ACC football power rankings, Week 3: Clemson looks dominant yet again

5 of 16

Dave Clawson, Wake Forest football (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-1)

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons suffered heavy attrition this offseason. Quarterback Jamie Newman transferred to Georgia, and Sage Surratt opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. The Newman loss would have hurt less if Surratt played.

Sam Hartman beat out Jamie Newman for the starting job until an injury put him on the shelf. Surratt not playing hurt as much if not more than Newman transferring. Defensively, Carlos Basham Jr. is one of the better defensive linemen in the country, but he is unprotected upfront without another lineman near his talent level.

There were few teams in the country that needed spring and summer practice as much as Wake Forest. It showed against the Clemson Tigers this weekend. They had no answer for the Tigers’ offense, and the Deacons could not move the ball against the Tiger defense.

Wake Forest was shut out in the first half. The 37-13 score makes the game seem closer than it was. The run game was non-existent, and the passing game was inefficient. This season is a situation where the Deacons can’t hide behind a soft non-conference schedule. This season could be a long one on “Tobacco Road”.

Home/ACC