Streaking the Lawn’s Week 2 ACC Football Power Rankings

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Two weeks in and things are finally starting to clear up just as we expected: UNC is a national power, UVA is the second best team in the ACC, and FSU is a dumpster fire.

Football season is in full swing!

Here’s the rankings:

1. Clemson Tigers (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 1
   Last game: win vs. Texas A&M, 24-10. This week: at Syracuse.

Great, they won again. Fantastic. They’re a 27.5 pt favorite this week. Whatever. Lose more.

2. Virginia Cavaliers (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 3
Last game: win vs. W&M, 52-17. This week: vs. FSU.

It was just William & Mary but the Hoos were able to score in a plethora of ways. The train wreck of Florida State comes to Charlottesville this weekend and another strong performance might ease the anxiety of many UVa fans.

3. N.C. State Wolfpack (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 5
Last game: win vs. Western Carolina, 41-0. This week: at West Virginia.

The Mountaineers are clear and away the second worst team in the Big 12 (shouts to Les Miles!) so the Wolfpack shouldn’t have a problem this weekend. Ball State, FSU, and Syracuse over the next three weeks means they should be 6-0 heading to BC in mid October. The showdown with Clemson isn’t until the second weekend of November and in Clemson, so they’ll be roughly 24 point favorites.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 8
Last game: win vs. Miami, 28-25. This week: at Wake.

UNC and Maryland have to be the biggest “huh”s in football this season. Not many gave UNC a chance against South Carolina and then did it again last weekend against Miami. I can’t imagine many think they’ll beat Wake on Thursday night. This is all setting up for a 4-0 UNC facing Clemson and the Heels losing by roughly 72.

5. Boston College Eagles (2-0, 1-0). Last week: 6
Last game: win vs. Richmond, 45-13. This week: vs Kansas.

Kansas this week and Rutgers next week. Whoever is doing the future football schedules in the athletic department needs a significant raise. Two of the worst power five teams in the history of history, but they’ll still get credit for power five wins. Bravo.

6. Miami-Florida Hurricanes (0-2, 0-1). Last week: 2
Last game: loss at UNC, 28-25. This week: vs. Bethune-Cookman

The Canes should get back to .500 with Bethune this week and Central Michigan next weekend. Then they’ll get the Virginia schools in back to back weeks and we’ll have a better grasp of Miami’s standing in the Coastal after that. Fortunately for Miami, other than UVa, they’ll have no other ranked teams on the schedule the rest of the season.

7. Syracuse Orange (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 4
Last game: loss at Maryland, 63-20. This week: vs. Clemson.

63-20. Yikes. Clemson this weekend. Poor Cuse. Crossaders in two weeks though so that should be good for Dino and Co.

8. Virginia Tech Hokies (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 10
Last game: win vs. ODU 31-17. This week: vs. Furman

Even though the Monarchs beat the Hokies last season in Norfolk, winning 31-17 this season couldn’t instill too much confidence in the Hokies. Last weekend the Paladins pushed Georgia State 48-42. You know, the same Georgia State team that won in Knoxville opening weekend. If there is a God....

9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0, 0-0). Last week: 11
Last game: win vs. Rice, 41-21. This week: vs. UNC

Every year Wake gets to 6 or 7 wins and nobody pays any attention to them. 2-0 already this season and favored by 3 against UNC this week with Elon next week. 4-0 is a distinct possibility and like most in the ACC, they only have one ranked team on their remaining schedule.

10. Duke Blue Devils (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 12
Last week: win vs. NC A&T, 45-13. This week: at Middle Tennesse

So far the Blue Devils have been throttled by Alabama and handled their FCS opponent. They’re 6.5 pt road favorites this weekend on the road. That’s legitimately anyone knows about Duke. No idea if they’re just meh or even decent.

11. Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 9
Last week: win vs. Ohio, 20-10. This week: at Penn State.

Penn State this week and UCF next week. So, Pitt will be 1-3 entering their game against Delaware in three weeks. After that it’s not terrible though with the rest of their Coastal opponents and Syracuse and BC their Atlantic cross overs this season.

12. Florida State Seminoles (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 7
Last week: win vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 45-44. This week: at UVa.

I grew up in the 90s and 00s watching FSU literally never lose. Watching them struggle this season and last befuddles me. My mind can’t understand it. Let’s just hope a similar fall from grace is coming from the team that now refuses to lose at the top of the rankings.

13. Louisville Cardinals (1-1, 0-0). Last week: 13
Last week: win vs. Eastern Kentucky. This week: vs. Western Kentucky.

And they’ll play regular Kentucky to end the season. It’s a shame the ACC made the Cardinals play Notre Dame to start the season and couldn’t play Murray State to have an entire out of conference schedule from the state.

14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-1, 0-1). Last week: 14
Last week: win vs. USF, 14-10. This week: vs. The Citadel

The Geoff Collins experience rolls on. We’ll check back in in a few weeks or years to see how it is actually going. It is still too early.