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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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DURHAM, NC – SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils waits to lewad his team onto the field for their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC – SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils waits to lewad his team onto the field for their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Pick Analysis. Duke Blue Devils. player. 825. Scouting Report. 1-1. Last Week: 11. 11

The Blue Devils are one of two teams on this list that didn’t move from their Week 1 ranking. After being completely dismantled by Alabama, they dismantled North Carolina A&T. This looked like a decent win at first. The Aggies won the black national title, and are one of the better programs in FCS, but they lost so many players from last year — including an NFL draft pick — and their coach that the win doesn’t look as good as it did at first.

Don’t despair, Blue Devil fans. First, you play in the Coastal division, so no Clemson this season. The Coastal is very much up for grabs, and every game in that division is winnable — except for Virginia maybe — so they aren’t out of it completely. Quarterback Quentin Harris is getting comfortable in the offense, and the defense won’t be awful. They get Middle Tennessee this week, so the Blue Devils might have a chance to move spots.

Last Week: 8. player. Scouting Report. 0-2, 0-1. 10. 834. Pick Analysis. Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes might be one of the best 0-2 teams in the country. They are ranked this low because they are 0-2. I have fewer questions about them than other teams in the conference. It’s easy to know who they are. The Hurricanes are a team with a freshman quarterback who’s being protected by two freshman tackles, and a really good veteran defense. They were better this week against North Carolina.

Unlike the Tar Heels, they’ve had chances to win with their young quarterback, but have come up short twice. They have talent; the Hurricanes are cursed with being both young, inexperienced and under a regime change. What the Hurricanes need is a win, and they should get it against Bethune-Cookman this weekend and Central Michigan the week after.

player. Scouting Report. Virginia Tech Hokies. 9. Pick Analysis. 1-1, 0-1. Last Week: 10. 847

The Hokies are the most confusing team in these rankings. Before year four started for head coach Justin Fuente there were transfer issues he had to deal with including the departure of quarterback Josh Jackson to Maryland and second leading receiver Eric Kumah. That left Kansas transfer Ryan Willis to start. Those departures left younger players to fill the void in key positions. Because the Hokies lost four players in 24 hours, Fuente had to release a statement on the condition of the Hokies football program.

Their season started with a loss to Boston College and last week they defeated Old Dominion 31-17. Where does that put Virginia Tech? That question might not be answered until they play Duke the last Saturday in September. They get Furman next week, and we might not know much about them unless they either lose that game or have to win on a missed extra point — too soon, Seminole fans?

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