the team’s 25 and ended four players later at its 29, giving Louisville prime field position.

13. Virginia Cavaliers (0-1)

Virginia‘s game this weekend was about more than a win or a loss. It was about the act of getting on the field and playing football again.

For the first time since last November’s on-campus shooting that left three players dead, the Cavaliers played a football game. They lost by 36 points to Tennessee but that’s not what their fans will remember about the game. It will be about something much more.

14. Boston College Eagles (0-1)

Northern Illinois was 3-9 last season, although six of their losses were by 10 points or less. But that’s no excuse for Boston College losing to the Huskies at home to open up their season.

The Eagles demonstrated fight to even get back in the game after falling behind by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. But for a team looking to improve upon its own 3-9 record from last season, Saturday was a very bad start.

While Week 1 might have been a banner opening week for the ACC, Week 2 has some good games as well. The headliners of the ACC this week will be Notre Dame traveling to NC State while Texas A&M will battle Miami. Both games will be broadcast back-to-back on ABC.