ACC Football Power Rankings 2021: Pitt reigns supreme in final edition
By Dante Pryor
. 7-5, 5-3. . Hurricanes . 5. team. 834
This season, Manny Diaz did a great coaching job despite the Hurricanes pursuing Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal. It’s funny how someone is your guy until they are not, still, what Diaz did despite the plethora of injuries to what was supposed to be a veteran team.
This team was going to be an experienced squad led by D’Eriq King and Oklahoma transfer receiver Charleston Rambo and UCAL transfer defensive back Bubba Bolden. Instead, Diaz had to find young players to step up. Fellow freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and running back Jaylon Knighton won five of its last six games.
North Carolina State and head coach Dave Doeren can look back on this season from two different perspectives. First, the ‘Pack lost three games by 18 points. Their two conference losses, Wake Forest and Miami were by a combined four points.
On the other hand, North Carolina State handed Clemson its first conference loss of the season and had an opportunity to win ten games for the first time since 2002 and just the second time in school history with a bowl win.
3. team. 879. . 9-3, 6-2. . Tigers
Speaking of spin, this season had the makings of a step-back season for the Clemson Tigers, but few people saw three losses. The offense struggled behind a reconfigured then injured offensive line. We should have seen this coming, however.
The Tigers lost two of the best offensive players in school history when Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne went to the NFL. Clemson then had to deal with injuries to Bryan Breese, Frank Ladson, Matt Bockhorst, and Justyn Ross to name a few.
Head coach Dabo Swiney did arguably his best coaching job this season. If Clemson loses Tony Elliot and Brent Venables to head coaching jobs, he might have to do it again.