ACC Power Rankings updated after Week 2 of college football
The latest ACC Power Rankings are here following Week 2 of college football and a full slate of action, courtesy of the On3 Massey Ratings.
The On3 Massey Ratings – which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated high school sports team rankings since 1995 – rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
Let’s dive into the ACC Power Rankings following Week 2 of the college football season.
1. Clemson (+2)
The Tigers soared to No. 1 in the Massey ratings after a dominant display over Appalachian State. The 66-20 was a completely different showcase than last week’s loss to Georgia.
Cade Klubnik was nearly perfect, going 24 of 26 passing for 278 yards and five touchdowns. Phil Mafah added 10 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Clemson also led 35-0 in the first quarter, so this was over early and put Clemson at the top of the rankings.
2. Louisville (-1)
The Cardinals improved to 2-0 on the season with a win over Jacksonville State, 49-14. However, Louisville dropped a spot per the Massey ratings.
It’s an interesting comparison between Louisville and Clemson in the rankings. Yes it was an impressive display from the Tigers, but they do have a loss. Strength of schedule still matters in this case.
3. Miami (-1)
The Hurricanes might have something to say about the rankings as well. Now at 2-0, Mario Cristobal’s crew is rolling right now following a 56-9 win over Florida A&M.
Cam Ward was nearly flawless in this one, going 20 of 26 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a score. Next up is Ball State and South Florida before ACC play.
4. California (+6)
What a win for Cal to boost their place in the rankings. Going to Auburn is never easy, but the Bears got it done 21-14.
Leading 14-7 at halftime, it was a back and forth affair and it was the new ACC squad on top in the end. Fernando Mendoza threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns and the Cal defense forced Auburn’s Payton Thorne into four interceptions.
5. North Carolina (+3)
In their first game without Max Johnson starting at QB, the Tar Heels beat Charlotte 38-20. UNC moved into the top five of the rankings, now at 2-0.
Subbing in, Conner Harrell threw for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. NC Central and James Madison are next and then it’ll be interesting to see how the Tar Heels matchup against Duke.
6. Duke (+3)
Speaking of Duke, the Blue Devils are next up in the rankings. Manny Diaz and crew beat Northwestern 26-20 in overtime by the lake.
No matter how it gets done, the Blue Devils are 2-0 and have winnable games against UConn and Middle Tennessee before playing UNC. In this latest win, Texas transfer Maalik Murphy threw for 242 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
7. Boston College (+4)
The Eagles might be getting a lot of love in rankings across the country. The AP Poll even had them in the top 25 this week following a 56-0 win over Duquesne.
After beating Florida State in Week 1 and this weekend’s beatdown, Bill O’Brien and company head to Missouri, which could be a very intriguing game. What a turnaround through two weeks.
8. Pittsburgh (+6)
Pitt vaulted up the rankings with a road win at Cincinnati, 28-27. It was a comeback in the fourth quarter, trailing 27-13 going into the final 15 minutes.
How about Eli Holstein? He threw for 302 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Desmond Reid was a great supporting character, carrying the ball 19 times for 148 yards.
9. Georgia Tech (-2)
The Yellow Jackets fell to 2-1 on the season with a 31-28 loss to Syracuse. Coming in, Georgia Tech already had wins over Florida State and Georgia State.
Haynes King didn’t make many mistakes, throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two scores. But the Yellow Jackets simply fell short to a solid ACC squad.
10. Syracuse (+3)
Speaking of Syracuse, the Orange moved up in the rankings, but didn’t quite pass the team they just beat. It might be only a matter of time after this performance.
Kyle McCord, man what a get in the transfer portal. He threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns. If he plays at this level all year, Syracuse might be a very dangerous team in Fran Brown’s first year as head coach.
ACC Power Rankings after Week 2
11. Virginia (+5)
12. NC State (-8)
13. SMU (-8)
14. Florida State (-8)
15. Virginia Tech (-3)
16. Wake Forest (-1)
17. Stanford
Another set of rankings are in the books for On3. Expect more movement next week as we get a little closer to conference play in the ACC.