Week 7 further solidifed the argument that the ACC may be a three-headed horse. Miami has convincingly separated itself from the rest of the conference, while Wake Forest and SMU still sit a tier below the current ACC leader. After seven weeks of football, where does each team sit among the ACC?
17. Syracuse (2-4, 0-4 ACC)
Making its debut in the bottom spot of my power rankings this season is Syracuse, who now sits as the lone team without a conference win through seven weeks. Third-string quarterback, Malachi Nelson, who has been thrown into the starting spot due to several injuries has kept the Orange competitive in every game he has played has been unable to pull out the win. The defense fell short late in their 34-26 loss to Louisville.
16. Stanford (3-4, 1-3 ACC)
Stanford decisively handled Elon (FCS) 34-7, behind a dominant offensive performance that entailed over 500 total yards. After two 50-plus point losses, seeing a win has to boost team morale, despite the undermatched opponent. Stanford has a good opportunity to win its second conference game as they host NC State this Friday.
15. Georgia Tech (2-4, 1-2 ACC)
Georgia Tech fell to Virginia Tech in the TechMo Bowl, 34-24. In the loss, quarterback Alberto Mendoza was able to slice a 21-point lead down to a touchdown, before the Hokies were able to comfortably put them away in the second half. A big conference win opportunity looms as the Yellow Jackets host Boston College this week.
14. NC State (3-3, 1-2 ACC)
NC State is coming off its bye week and has an upcoming road trip to Stanford in Week 8. The Wolfpack has been severely inconsistent this season, and looks to pick up its second conference win against the Cardinal.
13. California (3-4, 2-2 ACC)
Coming off of its upset victory over Virginia Tech, Cal had no answer for No. 17 Wake Forest and quarterback Gio Lopez in the Golden Bears' 41-7 loss. In the loss, Cal had a very small number of positive takeaways, and now have several questions within the program that need answers.
12. Boston College (3-3, 1-2 ACC)
Boston College has moved up to its highest rank of the season following an upset 27-21 victory over Pitt. In the Eagles' first conference win, quarterback Mason McKenzie threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns, and the defense forced three turnovers and held the Panthers offense to 21 points. Boston College looks to build some momentum with a road trip to Georgia Tech coming up this Saturday.
11. Florida State (3-4, 1-3 ACC)
Florida State suffered a 43-35 heartbreaker at the hands of the new number one team in the country, Miami. In double overtime, the Seminoles had a touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. On the following play, quarterback Ashton Daniels slung a hail mary to the end zone, which ended with a controversial interception call rather than a simultaneous catch or touchdown. Daniels had four passing touchdowns in the loss.
10. Virginia (4-3, 2-2 ACC)
Virginia's offense once again struggled as they only were able to muster 258 total yards in the 23-13 loss to SMU. The defense also struggled to have any answer as the Mustangs totaled 404 yards on nearly six yards per play. The Cavaliers host Duke in an ACC Championship rematch Friday.
9. Duke (4-2, 1-2 ACC)
After starting the season 4-0, Duke has now dropped its last two, including Saturday against in-state rival North Carolina. Outside of running back Nate Sheppard, the Blue Devils offense looks lackluster, and the defense has been disappointing. A big road game to Charlottesville looms for Duke.
8. Pitt (5-2, 2-2 ACC)
Mason Heintschel's injury has completely ravaged this Pitt team, as it now has lost its second straight game, with the most recent loss being Boston College. In the loss, freshman quarterback Corey Dailey completed only 44% of his passes and threw two interceptions. The Panthers will need a miracle as they go on the road to face Miami this week.
7. Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2 ACC)
Virginia Tech snapped a two-game losing streak with a 34-24 win over Georgia Tech behind a four-touchdown performance from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and a career-best showing from wide receiver Que'Sean Brown. A big road game is on the horizon for James Franklin and the Hokies as they travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers in a primetime game at Death Valley, where Tech has not won since 2007.
6. North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 ACC)
Bill Belichek and North Carolina have knocked off Pitt and Duke in back-to-back weeks and now sit in a great spot to contend in the ACC. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is doing just enough to pull out victories for the Tar Heels, and the defense has looked good through six games. North Carolina hosts Syracuse this weekend.
5. Louisville (4-3, 3-2 ACC)
Louisville did just enough to escape with the 34-26 win over Syracuse. The Cardinals' offense totaled 425 yards on an impressive seven yards per play. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz had 363 total yards and three touchdowns in the win. Louisville has a bye week before hosting Stanford.
4. Clemson (4-2, 2-1 ACC)
Clemson dominated Charleston Southern (FCS) 37-0 and freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds and Dabo Swinney have their attention focused on the upcoming game against Virginia Tech. The Tigers will attempt to defend their home field against the Hokies, who haven't won at Death Valley in nearly 20 years.
3. SMU (5-1, 3-1 ACC)
SMU doesn't blow its opponents out, but they win, and that is enough. Quarterback Kevin Jennings' 246-yard, two touchdown performance was enough to beat outclass Virginia, 23-13. The Mustangs host call this weekend in a must-win conference matchup.
2. Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1 ACC)
Wake Forest further established its case as the second-best team in the ACC with a 41-7 thrashing of Cal on the road. Some teams have struggled to go on the road and beat the Golden Bears (enter Virginia Tech), but the Demon Deacons had no issue. Quarterback Gio Lopez continued his strong season with a 267-yard, four touchdown performance.
1. Miami (6-0, 4-0 ACC)
The newly ranked number one team in the nation, Miami is the clear, stand-alone leader in the ACC. In the Hurricanes double overtime win against Florida State, quarterback Darian Mensah had his worst game of the season, which was 326 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Will anyone be able to dethrone this Miami team?
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