ACC Power Rankings: Week 2 trips up trio of teams

They say most teams undergo their biggest week-to-week change from Week 1 to Week 2, and if the way a seemingly boring college football slate shaped up this weekend was any indication the old adage will ring true for another year. In fact, there were quite a few shakeups to our ACC Power Rankings for Week 2 following some surprising results.

And not all of those results were created equal.

Despite being the biggest fallers in our update to the ACC Power Rankings this week, Pittsburgh (to No. 24 Tennessee), Boston College (to Virginia Tech) and Virginia (to Illinois) all suffered losses all of varying quality; it’s hard to knock the Panthers for a relatively ‘strong’ loss, yet they slide quite a bit due to teams around them having similar justification for a high ranking without yet having stumbled.

In any case, let’s get to the updates.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Today we reorder the ACC Power Rankings following Week 2 games.

2022 ACC Power Rankings – Week 2

1. Clemson

The Tigers’ spot atop the charts this week still feels a little tenuous, as the play of DJ Uiagalelei continues to leave something to be desired. Clemson turned it over twice and wasn’t convincing in a 35-12 win over Furman despite getting out of the gates a little quicker. This spot could be up for grabs in Week 3.

2. Miami

The Hurricanes put together another impressive win, though it took a minute to get rolling against Southern Miss. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke had a shaky first half but turned things around late, especially with running back Henry Parrish really finding a groove. Miami could claim the top spot next week, potentially, with a win at floundering No. 24 Texas A&M.

3. NC State (+1)

NC State was one of our biggest fallers in Week 1 after escaping by the skin of its teeth against ECU. Week 2 was much more smooth sailing. The defense (that we’ve largely pinned the Wolfpack’s lofty ranking on) allowed just 150 total yards in a 55-3 win over Charleston Southern. There’s definite potential to be a major contender in the ACC, but we need to see better consistency. The Wolfpack’s ranking is one of the more fluid ones in the top-6 right now.

4. Florida State (+1)

A well-deserved week off for Florida State following a big win over LSU in Week 1. The Seminoles will be back in action on the road in Week 3 against a Louisville team coming off a hard-fought win over UCF on Thursday. Louisville coach Scott Satterfield is on the hot seat, but with Malik Cunningham orchestrating his offense Florida State better be ready for a tough one.

5. Wake Forest (+1)

With the return of quarterback Sam Hartman to the starting job and a 45-25 win over a surprising Vanderbilt squad, it’s a little difficult not to move Wake Forest up more right now. That said, the Demon Deacons shouldn’t have to wait long to earn that right. Liberty is up next week, followed by a home date with No. 5 Clemson on Sept. 24.

6. Pittsburgh (-3)

If a three-place slide following an overtime loss to a ranked SEC squad (at the time No. 24 Tennessee) seems harsh, be assured it’s as much about the other teams in this range as it is Pittsburgh. Spots 3-6 are on fairly level pegging in our eyes, separated mostly by record and strength of opponents/results so far. Any slips or surprises in this tier will result in pretty swift movement in future updates to the ACC Power Rankings.

7. North Carolina (+1)

North Carolina remains arguably the most perplexing team in the league two weeks in, having been in tight contests on the road the last two weeks. Still, despite the close calls the Tar Heels are now 3-0 and the offense seems capable of scoring whenever it really needs to. Next up: reeling and now unranked Notre Dame.

8. Syracuse (+1)

Syracuse is quietly compiling some impressive results against Power 5 teams, first handling Louisville easily and then blasting UConn on Saturday. Dino Babers‘ squad can run the football and quarterback Garrett Shrader is coming off a near-300-yard, three-touchdown, no-interception outing against the Huskies. There’s a clear path to 5-0 before a brutal stretch against NC State, at Clemson, Notre Dame, at Pittsburgh.

9. Virginia Tech (+3)

The Hokies got back on track after a season-opening loss to Old Dominion, using a terrific defensive effort to derail Boston College. Virginia Tech limited Eagles quarterback Phil Jurkovec from the start while completely putting down the clamps on the run game (the Hokies allowed just 4 yards rushing). We probably won’t learn much next week against Wofford.

10. Louisville (+1)

It wasn’t a perfect game, but the Cardinals flummoxed UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee in the second half as their own quarterback, Cunningham, got rolling with his legs to help secure a key win. The Cardinals remain a tough team to figure out, but a win in Orlando is a good one and Louisville can back it up the next two weeks as it hosts a pair of Sunshine State teams (Florida State in Week 3, USF in Week 4).

11. Duke (+2)

Credit new coach Mike Elko, he’s gotten his team off to a hot start. The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 21-0 lead over the Northwestern Wildcats and did enough late to hang on for a 31-23 win to move to 2-0 on the season. The next month of the season looks reasonably navigable, as well, with a road trip to Kansas in two weeks looming as the largest threat.

12. Virginia (-5)

Rival Virginia Tech’s Week 1 loss might have been more embarrassing due to the level of opponent (Old Dominion), but Virginia’s 24-3 spanking by Illinois was not much better. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw two interceptions without a touchdown on 13-of-32 passing, while the Cavaliers failed to find the end zone. Offensive line play is a huge concern for Virginia.

13. Boston College (-3)

If the Eagles got a little leeway in the rankings last week because their loss to Rutgers went down to the wire, they don’t get it this week after losing soundly to Virginia Tech. Jurkovec was limited and the Eagles allowed him to be sacked five times. Offensive line play… see: Virginia section.

14. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets bounced back from an opening loss to Clemson with a 35-17 win over Western Carolina, but it wasn’t exactly convincing. Quarterback Jeff Sims threw for just 100 yards and no touchdowns, while he was intercepted once. Georgia Tech was outgained 390-343 by Western Carolina. No. 20 Ole Miss is next up and in the short term a move up the ACC Power Rankings seems unlikely.

Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 1 ACC Power Rankings here!