Streaking the Lawn’s Week 4 ACC Football Power Rankings

We’ve reached four weeks into this weird and wonderful 2020 ACC football season and like every other season, what do we really know? FSU is actually still garbage and Clemson is still the class of the ACC. Duh.

1. Clemson Tigers (3-0, 2-0)
Last game: win 41-23 vs. UVA. This week: vs. Miami

Clemson stays rolling. Not really much else to say about the Tigers. Their first true regular season ACC test in a few years finally comes this week when Miami comes to town.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0, 1-0)
Last Game: win vs. USF 52-0. This week: vs. FSU

When the Irish take the field on Saturday it will have been three weeks since their last game. Rust could play a factor, but luckily it’s just FSU. Louisville and Pitt follow this weekend but all eyes are surely on the Clemson matchup the first weekend of November.

3. Miami-Florida Hurricanes (3-0, 2-0)
Last game: win vs. FSU 52-10. This week: at Clemson

The Canes got a bye week to watch the UVA-Clemson game last week in hopes the Cavaliers would expose a Tiger weakness. D’Eriq King remains the key to Miami’s season. As he goes, the Canes go.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0, 2-0)
Last game: win at BC 26-22. This week: vs. VT

It wasn’t pretty, but good teams win their clunkers. After a few weeks off thanks to canceled games the Heels escaped Chestnut Hill. Now they’ll get their first real chance to show the country this ranking isn’t fake against VT.

5. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0, 2-0)
Last game: win vs. Duke 38-31. This week: at UNC

Speaking of Hokies, the question remains will they ever be missing less than 10 players in one game? Shenanigans notwithstanding, the Hokies still need to prove something and beating a “meh” Duke team by 7 doesn’t really do it.

6. Virginia Cavaliers (1-1, 1-1)
Last game: loss 41-23 at Clemson. This week: vs. NC State

Losing to Clemson is nothing to be ashamed of. The Cavaliers received ample praise over the week for the game they put up. Now they need to prove they didn’t just get up for a good team by taking care of NC State and Wake over the next two weeks.

7. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-1, 2-1)
Last game: loss 30-29 vs NC State. This week: at BC

If you thought Pitt was going to go through the season without some headscratching loss, you don’t know ACC football. NC State might not be as bad as we thought, but losing to them at home isn’t something a top 4 ACC team should do.

8. Louisville Cardinals (1-2, 0-2)
Last game: loss 23-20 at Pitt. This week: at GT

The Cardinals got a week off to lick their wounds and recover from that loss at Pitt two weeks ago. The problem with facing GT is their offense is the problem and Louisville’s defense is soft. What gives in more?

9. Boston College Eagles (2-1, 1-1)
Last game: loss 26-22 vs. UNC. This week: vs. Pitt

Is BC more of the team that showed up and hurt Duke and hung with UNC or squeaked by Texas State? Phil Jurkovich has 823 passing yards and 5 touchdowns so far. No rest for the Eagles with Pitt this week and VT, Clemson, and Notre Dame still on the horizon.

10. N.C. State Wolfpack (2-1, 2-1)
Last game: win 30-29 at Pitt. This week: at UVA

Credit Dave Doeren who has the Wolfpack fighting hard and keeping him in a job a little while longer. Three straight ACC road games is tough but the Pack are coming off a big win for their psyche.

11. Syracuse Orange (1-2, 1-2)
Last game: win 37-20 vs. GT. This week: vs. Duke

It was certainly a rough start to the season and a win against Georgia Tech isn’t going to make a season, but it’s a step in the right direction for Dino Babers’ squad. With not many easy Ws left on the schedule a win this weekend against Duke is necessary.

12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-2, 1-1)
Last game: loss 37-20 at Syracuse. This week: vs. Louisville

This seems like the one game the Yellow Jackets might be able to steal against a top half ACC opponent. Geoff Collins is only in his 2nd year but is already recruiting well. It’s still going to take a few more years for them to be a legitimate top half ACC team though.

13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-2, 0-2)
Last game: win 66-14 vs. Campbell. This week: BYE

A win against in-state foe Campbell isn’t going to turn anyone’s head, but it did get the Deacs on the win column. They’ll host UVA next weekend and we’ll get to see if they’ve improved from their 0-2 ACC start.

14. Florida State Seminoles (1-2, 0-2)
Last game: win 41-23 vs. Jacksonville State. This week: at ND

They’ve won a national championship in the last ten years, so we’re not there yet, but how long does FSU have to be below mediocre before we decide they’re just another ACC team?

15. Duke Blue Devils (0-4, 0-4)
Last game: loss 38-31 vs VT. This week: at Cuse.

Not turning the ball over 15 times against the Hokies was better than the week before, but this season might be really rough for David Cutcliffe.