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ACC Football Power Rankings, Week 3: North Carolina’s stock up

By Dante Pryor

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 31: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after his team scores against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the Belk College Kickoff game at Bank of America Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 31: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after his team scores against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the Belk College Kickoff game at Bank of America Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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It’s Week 2 of ACC football. Some teams have already started their conference schedule. Did that affect the rankings or do they look the same?

It’s abundantly clear that everyone’s playing for second place in the ACC. Clemson has pulled away from everyone. However, there are some intriguing story lines to follow in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

How good is North Carolina State, really? They’re breaking in a new quarterback in the post Ryan Finley era.  The Wolfpack has put a lot of trust in sophomore Matthew McKay, and he’s responded in kind throwing for 508 yards and 2 touchdowns and no interceptions in his first two games as the full-time starter. However, playing the directional (Western and Eastern) Carolina schools doesn’t give much of a barometer of what the ‘Pack are going to be this season. Based on the play of the teams on their schedule, we might not know who they are until the play Boston College in mid October.

Apparently the Florida State Seminoles haven’t found rock bottom. It seems as if it’s their turn to be the Florida team to hit bottom after Florida and Miami. After going through Ron Zook, Florida found Urban Meyer, and survived both Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain to get to Dan Mullen. The “U” haven’t been the “U” since Larry Coker, and they went through Al Golden and Randy Shannon before they hired Mark Richt and now Manny Diaz (not that they are the “U” yet) to continue to build. This just might be the Seminoles time to hit rock bottom.

Can the North Carolina Tarheels steal four more wins and get to a bowl game this season? Who know Mack Brown still had some magic left? True freshman Sam Howell is playing beyond his years–especially with that pass to beat Miami–and they’ve found ways to win games they should have lost. Wake Forest is the favorite this weekend….be careful Demon Deacons….

These are the stories we enter week three of ACC play with, so with all due respect to the “Textile Bowl” or as I like to call it “the Rivalry that really isn’t” here are your week 3 ACC power rankings:

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