We have only played two weeks, but reputations are already colliding with reality across the ACC.
Miami has separated itself from the rest of the conference. SMU and Duke have produced meaningful victories. Virginia has been dominant defensively. Meanwhile, Clemson and Florida State have done nothing to justify being ranked near the top based solely on the names stitched across their jerseys.
Power rankings are about what teams have shown—not what we thought they might be in August.
- MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami is not only the best team in the ACC right now; the Hurricanes look like legitimate national championship contenders. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney might be the most dangerous quarterback-receiver combination in college football. Miami has outscored its first two opponents 122–13, including a ridiculous 77-point performance against Florida A&M.
- SMU MUSTANGS
SMU went into Tallahassee, committed four turnovers and still accumulated 585 yards while beating Florida State. Kevin Jennings threw for 430 yards in that game and has placed himself firmly in the Heisman conversation. Clean up the turnovers and this team can challenge Miami.
- DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Duke owns the conference’s best nonconference victory after going on the road and beating Illinois. The defending ACC champions trailed by 10, kept their composure and finished the job. At 2–0 with six consecutive victories dating back to last season, Duke deserves respect.
- VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Virginia might be the biggest early surprise in the conference. The Cavaliers destroyed NC State 34–8 and followed that with a 59–3 demolition of Norfolk State. They have allowed only 11 points through two games. That defense is for real until someone proves otherwise.
- LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
The loss to Ole Miss keeps Louisville out of the top four, but the Cardinals responded exactly the way a good team should by hammering Villanova 59–13. Lincoln Kienholz gives this offense plenty of firepower. The secondary and penalty problems still concern me.
- VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
Virginia Tech is quietly 2–0 after handling Old Dominion 44–21. We still need to see the Hokies against stronger competition, but they have taken care of business and looked balanced doing it. Their opportunity to prove themselves is coming.
- PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
It was not pretty, but Pitt held UCF scoreless through three quarters and won 12–7. The Panthers are 2–0 because their defense has been outstanding. The offense, however, must become more productive if Pitt expects to remain in the ACC championship race.
- WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest showed some toughness by surviving Purdue 38–36 in double overtime on the road. Gio Lopez made plays when the Demon Deacons absolutely needed them. Wake is undefeated, but Miami is about to provide an entirely different examination.
- NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
North Carolina is 2–0, but we still do not know much about the Tar Heels. Beating East Tennessee State 35–3 was expected. A trip to Clemson will tell us whether this team belongs in the upper half of the conference or whether its record is fool’s gold.
- CLEMSON TIGERS
Clemson is ranked here because of its talent—not because of anything it has shown on the field. The Tigers were physically whipped by LSU and then labored through a 22–7 victory over Georgia Southern. The offense remains stagnant, and Dabo Swinney’s loyalty to veteran players may be keeping better talent on the sideline.
- CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
Cal earned the conference road victory at Syracuse, scoring the final touchdown in a 21–18 win. The Golden Bears are not spectacular, but they were resilient and finished the game. That is enough to move them ahead of several more recognizable programs.
- FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Florida State had opportunities against SMU but could not overcome Kevin Jennings or take advantage of four Mustang turnovers. The Seminoles are talented enough to climb rapidly, but talent and potential no longer excuse losing. Mike Norvell needs victories—and he needs them quickly.
- NC STATE WOLFPACK
Beating Richmond 73–0 was an impressive response, but it does not erase getting embarrassed 34–8 by Virginia. NC State was outgained 413–168 in that loss. The Wolfpack have considerable work to do before I trust them against quality competition.
- BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
Boston College deserves credit for beating Rutgers 28–21. The Eagles controlled the first half, survived a Rutgers comeback and found a way to finish. That moves them out of the basement, but they still have plenty to prove.
- SYRACUSE ORANGE
Syracuse had Cal at home and allowed the Golden Bears to score the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Orange are competitive, but competitive is not the same thing as good. Their offense must become more consistent.
- GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
Georgia Tech is 0–2 after surrendering 45 points to Tennessee. The Yellow Jackets briefly looked competitive, but they could not match Tennessee’s physicality or sustain anything defensively. An 0–2 record leaves no room for excuses.
- STANFORD CARDINAL
Stanford opened the season with a 45–6 home loss to Miami and has provided no reason to believe it can consistently compete in this conference. Right now, the Cardinal belong at the bottom.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Miami is clearly the class of the ACC. SMU, Duke and Virginia form the next group, while Louisville remains dangerous enough to reenter the championship discussion quickly.
After that, the conference is wide open.
The biggest disappointment has been Clemson. The Tigers may possess one of the more recognizable brands in the conference, but recognizable brands do not win football games. Until Clemson’s offense proves it can consistently move the football against quality competition, the Tigers do not belong near the top of these rankings.
