ESPN College Football

All eyes are squarely focused on Oct. 19, when Florida State travels to Clemson in what everybody anticipates will be another battle between unbeaten top 10 teams with national championship aspirations.

But coaches always warn it is dangerous to look ahead. In this case, that mantra fits. The clichéd trap week is here, for both programs. Eighth-ranked Florida State must face an unbeaten Maryland team on Saturday in Tallahassee, while No. 3 Clemson travels to play its first game in the Carrier Dome against improving Syracuse.

Both teams should win, but as folks have learned across the ACC, there are never guarantees. Just last week, Florida State struggled at Boston College. And Clemson looked ragged the last time it went out on the road in a too-close-for-comfort win at NC State.

What makes this week perhaps more difficult for Clemson is preparing for the unknown. This is Syracuse’s ACC opener. Coaches are not nearly as versed in what Syracuse likes to do as they are with all the other ACC teams on their schedules. Playing in the Carrier Dome presents an X-factor as well.

“Typically when you’re looking up for passes, when you’re catching punts, when you’re catching kicks, all of those things it’s totally different when you’re inside because the lighting is over the top of you as opposed to off to the side and things like that,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “It is an adjustment as opposed to playing outside, which is what you do every single day in practice and most games.”

Swinney did note that playing in the Georgia Dome in the bowl game last season should help, along with having an indoor practice facility to help simulate conditions. But unlike the Georgia Dome, the Carrier Dome is smaller and the crowd is closer to the field. Plus, there is no air conditioning inside, causing hot and humid conditions early in the season.

Not only that, Syracuse has pulled a few upsets in the Dome over the last few seasons, completely shutting down the likes of Geno Smith and Teddy Bridgewater, widely regarded as among the best quarterbacks in the country when they played the Orange. Last year, Louisville came in unbeaten and ranked No. 9 in the nation. Syracuse won 45-26. In 2011, Syracuse beat No. 15 West Virginia just as badly, 49-23.

The architect behind those two defensive efforts was coordinator Scott Shafer, who is now the Syracuse head coach. Do you know how much pride he takes in those two victories? During his introductory news conference last January, he specifically mentioned the way the Orange proved their doubters wrong in those two games:

"West Virginia came in here a year ago,” he said then. “They were talking. We locked them in the dome and beat the hell out of them. Louisville this year when we played the unstoppable team and (we) didn't have a chance in hell to play against that team and our kids got after it and the crowd was rumbling in that Dome."

Swinney says his staff will study some tape from last year because four games from 2013 is not enough to evaluate tendencies and scheme. What Syracuse did to Louisville should be on that list. In addition, Swinney said he has gotten input from several coaches on staff who have either coached in the Dome or played in it. Unlike most weeks, his group might do a walk-through at the Carrier Dome when it arrives on Friday to get a better idea for the environment it will face Saturday afternoon.

Still, the focus all week will be on Clemson’s scheme and Clemson’s game plan, to make sure the Tigers have the type of consistent effort that led to a 56-7 win over Wake Forest.

“I think our guys will be excited about it,” Swinney said. “It’s a new place. I’ve never been there. I’m excited about going up there. I’ve seen Syracuse on TV a million times, but we look forward to getting up there. We’ve got to be a good road team. It doesn’t matter where you go, that’s just part of it. You've got to play well on the road. We've got one win under our belt on the road and we played OK. Hopefully we can go on this road trip and play a little better. That’ll be our objective.”

Here is one last look back at the weekend that was in the ACC:

The good: Logan Thomas completed his first nine passes, his defense made its case as one of the nation's best and Virginia Tech pulled off the 17-10 upset Thursday night at Georgia Tech, potentially revitalizing a Hokies program that had been facing several questions following a 7-6 campaign and mostly underwhelming performances through its 3-1 start entering Atlanta. Thomas finished 19-of-25 for 221 yards and a touchdown, adding 58 yards and another score on the ground. Virginia Tech's defense held the vaunted triple-option offense of the Yellow Jackets to 10 points and 273 total yards -- on a short week, no less. The Coastal division race is very interesting, to say the least.

The bad: Paging North Carolina. What in the world happened to the Tar Heels? They dropped a 55-31 home contest Saturday to East Carolina to fall to 1-3, and their offense and defense might share equal blame. The offense for failing to score in the final 39-plus minutes last week at Georgia Tech, then not scoring a touchdown until late in the second quarter Saturday, while already facing a 21-3 hole. The defense for, well, giving up 55 points and 603 total yards to the Pirates. Games on deck at Virginia Tech and then against Miami (Fla.) won't be any easier on the offense, but UNC needs answers fast.

The ugly: Miami's 49-21 win at USF was rather uneventful in terms of competitiveness, but Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris added some spice to the postgame talk after he accused the Bulls of being a "dirty team." Morris had thrown 222 yards and two scores before leaving in the second quarter after reinjuring his ankle, which he hurt the week before against Savannah State. Said Morris, according to the Palm Beach Post: "South Florida's a dirty team. When you're down and tackled and everyone's on top, they're going to try to go for your ankles. We were up three, four touchdowns. Ain't no point for me to mess with these guys who are going to play dirty. It is what it is. I wanted to score 70 points on them. They disrespected us, so I had no respect for them. At that point, I felt like we should just keep pushing it, keep killing them."

The slugfest: OK, maybe we're being generous here, but credit Pittsburgh for being able to outlast Virginia 14-3 one week after running away from Duke in a 58-55 win. The Panthers outgained the Cavaliers 199-188. They rushed for just eight yards. They had three turnovers and forced two themselves. The teams combined for 17 punts. Tom Savage was sacked nine times and left with concussion-like symptoms late in the fourth quarter. But Pitt has won three in a row after a rough opener against Florida State, and that's all that matters.

The history: Tajh Boyd eclipsed the 100-touchdown mark for his career in Clemson's 56-7 win Saturday over Wake Forest, making him the second quarterback in ACC history to accomplish the feat for his career, joining Philip Rivers. Boyd completed 17 of 24 passes for 311 yards with three touchdowns and no picks, and he added 69 rushing yards and another touchdown. He bounced back from a so-so outing at NC State a week earlier and reignited the Heisman talk surrounding him. He took offensive coordinator Chad Morris' advice to "have fun" and helped the Tigers make easy work of the Demon Deacons.

The big quarter: NC State scored four touchdowns in the second frame of its 48-14 win over Central Michigan, recovering from the loss to Clemson and improving to 3-1. Pete Thomas threw his first touchdown pass of the season, an 80-yard strike to Bryan Underwood late in the fourth quarter, as the Wolfpack rolled. The quarterback finished 14-of-20 for 244 yards with one touchdown and one pick, plus another rushing score. He connected all day with Underwood, who caught five passes for 148 yards and added 42 rushing yards.

The rebound: It was only against Troy, but Brandon Connette completed 20 of 28 passes for 324 yards with three touchdowns and just one pick in Duke's 38-31 win over the Trojans, while adding 55 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. The redshirt junior's numbers were similar last week against Pitt, but his four picks against the Panthers proved to be costly. Saturday was far from pretty, but the Blue Devils got a win they simply had to have it they want to go bowling for a second straight season. Their 514 yards of offense helped them get to 3-2.

The quote: In losing a tightly contested, 48-34 shootout to Florida State, Boston College exceeded everyone's expectations. Everyone's but their own. Said coach Steve Addazio, according to ESPN Boston's Jack McCluskey: “Don’t let people tell you, ‘Oh boy, you played Florida State nose up.’ Who cares? We didn’t come out there to play them nose up. I heard that crap early in the media. People asking me about, ‘What are you gonna do to keep it close?’ I had all I could do not to explode. What do you think, you coach or play to keep it close? What are you talking about here? You play to win. We played that game physically enough to win it. We let up too many big plays, and that cost us a football game. And it didn’t have to happen. I don’t care who the heck we played.”

Lots of movement in the middle of the Power Rankings this week.

No. 1 Clemson (4-0, 2-0; last week: No. 1). The Tigers easily handled Wake Forest as Tajh Boyd notched the 100th touchdown of his career. What pleased coach Dabo Swinney most of all was a complete effort from both his offense and defense, despite missing several key starters and reserves because of injury. Clemson has now picked up a first-place vote in the coaches poll. When asked Sunday whether it was from him, Swinney said it was not. His team, he says, is not yet deserving of a No. 1 vote.

No. 2 Florida State (4-0, 2-0; last week: No. 2). Headed into Saturday, perhaps the only people who believed Boston College would hold a double-digit lead on the Noles at any point were the players and coaches in that locker room. Indeed, BC had the Noles on the ropes early, jumping out to a 17-3 lead. Florida State recovered in time to win, but BC exposed some major problems in the FSU defense, most especially some inconsistent play up front. The Noles have to get those problems shored up in a hurry with a much better Maryland team coming to town.

No. 3 Miami (4-0; last week: No. 3). The Hurricanes turned the ball over way too much and had costly penalties against South Florida, but still dominated. The key question is this: What do we know about this team today that we did not know three weeks ago following a win over Florida? Miami has not been tested since then in wins over Savannah State and the Bulls, and now the real season begins -- against Georgia Tech to open ACC play.

No. 4 Maryland (4-0; last week: No. 5). The Terps entered the AP Top 25 at No. 25 -- their first ranking since the final poll of the 2010 season. And they didn't even have to play to get in. Guess that means the Terps got a double bonus on their week off, spent preparing for Florida State. What helped their image this weekend was West Virginia's upset win over No. 11 Oklahoma State. Just last week, Maryland beat West Virginia 37-0. That win is looking a whole lot better.

No. 5 Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-0; last week: No. 6). This should become an ACC mantra: Never count out the Hokies. We all know the offense has had its issues, but the defense has been simply outstanding and showed it once again in a win against Georgia Tech last Thursday. Virginia Tech held the Jackets to just 129 yards on the ground and was dominant all the way around. Logan Thomas had his best game since 2011. If the defense keeps this up and Thomas plays as well as he did against the Jackets, the Coastal Division better watch out.

No. 6 Pitt (3-1, 2-1; last week: No. 9). Nice jump for the Panthers, who have won three in a row for the first time since the 2010 season. Now granted, New Mexico, Duke and Virginia are not world-beaters by any stretch, but Pitt showed it could win in a variety of ways during this three-game streak. Against Virginia, it was with an improved defensive effort and just enough from the passing game, though the offensive line clearly has a ways to go. Tom Savage was sacked seven times and sustained concussion symptoms as a result.

No. 7 Georgia Tech (3-1, 2-1; last week: No. 4). The Jackets fall a notch below Pitt because the Panthers have a slightly more impressive win selection. Georgia Tech has won over FCS Elon. All three Pitt wins have come against FBS teams. The fact is, Georgia Tech was the favorite to beat Virginia Tech at home in a crucial Coastal Division matchup. But it seems the Jackets come up short just about every time they play Virginia Tech. The offense was completely ineffective, and Vad Lee looked like a first-year starter. The good news is a win over Miami puts the Jackets in the heart of the race.

No. 8 NC State (3-1, 0-1; last week: No. 8 ). The Wolfpack had another big day against Central Michigan and certainly look like a team trending up. But their FBS wins have come against teams that are a combined 2-8. Their other win, over Richmond, was too close for comfort. Give NC State credit for playing Clemson tight, but we still want to see much more out of this team when the competition gets tougher.

No. 9 Boston College (2-2, 1-1; last week: No. 11). Coaches take no solace in moral victories, but there has to be some sense of confidence in knowing this team could hang with the No. 8 team in the nation. The biggest difference between last year and this year is the way the Eagles are playing up front. That translates directly into their success running the football. Andre Williams leads the ACC in rushing and is halfway to a 1,000-yard season after only four games (505 yards). Pretty impressive, considering BC was one of the worst rushing teams in the nation in 2012.

No. 10 Syracuse (2-2; last week: No. 13). Cuse looked like a different team in its last two games with Terrel Hunt under center, but they did face overmatched competition. We will have a good idea of where Syracuse is after this weekend, when the Orange host No. 3 Clemson. The Orange had a bye week to prepare for the Tigers and have had recent success against ranked teams at home.

No. 11 Duke (3-2, 0-2; last week: No. 12). Nothing has come easy for this team, not even against Troy. The Blue Devils got into another shootout this past weekend but ended up winning. Still, Troy gained 512 yards, the second consecutive week the defense has yielded more than 500 yards. Brandon Connette played a nice game, with 379 total yards and five total touchdowns.

No. 12 Virginia (2-2, 0-1; last week: No. 10). It appears as if Virginia has made plenty of progress on the defensive side of the ball this year with its coordinator change. But the offense looks even worse than it did a year ago, and that is saying something. Virginia continues to struggle on the offensive line and in the run game, putting way too much pressure on first-year starter David Watford. Virginia had 65 yards rushing in a 14-3 loss to Pitt, and is averaging 3.7 yards per carry -- third-worst in the ACC. Unless they figure out how to start running the ball effectively, this is going to be a long season.

No. 13 North Carolina (1-3, 0-1; last week: No. 7). Speaking of an inability to run the football, that is perhaps the biggest reason why the Tar Heels have made the biggest drop in the ACC power rankings. North Carolina started the year at No. 4, but an unsightly home loss to East Carolina has sent it plummeting. The Tar Heels have simply not found an replacement for Giovani Bernard's production nor the starters missing on the offensive line. The defense appears to have regressed as well. Good teams find ways to reload, not rebuild. But this year screams rebuilding all over it, given all the key pieces North Carolina lost off its 8-4 squad a year ago.

No. 14 Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2; last week: No. 14). The Demon Deacons got blown out by Clemson, but they have to regroup quickly against in-state rival NC State if they want to keep their bowl hopes alive. Wake Forest and NC State have split their last six meetings, with the home team winning each time. The matchup is in Winston-Salem, so perhaps that will give the Deacs the edge they need.

We shook up the bowl lineup based on the results of this weekend. Sorry, North Carolina, we do not project a bowl trip after the loss to East Carolina. The good news is these are redone each week, so the Tar Heels can play their way back in.

Discover Orange Bowl, Jan. 3: Clemson
Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2: Florida State
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31: Miami
Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 28: Maryland
Hyundai Sun Bowl, Dec. 31: NC State
Belk Bowl, Dec. 28: Virginia Tech
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30: Georgia Tech
Advocare V100 Bowl, Dec. 31: Pitt
Military Bowl, Dec. 27: Open

The two ACC quarterbacks contending for the Heisman turned in outstanding performances in Week 5, while one of the league's most maligned quarterbacks joined them. Here are this week's helmet stickers.

Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas: Perhaps no player in the ACC has faced more criticism in the first month of the season, but in spite of his struggles, Thomas now has his Hokies in position to win the Coastal thanks to an upset of Georgia Tech in which he was nearly flawless. Thomas completed 19-of-25 passes (just his second career game completing better than 70 percent of his throws) for 221 yards and a TD. He also rushed 16 times for 58 yards and another touchdown. Plenty of credit again goes to the Virginia Tech D, which sealed the game with a late interception, but it was Thomas' sterling performance that provides hope the Hokies still have a shot at a BCS game.

Pitt DT Aaron Donald: One week after being gashed for 55 points by Duke, the Pitt defense stepped up and shut down Virginia. The Cavaliers mustered just three points and 188 yards of offense, with Donald leading the charge in the middle of the line. Donald finished the game with two sacks, two QB hurries, three tackles and a forced fumble. Virginia managed just 2 yards per rush.

Florida State QB Jameis Winston: The defense struggled, the special teams were bad, but FSU's dynamic freshman quarterback staved off Boston College's upset bid almost single-handedly. Winston completed 17-of-27 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns, including a 55-yard Hail Mary throw at the end of the first half to Kenny Shaw. Winston was dazzling, leading FSU back from a 17-3 deficit with three completions of 40-plus yards. He also paced FSU's rushing game, carrying 14 times for 67 yards.

NC State WR Bryan Underwood: The Wolfpack kept things close with Clemson last week but came up just short. They've found a good bit more success outside the conference, including Saturday's 48-14 thrashing of Central Michigan when Underwood led the way with 190 yards of offense and a touchdown. Underwood caught five passes for a career-high 148 yards. Underwood hauled in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Pete Thomas, the first of the season for the NC State quarterback.

Clemson QB Tajh Boyd: After a somewhat shaky outing against NC State a week ago, Boyd bounced back into Heisman form against woefully overmatched Wake Forest. The senior QB completed 17-of-24 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. He also served as Clemson's leading rusher, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards and a score. Boyd has accounted for at least three touchdowns in each of his three starts against FBS opponents (and 14 of his last 15 dating to last season).

In the days leading up to Virginia Tech's Thursday night showdown with Georgia Tech, Logan Thomas could hardly throw. An abdominal injury limited him in practice, which figured to be bad news for the Hokies, given how poorly Thomas and the offense had played when healthy.

So, of course, the senior quarterback went to Atlanta, played his best game of the season, and the much-maligned Virginia Tech offense helped lead an upset over the Yellow Jackets.

It was a harbinger for the weekend to come in the ACC. Just when it seemed we had things pegged, the expectations got turned upside down again.

How else to explain what happened in Pittsburgh, where the Panthers' defense completely shut down Virginia just seven days after coughing up 532 yards and 55 points to Duke? Certainly Virginia's offense didn't present the same test, but the Cavaliers mustered just 188 yards of offense in the game. Of course, the most surprising thing might have been that high-flying Pitt managed only 11 more.

Who could have possibly predicted Boston College's near upset of Florida State? It wasn't so much that the Eagles came out quickly against an unprepared Seminoles team. They did, of course, jumping out to a 17-3 lead. What was perhaps more surprising, however, was that BC kept coming back even after Jameis Winston and Florida State delivered what seemed like one final dagger after another. BC fought to the end, riding a power running game to 34 points against the bigger, faster Seminoles. Florida State knew BC's game plan was to run the ball, and yet Andre Williams still racked up 149 yards on the ground -- the most by a runner against FSU since 2010.

And what happened to North Carolina? Sure, the Tar Heels hadn't opened the season with many fireworks, but this was a team that tied for the Atlantic Division title a year ago, looked at least reasonably capable against South Carolina in its opener and was up early on Georgia Tech a week ago before faltering late. So did the Heels take out their frustrations against East Carolina? Not even close. UNC allowed 603 yards and 55 points, of course.

Or how about NC State's Pete Thomas? The backup QB forced into the starting role in Week 1 had looked dreadful during his first three games, tossing four interceptions without a TD. He looked much improved against Central Michigan on Saturday, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Underwood, helping NC State to nearly 500 yards of total offense.

Then there was Logan Thomas, who had completed 70 percent of his passes in a game just once in his career, but managed to find receivers on 19 of his 25 attempts against Georgia Tech, racking up 279 yards of offense and two touchdowns in the win.

If the slate didn't provide myriad upsets, it certainly provided plenty of surprises in just how those outcomes came to be.

And yet, not every game was a shocker. Clemson scored an easy win on Wake Forest, and Miami ran up the score against USF. Some outcomes were so secure, there was no wiggle room for surprises.

But so much of what seemed clear a week ago -- that Georgia Tech was in the driver's seat in the Coastal, that Florida State was gearing up for its showdown with Clemson, that the Hokies couldn't move the football and Pitt couldn't stop it -- those assumptions all seem a bit silly now.

Instead, the Seminoles must go back to work and try to figure out how their defense has been gashed by both of the ACC opponents it has faced this year. With Maryland and Clemson up next on the slate, such shortcomings won't be so easily overcome by Winston's heroics.

Georgia Tech's plans for a second straight trip to the ACC title game may be dashed already, but the Jackets can help themselves stay alive with a win over Miami next week. They’re going to need some outside help, though, as they’ll lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Virginia Tech, should it come to that.

Clemson and Miami are rolling, Pitt and NC State appear resilient, North Carolina and Wake are reeling. And Duke? Well, there's always hope the Blue Devils' D can rebound as well as Virginia Tech's offense.

"That locker room feels real good about ourselves," Hokies linebacker Jack Tyler said after their big win. "But like [defensive coordinator Bud] Foster says, when you start feeling good about yourself, that’s when you get knocked off."

That's a warning worth remembering around the ACC after this week.

After all, for all we thought we learned, the one overriding revelation could be that those lessons may last only until the games of Week 6 kick off and the whole set of assumptions is flipped upside down once again.

The Week 5 slate has a handful of conference showdowns on tap, but the weekend figures to have its share of mismatches, too. Here are a few storylines to watch as the ACC closes out the season's first month:

Vad Lee's big test: It's been a sterling start for the Georgia Tech QB, but the test gets much tougher this week. Lee has thrown seven touchdowns and rushed for three more through three games, and Georgia Tech's offense looks primed for a big season. But Virginia Tech's defense ranks among the nation's best thus far. The Hokies lead the ACC in rushing defense (96.5 yards per game) and have allowed just two passing plays of 25 yards or more through four weeks -- the two areas the Yellow Jackets have thrived. Georgia Tech took a big step toward establishing itself as a contender last week, but if Lee can find a way to break Virginia Tech's defensive stranglehold this week, the Yellow Jackets just might be the new favorite in the Coastal Division.

As Logan Thomas goes ...: The Hokies' offense has been brutal through four games, with Thomas shouldering the bulk of the criticism -- for good reason. He's completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes with just four TDs to go with six interceptions. But when Thomas is sharp, there's hope. On Tech's three scoring drives vs. Marshall last week, he was 10-of-13 for 106 yards. The rest of the game, he was just 8-of-10 for 75 yards. One key may be running Thomas more often. He had 23 rushing attempts against Marshall -- nearly double his total from the first three games combined.

Supporting the cause: As big as Georgia Tech's win over North Carolina last week was in the standings, it was the message Lee and others wore on wristbands designed to draw attention toward a push to reform NCAA regulations on player compensation and other issues. Coach Paul Johnson said this week that there should have been a team vote before any players took such a public stand, so it will be interesting to see if Tech's protesters take a step back or if more players -- both on the Yellow Jackets and around the nation -- step up to make a stand.

North Carolina's struggles: The Tar Heels figured to be at the top of the ACC's second tier this season, but they've hardly looked the part so far. UNC never really challenged South Carolina in a marquee nonconference opener, and the Heels blew a lead against Georgia Tech last week that puts them in an early hole in the division. Bryn Renner and the offense haven't been nearly as potent as the talent on the roster suggests, and the defense has struggled to stop the run all year. North Carolina tries to rebound against East Carolina this week, but the Pirates took Virginia Tech to the brink just two weeks ago and won't be a pushover.

More highlights from Crowder: In last week's loss, junior Jamison Crowder ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and returned a punt for a score -- the first time that feat had been accomplished at Duke since 1999. The Blue Devils' defense appears to be in complete disarray, but Crowder has injected enough life into the offense and special teams that Duke has at least remained competitive -- including last week's ferocious comeback attempt against Pitt. For the year, Crowder ranks among the ACC leaders in receptions (30), receiving yards (381), touchdowns (4) and all-purpose yards (668).

Keeping the faith at NC State: The Wolfpack nearly pulled the upset last week against Clemson, but concerns remain at quarterback, where Pete Thomas has yet to throw a TD pass this year. Still, NC State has kept itself afloat with a 2-1 start, and Brandon Mitchell could be back in a few weeks. The Wolfpack don't figure to be tested much against Central Michigan, and with a manageable schedule leading up to an Oct. 26 showdown against Florida State, Thomas simply needs to steady the ship and avoid catastrophe to keep NC State in the mix in the ACC.

Battle of the ground games: In the past 35 games, just four players have managed to exceed 100 yards on the ground against Florida State's defense. One of them is Boston College's Andre Williams, who is off to a strong start in 2013. He'll be the key to any potential BC upset, but the Seminoles have plenty of weapons in their backfield, too. Devonta Freeman has run for more than 100 yards in each of the past two games and ranks fourth in the nation in yards per carry. Offensive newcomer Karlos Williams has racked up 193 yards and three scores on just 17 carries so far. Overall, FSU ranks third in the country averaging 7.2 yards per rush so far this season.

Clemson building momentum: The general consensus after last week's near miss against NC State is that Clemson got lucky to escape with a win. A close call on what appeared to be a long touchdown for the Wolfpack was followed by a key turnover, swinging the momentum in a 26-14 Tigers win, but Tajh Boyd wasn't at his best and Clemson showed some vulnerability. The task against struggling Wake Forest this week will be to regain that air of invincibility, getting Boyd's Heisman campaign back on track and establishing that the Tigers are still the team to beat in the ACC.

Stephen Morris' health: The Miami quarterback left last week's blowout win over Savannah State early with a bone bruise in his right ankle, but he insists the injury isn't serious. He said he expects to be in the lineup when Miami takes on winless South Florida this week, and it could be a good chance for him to jump-start his season. While the Hurricanes are off to a 3-0 start, Morris is completing just 53 percent of his throws and has just four touchdowns to go with two INTs. USF's D hasn't been tested much through the air so far, but the unit figures to provide a bigger challenge than woeful Savannah State.

Pitt's O vs. Virginia's D: Aside from the blowout loss to Oregon -- a fate shared by many of the Ducks' opponents in recent years -- the Virginia defense has been solid, led by playmakers such as Eli Harold and Anthony Harris. But Virginia figures to be tested this week with an offense that might have playmakers to rival even Oregon's gaudy numbers. Pitt QB Tom Savage threw six touchdowns against Duke last week, while Devin Street, Tyler Boyd and James Conner all rank among the ACC's offensive leaders so far this season.

Like the ACC, we went 7-0 with our picks last week. Andrea is now 34-4 through four weeks, while Heather is 33-5, but Week 5 brings one big disagreement.

On to the picks!

Thursday

Virginia Tech (3-1, 0-0) at Georgia Tech (3-0, 2-0), 7:30 p.m., ESPN. #VTvsGT. One of these teams has gone to the ACC title game every single year. Will the same hold true in 2013? Both teams come in off a short week and hard-fought wins, but this happens to be the ACC opener for Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 8-1 in ACC openers, with the lone loss coming from Clemson in 2011. They also are good at beating the Jackets, winning three straight meetings and five of the last six. AA gives the nod to Virginia Tech this year based on the defense, ranked No. 5 in the nation. Bud Foster generally finds a way to slow down the Georgia Tech offense enough to give the Hokies a chance at the win. In the last two years, Georgia Tech posted rushing and total offense numbers below its season averages. The Jackets, meanwhile, looked sluggish for most of the day offensively last week against North Carolina. Virginia Tech is much better defensively and that is the difference. AA calls for an UPSET. Virginia Tech 21, Georgia Tech 20.

HD picks: Georgia Tech 24, Virginia Tech 21. The Hokies are coming off a triple-overtime win against Marshall and had a five-day turnaround to prepare for a completely different offense. Foster said he is going to be relying on the retention of his veteran defenders who have played against the spread option offense and have had success against it before. Georgia Tech, though, is No. 2 in the country in third-down conversion percentage, and while the Hokies’ D will do enough to keep them in this game, the offense will struggle enough again that this time it won’t be enough to win it.

Saturday

No. 15 Miami (3-0) at USF (0-3), noon, ESPNU. #MIAvsUSF. Only three seasons ago, USF upset Miami to end the regular season. But things have been downhill for the Bulls since then. USF is off to an 0-3 start for the first time in school history, in large part to its offense and its tendency to turn the ball over. Five times in three games so far, the opponents have scored defensive touchdowns. Penn State transfer Steven Bench gets the start at quarterback this week, while Miami plans to play Stephen Morris, working through a bruised ankle. Truthfully, Miami could win this game even without Morris.

AA says: Miami 35, USF 3

HD says: Miami 51, USF 10

East Carolina (2-1) at North Carolina (1-2), 12:30 p.m., ESPN3. #ECUvsUNC. East Carolina plays its second straight ACC opponent, having lost to Virginia Tech a few years ago. The Pirates run the same type of tempo offense the Tar Heels run so there will be plenty of no huddle in this game. What North Carolina coach Larry Fedora wants to see is better offense overall. He called the performance of the group in the second half of a loss to Georgia Tech "inept." Bottom line -- the Tar Heels are averaging more than 100 yards fewer on offense this year than last. North Carolina, in fact, ranks an unsightly No. 82 in the nation in total offense.

AA says: North Carolina 35, East Carolina 17

HD says: North Carolina 31, East Carolina 28

Virginia (2-1, 0-0) at Pitt (2-1, 1-1), 12:30 p.m., ESPN3. #UVAvsPITT. The Hoos cannot afford to get in a shootout with the Panthers because they do not have the type of offense that can keep up. What Virginia does have is a more aggressive defense that will try to ramp up the pressure on Tom Savage, rattling him enough so he has a more difficult time getting the ball to Tyler Boyd and Devin Street on the perimeter. Pitt has its own problems on defense it has to deal with, but Virginia is still trying to find its identity there with a consistent run game. Give the nod to the Panthers based on their offensive playmakers.

AA says: Pitt 30, Virginia 23

HD says: Pitt 28, Virginia 24

Troy (2-2) at Duke (2-2), 3 p.m., ESPN3. #TROYvsDUKE. The Blue Devils need to find a way to fix their problems on defense in a hurry after dropping two straight ACC games. The big key is limiting the explosive plays. In the loss to Pitt, the Panthers had 17 plays that picked up 25 or more yards. Troy does not have the same type of offensive skill players as Pitt, or even Georgia Tech for that matter. The Trojans also do not have anybody on their roster like Duke receiver Jamison Crowder, who had nearly 300 all-purpose yards in the loss to the Panthers.

AA says: Duke 35, Troy 20

HD says: Duke 52, Troy 21

No. 8 Florida State (3-0, 1-0) at Boston College (2-1, 1-0), 3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2. #FSUvsBC. The Eagles had a bye to prepare for Florida State, along with the experience of playing against one of the best defenses in the nation in a loss to USC two weeks ago. But those combined may not really do much to help the Eagles in their upset bid. Here is a stat that sums up how good the Seminoles have been early: Through their first three games, 11 different players have scored touchdowns.

AA picks: Florida State 45, Boston College 13

HD picks: Florida State 35, Boston College 17

Central Michigan (1-3) at NC State (2-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN3. #CMUvsNCST. NC State coach Dave Doeren is quite familiar with Central Michigan, having played the Chippewas the last two years as Northern Illinois coach. He went 1-1 in those games. The key here is to see how the Wolfpack bounce back after a tough loss to Clemson last Thursday night. The last time they played a team they were favored to beat, they struggled with Richmond. The focus has to be better.

AA picks: NC State 35, Central Michigan 13

HD picks: NC State 31, Central Michigan 10

Wake Forest (2-2, 0-1) at No. 3 Clemson (3-0, 1-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU. #WAKEvsCLEM. Wake Forest has not won in Death Valley since 1998. That streak is not going to end Saturday. The Deacs have too many problems on offense to keep pace with the Tigers, who are trying to get back in sync after an up-and-down performance against NC State. Two of the best receivers in the ACC will be featured in this game – Sammy Watkins and Michael Campanaro – but Vic Beasley could end up making headlines once again for the Tigers.

AA picks: Clemson 45, Wake Forest 10

HD picks: Clemson 48, Wake Forest 13

1. The death of former Northwestern head coach Francis Peay at age 69 is a reminder that wins and losses shouldn’t be the sole judge of a coach’s impact. Peay went 13-51-2 in six seasons (1986-91) in Evanston. In his book, High Hopes, Gary Barnett wrote this about succeeding Peay: “What I did not take into account was that most of the kids, especially our 35 black kids, had come because of Francis Peay. They came to Northwestern because he was such a tremendous role model, and because he was a strong black man. And then all of a sudden, he’s yanked away from them.”

2. Georgia coach Mark Richt has signed three of the current starting quarterbacks in the SEC: Aaron Murray; LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, who will return home to Athens to play the Dawgs on Saturday, and Auburn’s Nick Marshall. The latter two started out at Georgia but Richt dismissed them for disciplinary reasons. “When they have to leave,” Richt said, “I just hope they can move forward and have great success….(I)t makes you feel good.” Some coaches bend their rules to win a game. Richt doesn’t. I bet he sleeps well at night.


3. Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley -- the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after three sacks and a forced fumble against North Carolina State -- came out of August even with freshman Shaq Lawson for a starting spot. “If it is a tie, then tie goes to the veteran” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said at his press conference this week. “…It was really a tie between him and Vic coming out of practice, to be honest. I told Vic that, too. You have to go and perform. This big boy is on your heels right here.” Looks like Beasley listened.

For the past decade, the ACC has shared the regional stage with the SEC, but it has been a clear second-class citizen. In the first month of the 2013 season, however, the conference did its best to shed that reputation and deliver a few blows to its neighbor with the long run of national titles. Clemson knocked off Georgia, Miami upended Florida and along with Florida State, the ACC looks to have at least three teams with sights set on the BCS.

Best game: Clemson's win over Georgia

No one doubted Clemson's offensive potential before the season, but for the Tigers -- and the ACC -- to establish their national-title credentials, they needed a big win, and Georgia provided the perfect foil on the first Saturday of the season. Tajh Boyd accounted for five touchdowns, Roderick McDowell ran for 132 yards, Sammy Watkins hauled in six catches for 127 yards and the Clemson defense did just enough to secure a 38-35 win that set the stage for the ACC's emergence as a challenger to SEC dominance.

Best player: Boyd

Four weeks into the season, Boyd's numbers have only burnished the preseason Heisman hype. He has racked up six passing touchdowns and three more on the ground, and he has yet to throw an interception. His numbers aren't buffered by a stat-padding game against weak opposition, either. He saw a limited workload against South Carolina State, saving his best for a surprisingly close game against NC State and a season-defining win over Georgia.

Best performance: Jameis Winston's debut

There was plenty of buzz surrounding the Florida State quarterback before he ever took a snap, but Winston still managed to exceed expectations in his first game. Winston completed his first 11 passes, finished 25-of-27 for 356 yards and accounted for five touchdowns in a blowout win over Pittsburgh. He followed that up with two more solid games, but his debut ranks among the best for any quarterback in the past decade.

Best surprise: Maryland's hot start

It's not that the Terrapins didn't have talent, but there were so many question marks to open the season. C.J. Brown returned after missing all of 2012, a bevy of defensive stalwarts were gone and the Terrapins were riding out their final ACC campaign before moving to the Big Ten. Through four games, though, things have worked out beautifully. Brown and Stefon Diggs helped the Maryland offense rack up more than 500 yards in its first three games, the defense pitched a shutout against West Virginia last week, and the Terps will enter their Oct. 5 clash with Florida State undefeated.

Biggest disappointment: Virginia Tech's offense

It wasn't so long ago Logan Thomas was being discussed as a future first-round NFL draft pick. Now, he's among the most criticized quarterbacks in the country. His 42.3 Total QBR ranks 98th nationally, and he has more sacks (5) and interceptions (6) than touchdown passes (4). Virginia Tech's offense ranks 106th nationally in yards per play (4.68), and everyone has contributed. The receivers can't get open, the ground game has been stuck in neutral and the line is doing little to open running lanes.

Clemson has had to fight a two-fisted assault on its reputation early on this season, thanks to common misperceptions its critics have hung on to like a favorite pair of worn shoes.

They may seem comfy and familiar, but at this point they no longer fit. It may indeed be time to toss those old knocks -- and old shoes -- to the curb.

The first, of course, is that Clemson has a habit of falling to weaker competition. The other is that Clemson can only win with offense.

We saw differently last week in Raleigh. Yes, No. 3 Clemson faltered against NC State last Thursday night. But the Tigers answered questions about their resiliency, growth and maturity. Plenty went wrong for a majority of the game. Where other Clemson teams may have lost, this one found a way to win, 26-14.

It is worth noting that just about every team on the road to a national championship plays an imperfect game. Alabama lost a game in both 2011 and 2012. Undefeated Auburn needed overtime to beat the Clemson in 2010, and nearly lost to Alabama at the end of the season. Alabama needed a blocked field goal against Tennessee in 2009 to keep its perfect season alive. You get the point.

Teams sometimes play ugly games. Sometimes it happens against overmatched opponents. Tennessee, for example, was 3-3 when it nearly upset Alabama. As it stands, Clemson has won 11 straight games to unranked opponents by double digits dating to 2011. Only Alabama has a longer streak, with 21 in a row. Its only losses in the last 16 games are to top 10 Florida State and South Carolina.

It is hard to argue with those facts when they are presented so plainly. I can say lesson learned, too.

But what stood out about that NC State game goes back to misperception No. 2. Clemson is not all about tons of points and offensive gimmicks. In fact, the Tigers are not yet producing at the same levels offensively as they have the last two years.

Where they have made strides this season is on defense. That group allowed Clemson to win the NC State game. Again, that is something that may not have been said about this team two years ago. Seeing a trend here?

Clemson has been extremely strong up front. Just look at a few stats to see just how strong:

• The Tigers have 12 sacks in three games, the most over the first three games of the season since 1999 when Tommy Bowden’s team also had 12. They are tied for fourth in the nation, averaging four sacks per game.
• Vic Beasley leads the ACC with five sacks, second in the nation. He had three against NC State, including a critical forced fumble that changed momentum for the Tigers. In all, Clemson had five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, an interception, and forced fumble against the Wolfpack.
• The numbers against Georgia are similar. Clemson had four sacks, one interception and forced three fumbles, recovering one. Without that type of defensive effort, Clemson may have very well lost that game, too.

Depth has been a huge reason for the success. Clemson is solid at every position along the line, and has gotten major contributions from freshman Shaq Lawson, who had his first career sack and three tackles for loss last week. He is the first true freshman defensive lineman to record three tackles for loss in a game since Da'Quan Bowers in 2008.

Beasley says Clemson has more depth on the line than at any point in his Clemson career. He also knows how good the line can be throughout the course of the season.

“We’ve gotta make plays. We've gotta be the strength of the defense,” Beasley said. “That's what gets us motivated and wanting to make plays out there.”

The linebackers have also been stronger than a year ago, with Spencer Shuey playing outside and Stephone Anthony in the middle forming a pretty terrific duo. Both have been named ACC Linebacker of the Week this year. Anthony won his honor this week, after racking up 16 tackles against NC State. Shuey recovered the critical fumble Beasley forced in the game and was selected the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week.

Quarterback Tajh Boyd said after the game that was "probably the best defensive performance that I’ve seen here in a while."

Boyd would know. Now, if Clemson continues to pair a strong defense with its already strong offense, perhaps all the misconceptions will crumble once and for all.

Here is one last look back at the week that was in the ACC.

The good: Perhaps Clemson teams of the past would have faltered when adversity struck early Thursday in Raleigh, N.C. But the defensive line stood up, and the offense made plays when it needed to, turning a close contest into a more comfortable 26-14 win, allowing the Tigers to remain the ACC's most likely national title contender.

The bad: Pitt's defense avoids this distinction only because Duke's was worse. The Panthers escaped Durham, N.C., with a 58-55 win Saturday for their first ACC victory. The Blue Devils surrendered 598 yards of offense and did not force a single turnover, while committing four themselves. Duke coach David Cutcliffe said Sunday that he had never been a part of any game like it before.

The ugly: Virginia Tech beat Marshall 29-21 in three overtimes to get to 3-1. The first two overtimes featured no scores. The game had five total turnovers. Marshall committed 11 penalties. Oh, and both kickers combined to go 0-for-5 on field goal attempts, with the Hokies' Ethan Keyserling going 0-for-3 while replacing Cody Journell, who was suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules. The one bright spot was Derrick Hopkins coming oh-so-close to a walk-off fat guy touchdown after a Rakeem Cato fumble in overtime No. 2.

The wake me when it's over: The fourth quarter of Miami's 77-7 win over Savannah State was shortened to 12 minutes, as mutually agreed upon by both coaches. What more needs to be said about this matchup?

The wake me when it's over, Parts 2 and 3: In case one FCS beatdown wasn't enough for you, Virginia beat VMI 49-0 and Florida State beat Bethune-Cookman 54-6. For those keeping count, that's a combined 180-13 margin for the three ACC squads against FCS foes this past weekend.

The rebound: Wake Forest needed a win in the worst way, and the Demon Deacons came through Saturday at Army. Josh Harris had two second-half touchdowns and Nikita Whitlock notched 14 tackles, giving the Deacs a 25-11 win before they prepare to head to Clemson this week.

The statement: Nice little stories don't force six turnovers and beat West Virginia 37-0. They don't hold the Mountaineers to six first downs and 175 total yards of offense. And they don't start 4-0. It may be time to take Maryland seriously after its rout of WVU, as the Terrapins are two wins shy of their previous two-year total under Randy Edsall, who refused to call the win a signature one but is surely pleased with his team's start this season.

The what-could-have-been: Hindsight is 20/20. We don't know how ready Terrel Hunt would have been to start for Syracuse in the season opener. And Wagner and Tulane are not as good as Penn State and Northwestern. That said, the loss to the Nittany Lions was a winnable game. And Hunt's two starts after the Orange's first two losses with Drew Allen under center have been great, as he completed 16 of 21 passes Saturday against the Green Wave for 181 yards and four touchdowns. He added 39 yards and another score on the ground, and he did not turn the ball over. Hunt, as Anish Shroff pointed out, has the highest Total QBR rating in the country, though he has not played enough yet to qualify for the top spot.

The stand: Georgia Tech improved to 2-0 in the conference with a 28-20 home win over North Carolina, and it did it with its defense. The Yellow Jackets trailed by 13 twice in the first half. But they held the Tar Heels without a point over the game's final 39-plus minutes and held UNC to just 319 total yards of offense.

We’ve got a few tweaks to the lineup this week, but no major shakeups. Welcome to the top five, Terps …

1. Clemson (3-0, 1-0 ACC; Last week: No. 1): The Tigers avoided being ridiculed for “Clemsoning” with a 26-14 win over NC State, and even though the offense wasn’t clicking smoothly for four quarters, the team found a way to win with its defense. Vic Beasley continued to dominate, and the Tigers will look to keep it up this weekend against Wake Forest.

2. Florida State (3-0, 1-0; Last week: No. 2): The Seminoles cruised to a 54-6 win over FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman in a game which revealed absolutely nothing about FSU. Florida State has to travel to Boston College in Week 5, but won’t face its first true test of the season until Oct. 5 against Maryland.

3. Miami (3-0, 0-0; Last week: No. 3): The Canes were relentless in a 77-7 win over Savannah State, but they got a small scare when quarterback Stephen Morris left the game in the first quarter with a sprained ankle. Coach Al Golden told The Associated Press, “It looks like he’ll be fine.” The Canes travel to USF this week for their final nonconference game of the season.

4. Georgia Tech (3-0, 2-0; Last week: No. 4): With a 28-20 win over North Carolina, the Jackets took another step in asserting themselves as one of the top teams in the Coastal Division, further setting the stage for a showdown against Miami on Oct. 5. First, though, the Jackets will have to beat Virginia Tech on Thursday night, a quick five-day turnaround for both teams.

5. Maryland (4-0, 0-0; Last week: No. 7): The Terps blanked West Virginia 37-0 and are now 4-0 for the first time since 2001, the last time Maryland won the ACC and played in the Orange Bowl. They’ve got a bye week to prepare for Florida State, but have already matched their win total from last year.

6. Virginia Tech (3-1, 0-0; Last week: No. 6): It wasn’t pretty, but the Hokies once again found a way to get it done, this time a 29-21 triple-overtime win against Marshall. Even the defense wasn’t as dependable as it has been this month. Virginia Tech was just 2-of-16 on third-down conversions -- a stat that won’t fly on Thursday night against the productive Yellow Jackets’ offense.

7. North Carolina (1-2, 0-1; Last week: No. 5): UNC couldn’t hold on to a 20-7 lead in the first half against Georgia Tech and fell into a hole early in the Coastal Division race. This is a team that has yet to really make a statement against a quality opponent, with its lone win coming against Middle Tennessee. They could have a trap game this week against East Carolina.

8. NC State (2-1, 0-1; Last week: No. 9): The Wolfpack should take some pride in their performance against Clemson, despite the loss. The defense played better than expected and in the first half was able to pressure quarterback Tajh Boyd. If the Pack keeps it up, they could overachieve in Year 1 under coach Dave Doeren.

9. Pitt (2-1, 1-1; Last week: No. 10): Who needs defense? Quarterback Tom Savage threw six touchdown passes in a 58-55 win over Duke to give the Panthers their first ACC win as a member of the conference. Pitt will have home-field advantage this week against Virginia in another important Coastal Division game.

10. Virginia (2-1, 0-0; Last week: No. 8): This was another FCS snoozer, as Virginia rolled over VMI, 49-0. It was the final tuneup before the Hoos begin conference play on Saturday at Pitt. UVa entered the game trying to be more explosive on offense, but it took until the second quarter to showcase it. UVa won’t be able to afford to wait against Pitt.

11. Boston College (2-1, 1-0; Last week: No. 12): The Eagles had a bye week to recover from their cross-country loss to USC and prepare for Saturday’s home game against Florida State. BC got off to a good start in the Atlantic Division race with its win over Wake Forest in Week 2, but this will be an even bigger challenge than what it faced at USC.

12. Duke (2-2, 0-2; Last week: No. 11): The Blue Devils are already on the outside looking in at the Coastal Division race after back-to-back ACC losses, and four turnovers didn’t help in Saturday’s loss at Pitt. Nor did the defense. Duke has a chance to fix some of those mistakes against Troy this week and will have a bye week to regroup before facing Navy.

13. Syracuse (2-2, 0-0; Last week: No. 13): We have yet to learn the true identity of this team, after losses to legitimate Big Ten teams, and then wins against unheralded, overmatched opponents. We’ve also seen two different results with two different quarterbacks. Have the Orange found their stride because of Terrel Hunt, or because of their level of competition lately?

14. Wake Forest (2-2, 0-1; Last week: No. 14): Wake Forest overcame a sloppy start and left West Point with a much-needed 25-11 win over Army. The Deacs were trailing 11-10 late in the third quarter, but avoided three straight losses heading into Death Valley this weekend.

Swapped Maryland and Virginia Tech in the bowl projections this week.

Discover Orange Bowl, Jan. 3: Clemson

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2: Florida State

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31: Miami

Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 28: Georgia Tech

Hyundai Sun Bowl, Dec. 31: Maryland

Belk Bowl, Dec. 28: North Carolina

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30: Virginia Tech

Advocare V100 Bowl, Dec. 31: NC State

Military Bowl, Dec. 27: Pitt

What did we learn in the ACC in Week 4? Glad you asked.

1. Clemson is not perfect: The way Clemson won on Thursday night at NC State will not win the Tigers any beauty contests. They were sluggish on offense for most of the game, and nobody could quite figure out why afterward. Was it the long layoff between games against FBS teams? Was it more a product of NC State harassing Tajh Boyd? Were they playing too tight and not relaxed? Clemson finally got a few drives going in the second half (thanks to a call that may or may not have been botched) but the offense still needs some work. The defense, meanwhile, has made huge strides. Coaches thought this front seven could be good, and it was strong against the Wolfpack. But what stood out most of all was the way Clemson was able to overcome its mediocre play and win. That might not have happened two years ago.

2. Georgia Tech is in good shape: Say this for the Yellow Jackets, they came into the season relatively under the radar but have played themselves into the Coastal conversation after a 2-0 start in division play. It is the second time under Paul Johnson that Georgia Tech has started Coastal play 2-0 (it also happened in 2011), but just the third time in the past 15 years it has won its first two league games. Georgia Tech has now won six straight regular-season ACC games dating back to last season, tied for the second-longest league winning streak in school history. Without question, this is the toughest stretch of the season for the Jackets, and if they can keep this up, they will be in the driver’s seat to get back to the ACC title game. Next up is a Virginia Tech team that needed three overtimes to beat Marshall on short rest Thursday in Atlanta. Given the way the Hokies looked on Saturday, there is a decent chance Georgia Tech and Miami will be undefeated when the two teams play in Miami on Oct. 5. But it’s too early to look ahead. To beat Virginia Tech, the Jackets are going to need a lot more consistency on offense than they got in their win over North Carolina.

3. Virginia Tech D is not perfect: The Hokies went into the game with the No. 2 ranked defense in the entire nation, but they did not play that way in the first half against Marshall, giving up 21 points and 205 yards while staring at a deficit. Virginia Tech had a much harder time slowing down the hurry-up offense Marshall runs. I called this group the “hands down best defense” in the ACC but that title appears to be up for grabs right now. Virginia Tech did regain its composure in the second half and allowed just 156 yards the rest of the way, with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. But this was the most uneven performance out of this group this year. You have to wonder how much the struggles of the offense are going to start taking its toll on the defense.

4. The ACC could have another Top 25 team: When the polls are released later today, the big question is whether Georgia Tech or Maryland (maybe both?) will be ranked for the first time this season. The ACC has five unbeaten teams to this point, a great accomplishment for a league that has struggled to change its national reputation. Maryland (4-0) completely embarrassed West Virginia in all facets, winning 37-0 while holding the Mountaineers to six first downs and 175 yards of total offense. Maryland has not beaten anybody with a winning record yet (Week 1 opponent FIU just lost 72-0 to Louisville), so its undefeated start is not wildly unexpected. Still, it is quite an achievement for a program that has won six total games over the past two seasons.

5. Pittsburgh and Duke could use some defensive help: Both teams went into the season with high expectations for their respective groups. Pitt had a veteran group returning; Duke believed it had made strides from a unit that crumbled in the second half of 2012. Neither one showed much progress in a 58-55 Pitt win. The early results we saw from the Duke defense have been put into perspective now that the Blue Devils have played better teams in Georgia Tech and Pitt. The Blue Devils had a hard time getting off blocks Saturday, Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe said. To make matters worse, linebacker Kelby Brown got hurt. Pitt is a team that clearly misses defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable. That was made more apparent after watching his game plan to slow down Boyd and Clemson in his new job as NC State defensive coordinator. Pitt has given up 123 points in three games. If it can get a defense to pair with what looks like a solid offense, watch out.