Streaking the Lawn’s Week 7 ACC Football Power Rankings

Through six weeks of this dumpster fire we call the ACC football season there are three tiers that have emerged:

Tier 1: Clemson
Tier 2: Everyone not Clemson or Georgia Tech
Tier 3: Georgia Tech

Here’s how we rank that middle tier (and we threw in Clemson and GT for good measure):

1. Clemson Tigers (6-0, 4-0). Last week: 1
Last game: win 45-14 vs. FSU. This week: at Louisville

The Tigers are one of four teams in the country to not play a team with a winning record. Luckily they get to play one this weekend in Louisville! They’ll win by 35 and nobody will care, but rest assured the anger that will flow when they go undefeated and are left out of the playoff for a 1 loss SEC team. Oh that sounds fun.

2. Virginia Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1). Last week: 2
Last game: loss 17-9 at Miami. This week: vs. Duke.

Well that two game road trip didn’t go so well. The offense is operating on an NAIA level currently so facing Duke in the most important ACC Coastal game of the season should go well. Maybe we’ll drop them in the rankings next week if they run HB dives for four quarters again.

3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1, 1-1 ). Last week: 3
Last game: loss 62-59 vs. Louisville. This week: vs. FSU.

In last week’s now weekly Louisville Big 12 football game the Deacons came up just short. Wake’s best win now is a 6 point home win against UNC? A three point home win against Utah State?

4. Miami-Florida Hurricanes (3-3, 1-2). Last week: 9
Last game: win 17-9 vs. UVa. This week: vs. Georgia Tech.

Miami isn’t great but they were just good enough to take care of the Hoos last weekend. They’ll get a bye this week against the Yellow Jackets before hitting the road for two straight against Pitt and FSU. If they want any chance at the Coastal they’ll need to go 2-0 in those games.

5. Duke Blue Devils (4-2, 2-1). Last week: 6
Last game: win 41-23 vs. Georgia Tech. This week: at UVa.

The Blue Devils have alternated wins and losses over the last three games and are due for another loss this weekend. The way the Hoos’ offense has looked the last two weeks though, Duke could put up a performance like they did against Virginia Tech.

6. Louisville Cardinals (4-2, 2-1). Last week: 8
Last game: win 62-59 at Wake Forest. This week: vs. Clemson.

The Cardinals have won their last two games by a combined 5 points. They’re probably a little better than losing by 11 to FSU a few weeks ago but maybe not as good as squeaking these last two games, but Scott Satterfield has worked a minor miracle in Louisville already.

7. North Carolina Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1). Last week: 7
Last game: BYE. This week: at Virginia Tech.

After dropping three straight to Wake, App St, and Clemson, the Tar Heels got back off the mat last weekend against Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech this weekend likely represents a slightly better opponent but the Heels still hold their own destiny in the ACC Coastal.

8. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-2, 1-1). Last week: 4
Last game: BYE. This week: at Syracuse.

The Panthers still have a chance at running their ACC Coastal title back to Charlotte. Cuse isn’t the greatest team in the conference but still pose a decent opponent, especially at the Carrier Dome.

9. Florida State Seminoles (3-3, 2-2). Last week: 5
Last game: loss 45-14 at Clemson. This week: at Wake Forest.

Getting bone smoked by Clemson at Death Valley is a fate most of the conference would face. The Noles had rolled off two straight wins against Louisville and NC State the previous two weeks so maybe they are more on Wake’s level and show that this week.

10. N.C. State Wolfpack (4-2, 1-1). Last week: 12
Last game: win 16-10 vs. Syracuse. This week: at BC.

With 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter the Wolfpack lead 16-0 before allowing the Orange to crawl back into the game to make it interesting. Cuse even had the ball to end the game in NC State territory. Wake, Clemson, and Louisville over the next 3 weeks could get rough for the fans in Raleigh.

11. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-2, 1-2). Last week: 11
Last game: win 34-17 vs. Rhode Island. This week: vs. UNC.

The Hokies won their second FCS game of the season and are just three more wins from a bowl game. UNC has already shown they’re better than Miami, who the Hokies beat two weeks ago, so will VT’s good times keep rolling or will Fuente’s seat flame get even bigger?

12. Syracuse Orange (3-3, 0-2). Last week: 10
Last game: loss 16-10 at NC State. This week: vs. Pitt.

All those good feelings Dino Babers has built up in New York should carry him through this season but there isn’t an easy game left on the 2019 schedule. They’ll play BC at home in three weeks but that might be the only game they’ll be favored in the rest of the season. Bowl game is probably dicey this season

13. Boston College Eagles (3-3, 1-2). Last week: 13
Last game: BYE. This week: vs. NC State

While Wake won their last two games by a combined 5 points, BC has done the inverse by losing to Wake by 3 and Louisville by 2. They still have Notre Dame and Clemson on the schedule so BC will have to take three from the group of NC State, Syracuse, FSU, and Pitt.

14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-5, 0-3). Last week: 14
Last game: loss 41-23 at Duke. This week: at Miami

The Citadel is like the sixth best FCS team in South Carolina!