Clemson, Duke, Miami Rise in Week 7 ACC Power Rankings
Saturday Blitz ACC Power Rankings Week 7
The Tigers are back. After raising questions with the way they struggled so badly in the opener, Dabo Swinney’s group has looked as good as any team in college football since then. Blowout wins against South Carolina State and N.C. State were impressive, as was a convincing win against North Carolina. But playing Florida State to overtime and now beating Louisville have confirmed that this is a good team.
The bad news is Clemson thought it had found a quarterback in Deshaun Watson, and he’s now going to have to have surgery and at least miss a month. The good news is that Cole Stoudt played pretty decent in the win against Louisville, and the defense has stepped up in every game except North Carolina since that bad Georgia loss to open the season. An offense that ranks No. 25 in the country in points per game is only going to get better, regardless of who is playing quarterback with this young team, so these guys have a lot to be excited about.
And although they may not win the division, another BCS appearance is possible again. Boston College, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Georgia State should all be wins, and that will mean the season comes down to games against Georgia Tech and South Carolina. The Tigers could easily beat both teams and get to 10-2, and with the way they’re playing right now, it seems likely.
This is clearly a program on the verge of becoming a powerhouse. So get used to it being relevant.