ACC: power rankings
This week's top 10, plus BCS prospects in the ACC
I think Georgia Tech is one of the top 10 teams in the country right now, and I'm not the only one at ESPN. Check out this week's power rankings and you'll notice that eight of the 15 voters have the Jackets in the top 10. Still, it wasn't enough to push Georgia Tech into the overall top 10, and they haven't gotten that high in the BCS standings, either, but that could change.
As for whether the ACC can get two teams into BCS bowls, I really think it's slim since Miami lost. The Hokies could do it at 10-2, but a lot of that really depends on whether TCU and Boise State stay undefeated and BCS bowl reps take both of those teams, which would obviously take up a slot. And some bowls just might prefer to have a 10-2 USC team or a 10-2 Ohio State team over a 10-2 Virginia Tech. It's really impossible to gauge.
Here was my Top 10 for this week:
1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. TCU
8. Boise State
9. LSU
10. Georgia Tech
I've got the Hokies at No. 14 and Miami at No. 17. And, no, I wasn't the only one who voted for Central Michigan. That could be an interesting game in Chestnut Hill this weekend.
There are only two teams in the Atlantic Division with winning records. Nine teams have at least three losses. Really, the question in this league is not who is the best, it’s who’s the worst?
Is it North Carolina, which hasn’t won a conference game yet and suffered a complete meltdown in the second half on national television against Florida State on Thursday night? Is it NC State, which hasn’t won a conference game yet and got beat at home by Duke? Is it Maryland, which has lost five of its past six games and refuses to take the wins when opponents try to hand it to them?
All three are trying to make their case, but one thing is for sure -- it’s not longer Duke.
1. Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1 ACC; LW; No. 2) -- The Yellow Jackets have established themselves as the frontrunner to win the Coastal Division, and only need wins over Wake Forest and Duke to cement it. They beat Virginia, winning in Charlottesville for the first time since 1990, and have perfected their offense to the point where nobody can seem to get it off the field.
2. Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1; LW: No. 3) -- The Hokies had a bye week but move ahead of Miami because Virginia Tech lost to one of the top teams in the nation in Alabama and ranked Georgia Tech on the road, while Miami lost at home to an unranked, three-loss Clemson team.
3. Miami (5-2,2-2; LW: No. 1) -- This is not a bad football team, but it’s still very young. Quarterback Jacory Harris -- through no fault of his own -- has been acting his age lately instead of playing above it like he seemed to do in the first half of the season. What could have been a great season has been minimized to a good season, and there’s no shame in that.
4. Clemson (4-3, 3-2; LW: No. 6) - C.J. Spiller morphed into the Heisman contender the athletic department promoted him to be this summer, and he proved a triple threat as a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and a return threat. The Tigers proved their flash of offense against Wake Forest wasn’t a one-hit wonder, but something to build on.
5. Boston College (5-3, 3-2; LW: No. 4) -- The Eagles had their six-game winning streak against Notre Dame snapped, but they can take some solace in the fact they put up their first respectable road performance of the season. And the fact still remains that nobody in the Atlantic Division has more overall wins.
6. Duke (4-3, 2-1; LW: No. 9) -- The Blue Devils strung together their first back-to-back conference wins since 1994, and matched last year’s win total with five games still remaining. They continue to struggle to run the ball, but have been able to compensate for it with a passing game that can only be slowed, not stopped.
7. Virginia (3-4, 2-1; LW: No. 5) -- The Cavaliers played their toughest opponent to date on Saturday, and it was reflected in the loss to Georgia Tech. Virginia’s wins over North Carolina and Maryland helped turn around the Cavaliers’ record, but considering the struggles both of those opponents have, it will take more than those two wins to change outside perception.
8. Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2; LW: No. 7) -- The Deacs faced a Navy team that was playing without its starting quarterback, and for the second straight year Wake Forest lost to the Mids during the regular season. After back-to-back road losses, Wake Forest is now tasked with rebounding against Miami, and has to win two of its last four games to get to a bowl game.
9. Florida State (3-4, 1-3; LW: No. 11) -- The lasting impact of the Seminoles’ win over North Carolina on Thursday night can’t be measured, other than to say it was the kind of win that could propel FSU into the postseason and quiet some of Bobby Bowden’s loudest critics. Quarterback Christian Ponder put on another spectacular show in front of a nationally televised audience, and rallied the team from an 18-point deficit, proving this team can come from behind in the big picture, too.
10. Maryland (2-6, 1-3; LW: No. 10) -- It’s hard to believe this team’s one conference win could be over the Atlantic Division champs, Clemson. The Terps have sunk into a hole so deep the bye week won’t do anything to help them climb out of it. In order to reach a bowl, Maryland has to win out, and Virginia Tech alone is enough to keep that from happening.
11. NC State (3-4, 0-3; LW: No. 12) -- The Pack had a bye week, but they’ll restart with an emotionally charged Florida State team that will have home-field advantage. If UNC’s defense struggled to stop Ponder, odds are NC State will, too. The difference between NC State and North Carolina right now? The Pack have an offense, the better quarterback and at least a win over nationally ranked Pitt.
12. North Carolina (4-3, 0-3; LW: No. 8) -- The Tar Heels have officially won the title of biggest disappointment in the ACC this year. It’s looking worse than Butch Davis’ first year instead of the improvement expected to see in his third year. Ponder exposed weaknesses in North Carolina’s defense that previous opponents did not, and odds are Virginia Tech will do the same in Lane Stadium on Thursday night.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Picking the No. 1 team in the ACC right now is like trying to find the best looking Christmas tree -- it's still too early. This list took me longer than it has all season, but here's the final version:
1. Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2) -- They're back, and this time they're bowl eligible. The Yellow Jackets have an offense nobody wants to face and a defense that can force mistakes. Just ask last week's No. 1 team.
2. Florida State (6-2, 3-2) -- It's not like the Seminoles got blown away by Georgia Tech, they just couldn't stop the triple option and made one very, very costly mistake. In the end zone.
3. Maryland (6-2, 3-1) -- The Terps remain stagnant after their bye week and have to earn their place over FSU in the power rankings, despite their automatic boost in the conference standings.
4. Miami (6-3, 3-2) -- The Hurricanes snapped Virginia's four-game winning streak and won their third straight ACC game for the first time since 2005. The Canes are on a four-game winning streak and Bill Young has the defense playing much better.
5. North Carolina (6-2, 2-2) -- This isn't punishment for not playing, it's Miami's reward for winning four straight. Every team UNC has beaten -- Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Boston College -- has proceeded to lose except Miami.
6. Virginia (5-4, 3-2) -- The Cavaliers had a chance to tighten their grasp on the Coastal Division lead. Instead, they're now lumped in with everyone else.
7. Wake Forest (5-3, 3-2) -- The Demon Deacons finally got big plays in all three phases of the game. Now their challenge is to keep it up while hoping Maryland loses.
8. Boston College (5-3, 2-3) -- The Eagles' deficiencies on offense finally caught up to them, and they almost played themselves out of the Atlantic Division race. Almost.
9. Virginia Tech (5-3, 2-2) -- The Hokies had the weekend off and remain in the same spot heading into Thursday night's game against Maryland.
10. Clemson (4-4, 2-3) -- The Tigers moved up a notch from last week after their road win over BC. They got a solid effort from their defense and were able to move the ball, but Cullen Harper has to cut down on the mistakes.
11. Duke (4-4, 1-3) -- The Blue Devils didn't quit, but it just wasn't enough against Wake. They've lost three of their past four and are still looking for that elusive ACC road win.
12. NC State (2-6, 0-4) -- Their place this year is about the only thing that's certain in the league. That doesn't mean, though, that the Wolfpack won't crash somebody's party this month.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Another crazy week in the ACC shook up the rankings, and there's a new No. 1. in town. Let's see how long this one can stay there:
1. Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1) -- The Yellow Jackets have won four straight, including this past weekend during which they overcame an emotionally charged Clemson team. They redeemed themselves for an ugly win against Gardner-Webb and are No. 18 in the first BCS standings.
2. Florida State (5-1, 2-1) -- Despite their bend-but-don't-break performance from the offensive line against NC State (five holding penalties in the first half), the Seminoles have progressed each week under quarterback Christian Ponder and a stingy defense.
3. Boston College (5-1, 2-1) -- The Eagles move up three spots from last week for their upset of then-No. 17 Virginia Tech, but are still a mistake-prone team. If BC can put together a complete game and eliminate the turnovers, this team will be tough to stop.
4. Maryland (5-2, 2-1) -- The Terps have now beaten three ranked teams this season. That helps compensate for the one bad loss to Middle Tennessee, and in retrospect, the loss to Virginia wasn't as bad as it first seemed.
5. Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-1) -- The Hokies tumbled from the top in part because of what they didn't do, but also because of the other upsets this weekend and the fact they've now got two losses.
6. Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1) -- No Sam Swank, no offense. No offense, no Tampa. Things aren't adding up in the Deacs' favor this season.
7. Virginia (4-3, 2-1) -- The Cavaliers have reeled off three straight wins and are above .500 for the first time this season. Since they just beat the Heels, they're ranked ahead of 'em.
8. North Carolina (5-2, 1-2) -- Two Coastal Division losses have hurt UNC's chances at winning the division, but the Tar Heels need just one more win to become bowl eligible.
9. Miami (4-3, 1-2) -- The Hurricanes notched their first conference win of the season, and they did it with their backup quarterback. But this is still a young team trying to figure itself out each weekend.
10. Clemson (3-4, 1-3) -- The Tigers fell into an even deeper hole this past weekend and are now playing for little more than pride.
11. Duke (1-2, 3-3) -- The reality of just how difficult David Cutcliffe's job is has re-emerged after an exciting start to the season. The program still has a long way to go.
12. NC State (2-5, 0-3) -- It's not a question of effort, it's just too little, too late for the Pack. That doesn't mean NC State won't squeak out another win or two this season.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
1. Virginia Tech (5-1, 2-0 ACC) -- The Hokies can't hurt themselves when they're sitting at home on the weekend, but last week's No. 2 can when it barely squeaks by Gardner-Webb.
2. Wake Forest (4-1, 2-0) -- The Demon Deacons move up a notch for their gritty win over Clemson. In order to stay here, though, Wake is going to have to take advantage of its opportunities in the red zone against Maryland, and get Sam Swank healthy.
3. North Carolina (5-1, 1-1) -- The Tar Heels have proven they'll find a way to win. Can they continue to do it, though, if playmaker Brandon Tate isn't cleared to return after the MRI on his knee?
4. Florida State (4-1, 1-1) -- The Seminoles also had a bye week and maintain their spot from last week. Quarterback Christian Ponder has taken ownership of the offense and the Noles have one of the best defenses in the league.
5. Georgia Tech (5-1, 2-1) -- They Yellow Jackets still won, albeit 10-7, and they were playing with their third-string quarterback. Can't drop them too far. Yet.
6. Boston College (4-1, 1-1) -- We'll find out more about the Eagles this weekend when they host Coastal Division leader Virginia Tech. Right now, though, BC is as much in the mix for the ACC title as anyone.
7. Maryland (4-2, 1-1) -- The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Terps, as they need to figure out which team they want to be in the second half of the season -- the one that lost to Middle Tennessee and got hammered by Virginia, or the one that showed up in the second half against Clemson.
8. Miami (0-2, 3-3) -- At least the Hurricanes won. That's more than you can say for Clemson. Still, quarterback play is a question mark and injuries throughout the roster have slowed the team's progress.
9. Clemson (3-3, 1-2) -- And you think Miami has issues at quarterback? Now the Tigers will face Georgia Tech with a rookie instead of a record-holder. Hey, give the fans what they want.
10. Virginia (3-3, 1-1) -- The Cavaliers creep up a notch over Duke, as they have looked better in their past two weeks than the Blue Devils did in their loss to Georgia Tech.
11. Duke (3-2, 1-1) -- They had a bye week to get back to the fundamentals, and coach David Cutcliffe seemed convinced his team is better than the one that showed up in Atlanta. We'll see if their efforts at practice will translate onto the field, this time against Miami.
12. NC State (2-4, 0-2) -- The Wolfpack were also off last week in preparation for a tough game against Florida State. Arguably no team needed more time to heal.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Hey look, it's the week of the Atlantic Division ...
Wake Forest (2-0) -- The Demon Deacons had the week off, but when it comes to being tested, these guys proved their worth in the first two weeks. Can they do it again on the road against FSU?
Clemson (2-1) -- This team is still regrouping, and injuries haven't helped, but the Tigers should be 3-1 heading into their Sept. 27 game against Maryland.
Maryland (2-1) -- The Terps looked like that ACC dark horse in their upset of No. 23-ranked Cal, as they're the only team in the league with a win over a top 25 team. The only problem with Maryland is you never know which personality is going to show up.
Florida State (2-0) -- Yes, the Seminoles have played much weaker opponents, but, man, have they looked good winning. Still too soon, though, to give these guys too much credit.
North Carolina (2-0) -- The Tar Heels got a ground-breaking road win they can build on against Rutgers but have an important Coastal Division matchup this weekend against the Hokies.
Miami (1-1) -- The Hurricanes shouldn't be punished for having the week off, but the above three teams looked too impressive this past weekend to ignore.
Virginia Tech (2-1) -- The Hokies finally seem to have a sense of direction now that Tyrod Taylor has been named starting quarterback, but the win over the Yellow Jackets was partly a gift.
Georgia Tech (2-1) -- This is still a good football team oozing with potential, but the turnovers and penalties have got to stop. The Yellow Jackets beat themselves against Virginia Tech.
Boston College (1-1) -- The loss of defensive end Alex Albright to a season-ending neck injury was a huge blow -- he might have been their best pass rusher -- and there is some uncertainty at quarterback.
Duke (2-1) -- A third win against Virginia is suddenly not just possible, but expected. The more the Blue Devils win, the more you have to ask why not again?
NC State (1-2) -- This team just has no offense, and No. 15 East Carolina, this season's Mighty Mites, are rolling into town. The streak of no offensive touchdowns for 13 quarters might continue.
Virginia (1-2) -- Are there still questions about this ranking? The Cavaliers have so many problems Al Groh started the bye week with a Sunday practice.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Wake Forest -- The Demon Deacons are off to a 2-0 start and the ACC's lone representative in the AP top 25. They were able to beat a much-improved Ole Miss team despite not playing their best football.
Clemson -- The Tigers got what they needed from their game against the Citadel -- big plays on both sides of the ball and some rushing yards. While the loss to Alabama won't be forgotten, this was the first step in regrouping.
Georgia Tech -- The Yellow Jackets got their first conference win and are also off to a 2-0 start heading to Blacksburg on Saturday.
Miami -- If the Hurricanes play the way they did in the first half for four quarters all season, Miami has a legitimate shot at the Coastal Division title. This group is bound to improve over time, but there is still a learning curve for these baby Canes.
Florida State -- The Seminoles brushed aside Western Carolina even without almost a dozen suspended players, but we won't know how good this team really is until Wake Forest rolls into Tallahassee on Sept. 20.
Virginia Tech -- The Hokies didn't exactly dominate Furman (it was 3-0 at the half), and will have an even tougher challenge when Georgia Tech visits this weekend. And the whole quarterback situation is beginning to wear on Sean Glennon.
Boston College -- Georgia Tech fumbled the ball three times and the Eagles still lost. Quarterback Chris Crane was hit with the reality of just how tough it's going to be to replace Matt Ryan when he was sacked in the end zone for a safety.
UNC -- The Tar Heels were off this past weekend, but still seem to have more answers than Maryland offensively, especially considering the opening performance of Brandon Tate and the fact that T.J. Yates can hit his open guys in the numbers.
Maryland -- There's enough talent on this team that it should be 2-0 right now and fans have to be scratching their heads over the poor execution in the Middle Tennessee State game. Where is the Chris Turner we saw against Rutgers? And where is the "freakish athlete" named Josh Portis we heard so much about?
Duke -- The Blue Devils put up one heck of a fight against Northwestern, and still have back-to-back home games on their schedule to improve upon last year's one-win season.
NC State -- The Wolfpack finally scored some points, but guess what? So did William & Mary. It should help that Russell Wilson is expected to return against Clemson.
Virginia -- The Cavaliers did little, if anything, to redeem themselves from an embarrassing opening weekend route against USC. The defense is the one thing they could feel good about from the win over Richmond as they head to UConn.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Heather Dinich
Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
