ACC Football Power Rankings: Can Clemson stay at the top?

The Blue Devils had a put up or shut up game against the reeling Hokies, who were upset by Old Dominion in one of the biggest losses of the season for the ACC. The Blue Devils defense was facing a backup quarterback and still couldn’t get the job done. The offense ran for just 71 yards and unless Duke can fix that during the bye week, they may be upset by the Yellow Jackets in Week 7.

When the game against Clemson kicked off, it was clear that Syracuse wasn’t going to be overwhelmed by the environment. A hurry-up tempo kept the Tigers defense on its heels most of the game, as Eric Dungey and the offense did a good job with limiting pressure from the Clemson defensive line.

When Trevor Lawrence went out of the game to an injury, fans in the stadium got nervous. The Tigers did mount a comeback, but Syracuse showed they will still be a force in the ACC title race going forward.

With Josh Jackson not able to play in this game, the Hokies turned to backup quarterback Ryan Willis to lead them to a big road victory. He answered the call with three touchdown passes in a surprising Virginia Tech victory. Was the loss to Old Dominion simply a poor effort? Or will it define the season? Hokies fans will hope the Week 6 matchup against Notre Dame can help vault them back into the Top 25.